Panasonic and Giz are giving away 10 pairs of their HC55 noise cancelling headphones, worth $149 each. Considering they actively cancel 88 percent of the ambient noise, they will definitely make your next flight more enjoyable. Should you happen to win, of course…

To enter, simply click through to the original comp post here, then tell us in 25 words or less in the comments section: “What noise would you most want to cancel out?” Good luck!

[Panasonic HC55 comp on Giz]
[T&Cs]

The HC55s will cancel out 88% of ambient noise which is enough to let you block out most of the annoying sounds that fill our days. They come with three different earpiece sizes, and the stainless steel design will match pretty much anything.

To win a pair worth $149, all you have to do is tell us in 25 words or less in the comments below, “What noise would you most want to cancel out?” Entries close Friday at 5pm.

[T&Cs]

Speaking of noise reduction, all three of their new models, including the AH-C710 and AH-C360 feature a Radial Cascade Damper that reduces noise from touched cables. The AH-NC600 is expected to be available in July for $US199 while the lower-end AH-C710 and AH-C360 will be available for $US149 and $US49 respectively starting in June.

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DENON INTRODUCES THREE NEW HIGH-PERFORMANCE HEADPHONES

— New Earbud Models Offer New Level of Comfort and Listening Luxury; Also the Company’s First In-Ear Noise-Cancelling Headphones —

Mahwah, NJ – May 11, 2009 – Denon Electronics, one of the world’s premier manufacturers of high-quality home entertainment components, today introduced three stylish and high-performance “earbud” in-ear headphone models, bringing the total number of headphones in the company’s line to 15. The new additions include the company’s first i

n-ear noise-cancelling headphones, Model AH-NC600 (SRP: $199), scheduled for July availability, as well as the AH-C710 (SRP: $149) and AH-C360 (SRP: $49), both scheduled for June availability.

Total Comfort and Style, With Optimum Audio Quality

As with all Denon headphones, the three new models are engineered for total comfort and style, with advanced audio technologies for optimum sound. The new models all feature an ergonomic design that isolates the ear more steadily and comfortably, and also decreases mechanical vibration. A newly developed Hybrid (metal and Elastomer) housing ensures clean sound, and a Radial Cascade Damper reduces noise from touched cables. In addition, all feature a specially designed Acoustic Optimizer that ensures dynamic sound and deep rich bass response, with optimum acoustical characteristics achieved by adjusting the sound pressure balance in front of and behind the diaphragm. For total flexibility, all models come with multiple sizes of comfortable ear tips, extension cables and ear clips to ensure perfect fit for every listener. The new AH-C710 headphones include not only three sizes of silicon ear tips, but also a special “soft-foam” earpiece for added comfort and luxury. They also come with a new specially designed carrying case that features cable management, as well as OFC (oxygen free copper) cables for enhanced sonic performance.
AH-NC600: Denon’s First Noise-Cancelling Earbud Headphone

The new luxury AH-NC600 earbud headphones offer music lovers an opportunity to enjoy the ultimate in private listening enjoyment, with a high-quality built-in amplifier and advanced noise-cancelling technologies that reduce

outside ambient noise by 99%. In addition, the sophisticated headphones feature Denon’s proprietary Compressed Audio Restorer circuitry. Previously only available in the company’s advanced audio/video receivers, this sophisticated circuitry improves the dynamic range and sound quality of compressed audio sources. Superior audio reproduction is further enhanced by high-quality 3.5mm drivers, as well as OFC cables with straight plug and an adjusting slider. An aeroplane adaptor and a specially designed hard carrying case add to their on-the-go convenience. The compact and ingeniously designed case allows users to carry their mobile phones, along with their headphones and all accessories, and lets them prop up their iPod Touch or iPhone devices for easy use while on-the-go. As with the AH-C710 headphones, the AH-NC600 provides three separately sized ear tips, as well as the new soft-foam earpads.
Denon’s Full Line of Advanced Headphones

The three new models join Denon’s existing line of advanced headphones, including the high-end luxury Model AH-NC732 On-Ear Noise Cancelling Headphones (SRP: $299); three state-of-the-art over-ear models, the AH-D7000 (SRP: $999), the AH-D5000 (SRP: $699) and AH-D2000 (SRP: $349); three on-ear models AH-D1001 (SRP: $149.99), AH-D501K (SRP: $69) and AH-301K (SRP: $49); the compact on-ear model AH-P372K (SRP: $59); and four “earbud” in-ear models, the AH-C751 (SRP: $199), AH-C551 (SRP: $99), AH-C452 (SRP: $69) and AH-C252 ($29).

[Denon]

While the headphones aren’t exactly new, they’re still impressive enough for me to want to share the experience with you guys. While I haven’t had much of a chance to really test them out properly, I have had enough of a hands on to tell you that these headphones are like a rugby union prop – they’re big, but they get around and they perform well. Really well.Despite the fact that these cans are massive, they’re still comfortable to wear. My last pair of noise-cancellers were Bose’s QuietComfort 2s, and the transition from on-the-ear to over-the-ear has been an interesting experience.

The PXC 450s run off a single AAA battery, rather than rechargeables, though I haven’t used them enough to see how long the battery lasts. On the upside, they still play when the battery is dead, although obviously without the noise cancelling tech.

On the right headphone, there’s a button that stops the music and allows you to hear when somebody is speaking to you, which would be an awesome advantage for fliers. There are also volume controls on the headphones themselves, saving you from having to pull out your iPod to turn up your tunes.

Audio quality, on the limited use I’ve had, is fantastic. I always found the QC2s struggled with the lower end, but these seem to handle a full range really well. Obviously my opinion will develop the longer I listen to them, but so far the PXC 450s are one of the best sets of headphones I’ve ever had the joy of listening to. Of course, for $800 you’d expect great audio quality, so that last statement really shouldn’t be too much of a surprise.

There are actually open source version of this I-Doser app (which they might have even taken a few assets from), so you can try it out before you sink some cash into this. Their shady looking site also has a disclaimer that says “I-Doser makes no medical, psychological, physical or otherwise, claims to the effectiveness of the I-Doser application, Simulation CDs, and MP3s,” which leads us to believe that it’s quite bogus and most likely does nothing. Don’t you think that if you could get high from a SOUND, kids would have been all over this years ago? These kids sniff cat pee! [I-Doser via JPostvia T3]

The Price: US$400.00

The Verdict: As with any expensive noise cancelling headphones that are geared towards frequent flyers, comfort, sound quality, and noise cancelling are all equally important when reviewing.

Comfort
Doesn’t matter how great a pair of headphones sound, they must be comfortable to wear especially when they’re cancelling out noise on long haul flights. My first comfort impression: they’re surprisingly light when wearing. Usually big over-the-ear headphones are uncomfortably heavy; but not these. The ear-cup padding is relatively thin and firm, but still comfortable. The padding on the top head strap has this same firm feel and is more than adequate. A month ago on a SF to Paris flight, I wore these headphones for a continuous 10 hours before I started to notice discomfort. So I can safely say they pass the comfort test.

Sound Quality
Now I’m no audiophile, but I do enjoy a crisp vibrant sound. It must be noted that these headphones always have the noise cancelling feature on, so they aren’t exactly like a pair of normal headphones. The overall sound quality is great, but it’s not astonishing. With volume at medium level the depth is there with a clean undistorted sound. In the higher volume levels the headphones start to produce very light noise and some minimal distortion. But this is at very high levels which I couldn’t handle for more than a few seconds. Even though the headphones are expensive, it’s excusable that the sound quality wasn’t amazing because the noise cancelling totally makes up for it.

Noise Cancelling
I’m still a bit confused to how this “digital technology for noise cancelling” exactly works. But I do know it works very well. It’s my understanding that it converts the analogue signal digitally by using a digital processor, and then it can apply different environmental filters based on the surroundings. When you first turn the headphones on they use the standard non-environmently filtered noise cancelling. This setting worked well, but by clicking the AI (artificial intelligence) button located right next to the power switch, the audio cut out for a second then came back even better. The AI NC mode uses an automatic environmental filter mode where it can detect the HZ range of noise and apply a filter to mask it. There are three different modes, one for a plane, one for a train/bus, and another for an office/study environment. I did play with the different manual modes for a bit but found that the automatic setting could choose the right one for me, so I had no need for the manual settings.

Once I figured out the AI NC feature I started to enjoy the headphones even more. I could barely hear the roar of the jet’s engines, but at the same time I could slightly hear important outside sounds, like my girl friend asking me to get her ice cream. I tested the noise cancelling against a pair of US$200 JVC HA-NC250 on-the-ear noise cancelling headphones. Compared to the JBLs, the Sonys were amazingly better. The JBLs let in more outside noise and had a slight distortion/buzz in sound. The Sony’s clarity and overall enjoyment was much better.

Accessories
These headphones come with a huge carrying case that is packed full of accessories. The case is so big that it makes carrying it sort of a hassle, but it does have every accessory you could ever need. It’s got an in-flight adaptor, 1/4″ stereo adaptor, 2 3.5mm stereo cords, a charger, and even a AA battery powered adaptor for when you run out of internal juice.

Final Verdict
I’m currently 30,000 feet above the Atlantic in a Boeing 747 and I can’t hep but gush over these headphones. They’re simply amazing. But are they worth the price? For most people I would say no way. I think these are only for those frequent flyers who are regularly taking flights longer than 5 hours. The US$400 price tag can only be justified if the headphones are being used a few times a month and not just to block out sounds around the house.

First and foremost, they loved the foam tips, claiming that they provided all of the benefits and none of the major negatives of their predecessors. As for the sound, they noted that these earphones would be a viable alternative to similar offerings by Bose—which is a pretty flattering endorsement. On the negative side, they weren’t impressed by the overall look of the NR-10’s and they felt that the bass-heavy sound could be a bit much for some listeners. However, the overall verdict was that the NR-10’s were impressive, proclaiming them as a “good value for the dollar.” Hit the link for the full review. [iLoungeand Comply]

NWA-A720
• 4, 8 and 16GB
• Windows Media DRM compatible
• MP3/AAC/WMA/L-PCM audio
• h.264/MPEG4 Video
• 2.4-inch LCD
• Comes with EX-Headphones
• 36 hours of battery life

The NWA-A820 is exactly the same as the A720, but comes in a 16GB version with Bluetooth 1.3 A2DP on board. The NWZ-A820K is also exactly the same as the A820, which includes the Bluetooth 1.3 A2DP streaming, but comes with a pair of Bluetooth headphones. However, the 820K is only available in an 8GB model.

SONY UNVEILS NOISE CANCELING AND BLUETOOTH WIRELESS TECHNOLOGY ENABLED WALKMAN VIDEO MP3 PLAYERS

SAN DIEGO, Feb. 26, 2008 – Sony today unveiled three new Walkman® video MP3 models that for the first time in the United States support noise-canceling and Bluetooth® technologies.
All three NWZ-S710F, NWZ-A720 and NWZ-A820 Walkman® players also support common audio formats, including MP3s.
“Achieving the highest audio quality is one of our top priorities when designing our players,” said Steve Haber, senior vice president of the Digital Imaging and Audio Division at Sony Electronics.
High-Quality Audio and Video
The new Walkman® video players offer great video resolution and brightness, along with high-quality sound and an extended battery life. They come with Sony’s EX series in-ear-buds with 13.5 mm drivers that passively block out ambient noise and help create a better listener experience.
Sony’s clear audio technologies are also included and significantly improve sound quality when playing back digital music files. They fill in the high tones that can be lost during file compression, enhance the bass, minimize distortion and maintain a consistent channel signal.
The devices have a standard user interface that makes it easy to enjoy songs, videos or pictures. For exceptional image quality, the video players have a large Quarter Video Graphics Array (QVGA) LCD screen that displays video at 30 frames per second. QVGA is a display mode for small screens in which the resolution is 320 pixels vertically by 240 pixels horizontally.
The battery life is up to 33 hours of music playback for NWZ-S710F models and up to 36 hours for NWZ-A720 and NWZ-A820 models. The battery life is also up to nine-and-a-half hours of video playback for the NWZ-S710F model and up to 10 hours for the NWZ-A720 and NWZ-A820 models.
Integrated Noise-Canceling Walkman® Players
For business travelers or families who want to keep the volume down and the audio quality high, Sony has created the NWZ-S710F series of noise canceling Walkman® players.
These Walkman® players have a built-in noise-canceling system that can reduce up to 75 percent of the ambient noise. Five clear audio technologies are built into the device to create sound clarity that maintains the same quality of the original source.
Because the system diminishes intrusive noise, listeners can avoid turning up the volume. Travelers can turn on the noise canceling feature and get peace and quiet even without listening to music.
The compact and lightweight NWZ-S710 players have a 1.8-inch QVGA (320 by 240 pixels) LCD screen (measured diagonally). They include an FM tuner with 30 presets that make it convenient to listen to the radio on the go.
With or Without Wires
The NWZ-A720 series has a bigger 2.4-inch QVGA (320 by 240 pixels) LCD screen (measured diagonally). Incorporating the design ethos of both the previous A and S Series Walkman® players, these models have a slim body and a sleek industrial design.
With the same look and feature set as the NWZ-A720 series, the NWZ-A820 and NWZ-A820K series adds Bluetooth® technology. This technology eliminates the inconvenience of wires while streaming tunes from the MP3 device to headphones or other devices with Bluetooth® technology. It also makes it easier to listen to music virtually anywhere, anytime: in the living room, bedroom, office or even outdoors.
These Walkman® players have a 2.4-inch QVGA (320 by 240 pixels) LCD screen (measured diagonally). For NWZ-A820 and NWZ-A820K series, users can manually delete videos directly from the devices’ internal memory without connecting to a PC.
For fitness enthusiasts, the NWZ-A820K Walkman® player comes bundled with both the EX-series earbuds and the DR-BT21G Bluetooth® wireless technology enabled headphones. With a wireless behind-the-neck style, the DR-BT21G stereo Bluetooth® headset has built-in remote control features that play, pause and forward tracks. Fully charged, this headset offers hours of listening to music, watching videos or hands-free talking while connected to a compatible cell phone.
These devices use Bluetooth® Stereo technology with Advanced Audio Distribution Profile (A2DP) to deliver high-quality sound. The Walkman® players support multiple digital music devices and accessories, including headphones, headsets and speakers with Bluetooth® technology.
Consumers can check whether their Sony device is compatible by visiting www.sony.com/bluetoothstereo.
Sony’s Open Platform Means More Choice
The Walkman® players support an open platform, providing more choices for downloading and managing music and video collections online. The devices support security-enhanced Windows Media Audio (WMA), as well as non-secure AAC, linear PCM and MP3 music formats, plus JPEG files for photos, in addition to the AVC (H.264/AVC) Baseline Profile and MPEG-4 video codecs.
The Walkman® video players store up to 3,800 songs on the 16GB models, 1,850 songs on the 8GB models and 925 songs on the 4GB models, for songs an average of four minutes in length at 128kbps in the MP3 format.
All of the new players are compatible with most subscription music services. The new players are Certified for Windows Vista, meaning they have passed a series of compatibility tests including Plays For Sure verification.
To help manage digital music libraries, the new Sony Walkman® video players come with Microsoft Windows Media Player 11. This familiar interface makes transferring music very intuitive.
Pricing and Availability
The NWZ-S710F series of Walkman® noise canceling video MP3 players come in two different capacities and three colors:
• The NWZ-S716F player has approximately 4GB of internal storage; comes in silver, red and black and will cost about $150.
• The NWZ-S718F player has approximately 8GB of internal storage; comes in black and will cost about $200.

The NWZ-A720 series of Walkman® video MP3 players come in three different capacities and two colors:
• The NWZ-A726 player has approximately 4GB of internal storage; comes in black and pink; and costs about $150.
• The NWZ-A728 player has approximately 8GB of internal storage; comes in black and pink and costs about $200.
• The NWZ-A729 player has approximately 16GB of internal storage, comes in black, and costs about $300.

The NWZ-A820 and NWZ-A820K series of Walkman® Bluetooth® wireless technology enabled video players will initially be available in the following configurations:
• The NWZ-A828K comes in black, has approximately 8GB of internal storage, and costs about $270.
• The NWZ-A829 comes in black has approximately 16GB of internal storage, and costs about $320.

Presales have begun for the new Walkman® models online at www.sonystyle.com/walkman and at Sony Style stores. The players will be available in March across the country at military base exchanges and at authorized dealers nationwide.