Noise Cancelling headphones recommendation

bre's dad

I drank what?!?
I'm looking at getting some noise cancelling headphones. Per a co-irker's recommendation I've looked at some of the Bose (QC-25) but the $300 price tag is a bit steep for me. Prefer not to spend over $100. Saw a set of Sony's (I'd need to go back and get the model #) at Best Buy & Target in the $50. While not quite as good, at least checking them out in the store they might be doable, but also get poor ratings. I also saw some returned Audio Technia's (no box but I believe they are ATH-ANC27) at the local Rat Shack but they seem to get worse reviews than the Sony. Plus when turning on the NC feature, didn't seem to drown out much of the ambient noise including my daughter chattering aimlessly. Both The Sony & Bose seemed to do a much better job cutting down background noise (both stores were much louder and had more going on than Rat Shack) but the Bose seemed to put pressure on my ear drums that gave me a headache after awhile. I've heard that associated with the Bose before.
 
I just returned the $50 pair of Sony MDRZX110NC Noise Cancelling Headphones to Target today. I purchased them for a 14 hours of flying for business. They are on the ear headphones and after wearing them for an hour or so become very uncomfortable. The on the ear pads also don't seal off the background noise. If the $50 Sony's surrounded the ear I would have kept them. An audio engineer friend of mine suggested the Bose, said they were expensive but really work well. I tried the Bose and they are comfortable, surround the ear to really cancel the background sound...even with no music playing...just nice well canceled silence. There are many other brands of noise cancelling headphones from AT, Bose, Denon, Sony and Sennheiser and they all cost around $300. I am going to save up for the Bose QC-25.
 
FWIW, I have Bose QC-20. Expensive, yes, but worth every penny if noise cancelling is a top priority. Before these I tried a pair of Sony noise cancelling earbuds that were 70 or 80 dollars, something like that. They worked, but the Bose are quite a bit better and worth it to me.
 
What I'm wanting these for is around the house, to use in bed at night. Between the neighbor's dog and my wife snoring, I'mreally hurting for some good sleep, so the noise caancelling aspect is important.
 
$300 should be OP's budget here. The Bose QC are class leading and the set from PSB in the same price range is a very capable contender that probably does deliver a sound more comparable to an audiophile or enthusiast.

At $100 it's all compromise. Compromised build. Or compromised sound. Or compromised noise canceling performance that either doesn't work very well or hisses/hums.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
To fall asleep I'd think that ear plugs are probably a better idea than headphones. Wouldn't you have to eventually take the headphones off and adjust to the full volume snoring?
 
I'll have to look into the ear buds though I've heard they don't do near as good job as the headphones.

Has anyone had any issues with pressure in the ears from any of the Bose headphones?
 
I'll have to look into the ear buds though I've heard they don't do near as good job as the headphones.

Has anyone had any issues with pressure in the ears from any of the Bose headphones?

From my previous research, the QC-20 earphone (earbuds) had better noise cancelling than the previous models of Bose headphones. However, there is now the QC-25 but I've not followed up on those.

No, I don't have any issue with pressure in the ear from them.

FWIW, I've used them for snoring relief with my GF. It helps, some, but I move a lot when I sleep. Cords or things that need to stay in place aren't good in that situation.

Frankly, when she's on a good rip I have to sleep in a different room. If I don't get good sleep (to which you're equally entitled) I find myself not in a happy place and that's not good for the relationship. So, rather than just trying to bear through it and get some bad ju-ju going, I go to the other bedroom if/when it's really going strong.
 
Last edited:
Frankly, when she's on a good rip I have to sleep in a different room. If I don't get good sleep (to which you're equally entitled) I find myself not in a happy place and that's not good for the relationship. So, rather than just trying to bear through it and get some bad ju-ju going, I go to the other bedroom if/when it's really going strong.

That's where we're at. I often sleep in another room and I suspect even with the best headphones and broderline ODing on NyQuill (lol) the snoring will still be an occasional issue.
 
If her snoring is that bad, you may want to consider her seeing a doctor to see if she has sleep apnea. It can be very bad for your health.
 
She's seen a couple doctors and had a sleep study. They rules out sleep apnea. My personal theory (I'm being serious and my wife even agrees) that she needs to loose weight. That would probably help the snoring and some other health problems that appear to be in ealrly stages. But even beyond her snoring, there are other loud background noises the headphone/ear buds would hopefully help cut down on.
 
I agree that if you want the best noise cancellation, the Bose are the best choice. However, if you want to spend less than $100, and are willing to compromise a little on noise cancellation, I have found the Nakamichi NC-40 to be good for $60. I stumbled across them in Sears so you should be able to get them with a right of return. The Nakamichi brand is not the same company that made cassette decks years ago. Before buying these, I auditioned Monoprice, Audio Technica and Brookstone and the Nakamichi sound better. No, they don't sound better than my Grado RS-2's, but they do sound almost as good as the Koss Porta-pro's that I also own and their noise cancellation does cancel out some noise.
 
when my wife got fat she started snoring bad too, sounds like a bullfrog in the house, if she has a few glasses of wine its really bad. I got the Bose with noise cancelation, at 299 plus tax, then extended warranty, they ended up being nearly 400, but man they sound good. I plug them into my cell phone when mowing and riding my bicycle, I have around 60 songs downloaded or can listen to FM, well worth the money...Roost
 
Between the neighbor's dog and my wife snoring, I'mreally hurting for some good sleep, so the noise caancelling aspect is important.

Move to another place and change wife :D haha

On a more serious note, you can get decent noise cancelling hedphones for under $100. If you do a quick Google search you'll find some good lists with possible options in this price range. You can check whathifi or even headphonesaddict to get some model ideas.
 
Noise cancelling headphones with Bluetooth capability are better than all other types of headphones - albeit a bit more expensive than conventional headphones. I purchased the Bose quiet comfort - which are the best ones in this category - and am quite chaffed with their performance.
 
I'm not really a fan of Bose, but their noise cancellation works better than any I've heard anywhere else...REALLY effective. For a great example, walk in a Best Buy and put them on but don't hit the button to play music through them, just listen to the eery silence they create....
 
I travel a bit for work and also my office is noisy. I found IEMs with good isolation (not all have that; my favourite in your price range being shure SE215 with aftermarket soft triflange tips) are superior to any of the cans for blocking out noise by a long shot, and over a broader frequency range. And, you can rest your head sideways and ear against a a pillow of airplane headrest or window.... feel sorry for the folks trying to get comfortable for a sleep with the Bose cans.
 
Back
Top Bottom