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Pogue Finds the Best Reasonably-Priced Noise-Cancelling Headphones
Posted by Seamus Byrne at 8:30 AM on June 15, 2007
NY Times badass David Pogue took a look at noise-canceling headphones, looking for a pair that can match the quality of Bose's QuietComfort 3's without the ridiculously high price ($350[!!!]). What he found were a bunch of pairs that did the job decently, and a couple that came close enough to the QuietComforts to make spending $350 an option only a real sucker would choose.
The two that he liked the best were the Panasonic RP-HC500s ($100) and the Audio-Techinica ATH-ANC7s ($132), saying that they cancelled surrounding noise out while also delivering top-notch sound quality. As anyone who's listened to headphones on a plane can tell you, the ability to shut out that engine noise makes your trip a whole lot sweeter. It's nice to see some quality choices for people other than the rich and the clueless.
Headphones to Shut Out the World [NY Times]
Comments (AU Comments · US Comments)
Richard
Posted June 15, 2007 11:28 AM
I'll vouch for the fact that noise cancelling headphones are a blessing on long flights. I used to travel regularly on long-haul international flights, and I had a set of first-generation Sony NC phones, which I bought in Tokyo's Akihabara district for around $A60.
Sadly, after years of use the foam started to disintegrate. Sadder still, the price for replacement foam pads was $A50! Crazy.
These days, I use a pair of Shure E3 canalphones - no active NC, but just as good for listening to music. And being able to hear and understand dialogue on in-flight movies while maintaining a lower overall volume level makes for a much less stressful flight.
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