Noise Cancelling Headphones??

Steve Feldman · Post by **Steve Feldman** » 15 May 2001 4:24 am

Don't know where this thread should go, but has anyone tried those new Bose noise cancelling headphones? Supposedly, they sample the ambient sound and instantaneously (faster than the speed of sound, anyway) inputs a phase inverted signal that quiets everything down. Great for planes, etc., and makes music/CDs sound crystal clear.

It's almost like putting your head in some kind of weird vacuum or something (a condition that is not altogether unfamiliar to me...). There are also a couple of other companies that make these things - Sony and one called Etymotic.

Anyone have any experience with these things?

David Pennybaker · Post by **David Pennybaker** » 15 May 2001 6:47 am

You're in luck. My brother and sister-in-law just took a trip to Hawaii. Bought the Bose noise-cancelling headphones for the trip.

They loved them.

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The Unofficial Photographer of The Wilkinsons

Website · Post by **Brad Bechtel** » 15 May 2001 8:15 am

I can't talk about the Bose headphones, but the Sony headphones are excellent. It's really spooky how much background noise is removed (and how noisy a typical work environment really is).

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Brad's Page of Steel
A web site devoted to acoustic & electric lap steel guitars

Steve Feldman · Post by **Steve Feldman** » 15 May 2001 11:13 am

I just tried the Sony headphones during lunch and did not care for them. They actually seemed to add a faint high-pitch frequency that was irritating.

Compared to the Bose that I tried recently, they weren't nothing to write home about, IMO. 'Course, the Sony ones cost 2/3 less than the Bose.

erik · Post by **erik** » 15 May 2001 4:30 pm

I think the effect is generated in the phones, whichs makes me leary(sp) about putting them on my head. I would try them, but i wouldn't wear them.

Steve Feldman · Post by **Steve Feldman** » 16 May 2001 4:48 am

Yup - the ones I tried had a faint, but barely perceptible repeating message of: "Screw Sony, Buy Bose; Screw Sony, Buy Bose; Screw Sony, Buy Bose........"

David Pennybaker · Post by **David Pennybaker** » 16 May 2001 6:27 am

ROFL, Steve.

While Bose products tend to be overpriced, they make some REALLY good stuff.

I paid "through the nose" for my Bose AM/FM/CD Clock radio, but man it's worth it. I've been waking up for the last few months to Peggy Green's "My Voice".

When I get tired of it, I'll have to throw Jim Cohen's "Finally Here" in there, and then I guess I really need to buy Mike Perlowin's "Firebird Suite".

Actually, I should probably take all 3, copy my favorites from each one, and burn a full 70-minutes worth onto CD-R to stick into the Bose. But then I'd have to set my alarm clock back another 30 minutes in the morning.

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The Unofficial Photographer of The Wilkinsons

Gene Jones · Post by **Gene Jones** » 19 May 2001 8:47 am

Those phones are awsome.....they are used on Blue Hawaii tour helicopters, and anyone who has been in a copter knows how much noise they make. With noise cancelling headphones it is spooky, it's like being in a sound proof room and your can carry on a conversation with a whisper if you wanted to! www.genejones.com

James Bissaillon · Post by **James Bissaillon** » 19 May 2001 10:05 am

I love listening to music through headphones. Guarenteed to hear something you never noticed before. Plus, it's hard to treat music on headphones as "background" music; you're forced to listen to the music without distraction. This has caused me to change my opinion on some music from luke-warm, to favorable.

There is a huge difference in sound characteristics of different headphones. I have some Sonys that do really good with mainstream, high energy stuff or rock-n-roll, and some Sennheisers that are terrible with the same material, but kill the Sonys when listening to vocal or accoustic music. It's an amazing difference and fun to compare the two.

The Sonys are a lot more effecient than my Sennheisers though, and work pretty well with portable electronics. The Sennheisers need a lot more power though, more than most portables can provide.

This is probably nothing new to some of you, but I felt like throwing my .02 in!