There's a kind of hush

Noise-cancelling headphones can be a lifesaver for frequent flyers. Here are 8 things to check out when choosing a set

04:45 AM Jan 25, 2012

Sony MDR-NC500DM3

IN THE olden days, you didn't need much to enjoy air travel: A pair of goggles, a trusty biplane and a song in your heart. These days, the equipment list is slightly longer: A roll-on bag, a neck pillow, an eye mask, a fold-out laptop case and a belt with a plastic buckle.

And noise-cancelling headphones.

Regular headphones deliver music directly to your ears. Noise-cancelling models also reduce any dull, consistent roar around you, like aircraft engines, vacuum cleaners and campaign speeches.

Okay, that last one was a joke. Noise-cancelling (NC) headphones don't actually reduce irregular noises like speech and crying babies in the row behind you. Even so, cutting down aircraft roar is supposed to cut down on "noise fatigue", an edgy tiredness that comes from hours-long exposure to loud noise. They also let you listen to music or videos on the train or plane at a much lower (and safer) volume.

For years, Bose has ruled the NC headphones roost. They're incredibly good, but incredibly expensive; the latest model, the QuietComfort 15, costs US$300 (S$380; all retail prices listed are for the US market). They've now been on the market for more than two years; surely, in that time, somebody must have introduced some less-expensive or better-featured rivals.

To test that theory, I rounded up the latest models from 10 companies. In alphabetical order: Able Planet NC1100B (US$250), AKG K495 NC from Harman (US$350), Audio Technica ATH-ANC7B (US$125), Bose QuietComfort 15 (US$300), Creative HN-900 (US$100), JVC HANC250 (US$103), Monster Beats by Dr Dre (US$300), Panasonic RP-HC720 (US$90), Sennheiser PXC 310 (US$300), Sony MDR-NC200D (US$200) and Sony MDR-NC500DM3 (US$400).

I managed to stuff all of them, including their black carrying cases, into a bulging canvas tote bag. I tried them out on four trans-American flights, constantly swapping pairs, testing each for its NC ability and music fidelity (and utterly baffling those seated beside me).

I discovered that when you're shopping for NC headphones, only eight things matter.



1. NOISE CANCELLING

They all work the same way: An external microphone samples the ambient sound, and then pumps out the opposite sound waves, thereby cancelling out some of that external roar.

But there's an enormous range of NC effectiveness. For example, the Monster Beats may be the coolest-looking headphones on the market, but you'd get better noise cancelling by stuffing Kleenex in your ears. There's practically no difference at all between On and Off.

The Audio-Technica, Creative, Able Planet and JVC headphones do best at cancelling low or medium frequencies, but they leave plenty of roar. The Panasonic, Sony and AKG models do better. (The Panasonic's well-designed seal starts blocking sound even before you turn on the NC switch.)

But not one comes close to the Bose. Putting these things on makes the world go away. It's the difference between being at a rock concert and being a couple of miles away from the stadium.

(On my ears, the 15s create a weird, slightly uncomfortable pressure, as you sometimes feel in a descending aircraft. But the customer reviews online suggest that I'm a tiny minority.)



2. BATTERY

NC headphones require power. Some have built-in rechargeable batteries, including the Sennheiser 310 (20 hours) and AKG (10 hours).

Others require AA or AAA batteries: The Audio Technica (40 hours), Panasonic (34 hours), Bose (35 hours), Creative (40 hours), Sony MDR-NC200D (22 hours), Able Planet (50 hours), JVC (50 hours) and Monster Beats (12 hours)

One pair - the Sony NC500DM3 - has both: A rechargeable battery (16 hours) and a compartment on the cord for AA batteries (12 hours more), just in case.



3. PLAYBACK WHILE OFF

Most of these headphones can pass along music even when they're not powered on; that is, you use up battery power only when you need noise cancellation. Some, though, are utterly silent when they're switched off, which is an unhappy surprise. These laggards include the Bose, the Beats and the Sony NC500DM3.



4. ON-EAR, OVER-EAR

There are two kinds of NC headphones: Those with big cups that rest on your head, enclosing your entire ear, and those with smaller cups that rest on your ears themselves.

(Lots of people also swear by the in-ear types - not headphones at all, but something like custom-fitted earbuds that plug your ear opening completely, although I find those uncomfortable for long flights. Then again, some people also swear by plain foam earplugs from the drugstore. They're not much good for music playback, but for less than a dollar, they do a great job at noise cancellation, and you can't beat the battery life.)

The beauty of on-ear headphones, like the Sony NC200D, AKG and JVC models, is that they're tiny. They pack down small and don't bulk up your carry-on. But after a few hours, they can give you sore ear cartilage, which is such a weird ailment you're almost embarrassed to mention it.

The over-ear models don't have that problem, but of course they're huge and come in even huger carrying cases.

The brilliant exceptions are those Beats headphones. Even though they're over-ear, their cups fold back 180 degrees into the headband. (Imagine your hand folding completely flat against the inside of your wrist, and you'll have the idea.) The result: Full-size cups in a much smaller carrying case.



5. MONITOR BUTTON

When you're in flight, sometimes your ears are required for other duties, like answering questions from flight attendants or seatmates. Most headphone wearers address these situations by simply removing the headphones.

The Sony and Beats headphones, though, offer a Monitor button that simultaneously mutes your music and patches the outside world through to the inside. You can hear what people are saying without having to remove the headphones.



6. MUSIC FIDELITY

Cutting out unwanted sound is one goal; doing a great job of delivering the sound you do want is the other.

Now, you won't get audiophile sound quality from US$200 or US$300 headphones. But the Bose, AKG, JVC and Sony models delivered good power, solid and distinct bass, clear midtones and crisp highs. The Beats, as you'd guess from their rapper heritage, specialise in thuddy bass. The Sennheisers sound great, but don't offer much power; subtle classical-music passages disappear completely on the plane.

The sound from the Audio Technica and Able Planets is nothing to write home about. The Creative sound is clear and balanced, but soft passages are lost in flight. The Panasonic set doesn't have much power, but its noise cancelling is so good, you can listen at a lower volume and still hear everything.



7. SPECIAL FEATURES

The Bose and Beats have a microphone on the cord, so you leave them on for smartphone calls. The Able Planets have a volume control on the cord.

The Sennheiser is the only Bluetooth model here, meaning that you don't need a cord at all to listen to the music on your phone. The experience can be wireless.



8. PRICE

In general, there's never been a better illustration of the rule that you get what you pay for. The costly AKG K495 (US$350), for example, is the Lexus of headphones: Gorgeous brushed-metal design, luxury materials, tangle-free cloth-covered cord, extremely comfy. They sound great and completely eliminate low- and mid-aircraft noise.

Even they can't touch the Bose (US$300) for noise cancellation, though. Bose's technology is still a couple of years ahead of the competition.

The compact, on-ear Sony MDR-NC200D (US$200) also stands out for excellent noise cancelling and resonant, clear sound. Among over-ear models, the Panasonic RP-HC720 is a steal: US$90 for noise cancellation and sound quality that ought to cost US$250.



Good NC headphones make a huge difference in the stress of flying. Now, with fares already high, it may seem crazy to suggest spending another few hundred on accessories like these. But your alternative may be even worse: Someday paying for massage therapists, hearing aids and nerve therapy. THE NEW YORK TIMES

Source:  www.todayonline.com/TechandDigital/EDC120125-0000008/Theres-a-kind-of-hush