Audio-Technica ATHANC7 Noise-cancelling Headphones by AUDIO TECHNICA
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Digital camera reviews of Audio-Technica ATHANC7 Noise-cancelling Headphones
Digital camera Review: A NOTE ON HEARING VOICES
Summary: 4 Stars
Plenty of reviews so I add a note only to the one response which spoke of the ability to hear people talk with the headphones on. Judged a negative. So far as I know, none of the noise canceling headphones are designed to eliminate or reduce human voice sounds. To the extent that they may do so,it is to no greater degree than ear enclosing non-noise-canceling phones. What they are mostly designed for is to reduce the sound of airplane engines and, I find, they effectively handle the customarily noisy refrigerators, air conditioners and the like within the home. Bose claims to reduce sounds of a higher range than the others but I cannot remember how well the two of theirs did at that since I was not sensitive to their performance in that respectDigital camera Review: A best buy
Summary: 5 Stars
All the positive reviews on Amazon convinced me to buy a couple Audio-Technica headphones for my wife and I's trip recently to Australia. On a 13 hour flight (nearly drained the iPods) they performed magnificently. For dozing, just keeping the noise canceling circuitry on made a BIG difference in getting some real rest. Fidelity is quite good and we both found the long-term wearability quite comfortable. At a price that's half of that of the Bose, the Audio-Technica is an exceptionally good value.Digital camera Review: A cocoon of glorious music
Summary: 5 Stars
The noise canceling is startlingly effective and the overall sound is superb. These headphone have dramatically improved my daily bus/subway commute and, hence, my overall quality of life. I sit on the subway and close my eyes, and I'm in my own cocoon of glorious music. Maybe when I open them again there's a crack-head yelling in my face, but I was in that happy place for a time, and nobody can ever take that away from me.Digital camera Review: A confirmed Bose beater - for under $100.
Summary: 5 Stars
Despite the title of this review, money was not a deciding factor. But it sure was sweet when it came time to pay.
I looked at a range of noise-canceling headphones before settling on Audio Technica ANC7's. Other sets considered were the Sennheiser PXC 300 ($149.99), PXC 450 ($349.99), and the Bose QC 3's ($319.99, direct). I'm a confirmed Sennheiser fan - the PX 100 portables I've been using for the last 3 years are insanely good for the money, so I was biased at the outset.
For my purposes, the PXC 450's were just too big. The 300's were good, especially for their size, but I didn't like the huge battery pack. And AB'ing, it was immediately apparent that they couldn't match the sonics of the Audio-Technicas. Physics, I suppose.
I borrowed a friend's set of QC 3's, so I could test them properly. The QC 3's seem well built, and I liked their design and more importantly their size. Not too big, not too small. They're very comfortable too. The noise reduction is excellent, probably a shade better than the ANC7's. Sonically, they present a lot of rich, luxuriant bass. But it's at the expense of detail and clarity. The soundscape and dimensionality were small by comparison to a good set of headphones - it sounds like someone has dropped a sheet over a good set of speakers. To my ears, my $39 PX 100's blew them out of the water. And they're hardly audiophile quality.
If the Bose were half the money, it would have been easier to deal with the coloration of the sound. But $320? No thanks.
When the ANC7's were launched at $220, they received rave reviews, and I would have happily spent that on them. Sonically, they're in a different league to the QC 3's. They're balanced, rich, detailed and three-dimensional. Everything is just as it should be. Some other reviews note that they're light in bass. While it's true that they don't have the thump of the QC 3's, I think they're just right. They're very good, and the sound they produce is surely much closer to what the artist intended for you to hear.
I'd say the noise-cancelling comes close to the Bose quality. The QC 3's do filter out just a bit more. But once the music is playing, it's impossible to detect the difference - except of course in sound quality. They're comfortable too. And they take a standard AAA battery over Bose's rechargeable. Brilliant.
The only downside is that they're bigger than the QC 3, and I don't like looking like an alien on the subway. But for the sonic advantage, I'll take them any day. Now here's the kicker - most of the major stores are selling the ANC7's for under $100. I picked mine up at B&H for $94.99. They're even less on Amazon. Really, it doesn't even need thinking about.
Digital camera Review: A cube rat rates them highly
Summary: 5 Stars
I'm a cube rat. My wife got these for me as a gift. I haven't taken them on a plane, yet, but here in the "office" these phones rock. Printer/copier noise? Pretty much gone. Cube neighbors on speaker phone? Muted tremendously. The seventy-five other rats (people) within audible range? A distant memory.
Some of this is because the ear cups make a good seal and prevent some of the audio from sneaking in. The active cancelling works really well, though, and bumps most of the remaining noise down quite a bit. Add music and you don't really care about the noise any more. The sound quality is great, but the phones do need to be on for full fidelity.
The headband does eventually bother the top of my head, but it's not terrible. Plus, people don't really know how to interrupt me when I wear them--is this a bad thing?? NOT!
I cannot compare these to Bose; despite passing their booths countless times at airports I've never bothered to stop and listen.