Noise Cancelling Headphones - Brand/opinions?

[Overpaid Slacker]

Curious if any of you mugs has noise-cancelling headphones you'd recommend.

Bose is renowned for its innovation and quality, certainly, but there's a stiff premium to be paid.

Sennheiser makes a pair, Sony, and even Logitech has gotten into the act.

Anybody have experience with any of these -- or, even better auditioned multiple types/brands?

Thanks in advance.

JP

[slakjaw]

I can say that I have tried the Bose headphones and they were awesome!

[azasadny]

My coworkers at Ford had the Bose noise-cancelling headphones and loved them.

[red-beard]

I purchased a Sony cheapo version that are on top of your ears, not enclosing, and they are decent, but not great. $50

[legion]

I have the Sharper Image ones.

They work great on an airplane, but don't do $h!t at a NASCAR race.

[Scott R]

I have both Bose and Sennheiser, I use the Sennheiser on the airplane due to the size. I have the PCX250's which use a small AAA battery back and they fold up really small. My Bose set which works better, is however too bulky to slip into my laptop case.

[jmaxwell]

I've used several brands, including Sony, Bose, and even Radio shack. All provide some measure of noise cancelling, but the Bose were by far the best. at $300, they ought to be!

[adamred]

Love my Bose, can't travel without them, bought the on top of the ear QC3 version, a bit smaller to transport then the over the ear. I can actually hear my music again on the plane...

[Gogar]

+1 on the Bose QC3.

Sometimes you can find them pretty cheap at the airport, believe it or not.

[Dennis Kalma]

What I want is a noise cancelling software that will allow me to watch a movie on my PC, using my Bluetooth wireless headphones whilst cancelling all other noise on the airplance....all I want to hear is movie (or music) without any other contamination.

Does anyone have a product like that? I would assume it could use my laptop's microphone and sound facilities.....

Dennis

[island911]

Bose QC2

I like the full over-ear feature. Great for jetting about.

If you want, there are some very effective passive (in-ear) noise reduction headphones. Check out http://www.shure.com/PersonalAudio/Products/Earphones/ESeries/us_pa_E5c_content

Those are very easy to travel with, but have the downside of all in-ear products --which is known when you start eating your lunch. --whereas the Active NR have no issues there.

[BlueSkyJaunte]

If you have a decent pair of in-ear 'phones, you don't need noise-cancelling capability.

Try Etymotic or Shure.

http://www.head-fi.org

(sorry about your wallet)

[Dantilla]

I use Bose headsets when I fly my little airplane, but that's probably not what you're looking for. By far the most comfortable headsets. My old David Clarks have been severely outclassed.

[gassy]

I have the Bose QC2's and LOVE them. I also have a pair from Brookstone that are ok but nothing compared to the Bose. I watch movies on the plane and they're great. Remember to carry a spare battery.
Christian.

[jeffgrant]

Originally posted by Dennis Kalma
What I want is a noise cancelling software that will allow me to watch a movie on my PC, using my Bluetooth wireless headphones whilst cancelling all other noise on the airplance....all I want to hear is movie (or music) without any other contamination.

Does anyone have a product like that? I would assume it could use my laptop's microphone and sound facilities.....

Dennis

Don't think it'll work like that.

The trick to the noise cancelling is that there are microphones at the ears that determine what the sound is at that location, determines what the "noise" components are (usually only steady/white-noise elements), produces the opposing sound waves to cancel out the noise, and then "adds" those sonic waves to the original sound. The end result is that it effectively removes the "noise" from what you're hearing.

If you don't have the microphones at the ears, then the noise cancelling won't be anywhere near as effective... it'd probably not work well at all.

As well, Bluetooth is notoriously low on bandwidth, so a high-bandwidth stream like high-end audio/etc generally won't "fit" in that bandwidth (which is why most, if not all, current bluetooth headphones are crappy mono or very low-end stereo sound, not high-quality stereo). Never mind the bandwidth that would be required over and above to send the "cancel-this-noise" inputs back to the software to process.

I'm not sure that what you're proposing would be all that feasible or realistic.



$0.02

[Porsche-O-Phile]

Bose is the shiznit. The Aviation-X headsets (if you fly as a pilot) are well-worth the $1,000+ price tag. They're absolutely amazing.

[Dantilla]

Originally posted by jeffgrant
I'm not sure that what you're proposing would be all that feasible or realistic.

This is exactly what the aviation headsets do. Listening to air traffic control and the intercom while cancelling airplane noise. Some airplanes do have CD and/or MP3 players installed. The plugs are different, and they cost quite a bit more, but this is what they do.

[Don Plumley]

+2 on Bose. I've had QC1's and gave to my son and I have QC2's now - wouldn't fly without them.

[jeffgrant]

Originally posted by Dantilla
This is exactly what the aviation headsets do. Listening to air traffic control and the intercom while cancelling airplane noise. Some airplanes do have CD and/or MP3 players installed. The plugs are different, and they cost quite a bit more, but this is what they do.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but he was looking for software for his laptop, so that he could use his own bluetooth headphone, and have all the ambient noise cancelled.

How is this "exactly what the aviation headsets do"?

The aviation headsets (like the Bose discussed here, which are PHENOMINAL) work exactly like I've described... as do every other active noise cancellation headphone I've used (Sony, Bose, Sure).

[Porsche-O-Phile]

Litespeeds are pretty good too, but I personally prefer the Av-X es.