Audio-Technica ATHANC7 Noise-cancelling Headphones
by AUDIO TECHNICA
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Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Audio-Technica ATHANC7 Noise-cancelling Headphones
Customer Review: Excellent all around!
Summary: 5 Stars
I know there are just too many reviews for this product but I believe anything that has many reviews is either something that is hyped up a lot and falls drastically below peoples expectation (Read a bad product with many bad reviews) OR a really good and balanced product that people would like to share their thoughts on and encourage other people to invest in and share a similar experience. Fortunately this falls in the latter Category. I wanted to share some of the good things and also give some points on areas where this will not deliver.
Firstly, if you ignore the noise canceling feature of these Headphones and go on the quality of sound then these by themselves are one of the best headphones that I have heard. Some people in their review have complained about the lack of bass but I feel this is incorrect. The Bass was ample without it thumping and I feel that the sound was very balanced without the need for me to tweak any of the equalizer settings on the source (Flat - This is how the audio was recorded). The highs were crisp and mids could be heard which is something a lot of high end headphones miss on. And I wont elaborate much on this and waste your time because there are many other reviews that have detailed the sound quality of these cans. Trust me sound is a very personal thing and it may sound right to you or may not and this is again true for any headphones that you get in the market these days. I am no Audiophile but these sound just right to me.
I asked a few people what Noise Canceling means to them 4 out of 5 said that all outside noise should be canceled. So based on the specs of these headphones if the outside sound level is 100, 85 should be canceled out and only the 15% should be audible to them when using these. Show me a set that can do that and I am willing to shell out 10 times the price that I paid for these. No headphones in the world can do that. I would suggest to everyone to read how Noise Canceling really works and there are many articles on this some written for laymen and some quite technical (Wikipedia and How stuff works) and I will attempt to cut the technical out from this review. Noise Canceling works well with Low Frequency sounds but it does not work with High Frequency sounds or sound whose frequency changes constantly (Like people talking or Voice of any kind). I put these to the test in front of an air-conditioning unit and in noise cancellation mode all I could hear was a very very low hum (Very negligible, almost silent). When I turned off the noise cancellation I felt that the way these fit so snugly on my head that even with this feature off there was some kind of noise isolation but not to the degree when I had this feature on. I could still hear people talking though because the frequency of their voice is dependent on many other factors and this changes constantly. So in short the Active Noise Canceling circuitry cuts out the low frequency noise and the way they envelope your ears or sit on ur ears isolates the high Frequency. Audio Technica claims that these cut out 85% of ambient sounds and ambient is the keyword here as in most cases this refers to low to mid level frequencies. I believe that these really work in cutting out these sounds not 100% but certainly 75% to 85%. The real test will be on a flight and I will update this review if I feel these dont perform there.
The build quality of the phones is excellent, they feel solid. The case that they come with is also well constructed and though it does take some real estate in my bag I feel reassured that my investment is very well protected. Some reviewers have mentioned that the left side just fell off in a few days and I dont see how that can happen. Maybe they got a bad piece to start with and my recommendation to them would be to get these from a reputed seller with a good return policy. But I would also tell these people to go ahead and give them another chance. With that said they are not as heavy as I expected them to be but be warned like any other over the Head Cans they need some getting used to and you might get tired or feel uncomfortable if you wear them for too long like on a long flight. 90% of the headphones that I have bought have gone wrong on this front. The build quality could be anything from cheap plastic to a wire that after getting snagged on the desk has just snapped in the middle somewhere leading to one of the sides not working (Happened to my Shures and its one of the most irritating things that can happen to anyone). These cans overcome these problems by providing a removable cable, similar to the Bose QC series. This feature in itself convinced me to get these headphones. I dont want to be spending 100 dollars or more on a set that stop functioning because of a bad cable or a cable gone wrong due to my mishandling. If these go wrong on the cable front throw the cable away and get another for less than a couple of dollars which makes buying these a 100 times more fulfilling.
Like many other reviews I am not going to make this a deathmatch between the Bose and these. If you can afford the Bose then I would say go for them but at $99 you cant go wrong with these and if one does go bad you can buy three more sets for the price of one Bose QC3. These deliver what they promise.
UPDATE: These work very well on a flight too. They killed all the engine noise when connected to an audio source and they killed about 80% of it in standalone noise cancelling mode. One thing to note is that they do become a tad uncomfortable when worn for 2 hours (As I did on the flight) but like I said before I think any over the head cans would be uncomfortable when worn for too long.
Customer Review: Excellent noise cancelling, and just as good as BOSE.
Summary: 5 Stars
I had a problem. I ride the bus to work, and sometimes you just get tired of all the noise, sometimes from the other bus riders, sometimes from the engine, or maybe I just want to focus on something else for the commute, like a good song or two.
My search for a decent pair of these type of headphones started there. A set of headphones that don't cost an insane amount of cash lead me to these, but before I pulled the trigger on the purchase, a friend of mine beat me to the noise-cancelling trend and got the Sennheiser PXC 250 noise-cancelling phones first, which I tried on a few times. They were good and the noise-cancelling feature worked well, my main gripe with those was that the battery is in a separate, bulky case down the headphone cord, they required two AAA batteries, and they don't block as much noise as I wanted (i'll explain this later).
I found the Audio-Technica QuietPoint ATH-ANC7 noise-cancelling headphones here on amazon.com. I read lots of reviews that customers wrote about them and decided that the value was well worth it, and if I didn't like them I could always return them. My main points about what makes a good headphone in this category are noise-cancelling ability, comfort, sound quality, and price. I'll discuss each.
Noise-cancelling
This is the feature that's been a buzz-word for a few years now in the headphone world. It was (purportedly) originally designed for use in airplanes. Essentially, the way it works is there are microphones on the outside of the headphone that listen for outside noise, then send the inverse of that sound wave to your ears, which cancels it out. This ends up sounding like a very light "hiss" to your ears as you turn the noise-cancelling feature on.
According to the website for the product, this feature works best at removing ambient sound that falls into the 500hz or below range, things like engine noise, fans, and vent noise. They do not filter things like human voices or loud, high pitched spikes of noise (such as a police siren or a PA announcement on a plane). The cups do block a mild amount of this type of audio on their own, though, simply because they cover your ears.
The noise-cancelling feature of the headphones requires a single AAA battery, which is hidden inside the left headphone cup, and also seems to give an extra "punch" to your music's sound quality and volume (if you are listening to music, you can use these with or without music on and the headphone cord is detachable).
Comfort
Any set of headphones, noise-cancelling or otherwise, need to be comfortable. This point is really up to interpretation on the headphone wearer. Some people hate over-the-ear style headphones, some hate earbuds. I prefer either the earbud-style headphones (see my review of the V-Moda Vibe earbuds, for instance, not the iPod earbuds, which are terrible.), or over-the-ear style (like the headphones being reviewed or my set of Grado SR-60 open-air headphones). The ATH-ANC7 are very snug around my ears, I wear glasses so it can be a bit too snug at some points and can make my glasses shift a bit, but it's a small sacrifice for having a decent amount of ambient noise blocked from the get-go, which only improves after the noise-cancelling function is turned on. They seem about as comfortable as this style of headphones gets, I can't say I've worn better because I haven't.
Sound Quality
I consider myself to be someone who isn't exactly an "audiophile" per se, since a real audiophile prefers reference (read: flat) audio reproduction, with no sweetened highs or lows. I like my music punchy, so good (or "enhanced") highs and lows are important to me, so a lot of audiophile headphones are disappointing. These headphones do a great job with music and movies. I wouldn't say it's the most bass-heavy set of headphones I've ever used, but they satisfy my desire for good quality audio. Background noise being filtered out helps you hear a lot more details of your music (like very soft passages), where with other types of headphones you would need to crank the volume even louder, destroying your hearing.
Price
These headphones carry a retail price of $219.95, but Amazon's price is significantly less, and at the time of this writing they cost approximately $105, which is less than a third of the cost of the Bose version of these headphones. This is an amazing bargain for headphones of this quality. This is the ATH-ANC7's best selling point over other noise-cancelling headphones in this style.
Summary/Conclusions
Overall, if you're in the market for headphones with noise-cancelling, I won't hesitate whatsoever in highly recommending the Audio-Technica QuietPoint ATH-ANC7 Noise-cancelling headphones. They are worth every penny of their price. As someone who primarily uses them on the noisy bus ride to and from work, I can't stress how much sanity this can gain you some days. I'm writing this review on a plane with the headphones on, with music from my iPod cranked through them, and I can barely hear anything but a very slight rumble of the plane engines. This does wonders for concentration. Those stupid Bose commercials aren't lying, it really is sublime, and paying one-third the price of the Bose version is even more sublime.
Customer Review: Great buy
Summary: 5 Stars
These are my first decent pair of headphones, and I am not an audiophile by any means. I won't comment too much on their sound quality other than to say it far exceeds that of my Promedia 2.1 speakers, and my friend's home theater system. Using these headphones unearths a whole layer of sound in my music -- mainly detail. This detail really brings it to life. I have nothing to realistically compare against, but I think these have great bass. My understanding is that the closed ear cup is partly responsible for this. The bass nearly matches my Promedia 2.1 subwoofer, except that there is no vibration in my surroundings! I don't particularly care for a lot of bass, but I thought I'd mention it.
The noise canceling very effectively blocks out low frequency sounds. My computer has many fans, making my room sound like a wind tunnel. I don't hear anything from the fans when the noise cancellation is turned on. Don't expect it to block out 85% of ALL noise. The noise canceling is only applicable for low frequency sounds, such as HVAC systems or engine noise. If you just turn on the noise canceling in a typical environment, you'll hear the world stripped of it's low frequency sounds.
These look cool. They have a modern but non intrusive design.
They are fairly portable. I like how the ear cups can fold 180 degrees and fit inside the case. THe only problem is that you have to retract the headband to make it fit, meaning that you'll have to re adjust after the headphones are out of their case -- a very mild inconvenience.
The included accessories are great! You've got pretty much everything you could ask for: airline adapter, 1/4" adapter, battery included. With a velor interior and fairly hard shell, Audio Technica did not skimp on the quality on a seemingly insignificant detail, which probably gets overlooked by prospective buyers.
Detachable cord! This is uncommon among headphones, and I have no idea why. If you get up and your cord is caught, you'll simply yank the cord out of the jack on the headphone -- no big deal, no damage done. Audio Technica says you can use this feature to your advantage by walking around with just the headphones, no music. While this is true, I think the cost in terms of your dignity and self esteem overcomes any noise cancellation benefits. These look nice, but I wouldn't walk around in public with them. They're okay if on a bus or an airplane, that's it.
Battery lasts a long time. I've listened to these quite a bit this past month, and these batteries are not quitting. Audio Technica employs a pretty efficient circuit here. Perhaps they sacrificed aggressiveness for efficiency?
What I dislike:
-I don't know if this is normal among noise canceling headphones, but there is an audible hiss when cancellation is enabled. This sounds almost like a distant waterfall during quiet or silent portions of tracks. I cannot detect this hiss while music is playing though. Again, I am not a trained audiophile, perhaps I would notice it with trained ears.
-These sound awful when the noise cancellation is not enabled. I don't always need noise cancellation enabled, but I keep it on anyways. Without it, it sounds as if you are listening underwater. All of the higher frequencies are muffled, if not non existent.
-When the noise cancellation is enabled, the volume nearly doubles. I drive these from my sound card (Blue Gears B-Enspirer). When noise cancellation is not enabled, I turn the volume to the absolute maximum. If noise cancellation is not, I have the volume one step below the minimum.
-I don't count this as a con, since nobody else has complained, and it seems to be a problem unique to me:
The headband. After a few hours, the headband makes my head quite sore. It almost feels like there's a bruise there. This pain goes away If I shift the headband a little bit forward or backwards, but the pain will return in the headbands new location.
-Supposedly they leak a lot of sound. I don't see how any other headphone except canalphones would be different. None of my neighbors have complained, and I don't really care. To me, complaining about leakage is kind of like complaining that your car uses gasoline to go forward; it's the nature of the beast. I do not hold this against these headphones, or any other headphone at that.
Conclusion:
I like these headphones. I took off 1 star because of the issue with the noise cancellation sound quality (lack of). The issue with comfort is a big one. I dislike that noise cancellation needs to be activated in order to have sound quality worth the 125 dollars you paid. For these reasons, I plan on buying some different headphones. These are worth keeping though. The noise cancellation, when needed, is a great benefit. Overall these are a fantastic value.
Customer Review: Excellent headphones
Summary: 5 Stars
To start off: I am not an audiophile.
The main thing I can say is that I like these more in terms of sound than the Bose QC2s and QC3s. I tried the Bose's on in a store, and the sound does not seem at all natural. It felt like the lower range was overly pumped, and although I like a bit of bass from time to time, the sound was way too warm and unnatural. The Audio-Technica's on the other hand sound very balanced and natural, without sounding 'cold'. They definitely immerse you into your music.
These headphones also look really good. In the pictures they look a little strange, but in real life they look very sleek. They are also very comfortable, and they slip over my average-sized ears very well. They aren't the world largest headphones, but I have a relatively big head and they fit when they are put onto their maximum size setting. If you have an extremely large head, these might get a little tight though.
The detachable cord is also implemented nicely. I once had a pair of headphones that had a detachable cord that was clicked in, and that of course meant that they broke. The cord in this one stays in nicely, but isn't locked into place, meaning they will pull out of you yank on them very hard.
The sound cancelling isn't too impressive. They work well with the background drones (such as an air vent, fan, etc.), but they do a poor job at cancelling out more instantaneous noises. I know that none of the headphones can technically do this, and they aren't really designed to do this, but I felt that the Bose's did a better job at cancelling out voice. This could be seen as a pro, though, because it means that you can hear someone if they try to talk to you.
I read in some other people's reviews that sound leakage was a concern. It is true that these headphones do leak a bit of sound (especially when the noise cancelling feature is turned on), but it seems to be within reasonable levels. However, If you like cranking up the sound all the way, but need to stay quiet, I would not recommend these for you.
Interestingly, the headphones do appear to contain a small amplifier. Whenever the noise cancelling is turned on, the sound gets significantly louder (more than what would come due to a cancelling of background noises. I checked this by putting the headphones down on the table.) I have no idea why they implemented this feature, but I'm geussing it might have something to do with the high input impedance of the headphones to reduce the amount of distortion. This does have as advantage that you can keep the volume on portable players very low (I have sometimes put my ipod onto the minimum level), and conserve batteries.
Speaking of batteries, the battery holder in the actual headphones is quite nice. There is a neat compartment designed for them, and there is absolutely no way it would ever open without you trying to open it. It might be slightly tricky to put the battery in the first time, but once you understand how it works it is very easy.
The carrying case is also very nice. It has a little velcro-attached pouch for the cable, 3.5-1/4" adapter, and airline adapter. If you have an mp3 player (I have an ipod touch), it fits in nicely between the headphones, so there is no need for a separate carrying case.
I haven't had the chance yet to do much gaming with these, but I have the feeling they work nice. They give a very strong difference between left and right, so you should be able to tell where those footsteps are coming from. If you listen to lots of music that is split (some of the isntruments come from one ear, some from the other), the very strong difference may become quite annoying.
I think I've rambled enough about these headphones now, so I will end with a standard "pros-cons" list.
Pros:
- Price (cheap for noise-cancelling headphones)
- Natural sound + good sound quality (for the price range, of course. I am sure there are better ones if you are willing to pay more.)
- Does a good job at cancelling off the background drones
- Seem sturdy
- Carrying case works well and has lots of space without being bulky
- Battery fits snugly and will not pop out by itself
- Not too heavy
- Comfortable
- Looks
- Built-in amp saves batteries on portable players
- Have a blue light so you'll look different on the airplane where everybody has red lights :)
Cons:
- Sound leakage (if that is a concern to you)
- Built-in amp probably drains the headphones' battery quicker
- They aren't too big, so if you have an extremely big head they might not fit (they work fine for me though, and I have a big head)
Pros or Cons (depending on preferences):
- Strong difference between left and right (can get painful to listen to)
- Does not cancel off sudden noises such as people speaking to you
Customer Review: Lives up to the hype: move over, Bose
Summary: 5 Stars
This is now the fourth pair of noise-canceling headphones in the family, after my wife's original (mid-90s) Sony in-ear model, the Sony Mdrnc22/Blk Noise Canceling Headphone (Black), and the [Sennheiser PXC 250 Active Noise Canceling Headphones. All of us have very keen hearing and both my wife (a professional musician) and I are very finicky about sound.
The original unit we received (from Warehouse Deals by Amazon) had a pronounced hiss in the left earcup, combined with some occasional audio distortion and strange stereo panning effects that clearly weren't in the original music. I wrote Audio Technica's tech support at 6 AM and by 7 AM had received an answer that the unit was clearly defective and should be exchanged. I did so, and in parallel ordered a new pair from Amazon (a Warehouse Deal item cannot always be exchanged).
The new pair I received from Amazon does not have the problem. There is a very quiet "seashore" noise if they are run without audio.
In terms of actual noise cancellation, these are by far the best we own, and at least as good as the Bose Quietcomfort 2 and 3 which I tried out extensively at the Apple Store in downtown Chicago. We have a very noisy air conditioner in the apartment: with the ATH-ANC7 on, I can barely hear whether it's on or off. Cars on the road outside are still audible, but at a whisper level. For testing purposes, I went to various noisy spots in our apartment complex and garage/utility basement. Unlike the Sennheiser (with their separate cancellation unit), the ATH-ANC7 are still somewhat effective against higher-pitched noises (the short wavelengths of which make phase cancellation very difficult unless the "noise sampling" pickup is very close to your ears --- which is not the case on the Sennheiser).
The Sennheiser is of course far less bulky and, if positioned "just so" on the ears, will still do a good job against most jet engines (although it clearly had trouble in the back of an MD-80). I have not yet flown with the ATH-ANC7 on, but based on my informal testing with various noise sources and knowing that jet engines are nearly an optimal case for active noise cancellation, I expect my upcoming flight to be very quiet.
Sound quality is quite good --- no "sacrifices for noise cancellation" to speak of, although I've gotten so used to my trusty Sennheiser PX 100 Collapsible Headphones that I still like these a bit better. Subjectively it seems that the frequency response of the ATH-ANC7 has a mild peak in the midrange, and maybe another in the upper treble. (In heavy rock music I hear more MP3 compression artifacts on cymbals than I ever heard, and these are lame --r3mix and lame --alt-preset standard rips, not your lowest common denominator 128kbps thing.)
They are physically a bit less comfortable than the Sennheisers (which I barely notice I am wearing) but not unduly so. Perhaps in very warm weather one's ears might get hot.
The audio cable comes off for use without a music player. A single standard AAA battery fits in the left earcup and is supposed to last up to 40 hours. The headphones will still play with the noise cancellation turned off, although the sound loses a lot of punch.
Privacy: the claims that the people next to you hear the music as loudly as you do are exaggerations, but people can clearly make out what you're listening to if the environment is not too noisy. So if you're ashamed to admit you enjoy prog-metal or Berlin School electronic music, don't listen to them on these cans in public :-)
The cans come with a rather big storage pouch that has enough space between the earcups for a full-sized iPod or similar audio player.
My detailed ratings would be:
Noise cancellation: 5 stars
Audio quality: 4 stars, maybe 4.5
Value for money: 5 stars
If I could make a suggestion for improvement, it would be for a foldable hinge that might make the "cans" a little less bulky to travel with.
UPDATE: having lots of ambient noise blocked out makes you hear certain things you never knew you heard. I can clearly "hear" my footfalls walking on New Balance Men's MW811 Walking Shoes, although they sound different than usual --- possibly because the sound I am "hearing" is the part that is conducted via the body...