Personal computing discussed
Moderators: renee, Captain Ned
ineffable wrote:Active noise cancellation is generally considered undesirable, because it produces some white noise which sort of 'colors' the music you're listening to. Passive noise cancellation (isolation) will result in less artificial 'coloration' of the sound.
The headphones that DancinJack linked to are very highly regarded (in the price range you mentioned), and are probably overall the best you could get. However, there are other headphones (particularly IEMs) in your price range that would be much more isolating. If that's a serious concern, look at Etymotic's in-ear IEMs.
riviera74 wrote:
ludi wrote:Why is everyone assuming the OP doesn't have a use for active noise cancellation when s/he listed a specific active cancelling product s/he would like to match? Perhaps the OP takes frequent airplane trips?
Besides, active cancellation can be turned off when you don't need it, whereas too much passive isolation can lead to sweaty ears.
riviera74 wrote:Given a budget of $300 or less, what are the best headphones that satisfy these conditions: noise cancellation and high fidelity (not necessarily audiophile since audiophile = $$$$$)?
riviera74 wrote:Also, I am avoiding in-ear buds because I find them uncomfortable.
riviera74 wrote:Since we are all aware that Apple is buying Beats for $3.2 billion, I have a question.
Assume you are listening to music on an iPod or similar device. Given a budget of $300 or less, what are the best headphones that satisfy these conditions: noise cancellation (e.g. Bose QC15) and high fidelity (not necessarily audiophile since audiophile = $$$$$)?
ludi wrote:Why is everyone assuming the OP doesn't have a use for active noise cancellation when s/he listed a specific active cancelling product s/he would like to match? Perhaps the OP takes frequent airplane trips?
willyolio wrote:and i'm talking about cheap-ass $40 in-ear plugs vs $300+ active noise cancellation headphones. On the street, the $40 plugs win every time. The expensive headphones had better fidelity when indoors and it was quiet... and the noise cancellation wasn't needed. So... yeah. IMO, noise cancellation is a pointless technology at the moment, and unless there are several revolutionary advances, simple noise isolation works much better.
willyolio wrote:i'd still recommend OP give it another try, though. comfort in IEMs really just boil down to the tips. Not sure how many he's tried, but if the silicone tips don't work, try foam ones. if regular foam isn't great, try memory foam. I played around and ended up buying comply foam tips separately, in multiple sizes, and found one with a perfect fit.
Given a $300 budget, i'm betting $100-150 in IEMs and blowing $50 in an assortment of tips will get him something comfortable, and still sound better than any $300 noise cancellation.
chµck wrote:The higher SPLs they produce also damage your hearing quicker.
DancinJack wrote:Yeah, Grado's aren't a bad choice either. I don't think they do as good of a job at isolation as the ATH-M50 though.
You really need to try things out for yourself though. Usually companies have a return policy or "try-out" period.