Best noise cancelling headphones?
- Thread starter kindai
- Start date
Undisputed? No. Still one of the best? Yes.
It's between the Sonys that rids posted above and the QC35s. From the reviews I've read it seems the general opinion is that Sony bests Bose for sound quality, they're on par for their noise-cancelling abilities, both are extremely comfortable but the Bose are more so, and the Sony's touch interface can be frustrating whereas the Bose's traditional button controls work as you'd expect.
I've no personal experience with the Sony, but I tried the QC35s the other day and the noise-cancelling was just awesome, but I don't think you can wrong with either.
It's between the Sonys that rids posted above and the QC35s. From the reviews I've read it seems the general opinion is that Sony bests Bose for sound quality, they're on par for their noise-cancelling abilities, both are extremely comfortable but the Bose are more so, and the Sony's touch interface can be frustrating whereas the Bose's traditional button controls work as you'd expect.
I've no personal experience with the Sony, but I tried the QC35s the other day and the noise-cancelling was just awesome, but I don't think you can wrong with either.
I had Bose QC35 for past year or so... Noise-cancelling is very good, there is a bit of drowning, small hiss if you are not playing any sound. It's gone as soon as music kicks in. I had sold my ones no long ago as sound quality is not not worth it. If you have the money good for best possible close headphone if n/c is a must go for sony.
Soldato
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just pop a couple of zopiclone's, hell of a lot cheaper.They're going to be used on several long haul flights, UK to Japan etc, so need to be comfortable and good enough to give me a good sleep
Caporegime
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The Sonys linked to above are widely reported to go toe to toe with the QC35s in terms of noise cancelling.
Impressive!
if I was buying a pair of sound cancelling headphones I'd buy the Sennheiser Momentums - they are really comfortable and the noise cancelling works really well. Not sure if they're better than the QC35 but definitely better than the QC20 which I've used for over a year (went with the earbuds because I travel on the Tube a lot and I don't like wearing headphones in public).
For info. Bose's customer service is awesome - I took mine on a trip to California last year and damaged the lead - I explained what had happened and asked how much the repair would be and they said just send them to us and we'll let you know. Less than 10 days later they sent me a new set free of charge. Now they were pretty new and I had bought 2 sets but there's no way they were covered by the guarantee..
For info. Bose's customer service is awesome - I took mine on a trip to California last year and damaged the lead - I explained what had happened and asked how much the repair would be and they said just send them to us and we'll let you know. Less than 10 days later they sent me a new set free of charge. Now they were pretty new and I had bought 2 sets but there's no way they were covered by the guarantee..
Soldato
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I've owned 2 of what most consider to be the top 3 noise cancelling headphones on the market; the Bose QC35 and Sennheiser Momentum Wireless 2.0
I still own the Sennheisers. Here's why:
The QCs sounded completely different in noise cancelling mode to when it was off. This was the first problem. I didn't always want it on, due to the pressure on my ears and the horrendous thumping sound when walking (somehow every review seems to miss this). Common across all of Bose' lineup. They had a very aggressive 'V' shaped sound signature with NC on, resulting in a very unnatural sound. They'd also struggle at higher volumes, when you're listening to an awesome DnB track, eagerly awaiting the kick to, well, kick in. You'd be left with a very sloppy and boomy thud. Though, comfort is second to none.
The Sennheisers aren't perfect, but they're close. Comfort is almost as good as the Bose (even for my large ears). Sound is natural. A definite emphasis on bass, but somehow it's only really noticeable when you're music is begging for the extra 'oomph' (Rudimental - Too Cool is a great example of where these shine). Battery life is strong. The noise cancelling is what I'd deem 'sufficient'. It's not so extreme that there's a horrible pressure build up like on the Bose, but good enough that I've never felt I wish it removed more noise.
More importantly, the wireless on the M2BT is, from what I can tell, entirely fixed. I can be in an entirely separate room (albeit separated by plaster) and have no wireless troubles at all.
I still own the Sennheisers. Here's why:
The QCs sounded completely different in noise cancelling mode to when it was off. This was the first problem. I didn't always want it on, due to the pressure on my ears and the horrendous thumping sound when walking (somehow every review seems to miss this). Common across all of Bose' lineup. They had a very aggressive 'V' shaped sound signature with NC on, resulting in a very unnatural sound. They'd also struggle at higher volumes, when you're listening to an awesome DnB track, eagerly awaiting the kick to, well, kick in. You'd be left with a very sloppy and boomy thud. Though, comfort is second to none.
The Sennheisers aren't perfect, but they're close. Comfort is almost as good as the Bose (even for my large ears). Sound is natural. A definite emphasis on bass, but somehow it's only really noticeable when you're music is begging for the extra 'oomph' (Rudimental - Too Cool is a great example of where these shine). Battery life is strong. The noise cancelling is what I'd deem 'sufficient'. It's not so extreme that there's a horrible pressure build up like on the Bose, but good enough that I've never felt I wish it removed more noise.
More importantly, the wireless on the M2BT is, from what I can tell, entirely fixed. I can be in an entirely separate room (albeit separated by plaster) and have no wireless troubles at all.