Noise cancelling headphones and sound quality

I was thinking of picking up the ath anc7b
Noise cancelling headphones until I read this article :
http://headphones.com.au/blog/noise-cancelling-vs-noise-isolating

Now I'm afraid they won't work as well and sound as good as my woodees in ear headphones.
Any opinions would be appreciated.
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Okay, first you want me to read all that long essay? Cliff would be appreciated. Now then, in the simplest of terms, noise isolation headphones are for when you're safe and sound in your home relaxing and lying back in your Chaise Lounge. If that's all you intend to do, then go with those. They will deliver ultimate musical experience.

On the other hand, if you intend to listen to your music while you are out and about, then this type of headphone would not be advised. The "active" headphone are uniquely designed to mask out the continuous steady sound of a bus engine or aircraft engine drone. These are preferred when in environments where you may need to know what's going on around you. A much safer choice when on the go.

 

Thanks krane. My main use would be to drown out tv sounds at home and voices when in a cafe.
As per your explanation and the links, I think I'll stick with my iem's.


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That was my plan too at one time, until I learned it won't work on voice--at least no very well. It has to be a steady continuous tone like those generated by machinery; voices are sporadic.

Beside, they expect that you want to hear those for safety and communication reasons. Still, if you sample a pair that work, don't hesitate to share that find. They'll certainly be on my Christmas list.

 

ive demo'ed the bose qc15, considered the best nr cans, a year or so ago.
good nr and sound quality. i dont know how that sound quality would compare to a non nr headphone though as i dont own anything in that price range. compared to my koss, it had better clarity, but not 300usd better.

 

When dealing with audio (or any medium such as this) you quickly reach a point of diminishing return:

From $100 - $200 a big difference. From $200 - $300 not so much. In the case of noise reduction, a lot of your money goes into the nr technology.

 

Yup I've tested a grado sr80i and an rs1 and I'd say the 80 is around 85 % of the rs1 in terms of fidelity.
Personally however i wasn't so impressed with the sr80i, id rate it a slight notch ahead of my portapros when amped.
I'm now not considering nr cans as they just don't produce great sound for the price, and you do get as good or better nr with good fitting iem's.
I was mightily impressed with the ath m50 though but are too bulky for mobile use.

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Active noise cancellation is built to block sounds from motors and things like that. Random, unpredictable sounds are much better blocked out by passive noise cancellation(isolation).

 

Yeah, those are huge.

Anyways, like others, i'd rather prefer paying more for a good pair of isolating cans than for noise reduction ones. I tend to use my headphones in all sort of locations and situations, so i'd rather take a little engine sound in certain situations for overall better isolation.

 

Can you guys recommend an iem with the sound fidelity of the m50, hopefully not more than 230usd

Edit : and something that doesn't need to be amped, again like the m50

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