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Reasonably Priced Noise Cancelling Headphones

post #1 of 42
4/2/10 at 3:48pm
Thread Starter 
For business/plane travel. Looking for some NC's, but not in the Bose $300 range. I generally like to use smaller headsets, and dont like over the head setups (messes up my already messy hair). I realized the other day that I had my ipod cranked almost all the way up to block out noise, and that cant be good for my ears.
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post #2 of 42
4/2/10 at 8:47pm
Etymotic makes good noise isolation (rather than cancellation) earbuds. I wear them on flights and they are excellent for blocking out engine/ambient noise.
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post #3 of 42
4/5/10 at 1:42am
Any of the true in-ear phones (for example, shure) will block out ambient noise and - if you get the good ones (shure 530) - will give far superior sound than the bose. Just make sure you use the right tips and fit them in your ears snugly
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post #4 of 42
4/5/10 at 10:44am
Creative has a decent pair, they're slightly cheaper than equal models from Bose. http://www.amazon.com/Creative-Aurva...474990&sr=1-12 We got a pair of these for $175, and it was a great deal. Might find them cheaper elsewhere.
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post #5 of 42
4/5/10 at 10:58am
+1 to the Shure in-ear headsets. I actually kind of hate them because I hate the way they feel (and I fly a lot of long hauls) but I've gotten relatively used to them over time, and there's no question that the sound quality, noise insulation, and sheer convenience far outweigh the discomfort. I've tried a number of different brands of noise-cancellers and the bulk is a huge pain. The batteries are a huge pain. The noise cancelling doesn't work all that well. They mess up your hair . But my little Shures pack down into a tiny little case the size of a flip-open cell phone, they never require batteries, and I haven't had the reliability issues I used to have with the big noise cancellers. I've also found that the noise cancelling properties of the big clunkers varies very, very widely, and there's no way to directly compare them. You spend your $200 and then you just hope. Never tried the Bose, though I've heard good reviews.
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post #6 of 42
4/5/10 at 2:17pm
OP doesn't want to drop $300 for Bose, but the Bose 15s I have (the newest ones) are great. Yes, they cost $300 (sucks), but they are great. They fold down into a fairly small case which I shove in my carry on. Noise reduction is great. Very happy with the purchase, despite the price. The way I see it, you pay the $ only one time, and then have them for a long time). If you fly often, it's not that much per trip and the benefits are definite.
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post #7 of 42
4/5/10 at 2:21pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by deaddog View Post
Any of the true in-ear phones (for example, shure) will block out ambient noise and - if you get the good ones (shure 530) - will give far superior sound than the bose. Just make sure you use the right tips and fit them in your ears snugly

The Shure 530's are very nice but only marginally cheaper than the Bose.
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post #8 of 42
4/5/10 at 2:23pm
any decent in-ear monitor brand will be much better than bose for literally <1/3 of the price.

and this is objective too if you want to dig up isolation rating (-dB), fidelity (range and +/-, distortion, etc

ive used a bunch of shures and etymotics over a range of price points... generally liked them all.
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post #9 of 42
4/7/10 at 4:25am
Do noise cancelling headphones really work, or is it more marketing hype?

I need to get some headphones for the office and I was thinking of getting Koss Porto Pro. I can't seem to find a lot of options around here in Orange County as I've been looking for the Sennheisser PX100 without success.

But, since the Koss were first released in the 80s, I wonder if the lack of noise cancellation should be a deal breaker.
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post #10 of 42
4/7/10 at 5:37am
It may not be possible, but save up for the Bose. I've had my QC2 headset for 5 years and never had a problem, been round the world at least 10 times and been comfortable all the way. I also use the Aviation X headset when flying and I've yet to find an aviation headset that feels as comfortable over long flights. Just be thankful you don't need that one, £999!
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post #11 of 42
4/7/10 at 6:29am
Quote:
Originally Posted by esquire. View Post
Do noise cancelling headphones really work, or is it more marketing hype?

I need to get some headphones for the office and I was thinking of getting Koss Porto Pro. I can't seem to find a lot of options around here in Orange County as I've been looking for the Sennheisser PX100 without success.

But, since the Koss were first released in the 80s, I wonder if the lack of noise cancellation should be a deal breaker.

It works. You will have a problem hearing yourself talk when it is on noise canceling mode w/o music. If you turn on the music, you will not hear yourself period.
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post #12 of 42
4/7/10 at 11:21am
Quote:
Originally Posted by gqreader239 View Post
It works. You will have a problem hearing yourself talk when it is on noise canceling mode w/o music. If you turn on the music, you will not hear yourself period.
+1. Works great in a lot of situations, for example if you're driving (obviously you shouldn't be the driver, but the passenger), when taking the train or subway, when trying to read in a noisy place or just trying to get some work done.
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post #13 of 42
4/7/10 at 3:13pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Blackhood View Post
It may not be possible, but save up for the Bose. I've had my QC2 headset for 5 years and never had a problem, been round the world at least 10 times and been comfortable all the way.

I also use the Aviation X headset when flying and I've yet to find an aviation headset that feels as comfortable over long flights. Just be thankful you don't need that one, £999!

Sorry to tell you, but QC2s are shit.

As others have mentioned, get a pair of Shure or Etymotic in-ear headphones. FWIW I have Etymotic and have been very happy.
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post #14 of 42
4/7/10 at 11:39pm
I've been very happy with my Shure E2c's and I'm a bit of an audiophile. The SE2 seems to be the current version of them for $150.
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post #15 of 42
4/8/10 at 12:44am
For IEMs, I like my NuForce ones.

For noise cancelling, really there isn't much that is good and reasonably priced. You could go Sony, but they aren't that much cheaper than the Bose.
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