HeadphonesCom
Member of the Trade: Headphones.com
- Joined
- Jan 27, 2011
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Hey all,
DavidMahler here from headphones.com. We at headphones.com took notice that these headphones appear to be under-discussed 'round these parts. We find that many of our customers who purchase the Able Planet NC1000CH have very positive things to say about them. Also, we now have a special promotional offer which offers a new iPod Touch 8GB ($229 value) for just $50 when purchasing the NC1000CHA! Around the office many use these because they are exceptionally comfortable specifically for travel. I tried these out in Grand Central Terminal and the noise cancellation was very good. Personally, for me I prefer less bass emphasis, but there are many perks to this headphone.
Please feel free to read my thoughts below:
THE FIT & FINISH
My immediate impression while just holding the NC1000CH in my hand is that they were light and attractive. They feel well-made in the hand. The cable connects to the headphone via mini-plug. I liked this attribute because it allows the cable to be tugged on without much fear of the cable inferring damage where it connects to the headphone. If it is tugged too hard, the cable will simply pull out of the socket – a nice feature if you’re busy, on the go and don’t want to worry about unintentional small mistreatments. Another convenient feature of the cable is the volume control built into the cable itself. The ear cups fit plush around the ears very comfortably - I have fairly sizeable ears. The tension of the headband is just enough to create good seal without putting too much pressure on the head, very impressive to me. I was able to walk, even run with these on my head without them movie, though certainly one whose intent it is to do athletic tasks while listening to music will prefer something smaller and even lighter. The ear cups, while comfortable on head did have the tendency to warm me up a bit and after about an hour of wearing them I noticed that I wanted to remove them from my head for a moment in order to give my ears some air. The headphone ear cups fold flat for easy storage into their very nice hard carrying case. If I had one quibble with the features it would be that the cable does not have a microphone or another way to bypass the active noise cancelling feature. If I want to have a conversation with someone easily, I have to toggle the switch on the left ear cup to turn the noise control off, or simply remove the headphones.
ALL THAT NOISE!...
The noise cancelling ability of the headphone is very good. I find that it eliminates much of the low end rumble associated with airplane engines. Some competitors may have a slight edge however in eliminating some of the upper spectrum ambient noise.
WHAT ABOUT THE SOUND?
If you like the club / the subwoofer –if you like to feel the thump of the bass - then these headphones will be a great choice for you. These headphones have the bass slam you may be looking for. The highs are mids are present but the bass is definitely tilted upward for that extra oomph! I found the headphones worked especially well with hip hop, pop and reggae. It definitely made me want to dance a little
For my own personal music taste (classical and acoustic), the bass response was not optimal in my opinion. I felt the bass smeared a bit of the detail. The midrange and highs are non fatiguing though and that was definitely a nice aspect. If you find that you like the the visceral sub woofer sound, these headphones are definitely a very good noise cancelling choice.
ARE THESE THE BEST ONES FOR ME?
Do these compare with some obvious rivals, the Beats by Dre?; Bose QC15? I found the sound to be very much on par with these other bass-emphasized noise cancelling headphones. I actually found them to be one of the most comfortable to wear as well. If you are seeking a more neutral noise cancelling headphone for rock, jazz, classical, then the Sennheiser line of noise cancelling headphones may be a choice to consider.
LAST WORD
In a world crowded with noise-cancelling headphones, Able Planet has created a top contender for those who want to rock out to that bass in comfort, isolation and style!
NOISE CANCELLING HEADPHONES RATING CHART (How these stack up against Noise Cancelling Competitors)
Audiophile Rating Chart (how these stack up against the very best headphones in any category)
DavidMahler here from headphones.com. We at headphones.com took notice that these headphones appear to be under-discussed 'round these parts. We find that many of our customers who purchase the Able Planet NC1000CH have very positive things to say about them. Also, we now have a special promotional offer which offers a new iPod Touch 8GB ($229 value) for just $50 when purchasing the NC1000CHA! Around the office many use these because they are exceptionally comfortable specifically for travel. I tried these out in Grand Central Terminal and the noise cancellation was very good. Personally, for me I prefer less bass emphasis, but there are many perks to this headphone.
Please feel free to read my thoughts below:
THE FIT & FINISH
My immediate impression while just holding the NC1000CH in my hand is that they were light and attractive. They feel well-made in the hand. The cable connects to the headphone via mini-plug. I liked this attribute because it allows the cable to be tugged on without much fear of the cable inferring damage where it connects to the headphone. If it is tugged too hard, the cable will simply pull out of the socket – a nice feature if you’re busy, on the go and don’t want to worry about unintentional small mistreatments. Another convenient feature of the cable is the volume control built into the cable itself. The ear cups fit plush around the ears very comfortably - I have fairly sizeable ears. The tension of the headband is just enough to create good seal without putting too much pressure on the head, very impressive to me. I was able to walk, even run with these on my head without them movie, though certainly one whose intent it is to do athletic tasks while listening to music will prefer something smaller and even lighter. The ear cups, while comfortable on head did have the tendency to warm me up a bit and after about an hour of wearing them I noticed that I wanted to remove them from my head for a moment in order to give my ears some air. The headphone ear cups fold flat for easy storage into their very nice hard carrying case. If I had one quibble with the features it would be that the cable does not have a microphone or another way to bypass the active noise cancelling feature. If I want to have a conversation with someone easily, I have to toggle the switch on the left ear cup to turn the noise control off, or simply remove the headphones.
ALL THAT NOISE!...
The noise cancelling ability of the headphone is very good. I find that it eliminates much of the low end rumble associated with airplane engines. Some competitors may have a slight edge however in eliminating some of the upper spectrum ambient noise.
WHAT ABOUT THE SOUND?
If you like the club / the subwoofer –if you like to feel the thump of the bass - then these headphones will be a great choice for you. These headphones have the bass slam you may be looking for. The highs are mids are present but the bass is definitely tilted upward for that extra oomph! I found the headphones worked especially well with hip hop, pop and reggae. It definitely made me want to dance a little
For my own personal music taste (classical and acoustic), the bass response was not optimal in my opinion. I felt the bass smeared a bit of the detail. The midrange and highs are non fatiguing though and that was definitely a nice aspect. If you find that you like the the visceral sub woofer sound, these headphones are definitely a very good noise cancelling choice.
ARE THESE THE BEST ONES FOR ME?
Do these compare with some obvious rivals, the Beats by Dre?; Bose QC15? I found the sound to be very much on par with these other bass-emphasized noise cancelling headphones. I actually found them to be one of the most comfortable to wear as well. If you are seeking a more neutral noise cancelling headphone for rock, jazz, classical, then the Sennheiser line of noise cancelling headphones may be a choice to consider.
LAST WORD
In a world crowded with noise-cancelling headphones, Able Planet has created a top contender for those who want to rock out to that bass in comfort, isolation and style!
NOISE CANCELLING HEADPHONES RATING CHART (How these stack up against Noise Cancelling Competitors)
| Sound Quality | 8 (for bass lovers) |
| Comfort | 9 |
| Design & Features | 8 |
| Noise Cancellation Ability | 9 |
| Value | 8 |
Audiophile Rating Chart (how these stack up against the very best headphones in any category)
| Bass Extension | 7 |
| Bass Impact | 9 |
| Bass Quality | 5 |
| Mids | 6.5 |
| Highs | 6 |
| Detail | 5 |
| Transparency | 5 |
| Handling of Sibilance | 8 |
| Isolation | 9 |
| Comfort | 9 |
| Microphonics | 9 |
| Does it need an amp? | No |
| Portability | 7 |
| Look & Feel | 8 |
| Accessories | 8 |
| Excels @ | Hip Hop, Rap, Pop, Reggae; Rock; Jazz, Big Bass |
| Performs poorly with | Classical; Electronic; Critical Listening |
| Recommended uses | Directly out of portable player; Commuting; Exercising |
| Overall value at $300 Noise Cancelling price point | 8 |
