Wow! What to the $200 noise-cancelling headphones sound like?

In My Humble Opinion
21

Sorry to be a jackass, but I have to address this point.

Dr. Bose may or may not be a smart guy and accomplished acoustician; however, I think it’s incorrect to give him much, if any, credit for inventing active noise control technology. As a partial cite, I offer the following quote:
“Where two condensations are added we obtain increased condensation, where two rarefactions are added we have increased rarefaction; while a concurrence of condensation and rarefaction mutually, in whole or in part, destroy or neutralise each other.”

From: Helmholtz, Hermann. On the Sensations of Tone. Originally published 1885. Page 28 in 1954 Dover edition.

Also, see the very informative “Active Noise Control FAQ” at http://users.erols.com/ruckman/ancfaq.htm
which includes the following reference and comment:

Lueg, P., “Process of silencing sound oscillation,” U.S. Patent No. 2 043 416, 1936. Generally considered the first published work on the subject, although Lueg’s German patent application predates it by a few weeks.

Finally, the key points have been correctly identified in the previous posts, I think. An active noise control system must be able to predict the sound that’s coming up in the future so that it can generate the appropriate out-of-phase canceling signal. Thus, an active noise system works well on repeatable noises, such as bladepass tones in fans, jet engines, HVAC systems, etc. Another successful (though not yet commercial) application is as part of an engine muffler, where the exhaust pulses can be predicted with some accuracy.

The corollary is that random, one-off, noises, such as conversation, gunshots, etc. can’t be attenuated, except to the extent that the headset acts as a regular earmuff.

22

Probably above your price range in general, but for superior isolation, you might consider these sorts of beasts:

http://headroom.headphone.com/layout.php?topicID=13&subTopicID=64

I’ve tried one of the etymotic models and it really was amazing just how isolating it was. But personally I was one of those uncomfortable with having them stuck inside my ears. Also in discussing “work headphones” the guys at headroom point out they can be almost too isolating:

http://headroom.headphone.com/layout.php?topicID=2&subTopicID=17

That site is a good resource by the way. They’re commercial ( they build headphone amps ), so you have to take certain things with a grain of salt, but they still make decent recommendations IMHO. Also they support public forums on headphones and associated gear.

  • Tamerlane
23

The noise-cancelling feature is powered internally by a AAA battery in the headphones themselves. Thus, you could just cut the cord if you’re only interested in sleeping w/ them on. The way I sleep I couldn’t wear headphones; but if you sleep on your back, then I suppose it’s feasible. I’m sure there is better sleep-appropriate noise muffling out there, though.

24

Dr. Bose is a very smart guy. He is a very respected professor at MIT.

What I meant was that he invented and patented the technology that analyzes and produces a sound wave that cancels out ambient noise in real-world situations. Every invention of this type is built on experiments and theories developed by other people. His achievement was actually applying the theory and finding a way to apply it to real-world situations. Otherwise, it may have just remained a lab curiosity.

25

they sound like crap relative to other $200 headphones.

for that money invest in a pair of in-ear isolating headphones from Etymotics (like the 4p) or Shure (the E3C). They sound amazing and don’t rely on fancy electronic tricks to cancel noise, instead they seal the noise out (20dB of noise actually). These are very portable and again, the sound will amaze you.

If you are worried about the comfort of such earphones you could go for regular size headphone with a sealed enclosure. I like the Senheisser 280. These won’t keep as much noise out as the in-ear phone but will give any noise cancelling headphone a run for it’s money. Oh yeah, they also sound a lot better than the Bose.

or decide you don’t need noise canceling and all you could go for a great set of open headphones like the Grado 225. They let noise in and out, but are a great value. Open headphones generally give you the best quality sound but are hard to use if you are in a noisy environment or if you don’t wish to disturb the person next to you.

I use the following headphones:
Etymotics 4p (with my iPod), the Sennheiser 600 on the PC and a pair of Grado RS-1 for critical music listening.

26

Are they ear plugs w/ speakers inside? Why are they so expensive? I can’t find anything in the $40 range…

27

If we’re talking about noise canceling devices then you cannot use an in-ear headphone to stop lower frequencies. They will travel right through you. It takes active cancellation to reduce it. However, I agree that 20 dB of passive isolation would be a great start for most noises. Certainly the best bang for the buck.

28

You won’t find anything from Etymotics (and probably not Shure either) in the $40 range. I can’t say why they are so expensive- better engineering, better materials, better manufacturing processes, etc… It all adds up to much better sound.

There are the companies that make the in-ear monitors you see musicians wearing these days.

29

I have a pair of these, and whenever I have music on, I am completely disconnected from the world. I have a phone about four feet from where I am sitting, but with these in, I can’t hear it ringing. I have also been completely oblivious to people ten feet behind me yelling to get my attention. Sometimes they work a little too well, like when someone walks up right behind me and taps me on the shoulder, but I can’t hear them coming. It scares the crap out of me every time.

30

I think for an office environment this is a good solution.

I have a pair of expensive noise-cancelling headphones because I travel overseas fairly often on business. They work great on aircraft. However, …

One day I took them into our open plan office, trying to cut down some of the office chat. The problem was that they cut out the white noise from the airconditioning, computers, etc., but not (as has been pointed out in other posts) talking. The upshot was that the conversations were even clearer than before!

I’ve heard great things from frequent flyers about the Shure E3C mentioned by jfortun, but I haven’t tried them personally.

31

I hope you’re not pulling my leg. The noice-cancelling headphones are great, especially when it warms up in here and the computers really start humming with their fans and all that sort of thing.

I’m gonna have to start calling around and see if those Sony ear-bud thingies are available in the area.

32

Everything I have told you about them is true. They really do block out sound well, but I don’t know how they compare to noise-canceling headphones, and I don’t know how loud it gets in offices. I looked at some reviews at Audiocubes, and it seems like other people are happy with how well they block out external sound. Oh, they are imported from Japan so I don’t know if you would be able to find them locally, unless you have a Japanese import store or something. The only places I could find to buy them online were Audiocubes and eBay.

33

I bought the Beyerdynamic DT 250-80 a few months ago based on their recommendation, and for what it’s worth, they’re awesome headphones. Great sound, great closure so very few sounds get through (voices sound well-muffled), and very comfortable. I put those on, turn on Rhapsody, and I might as well be the only person in the office… until someone taps me on the shoulder. :slight_smile:

34

I called Circuit City and the guy was really, really rude. I may have to return the headphones I got just out of spite, and order the Fontopias from Audiocubes or Sony.com.

35

So I traded up. I returned the noise-cancelling headphones and got those Sony MDR-EX71SL Fontopia Earphones. Much better all around. I like them way more than the other ones. Thanks for the heads-up.

36

Actually they can be but with different technology. I have two pairs of electronic earmuffs that muffle loud, transient sounds like gunfire but allow speech and low sounds to be amplified so one can carry on a normal conversation. It’s extremely useful when training someone as they don’t have to turn or strain to hear an instructor’s normal tone of voice. When I turn the volume all the way up loud sounds are no louder but extremely faint sounds are no apparent. I can hear bugs in the walls and my footsteps on carpet .

I am not sure but I think they work primarly by dynamic range compression, kind of like the old dbx noise reduction system. They sound much better than the Peltor brand muffs I’ve tried which seem to use an AGC circuit which changes the volume level. This makes for a silent pause following every gunshot which is distracting to me. The Dillon brand muffs I use make gunfire sound like it’s on TV.

I just bought a pair of Maxell noise cancelling muffs, $50, and I may return them. I feel a lot of mechanical pressure on my head and when I turn on the NC circuit I get the sensation of a pressure change in my eardrums that is uncomfortable.