Noise-Cancelling Headphones/Earphones?

I need a noise canceling headphone or earphone to block out noise when studying in my dorm room. Cost is an important factor for me so just something that can do a good job but not super expensive. I prefer earphones over headphones, but if headphones are significantly cheaper/better then I can go with them too. Suggestions would be great.

 

I purchased a pair of brand-new (but discontinued) Logitech Noise Cancelling Headphones on Ebay for under 50. They're not Bose, obviously, but they do feel comfortable and block out a lot of noise. I think they are still being sold on Ebay. They come with a very nice, but bulky, case, and the nice thing about this one is that the cord plugs into the earphone so you can remove the plug and just wear the headphone with the noise cancelling on. Be careful of defective ones though, as the first one I bought on Ebay had a major hum in one earpiece.

I also have a pair of Sony NC-6's...I think they were about 50 bucks at Circuit City, but I had a 25 buck gift card.

My next set is going to be the Plane Quiet Platinum. It's been rated really highly on various Internet sites. There are Ebay sellers offering them for about 90, but I have since found them cheaper through regular Internet sellers by putting "Plane Quiet Platinum price" into Google.

I like Bose, but they are way too pricey for something I am just going to trash eventually.

 

Checkout Audio technica ATNC3 headphones or earphones...both sound much much better

 

I can't seem to find them anywhere. Are you sure you have the model number correct?

I would defintely like to see them, especially if they are not too pricey.

 

Ah...found em...They are ATH-ANC3.

http://shop.ebay.com/items/_W0QQ_fromZR46?_nkw=ATH-ANC3&_fromfsb=0&_trksid=m270.l1313

At that price, they should sound much better. I'm not cheap, at all...but I can make do with something a little less for my purposes, especially since I would be beating them up carrying them while I travel.

A lot less than the Bose, and they look good...Not really tempted right now, but I will keep them in mind before I go for the Plane Quiet Platinum in the future.

 

If you want in ear phones, I think shure has a strong line.

 

From my experiences, noise canceling phones don't really cancel out voices. They more cancel out noises that are constant, like a fan, or an engine, or something like that.

 

They are not really meant to cancel out voices. They are meant to cancel out ambient noise (ie acoustic noise).

 

Oh wow $100+ >.<

I was hoping to get something for around $30 - is that possible?

 

Sony NC-6's are often on sale. Check out Ebay, or Circuit City.

The Logitech's are discontinued and I think only available on ebay. The seller is not an authorized dealer so the warranty would not apply.
I will say that the Ebay seller that sold me my pair was great, though. When I wrote to tell him that there was a loud buzz in one earpiece, he immediately sent me a replacement.

 

Thanks for the suggestion. I've actually decided to raise my budget to around $45 if that helps at all. I've also been looking at Shure E2C and Sony mdr-ex71sl along with the Sony NC6.. How do these compare with each other? The E2C is $60 on Amazon though.. is it really that much better and if so, is there a place I can get it for cheaper at?

Also, I should point out that I'd like for these headphones/in-earphones to be able to cancel out voice and other people's music as well as possible (rather than a constant airplane engine or w/e). What is better for such a job? Passive in-earphones or active noise cancelling headphones?

Thanks for all the help again

 

Passive IEM's would probably work the best. Thats just from my experiences though, and I haven't tested to many pairs of noise canceling headphones.

 

I also have a pair of Sony NC-22's in-ear noise cancelling headphones which I picked up for next to nothing on Ebay. I have't really used them yet. They ARE compact, but I guess it's my own feeling that noise cancelling headphones need to cover the ear to be effective. I need to try them out. I am on a business trip to NY right now and have them with me in my computer bag.

 

The E2C are great bang for the buck. I actually bought my pair the week they came out for a hefty 189$ cheapest at the time. I would have to agree with Syndrome that an in IEM may be of your interest. One way to think of is think of a sink. You can either put a cup over the drain to prevent it from draining or plug it which is simpler and would provide better coverage.

 

+1^^

the nc22's are pretty decent noise cancelling buds

i used them for almost 2 years on light rail transit and with the right sized rubber pieces, they are very efficient at blocking ambient noise. they sound pretty decent as well

 

I ended up picking up a pair of Sony NC-6's and Panasonic HC30's for comparison. I think you guys are right, the two both cancel out most constant sounds but the Panasonic (which is an IEM) is a little better at reducing voices/external music.

I picked up the HC30 for $20 - is that a good price?

 

GREAT price. Where did you find them for $20? Link?

Enjoy! For $20, I would pick up a pair for comparison, as well.

 

Get some JVC Marshmallows and Kramer mod them. They are one of the best deals going. You can find them for under $10 in some places.

 

Thanks, boogieman. I need to start using them then. They remind me a lot of my V-Moda Vibe Duo, which are not noise-cancelling, but look a lot alike.

If I like the NC22s, I am going to try to pick up another pair for cheap. I've been spending too much money recently on electronics, but the one thing I have learned is that if something is quality and a great deal, you need to buy at least two of them!

 

I got them from Fry's, although I think the $20 was a price mistake :O, it said $50 where the HC30s were located but $20 on the box - school has started already so I didn't really want to wait on shipping.

Thanks for the help everyone, +repped ya'll

 

http://www.metacafe.com/watch/548578/headphone_hack_make_you_own_noise_eliminating_headset/

Since everybody already suggested you a good headset, I'm not going to mention much about one. So I don't know how much skill/time do you have but this seem like a sweet and cheap project to make yourself a noise canceling phone.

 

ultimate ears super fi 3 studio

/end

 

Sweeet, smileysoccergal. Fry's can be a real mess and I have no doubt they mislabeled them. Good for you!

 

sorry to bump but i'm kinda looking for the same thing. how do you like them?

 

look at sennheisers (ive got cx300's i think, they are very good + backed up by reviews), creative do some good in ears too. my only warning is that headphones of this type are DANGEROUS. you honestly cannot hear anything with them on. ive had people shout at me before and not been able to hear them. traffic noise is totally gone too, so do not use whilst around roads.

i did a lot of research for mine, so the sennheisers were best available for the price when i bought them (over 2 years ago) however they have been super-seeded. look for similar.
recently bought some koss porta pros, which are good sounding but leak A LOT of sound. this is characteristic of open backed and on ear headphones. similar are senheisser px100, px250, iGrados, all of which have similarly good reviews. i use my porta pros whilst on my laptop at home, but my sennheisers whilst out.

or you can look at full sized closed back headphones. do not spend more than $80 on full sized headphones, because for around that price you can get grado SR80's, which are widely regarded as some of the very best headphones.

 

I use my CX300's on the job, which has loaders, bulldozers, trackhoes, dump trucks, man lifts, fork lifts, and other various machines running around. And alot of the times I wish they blocked out more sound. Just keep the volume low on your music, and its fine. Although.. don't tell my boss that I'm listening to music.. cause that is illegal.

 

Get the Sennheiser CX300 earphones.

 

christ....

 

Sennheiser cx300. The only noise-canceling headphones I've used, but they are very good. You can get them new for $50, or off ebay new for like $20.

 

EP630, but it's not noise cancelling !
you should buy somethings like Sennheiser PXC 450.