What headphones are good for noise cancellation?
Got a reader question from Bob, who asks what headphones James and I use when we’re out traveling or just hitting the local Starbucks. When my original iPhone headset broke, I opted to go with a set of Shure SE210s because they seemed to be a quality set that was within my price range. Shure offers higher-end products in the same line, but the SE210s fit my budget. Since they sit in the ear canal, they isolate the outside sound to a large degree; it’s not total noise cancellation and it’s not an active method, but they work quite well. I’ve enjoyed them on several airline flights recently and during the summer they work great when I’m on the tractor cutting the lawn for two or more hours. Hmm… I just realized why I like winter so much.Anyway, give Bob a hand and tell him what you’re using and why. He tried a Bose set, but they didn’t cut it on a flight for him. He’s also considering this set of Sony ‘phones with active noise cancellation, so if you’ve tried them, give a shout!
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I’ve had a pair of Shure E2C in ear buds for two years now. They are truly excellent at blocking outside noise. I breifly tried active noise cancellation and was’t really impressed.
Only problem with the in ear type are that you hear your foot thuds while you are walking or running.
I use two sets depending on the situation. The first is my favorite since its wireless.. its the Jabra BT3030 unit and you can plug any headphones you want into it. I use a retractable set for wire management and they rock. This is good for needing to listen to music, but take a call when one comes in.
The second is a set of sennheiser over ear headphones with active noise cancellation. I use this on flights when I need to relax. Nothing can stress you out without even knowing it than 2 or more hours of engine noise. Its absolutely the best bet on a flight, even without being plugged into anything. Its one of those things that you really need to experience to appreciate.
This may not be what you are alluding to, but I took a pair of hearing protection ear muffs (like you use on a shooting range) and I installed the speaker portion of a pair of headphones that came with an old portable CD player, into each earpiece. I drilled a tiny hole in the left ‘muff’ and snaked the wire in it using the same strain-relief method that the old headphones used and I drilled a couple of holes to run the wire to the right speaker. I patched the holes with silicone caulk. It was a little tedious, but easy to do.
You wouldn’t want to wear it on an airplane (you would get some funny looks), but it works really well. I used existing components that I had lying around the house as a proof-of-concept, but it worked so well, that I will continue to use the headphones until they break.
I always used ear protection when I mow, tractor, chainsaw, blow leaves, etc., so now I can be entertained at the same time.
I just miss listening to OTR on my iPod, now…
I’m also using Shure SE210′s. Got a pair for Christmas this last year and use them fairly often. I like the passive, in-ear opposed to active over-the-ear.
You can try the Ultimate Ears super.fi 5 pro, that’s what I use. noise cancelation is great and the fit is even better I can wear them for hours.
I have 2 pair of noise canceling phones.
First, a set of Etymotic Research ER6i. I just bought them in Jan. and love them. Make sure you use the foam tips and they are great. I travel often and love to put them in as soon as I can on the plane and then I can hear my movies without issue on my iPod. I like them for the size and the inner ear works great for me.
Second, I have a set of Sony MDR-NC50. I like them and they are active but for long plane rides where I might want to take a nap they are not very comfy to sleep in and you cannot roll your head to either side. They also put a little too much pressure on the out sides of my ears after prolonged use.
Sennheiser… I forget the model number, but they served me well flying to and from Hong Kong, so they’re up to the job IMO.
I have two pair of passive noise isolating earphones:
1) Etymotic ER-6i. These are an excellent value for the sound quality and relatively low price. Sells for around $70 on Amazon.
2) Shure SE-310. Expensive at $249, and only has slightly improved bass response over the ER-6i’s. I would not recommend paying a near $200 premium (over the 6i’s) for these headphones.
I have the Sony MDR-NC11A which look like a predecessor to the one’s you linked to. The active noise cancellation doesn’t add much to the in-ear bud passive noise cancellation. I actually listen to a recording of white noise to mask talking in the background.
In my opinion, BOSE stands for Bring Other Sound Equipment. They are a marketing company primarily. For more on that see: http://www.intellexual.net/bose.html
But onto what I use – I use Sennheiser CX300′s and found them to be great. Comfy and do a good job of isolation.