[johnpaul]

Since the search function is out of order, I have to ask: Where can I find reviews on noise-cancelling headphones? It may sound funny, but I don't intend to listen to music with them. I have a 5-hour flight coming up and I simply want to cancel out the noise of the plane and passengers. I don't expect them to be cheap, but I'm not prepared to pay $300 for Bose.

Any suggestions? Thanks,

JP

 

[lindrone]

Philips HN-100, can be found for about $60 or so at your local Target or Best Buy at times... the noise cancellation is so-so.. but it works to a small degree.

Sennheiser PXC250, around $100 or so... It's a small headphone, but noise cancellation is much better than the HN-100.

Koss also makes a noise cancellation, behind-the-neck headband style headphone... also around the $60 range I think. Never tried that one out, don't know the sound quality.

Those are some cheap options.. but none of them is as good at volume attenuation as just a simple canalphone such as the Shure E2c, and the sound quality of the E2c is probably preferrable over all.

However, canalphones isolate completely, so everything is attenuated. You can still hear people talk with noise cancellation headphones, you can't with canalphones.

 

[Lostlamb]

Sony MDR-NC-11.

I've used these on my flights to Rochester, NY and back, and they are great for flights. I never heard music so well on a plane before. They sound dark when compared to SR60s, but then again, SR60s don't have noise canceling feature.

I would recommend Sony's MDR-NC11s for anyone who has long flights over the Bose on share comfort and noise isolation.

 

[steel102]

if you're not listening to music, wouldn't it be easier just to get those cheap foam earplugs you can get at any drug store?

 

[raif]

I would highly recommend not getting the philips hn-100. I bought them while I was waiting for my a900s to help ease the wait.

I found the headband incredibly uncomfortable, the sound grainy and harsh, and the noise cancellation creates this hiss/buzz that to me is just as annoying the sounds it is blocking out. Also, I got this weird pressure "headache" from what I attributed to the sensation of feeling sound on my eardrums but not hearing anything. I know that statement has zero scientific credibility, but that is the best way I can describe it.

 

[Zuerst]

My I suggest to you the best and the lastest noise cancealing plugs. They're conviently wireless and notably lighter than other noise cancealing headphones. The only down side is that it's got extremely high impedance and extremely low sensitivity. Good for silent listening.

 

[commando]

I listened to a Bose QC1 and was quite impressed. QC2 is probably better. They're expensive though. I wonder if they'd do a better job than canal phones because they cancel the noise out. With canal phones noise can enter thru your head, which perhaps the Bose models compensate for. Or maybe not, it's just a thought

 

[terrymx]

just buy earplugs really. no need to spend a huge sum on something you put to use.


Quote:

Originally Posted by Lostlamb Sony MDR-NC-11. I've used these on my flights to Rochester, NY and back

why didnt you tell me? come over to my place next time you go to rochester.

 

[Lostlamb]

I didn't realize you were in Rochester till I read your avatar.

Yah, I make trips out to Rochester every so often for business. The company I work for does a lot of business with XEROX, so I'm out there usually 4 times a year. However, this year I might be out there less, because of budget cuts.

Don't tell me you work for XEROX??

Or Kodak!


I'm missing Dinosaur BBQ!!!!!

 

[Takashi]

If you are really looking for an isolation from noise and not considering listening to music, good ear plug is the way to go. Something like this.
The best noise cancelling phone would be Bose Quiet Comfort 2 and Sony NC11, but both performs only a little better than cheap drug store foam ear plugs. (You can't expect much from PXC250, and don't think HN100 does anything.)

 

[johnpaul]

You've all given me something to think about, and I thank you for the speedy responses. The ear plugs do seem like the best (and cheapest) answer to the problem.

JP

 

[ampgalore]

I would not recommend the Senn PXC 250. Had a pair a while ago, sold them after just one month. Noise islation barely works.

 

[Steve999]

What. I'll vouch for the Bose QC2 for the 1,000,000th time. I love mine. There's no comparable product on the market. It's the only fully functional real-deal noise cancelling headphone. I thought it was unarguably and markedly superior to the QC1 when I auditioned them. Yeah, $300 is a lot to spend, unless you have a real and frequent need for its unique set of strengths (as I do). There's a no questions asked 90-day return policy from Bose brick and mortar stores. There's no substitute for trying it.

I just feel like I'm setting myself up as flame-bait every time I do this.

Quote:

Originally Posted by commando I listened to a Bose QC1 and was quite impressed. QC2 is probably better. They're expensive though. I wonder if they'd do a better job than canal phones because they cancel the noise out. With canal phones noise can enter thru your head, which perhaps the Bose models compensate for. Or maybe not, it's just a thought

 

[ampgalore]

How does the Bose Quiet Comfort 2 compare with ER4S in terms of noise isolation?

I just came back from a trip to Florida. Used the ER4S on the plane, I could still hear engine noise with the ER4S on, but the engine noise was significantly attenuated. But it was still there nonetheless.

 

[PorkRind]

For those interested in the Bose QC2, I mentioned on another thread that they're available through some of the points programs offered by hotels and airlines. I ordered mine through Marriott Rewards, at 83,000 points. If you're averse to spending cold, hard cash, this may be a way to get your hands on them without pissing off the SO.

Mine are somewhere on a UPS delivery truck; they're supposed to arrive today.

On a related topic, I sat next to a guy with a set of the Sennheiser 250's on a flight from Philadelphia to Boston last night, and he was quite effusive about their noise-cancelling capabilities. He said he'd tried the Bose (although he complained that they were too expensive), and preferred the noise-cancelling capabilities of the Sennheisers.

I've got to admit, the Senn's look more convenient (they fold up to fit in a case a bit bigger than an eyeglass case), but I don't think the Bose will be too unweildy for me since I can stick my MP3 player (iRiver iHP-120) inside the case, and I'll be eliminating the Koss Porta-Pros I've been using. And in my case, I can't beat the price of the Bose . . . effectively free