Noise Cancelling Headphones

[DrA]

Sounds good if one shops at Myer I don't.

I have a Myer One card, and I'll shop there if there's a good deal to be had. But I don't make a habit of it.

But like I said, I'm out of here on the 25th and don't really have time to wait around for a sale. I might pop my head in on the weekend, but I won't be holding my breath.

 

[NM]

Take note that the listed price in Australia includes GST, while the US price is going to be before state tax is added. CA state tax took my US$299 price up to $324.04 at the check-out, which at the time (September 2012) converted to A$318.62 on the 28 Degrees MasterCard. With today's exchange rate, that would likely convert to around A$337. So not that much different if following some of Mark's suggestions on reducing the local price.

 

[TheEmu]

I do wish someone could bring out some good bluetooth headphones (with built in mic) that were noise blocking. The Jaybird headphones are woeful and the Backbeat's are only marginally better

Sennheiser MM450X ?
Sennheiser MM 450-X TRAVEL - Bluetooth Headset Headphone Smart- Mobile Phone - Stereo - On Ear, Foldable

 

[simongr]

I have looked at those - I really dont like over the head headphones. I am looking at jaybirds bluebuds X which have had a few good reviews - subject to available budget of course.

 

[TheEmu]

I tried the Bose QC3 and the little Sennheiser PXC250 back to back in a fairly noisy environment (a JB hifi store) and the Bose quite clearly(!) had better NC but the sound reproduction from the Sennheisers was noticeably superior so I chose them. The compact size (both folded and in-use) and lighter weight over-rode the downside of the cord for me, plus I had used Sennheisers for years (usually with Bose 802 PA sets...) and had never had a pair break despite their fragile looks. These PXC250s do look flimsy but I've had this set for over 2 years now with no issues - they've done some miles and are used regularly but I tend to take care of my gear. Excellent value for money ($180 from JB from memory - seen them up to $250) and very good sound, especially when using iDevices which are definitely not the greatest source. I have never tried the Bose QC15s. Just my 2 cents.

 

[simongr]

I have the MX550 and they are great headphones and great bluetooth - in fact they are what I use when watching TV in bed or in the garage (I have an iMac set up to stream TV shows in the garage when I am ironing) - I just want small and light and neat when mobile.

 

[PLANT]

Right I just got a pair of Bose QC15 in US....BEST BUY.....Central america.....Atlanta...$323US including TAX as cheaper in EAST\Central America than West coast. Had US cash before the drop in AU.
Now if I was in your position straight down to David Jones and pick em up for $359 sale price and get the 10% TRS...CC points, no conversion, Warranty in Australia X2 due to Gold/Plat card. $324AU and use them on the flight.
Make sure you buy Bulk AAA battery packs at supermarket on special and carry more batteries than you need.....as only active noise cancelling on these puppies.

QuietComfort 15 Acoustic Noise Cancelling Headphones | StoreName

PRICE MATCH any other store i.e Myer, Good Guys if they have them get 1cent off?, JB-Hifi

When are they making a tablet with noise cancelling built in for Christ sake........The Sony Vaio Z2 is feeling heavy......hence the Bose QC15's for the ASUS Infinity.

Just checked out the QC20 in ear online....August cant come fast enough....got a friend in America in Sep so may get them aswell to replace current isolating that came with Sony Z2....not real happy about only lasting 16hrs though......AU Dollar better bounce Julia.....

Or you can do a review on these for us : http://aldi.com.au/au/html/offers/2827_27177.htm $40
90 days no questions ask money back guarantee....or has that ceased?

 

[Flashback]

I tried the Bose QC3 and the little Sennheiser PXC250 back to back in a fairly noisy environment (a JB hifi store) and the Bose quite clearly(!) had better NC but the sound reproduction from the Sennheisers was noticeably superior so I chose them. The compact size (both folded and in-use) and lighter weight over-rode the downside of the cord for me, plus I had used Sennheisers for years (usually with Bose 802 PA sets...) and had never had a pair break despite their fragile looks. These PXC250s do look flimsy but I've had this set for over 2 years now with no issues - they've done some miles and are used regularly but I tend to take care of my gear. Excellent value for money ($180 from JB from memory - seen them up to $250) and very good sound, especially when using iDevices which are definitely not the greatest source. I have never tried the Bose QC15s. Just my 2 cents.

I can get the PXC250-II's for £79.95 on special right now (possibly minus 10% too), so sounds like that's a good price... I have the QC15's but they may be useful to have as a spare set and also for when my +1 travels with me.

 

[vertisol]

Or you can do a review on these for us : ALDI - special buys from sat 15 jun - hurry, limited stocks in store* $40
90 days no questions ask money back guarantee....or has that ceased?

It's now 60 Days for non food items.

I'm planning on getting a set just to see how they go. Not expecting the quality of the $$$ models but for $40.. worth ago.

 

[TheEmu]

I have the MX550 and they are great headphones and great bluetooth - in fact they are what I use when watching TV in bed or in the garage (I have an iMac set up to stream TV shows in the garage when I am ironing) - I just want small and light and neat when mobile.

Do you have any delay issues with the tv or iMac using bluetooth? I have some wireless JVCs but rarely use them due to delay - very noticeable with music and skype on my iMac. I will do some more research in the future and try more bluetooth models. I haven't found any bud-style comfortable or secure - funny shaped ears maybe? I would like to try the Yamaha EPH100 buds but Yamaha don't do any bluetooth headphones to my knowledge.

I can get the PXC250-II's for £79.95 on special right now (possibly minus 10% too), so sounds like that's a good price... I have the QC15's but they may be useful to have as a spare set and also for when my +1 travels with me.

That does sound like a good price - especially for a good quality spare set. The PXC250-IIs are quite good for battery life as well. A fresh AAA to start a trip and keep a fresh spare in the side pouch of the carry bag and have never been caught short. I have a daily bus commute 40 mins each way and the battery usually lasts 3-4 weeks.

 

[simongr]

Do you have any delay issues with the tv or iMac using bluetooth? I have some wireless JVCs but rarely use them due to delay - very noticeable with music and skype on my iMac. I will do some more research in the future and try more bluetooth models. I haven't found any bud-style comfortable or secure - funny shaped ears maybe? I would like to try the Yamaha EPH100 buds but Yamaha don't do any bluetooth headphones to my knowledge.

I have had a lot of headphones over the years. The bluetooth I have had are:

Jaybrid Freedom - awful fit, horrible charger and no noise blocking
Sennheiser MM100 - comfortable, light, went around the back of my head but not good on the train as no noise cancelling or blocking but actually pretty good around the house - left in a hotel in Delhi
Sennheiser MX550 - great noise blocking and bluetooth but very heavy and made my ears hot
Audio Technica ATH-BT04NC - good noise blocking, ok noise cancelling but they have this horrible "box" that needs to clip onto your clothes
Plantronics Go - very lightweight, little bit of noise blocking - but can only connect to one device before having to be re-paired (imagine walking to the train listening to the phone, getting on the train and watching the iPad and then walking from the train listinening to the phone/music - three times to re-pair the headphones). Also no forward/back audio track option. I get the occasion out of synch with the iPad so I just pause the show and restart it. Haven't had that with the others.

I am hoping to get the Jaybird Bluebuds X which can multi pair and have good reviews. I see a lot more people with bluetooth headphones than I used to. Voice calls are not great though. I have a Bose headset for calls that is crystal clear - just wish Bose would make some similar headphones..

 

[Flashback]

That does sound like a good price - especially for a good quality spare set. The PXC250-IIs are quite good for battery life as well. A fresh AAA to start a trip and keep a fresh spare in the side pouch of the carry bag and have never been caught short. I have a daily bus commute 40 mins each way and the battery usually lasts 3-4 weeks.

Purchased! I might do a side-by-side test with my QC15s in 2 weeks.

 

[TheEmu]

Purchased! I might do a side-by-side test with my QC15s in 2 weeks.

Be interested to hear your thoughts: I have toyed with the idea of QC15s due to all of the positive reports on here.

 

[wafliron]

To throw a little bit of a spanner in the works... have you all tried, or at least considered, a set of in-ear headphones (i.e. the ones which go right inside your ear canal, like an earplug) as an alternative to "regular" noise cancelling headphones?

Some people find them uncomfortable, but if you don't they're a much better option IMHO. Due to their ear-plug-like design, to my (admittedly not that great) ears they do at least as good a job of cutting out ambient noise, plus they're cheaper (for equivalent sound quality), smaller, don't need batteries and also allow you to sleep on your side with them on.

I switched a few years ago, and personally have never looked back...

 

[Flashback]

To throw a little bit of a spanner in the works... have you all tried, or at least considered, a set of in-ear headphones (i.e. the ones which go right inside your ear canal, like an earplug) as an alternative to "regular" noise cancelling headphones?

Some people find them uncomfortable, but if you don't they're a much better option IMHO. Due to their ear-plug-like design, to my (admittedly not that great) ears they do at least as good a job of cutting out ambient noise, plus they're cheaper (for equivalent sound quality), smaller, don't need batteries and also allow you to sleep on your side with them on.

I switched a few years ago, and personally have never looked back...

I've tried them (various brands - Sennheiser, Ultimate Ears) and found them horrible... don't work for me.

 

[TheEmu]

To throw a little bit of a spanner in the works... have you all tried, or at least considered, a set of in-ear headphones (i.e. the ones which go right inside your ear canal, like an earplug) as an alternative to "regular" noise cancelling headphones?

Some people find them uncomfortable, but if you don't they're a much better option IMHO. Due to their ear-plug-like design, to my (admittedly not that great) ears they do at least as good a job of cutting out ambient noise, plus they're cheaper (for equivalent sound quality), smaller, don't need batteries and also allow you to sleep on your side with them on.

I switched a few years ago, and personally have never looked back...

Have looked on-line at a few (Yamaha EPH series for example) but have never tried them - I dislike the standard bud-type (as supplied with iPhone, etc) as I cannot get comfortable and they always seem to fall out or pull out easily. I realise the in-ear design is quite different but haven't been all that motivated to try them... yet.

 

[wafliron]

I've tried them (various brands - Sennheiser, Ultimate Ears) and found them horrible... don't work for me.

Fair enough - as I said, they're definitely not for everyone. Seem to be a "love them or hate them" kind of product.

Out of interest, what didn't you like about them?

Have looked on-line at a few (Yamaha EPH series for example) but have never tried them - I dislike the standard bud-type (as supplied with iPhone, etc) as I can not get comfortable and they always seem to fall out or pull out easily. I reaslise the in-ear design is quite different but haven't been all that motivated to try them... yet.

In that case, as per my earlier post, suggest finding a pair you can borrow temporarily and try them out As long as you find them comfortable to wear I reckon they offer only upsides compared to regular noise-cancelling headphones. I also hate the standard ear-bud-type headphones (with a passion), but love the in-ear ones. And they most definitely don't fall out - they fit your ear canal very snugly, very similar to an ear-plug. I've accidentally yanked the cord (hard) on mine many, many times and they rarely move at all.

 

[Flashback]

Fair enough - as I said, they're definitely not for everyone. Seem to be a "love them or hate them" kind of product.

Out of interest, what didn't you like about them?

Couldn't get them to sit in my ear properly. I tried every single size that each pair came with... just when I thought I'd have it done, too, they'd start to fall out quickly. I have a somewhat party-trick ability to wiggle my ears so it could even be that happening without me realising moving them out of place

 

[TheEmu]

In that case, as per my earlier post, suggest finding a pair you can borrow temporarily and try them out As long as you find them comfortable to wear I reckon they offer only upsides compared to regular noise-cancelling headphones. I also hate the standard ear-bud-type headphones (with a passion), but love the in-ear ones. And they most definitely don't fall out - they fit your ear canal very snugly, very similar to an ear-plug. I've accidentally yanked the cord (hard) on mine many, many times and they rarely move at all.

I certainly don't have an issue with in-earplugs worn for hearing protection - I use disposables for lawn mowing, etc - anything noisy. I notice some brands supply a range of in-ear pads in different sizes which would be essential for a good fit.
What brand/model do you use?

 

[Sprucegoose]

I brought the Bose QC15 a few months ago and have found them brilliant, then again these are the first pair of noise cancelling headphones that i have purchased.

Quite agree, but I have problems with the connection degrading with use, it get knocked and weakens with wear and tear and loses it consistency. Bose then want my left arm to replace it........there are alternatives out there