Goldring NS1000's bad for your ears?

StarSolitude · 19 Dec 2009 at 14:07

I'm not sure if it was a dream, or real life... (sometimes I get very realistic dreams!) I saw on the news that Goldring was under fire because their headphones are suction-like and make your hearing worse!

I don't know if I actually saw or heard it in the news or not!

Has anyone? If not then I guess it was an annoying dream. But I must know!

jak731 · 19 Dec 2009 at 14:12

I don't think a relatively obscure headphone manufacturer would make the news! Weird dream bro.

StarSolitude · 19 Dec 2009 at 14:14

Alright, I must be going crazy.

alex24 · 19 Dec 2009 at 14:34

Whaat?! I can't hear you.

Morfik · 19 Dec 2009 at 14:50

WHAT DO YOU MEAN I'M SHOUTING!?

Uriel · 19 Dec 2009 at 15:03

I searched google news and this was the only thing that came up recently for Goldring headphone.

http://www.knowyourmobile.com/accessories/earphones/373947/goldring_ns1000_review.html

Just a review, but maybe you read it, as it does mention a vacuum-like effect.

Nameless_87 · 19 Dec 2009 at 15:08

as far as i know all headphones are bad for your ears...

Uriel · 19 Dec 2009 at 15:11

There is one thing that concerns me about active noise cancellation: that's the fact it plays you sound out of phase with ambient noise, at the same volume as ambient noise.

Now ambient noise can get pretty loud. The ANC only needs to be a little bit out timing wise to play you a really loud noise when you have no control of the volume.

Thoughts?

Guest2 · 19 Dec 2009 at 22:42

Uriel said:
There is one thing that concerns me about active noise cancellation: that's the fact it plays you sound out of phase with ambient noise, at the same volume as ambient noise.

Now ambient noise can get pretty loud. The ANC only needs to be a little bit out timing wise to play you a really loud noise when you have no control of the volume.

Thoughts?

So the volume of the anc changes when ambient noise gets louder? Wat would happen if you walked past a load of drills or something, would the ANC try to mask it with a high level of static or something

Uriel · 19 Dec 2009 at 22:49

In terms of the physics, it just plays sound out of phase.

I think this means that it literally physically cancels the vibration.

However, I'm suggesting that there may be a problem if it doesn't get the timing right. To cancel a noise the ANC has to mimic it, out of phase with the original noise. If it's not perfect you get a sound artefact. That's why you get hissing in the background,

Ive noticed that if I push my NS1000s tight onto my ears and then let go, there's sometimes a squeeking sound. I interpret this as air rushing past the microphone used by the ANC circuit and that playing the sound out of phase.

The thing was - the air rushing past was very loud to the internal mic. You'd barely hear it and the resultant sound produced by the ANR is very much out of proportion to what makes it to your ears from the original noise.

I wouldn't have thought it would be a problem for normal use but I don't think it's sensible to use ANC headphones as ear defenders in a noisy environment.

james.miller · 20 Dec 2009 at 09:37

my sony earphones do just that, ueriel. sitting in a car with the window open trips the active cancelling right up, causing loud booms and distortion as it's over driving the bottom end. it doesnt always work correctly but fortunately on my sony player the level of cancelling is adjustable for situations like that.

also, being out in the open with the wind up has the same effect on my earphones as you experianced with your ns1000's - because the mic's are on the output of my earphones, wind can put the NC in to overdrive.