[Dat M3]

hey all,
 
up until now i've been using a handed down pair of Bose quiet comfort headphones and they were a huge difference to me over apple earbuds but sadly they've broken. I generally listen to music while riding the bus (multiple times a day, everyday), walking around a crowded campus, and working in computer labs. I loved the Bose because I could finally hear my music over the bus engine and through loud conversations, but i'm not sure whether i should attribute that to the noise cancelling or them being my first over ear headphones.
 
that being said, I was looking into non noise cancelling headphones (like the ATH-M50x) but someone recommended to me that i pick up a pair of UE 6000(noise cancelling). I feel like the audio technicas would out perform logitech but I don't know much about headphones honestly. is it worth it to shell out big bucks for higher end noise cancelling or will normal over ear headphones provided good enough isolation?
 
Thanks for any help!

 

[ProtegeManiac]

Non-NC over-ear headphones will not offer the same kind of (artificial) "isolation" that NC can give you. Why not go for passive/actual noise isolation with IEMs? Use the right tips with the right IEMs, and barring irritable skin in your ears, these would work well enough for most situations (barring jackhammers or a restaurant packed with tourists). Probably cheaper too - of course that depends on which IEMs you pick, but you can go over to the Portable Headphones and IEMs forum and check out a lot of IEMs you can get for $200 to $300.

 

[SteveHiFi]

If you found that loud conversations were attenuated by the Boses, this was isolation and not likely NC, as the sound waves are too complex.
 
Meanwhile you'd have had some improvement with lower frequencies but I don't think active NC will be worth the bother for you. As suggested, an IEM might be the way forward - maybe try a cheap SoundMAGIC E10 or Audiofly AF33 first to see what you think.

 

[Dat M3]

thanks for the responses guys. do the tips make a huge difference with IEMs? I have the pair that came with my galaxy s3 and they won't stay in my ear no matter how I put them in. that's the only frustration I seem to have with IEMs

 

[ProtegeManiac]

thanks for the responses guys. do the tips make a huge difference with IEMs? I have the pair that came with my galaxy s3 and they won't stay in my ear no matter how I put them in. that's the only frustration I seem to have with IEMs

 
Yes. If you can't get a good seal the music will sound tinny; some tips like Complys (probably too dense? plastic coating to prevent itching from foam seals sound too much? don't really know) attenuate the treble.