The New York Times’ David Pogue got up one morning, packed ten different noise-canceling headphones into his carry-on bag, went to the airport, got onboard a flight, and proceeded to freak out his seatmates by pulling out each pair of headphones and testing them out. All in the name of science.
But we benefit from his socially awkward experiments. The winners in the test: Unsurprisingly, the Bose Quiet Comfort 2 (~$300) and Quiet Comfort 3 (~$350) ranked highly. But perhaps more impressively, Panasonic (~$100) and Audio-Technica (~$140) produced similarly high quality noise reduction at a price that blew Bose out of the water. A third of the price of Bose, for cryin’ out loud!
Notably missing from the experiment: the Shure earbuds, such as the e4c or e5c models. Not cheap, either — heck, the e5c’s cost more than the Bose. Also missing: the Sony models, whose clever advertisements (like the one pictured above) have been plastering airports for the last couple years. I don’t blame Pogue for not testing every headset on the market — a man’s carry-on can only hold so much — but it would have been interesting to see how they stacked up.
Products mentioned:
- Bose Quiet Comfort 2
- Bose Quiet Comfort 3
- Panasonic RPH-C500
- Audio-Technica ATH-ANC7 QuietPoint
- Shure E4c
- Shure E5c
(Thanks Dr. Vino!)
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June 14th, 2007 at 1:03 am
Yeah, it’s weird–Sony was supposed to participate, but never did send a pair of their ‘phones…
–David Pogue
June 14th, 2007 at 2:00 am
We have a pair of Bose which I totally adore on long flights. Nice to know there’s a cheaper option out there if we want to get a second pair (I basically commandeered my husband’s pair, so he could use some…).
June 14th, 2007 at 3:29 am
I have two pairs of the Panasonic’s predecessor, the RP-HC300 and they are fantastic. I was lucky enough to pick them up from Panasonic directly for £50 and they did wonders on a trip from LHR to HKG. I could not hear anything other than the music (which is especially good considering we were sitting on the wing) and I didn’t not have to pump them up, just listening to them at a comfortable level.
From the price vs performance stand point, you just can’t beat the Panasonics.
June 14th, 2007 at 7:30 am
I have a pair of Shure earbuds (80 pounds at Heathrow airport, NOT a good place to buy them) and they do the trick nicely, but they’re not comfortable for long wear.
June 14th, 2007 at 7:57 am
Hi David,
I’m curious by your use of “participate” by which I take it you mean contribute a free set of their ‘phone(s). I was under the impression that the NYT did not allow its journos to accept free product samples? That’s how it works on the wine/food desk at least and I would imagine travel as well.
I doubt that whether or not you got a free set of headphones or whether you paid for it would affect your commentary about the product. But it’s too bad when, as Mark points out in his posting, prominent products such as the Shure and Sony are not involved in your roundup since they didn’t want to “participate.” Couldn’t you just go to J&R Music or any Brookstone in a terminal and buy them to include in the name of being comprehensive?
Best,
Tyler
June 14th, 2007 at 11:45 am
Thanks for the wrapup David.
I bought a set of the Sonys about a year ago - used them a couple of times and tossed them back in the box. Bad feedback problems on the left ear resulting in a screeching noise when you move (apparently this is a common problem with the Sonys).
Have used a set of the high-end Shure in-ear phones for a few years now - they sound pretty good & seal pretty well but do get uncomfortable after a few hours.
Just bought a set of the Audio-Technicas last week and I’m hooked. Very comfortable,clean audio response (a little brighter than the Bose) and the noise cancellation is great. They do not have the high-pitched hissing common to lots of ANC headphones.
Unless you’re wedded to wearing that Bose logo buy the AT’s and use the $200 you save to buy more of those delicious in-flight snack boxes or trailmix.
June 14th, 2007 at 1:14 pm
Thanks for a very informative review! I have Bose 2 earphones and really like them.
One thing I wish David had addressed: how well do the various over-the-ear models seal against the head?
June 16th, 2007 at 6:12 am
@ Tyler.
It’s my understanding that journalists get products for review and then return them or give them away. It’s part of their code of ethics.
I know that’s the case with CNET, and David Pogue had an incidient last year with drivesavers.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5281529
After that, I’m confident that David Pogue follows the code to the letter.
June 20th, 2007 at 9:56 am
I have a pair of Bose 2 which eventually got crushed after extensive use and the part of the plastic broke.
Thinking this was acceptable considering the wear and tear I had given them, I enquired to Bose as to where to get them repaired for a fee. They checked out serial numbers and a few other things and then promptly sent me another pair, gratis…. impressive customer service!
June 21st, 2007 at 11:43 am
I have found all of the Bose style headphones to be very uncomfortable after about an hour. My problem is I wear glasses and the headphones press against the arms. Rather than getting contact lenses I decided to opt for earplugs. Talk about quiet comfort on the cheap!
Also, I’ve always been suspicious that although you don’t hear the noise from noise-cancelling headphones they do create sound waves loud enough to drown out other noise. Logic tells me this should be bad for my hearing, but logic can be wrong…