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First, I will link to a part of a review that I co-wrote where we explain the different kinds of headphones:
http://arstechnica.com/reviews/other/headphones.ars/3
It goes over the different means of fitting, and goes in to a lot of detail on the differences between active and passive noise cancellation. I could cut and past this stuff (I did write it), but I would need to break this stuff in to 5-6 posts on here, so, seriously, visit these very informative links and consider that I actually wrote them. Note that "IEM" has eclipsed "canalphone" as the term in use for describing earphones like the Etymotics and Shures.
The best noise blocking headphones I have ever used have been Etymotic ER4-S. Noise blocking is not the same as noise canceling. It's better, but I will get in to the differences and why one may be better than the other one for you.
It so happens to be that the ER4-P was included in both of the headphone reviews I have up on Ars Technica. Here are comments on the ER-4 - I'm Jeff:
http://arstechnica.com/reviews/other/headphones.ars/5
http://arstechnica.com/reviews/other/HiFiHeadphones.ars/4
Note that these are two different comparisons, and while similar they were intended to be taken in two different contexts. When I did that review, I used the ER-4Ps extensively (For a couple of *months* before the review came out). I have used the ER4-S in addition to the P model, and the ER6 too - the ER6 for the review, and the ER4-S more casually at a later date. Please see the review for detailed comments, particularly about the fit and comfort of them.
The other options available from Shure and UltimateEars tend to be very good - some sound as good, some sound worse - that isn't the key difference between them. The Etymotics block somewhat more sound than the other models, and sound better (from an audiophile standpoint of accuracy is best - if you want a bit more bass thump, the other brands will tend to be more satisfying - if you want pure, as-recorded bliss, for better or worse, the Etys' nearly flat frequency response will serve you better.)
Source(s):
My own reviews from:
http://arstechnica.com/reviews/other/headphones.ars
http://arstechnica.com/reviews/other/HiFiHeadphones.ars
Experience reviewing and comparing dozens of models of headphones for both personal enjoyment and comparisons written for a major web site.
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I was doing some research on this and found out that these same headphones were rated the best according to CNET Reviews.
See the link:
http://reviews.cnet.com/best-noise-cancelling-headphones
From my personal experiences, these headphones have worked wonders on the airplanes, to those times when I wanted to listen to music. The quality of sound is richer than any headphones I've personally tried. Although they are not the lowest priced headphones, you get a better quality headphone with Bose Quiet Comfort 3.
Watch the review of these headphones!
You can purchase these headphones on Amazon: http://bit.ly/BoseQuietComfort3
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In all honesty the headphones have at least 3 main drawbacks, but their audio quality is still worth it to me.
1) The headphones are a bit heavy. If you listen for a long time be prepared to have to stretch your neck once in a while.
2) The head band has minor cracks in it that don't impact their ability to stay on my head, but I was disappointed to see them considering how high quality the rest of the product is.
3) The audio cable terminates in a straight plug that extends further than most cables do. This puts a lot of stress on the headphone port because the wire is heavy. Plugging the headphones into my ipod mini always made me nervous.
These 3 minor complaints are all tossed aside considering how great my music sounds. For modest noise canceling (like on a train, or people's voices) they work extremely well. If you are looking to block loud music, or street noise, look elsewhere.
Source(s):
5 years of ownership.
http://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-HD-280-Pro-Professional/dp/B000065BPB
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-they are incredibly comfortable
-they fold completely flat, which makes traveling with them a breeze
-reduces background noise by up to 85% when using the Active background noise reduction feature
-comes with an airline adapter that allows you to connect them into in-flight entertainment systems
-it's roughly half the price of the average Bose headsets at under $100, but gets even better reviews
You really can't go wrong with these headphones, and I can't recommend them enough!
Source(s):
http://www.amazon.com/Audio-Technica-ATH-ANC7-QuietPoint-Noise-Cancelling-H...
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But, in an environment with a lot of white noise, all of them work great. For instance, wearing Sony's around an industrial factory, it's like a quiet peaceful night at home.
...But you can still hear the intercom. Weird.
But, my favorites? Are these earbuds - not headphones - from Phillips.
http://www.amazon.com/Philips-HN060-37-Noise-Canceling-Earbuds/dp/B00061IYJC
Why do I like them? They're CHEAP. They work. They sound pretty dang good. They have a necklace thing that helps support their battery pack thing.
This means they're perfect for airplanes, for mowing the lawn, for doing lots of things.
Why would you not like them?
People claim, in the reviews, that "all these do is make the sound louder and put a hiss in the background. If you're using them wrong, that's what it seems like. Especially if you're sitting in a quiet room. But, it's not true. You have to do a few things to get them to work.
First you have to be in a noisy environment. They second you are, the "hiss" and the "louder" effect doesn't really exist. Second, you _have_ to fit them in your ears, so they make a seal. If you don't, they just don't work. Flat out.
The ear buds, at first, are uncomfortable and tough to get a fit. (If you're used to wearing ear buds that are isolating, this might not be a bid deal.)
Also, the battery pack thing can be kind of heavy. I usually put in a shirt pocket or, when mowing, I safety pin them near my collar.
Anyway, once you figure out which size and how to tweak them, you're great.
These things are awesome. Like I said, every time I mow, and every time I fly, I wear these. They work great. And like I said, they're CHEAP. (Especially if you find a pair on eBay....)
Source(s):
Ebay search for them...
http://search-desc.ebay.com/search/search.dll?sofocus=bs&sbrftog=1&...
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Answered Question
M$3
December 26, 2008 02:39 AM
what are the best noise canceling headphones you've used and why?
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| December 26, 2008 07:33 AM |
http://arstechnica.com/reviews/other/headphones.ars/3
It goes over the different means of fitting, and goes in to a lot of detail on the differences between active and passive noise cancellation. I could cut and past this stuff (I did write it), but I would need to break this stuff in to 5-6 posts on here, so, seriously, visit these very informative links and consider that I actually wrote them. Note that "IEM" has eclipsed "canalphone" as the term in use for describing earphones like the Etymotics and Shures.
The best noise blocking headphones I have ever used have been Etymotic ER4-S. Noise blocking is not the same as noise canceling. It's better, but I will get in to the differences and why one may be better than the other one for you.
It so happens to be that the ER4-P was included in both of the headphone reviews I have up on Ars Technica. Here are comments on the ER-4 - I'm Jeff:
http://arstechnica.com/reviews/other/headphones.ars/5
http://arstechnica.com/reviews/other/HiFiHeadphones.ars/4
Note that these are two different comparisons, and while similar they were intended to be taken in two different contexts. When I did that review, I used the ER-4Ps extensively (For a couple of *months* before the review came out). I have used the ER4-S in addition to the P model, and the ER6 too - the ER6 for the review, and the ER4-S more casually at a later date. Please see the review for detailed comments, particularly about the fit and comfort of them.
The other options available from Shure and UltimateEars tend to be very good - some sound as good, some sound worse - that isn't the key difference between them. The Etymotics block somewhat more sound than the other models, and sound better (from an audiophile standpoint of accuracy is best - if you want a bit more bass thump, the other brands will tend to be more satisfying - if you want pure, as-recorded bliss, for better or worse, the Etys' nearly flat frequency response will serve you better.)
Source(s):
My own reviews from:
http://arstechnica.com/reviews/other/headphones.ars
http://arstechnica.com/reviews/other/HiFiHeadphones.ars
Experience reviewing and comparing dozens of models of headphones for both personal enjoyment and comparisons written for a major web site.
| Asker's Rating: |
• thanks for your help!
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Other Answers (5)
December 26, 2008 02:48 AM
The best noise canceling headphones I've ever used were the Bose QuietComfort 3 noise canceling headphones. First off, Bose is a brand name audio product you can rely on when it comes to noise canceling, and they also produce great speakers as well. Since they know how to make noise, they also know how to cancel it! I was doing some research on this and found out that these same headphones were rated the best according to CNET Reviews.
See the link:
http://reviews.cnet.com/best-noise-cancelling-headphones
From my personal experiences, these headphones have worked wonders on the airplanes, to those times when I wanted to listen to music. The quality of sound is richer than any headphones I've personally tried. Although they are not the lowest priced headphones, you get a better quality headphone with Bose Quiet Comfort 3.
Watch the review of these headphones!
You can purchase these headphones on Amazon: http://bit.ly/BoseQuietComfort3
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Reply
December 26, 2008 02:52 AM
The best noise canceling headphones I have personally used are the Sennheiser HD 280s. They are passive rather than active noise canceling which I prefer. Active noise canceling headphones certainly block more noise but they do so at the expense of the audio quality by injecting noise to counteract the outside noise. I got these more for the audio quality than their ability to block outside noise so keep that in mind. In all honesty the headphones have at least 3 main drawbacks, but their audio quality is still worth it to me.
1) The headphones are a bit heavy. If you listen for a long time be prepared to have to stretch your neck once in a while.
2) The head band has minor cracks in it that don't impact their ability to stay on my head, but I was disappointed to see them considering how high quality the rest of the product is.
3) The audio cable terminates in a straight plug that extends further than most cables do. This puts a lot of stress on the headphone port because the wire is heavy. Plugging the headphones into my ipod mini always made me nervous.
These 3 minor complaints are all tossed aside considering how great my music sounds. For modest noise canceling (like on a train, or people's voices) they work extremely well. If you are looking to block loud music, or street noise, look elsewhere.
Source(s):
5 years of ownership.
http://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-HD-280-Pro-Professional/dp/B000065BPB
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December 26, 2008 02:59 AM
The best noise-canceling headphones I've used are the Audio-Technica ATH-ANC7. Not only do they have superb audio quality and active background noise reducing capabilities, they also have many other great features. Some of my favorite features: -they are incredibly comfortable
-they fold completely flat, which makes traveling with them a breeze
-reduces background noise by up to 85% when using the Active background noise reduction feature
-comes with an airline adapter that allows you to connect them into in-flight entertainment systems
-it's roughly half the price of the average Bose headsets at under $100, but gets even better reviews
You really can't go wrong with these headphones, and I can't recommend them enough!
Source(s):
http://www.amazon.com/Audio-Technica-ATH-ANC7-QuietPoint-Noise-Cancelling-H...
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December 26, 2008 04:21 AM
Honestly, I've tried the BOSE, Sony, etc. And, they all work - pretty good. But they're not perfect. All of them let sound through in the "talking" range. For instance, at the BOSE store, I'm trying to listen to something, and you can hear people around me talking, and the Beatles playing on the stereo next me... all I can hear is the vocals on the Beatles track. But, in an environment with a lot of white noise, all of them work great. For instance, wearing Sony's around an industrial factory, it's like a quiet peaceful night at home.
...But you can still hear the intercom. Weird.
But, my favorites? Are these earbuds - not headphones - from Phillips.
http://www.amazon.com/Philips-HN060-37-Noise-Canceling-Earbuds/dp/B00061IYJC
Why do I like them? They're CHEAP. They work. They sound pretty dang good. They have a necklace thing that helps support their battery pack thing.
This means they're perfect for airplanes, for mowing the lawn, for doing lots of things.
Why would you not like them?
People claim, in the reviews, that "all these do is make the sound louder and put a hiss in the background. If you're using them wrong, that's what it seems like. Especially if you're sitting in a quiet room. But, it's not true. You have to do a few things to get them to work.
First you have to be in a noisy environment. They second you are, the "hiss" and the "louder" effect doesn't really exist. Second, you _have_ to fit them in your ears, so they make a seal. If you don't, they just don't work. Flat out.
The ear buds, at first, are uncomfortable and tough to get a fit. (If you're used to wearing ear buds that are isolating, this might not be a bid deal.)
Also, the battery pack thing can be kind of heavy. I usually put in a shirt pocket or, when mowing, I safety pin them near my collar.
Anyway, once you figure out which size and how to tweak them, you're great.
These things are awesome. Like I said, every time I mow, and every time I fly, I wear these. They work great. And like I said, they're CHEAP. (Especially if you find a pair on eBay....)
Source(s):
Ebay search for them...
http://search-desc.ebay.com/search/search.dll?sofocus=bs&sbrftog=1&...
Permalink | Report
Reply
December 26, 2008 05:25 AM
I have owned the Bose noise canceling headphones that everyone seems to have, and can wholly recommend instead you get in-ear headphones, such as the Shure E-series. They're much better at canceling the noise and are way smaller, thus easier to travel with. Also if you're on an airplane and like sleeping against the window seat, you can't lean against the window with a big-ass Bose headset. Permalink | Report
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http://arstechnica.com/reviews/other/HiFiHeadphones.ars/3
It just so happens that the HD-280 Pros are some of the better circumaural headphones that also passively block a lot of sound that I have heard. I will note carefully that compared to the Etymotics, they honestly don't compare, at *all*. I've now owned a pair for ~5 years. I use them in situations where I need to block sound out, and they work well enough for me on flights that I deal with their bulk - their performance is good enough for that that replacing them for use on flights only would be a waste of money. Koss makes a series of headphones starting with "QZ", of which some are earmuff style models - but they cost almost as much as the HD-280 Pros, and don't sound nearly as good. Some of the newer models may be better, though - they have added models that use active noise cancellation in addition to passive noise blocking.
A quick synopsis of active vs passive noise cancellation (in far more detail in the links) is this: active cancellation will work wonders for the wind and engine noise on a plane, but will not do anything to quiet a human voice next to you. There are open noise cancelling headphones which are great - if you want to simply reduce the ambient noise level while talking to people - possibly without even music going on in the background. The HD280 Pros are passive, there's no technical trickery at work, but they very effectively block a lot of sound out across the full range, so the background noise from the airplane, and the sounds people make will be about equally reduced. With the ER-4, and, to a lesser extent their Shure and UltimateEars cousins, while the spec sheet may not claim as much sound being blocked, the result is actually tremendous - where the closed and sealing HD280s block out and muffle a lot of sound out, with the ER4s, it's comparatively silent.