[HELP] Noise Cancelling Headphones Suggestions

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LionBlitzz

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#208292 5-Feb-2017 13:55

So I have a 17:30 hr non stop flight to Dubai and obviously I can not stand the horrible quality of complimentary headphones. I am looking for NC headphones which won't break my bank account. I am okay with used headphones as long as they are well maintained. My budget is upto $350.

Obvious contendars are Bose QC 25, 35, Sony MDR-1000, AT ANC9, Sennheiser MM-550x. But I have heard that Bose has horrendous sound quality and the rest of NC headphones have dissapointing NC, lol.

Any suggestions?

Thanks so much!

PS:

Headphones I have:

1. Sennheiser RS 160

2. Sennheiser HD 202

3. Audio Technica ATH-m50

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#1715756 5-Feb-2017 14:05

I wouldn't call the Bose horrendous, but they will not be replacing any quality pair for listening when you don't need the NC feature. I use the Bose heaps when I am around the house cleaning etc to dull the sound of the Dyson which is bloody loud, and they are great for that, also when weed whacking etc.

They do not handle occasional noise that well like a kid next to you screaming, seems to give up and let that all thru in its entirety.

Make food courts much more pleasant when the noise is just general babbling all over the place, not tried them on a plane yet.

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timmmay

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#1715757 5-Feb-2017 14:15

Foam ear plugs under headphones, noise cancelling or not, helps. You just turn the volume up to compensate.

LionBlitzz

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#1715762 5-Feb-2017 14:43

I did try them at Noel Leeming a couple of days and they seem fine. I like noise cancelling, it is really what I need. Specially when using public transport and on trips.

Do you have 25s or 35's?

mckenndk

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#1715766 5-Feb-2017 15:04

I've used the Sennheiser PXC-450 for about 4 years and they have done me well.

When it comes to quality I could not say how good they are they do the job.

sbiddle

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#1715769 5-Feb-2017 15:19

There is only one serious contender for N/C headphones and that's Bose. Nothing else is worth even considering because they're all terrible in comparison. QC35 is current top of the line and has Bluetooth. QC25 doesn't and is a slightly older design but N/C capabilities are pretty much identical between the two.

I have no idea where you got the "horrendous sound quality" comment about Bose from because I've certainly never seen any such reference on the Internet. Yes audiophiles may not rate them compared to some other headphones twice the price, but that's not to say that they're bad, it's just that they don't deliver the same audio quality. Considering N/C is the most important aspect of headphones on a plane, something with better audio quality will be a significant disappointment on a plane.

The only problem with the QC35 in NZ right now is they're about $150 overpriced at all the big name retailers. Aussie is the cheapest place in the world to buy them, and deals like the Warehouse had for $379ish before Xmas are few and far between.

ludez

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#1715772 5-Feb-2017 15:33

mckenndk:
I've used the Sennheiser PXC-450 for about 4 years and they have done me well.

When it comes to quality I could not say how good they are they do the job.

Pxc-450 are amazing! Had some myself

stocksp

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#1715773 5-Feb-2017 15:45

I use the qc20 in ears and they are great, Small, unobtrusive, they fit in your pocket and you can sleep with them in. Highly recommmended.

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Technofreak

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#1715777 5-Feb-2017 16:03

I have the Blackbox C20's https://blackbox-online.myshopify.com/collections/products

They're excellent as a travel noise cancelling earpieces. The noise cancelling certainly doesn't match over the ear types of headsets, but is good never the less. They're comfortable to wear, you can still use them as an ear piece with a flat battery unlike many other noise cancelling devices and they come in a travel case and include adapters for use in aircraft. They're much easier to carry around than an over the ear headset.

I highly recommend them.

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freitasm

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#1715780 5-Feb-2017 16:29

I have a Blackbox and a Bose QC25. The NC on the Bose is much better but I wouldn't discard the Blackbox.

Stu

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#1715876 5-Feb-2017 21:22

I have a pair of QC35 and they're excellent for travel. Still have the older QC25, which are also good for NC. I probably should sell the QC25, which didn't get much use before upgrading to the newer model.

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Technofreak

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#1715879 5-Feb-2017 21:38

freitasm:

I have a Blackbox and a Bose QC25. The NC on the Bose is much better but I wouldn't discard the Blackbox.

No doubt the QC25 are better, Bose has an excellent Noise Cancelling reputation. With the Bose being well over twice the price of the Blackbox you would hope they were better.

If money was no object then I'd say go for the Bose QC25's but certainly give the Blackbox a thought otherwise.

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michaelmurfy

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#1715885 5-Feb-2017 22:33

Just want to add my 2c - I have zero regrets dropping $600 on my QC35's. They're simply excellent.

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shk292

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#1715921 6-Feb-2017 05:29

Just to mix it up a bit, I have a pair of Panasonic RP-HC800, which I'm very pleased with. A non scientific test on a flight indicated they were at least comparable with my friend's Bose in terms of Nc.

lxsw20

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#1715923 6-Feb-2017 06:33

I could never bring myself to spend the $$$ on the Bose as I had heard the SQ was not great. After buying a pair second hand I would have no problem buying them at their new price. They actually sound pretty good, sure my ATH-M50's sound better, but not to the point where I think im missing out when wearing the QC25's. They are super comfy, even after wearing them for 8+ hours and as noise cancelling excellent.

I had some monoprice (same as blackbox) in ears before, they were OK, but the Bose blitz then for sound quality and the in ears got uncomfortable after a few hours on a flight too.

sbiddle

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#1715949 6-Feb-2017 08:41

lxsw20:

I could never bring myself to spend the $$$ on the Bose as I had heard the SQ was not great.

This was pretty much me. I tried various cheaper headphones until I finally splashed out on QC15s a few years ago. Suddenly it was a eureka moment and I realised what all the hype was about.

Sound quality has improved dramatically from the QC15 to the QC25/35 models - it's not that it was ever poor, it's just that it's not as good as some high end headphones.

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