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A penny for your thoughts about noise canceling IEMs...

post #1 of 26
1/28/10 at 10:13am
Thread Starter 
Hi,

I'm looking for a noise cancelling IEM for use with my Iphone.
Iv searched around for a few days of and on, but no conclusive result, so perhaps some of you could spread some light?
My preferences is good audio quality - and decent / good noise cancellation..
If these criteria can be combined with the 3button system apple has on their cord - its great. - however its slightly more important with audio quality.
I´v thought about around a 100$ - 160$

Thank you!
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post #2 of 26
1/28/10 at 11:16am
All IEMs naturally isolate you from outside noise.
Noise cancelling is that artifical electronically generated stuff that Bose generally uses. I wouldn't touch it with a 10ft pole.
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post #3 of 26
1/28/10 at 12:00pm
Thread Starter 
10ft pole"... That's worth a penny;-)

may I ask why you have this view? Self Experience?

I believe I understand your view, and recconed I'd get some of that feedback.
However I thought technology might have revolusioned that old theory.
But what would you recomend then if NC is out of the picture?
I guess I'll have to refine my searches.

Thank you.
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post #4 of 26
1/28/10 at 12:35pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Didak View Post
10ft pole"... That's worth a penny;-)

may I ask why you have this view? Self Experience?

I have to travel for work occasionally, and it's usually on cramped, noisy regional jets. I bought a set of noise-canceling headphones (Philips, I believe), and, while I could tell they were working a little, they didn't cancel enough of the noise to make it to where I could listen to music at a comfortable volume.

Then I bought some Etymotic ER6i IEMs, and put the foam eartips on them. This is like having foam earplugs in, and it makes it possible to listen to music at a comfortable volume even in one of those noisy little jets.
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post #5 of 26
1/28/10 at 12:46pm
The "only" noise cancelling IEM's that I've heard that I liked are the NC33 -- they are based on the new 13.5 vertical drivers from the EX300 series from Sony

Peronsally I think they have the same sonic characteristics of the EX300, which have been favorable around here, and it has in-line noise cancelling box which does work reasonably well.... but just not nearly as good as a proper deep seated IEM

I guess the body of the EX300/NC33 just isn't very good at isolation, but they do fit especially well with their hybrid silicone tips, or Comply T400s

The actual noise cancellation is decent for ambient noises, but as they don't have great passive isolation, most high frequency noises are heard. As well, as they aren't circumaural, and its not the most invasive cancelling circuitry, they will only isolate up to 10db... that is really nothing compared with a UE or Shure that will do up to -26 & yes with the circuitry turned on, and when required to be active espeically, the quality can decline significantly.

The "best" noise cancelling IEMs are actual IEMs... the best noise cancelling headphones I've heard are the BOSE QC15

The best solution for noise cancelling period is proper IEMs from the likes of SHURE/UE/WESTONE
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post #6 of 26
1/28/10 at 12:47pm
Noise cancellation works best with constant droning sorts of noise. They may (and I stress "may") block out a droning engine but don't work so well with sudden intermittent noise. Also the sound is affected, for me it seems thinner and artificial.

Just get a pair of IEM's that fit very well. Something like the Shure SE530 with foam tips will block out most noise, are very comfortable, don't need batteries to do their job and sound great. A lot of people use Comply tips with whatever IEM they have and they work well too.
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post #7 of 26
1/28/10 at 1:01pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by sanka View Post
I have to travel for work occasionally, and it's usually on cramped, noisy regional jets. I bought a set of noise-canceling headphones (Philips, I believe), and, while I could tell they were working a little, they didn't cancel enough of the noise to make it to where I could listen to music at a comfortable volume.

Then I bought some Etymotic ER6i IEMs, and put the foam eartips on them. This is like having foam earplugs in, and it makes it possible to listen to music at a comfortable volume even in one of those noisy little jets.
Similar experience, not with jets, but loud machinery.
IMO, iem's with noise cancelling, is a unnecessarilly redundant.
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post #8 of 26
1/28/10 at 4:22pm
If you already have a set of IEMs that you are reasonably happy with, but need more isolation, you could buy a pair of cheap over the ears noise cancelers and wear both at once. I sometimes do that with my IE8's and a pair of PXC-450s. I disconnect the wire from the big guys and put them on over the IE8's. Works pretty well on the noisy buses around my neck of the woods.

Of course it's financial overkill, but I got the 450's as a gift.

The big phones will look stupid compared to only the IEMs, but then I don't mind looking stupid in public. Your point of view may differ.
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post #9 of 26
1/28/10 at 6:11pm
Call me superstitious, but technology going to active noise cancellation sounds to me like technology that's NOT going to increasing sound quality. I've never heard an audiophile pleasantly surprised by ANC phones.

Besides, good isolation will do the job well enough. Part of my commute involves a stroll along a truck-ridden highway, and when I have good isolation, it sounds like I'm sitting in my bedroom.
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post #10 of 26
1/28/10 at 6:29pm
Use this over your favorite earphones.
Amazon.com: Peltor H10A Optime 105 Over-the-Head Earmuff: Home Improvement
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post #11 of 26
1/28/10 at 9:57pm
Active noise cancelling tend to only cancel a small range of frequency (usually in the lower spectrum, engine sound/hummings would be gone); passitive noise cancelling provides attenuation across all frequency ranges (no more screaming babies). A pair of good passive noise cancelling IEMs is all you need.
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post #12 of 26
1/28/10 at 11:47pm
sony mdrnc 33. Sound quality is decent and cancels out sound very well for the price.
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post #13 of 26
1/29/10 at 4:24am
all I know is that sony nc22 doesn't sound very good - no bass, too boring for my taste. But the noise canceling works pretty well during flights for me. Don't know how nc33 compares with nc22.
I've read somewhere that audio technica Ath-Anc3 are better than nc22, and come with better accessories.
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post #14 of 26
1/29/10 at 6:57pm
nc33 is superior to the nc22... I have yet to compare the ATH-AN3 in the same "noisy" environment, but they claim to a a -20db up to 85% across all spectrums where the NC33 is only -10db over 90%

When I a/b'd the ANC3 for just SQL, the NC33s sounded all around smoother and better
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post #15 of 26
1/29/10 at 7:20pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by ethan961 View Post
All IEMs naturally isolate you from outside noise.
Noise cancelling is that artifical electronically generated stuff that Bose generally uses. I wouldn't touch it with a 10ft pole.
I would, but I'd smash it to pieces.
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