Nixie, your thinking is correct, NC headphones allow you to use a lower volume and still hear the music etc clearly.
@martymac Thanks, have ordered a set of Bose for myself (to drown out my own children in flight to Oz next year!). Will let the monkey try them out in the car (just once!)
On those cheap Bose – how do you connect with a phone that doesn’t have a standard headphone jack?
There are generic usb-c or lightening to 3.5mm headphone jack adaptors available.
Just bought the QC35II, very comfortable and light. (£289 from John Lewis)
Tried pretty much all John Lewis Noise Cancellations, the Bowers & Wilkins PX were very good, better than the Bose for music and slightly better noise cancellation. The B&W also felt a bit more high end, just felt and look more expensive. But they weren't as comfortable on the ear, the Bose has a really comfortable pad.
I'm sat in the work canteen using them now, probably 200 other people about, table tennis and pool being played, can still hear them but its not noisy. The low rumble of voices has all been cancelled out. Higher pitched noises still come through. Overall though its very good.
Just to add some extra experiences to this thread. Am currently sat in lovely Gatwick Airport enjoying my bubble of silence. Score one to the bose qc25. I had time to kill so while mooching about the overpriced "tax free" shops I had to quick try out of the two Sony NC headphones, the 1000x and the H900 I think Both comfortable and the 1000x noise cancellation was excellent and possibly better than the bose. The h900 was noticeably but not markedly poorer at noise cancellation. Both however had a greater feel of claustrophobia when the NC is turned on than the bose, although bose still has a the same effect to a lesser extent.
We all know which shop you spent money in, Stoner...
the other week i bought a pair of Sennheiser 4.50 BTNC (bluetooth noise cancelling?) at the airport for 139,99€. bit of an impulse.
the GF won a set of sooperdooper Sennheiser Urbanites a few years ago. the sound is great, but they are massive and the cable tended to annoy me.
the 4.50 things are good. good sound and effective noise cancelling. they make travelling on the tube bearable. i'm in my own little world.
think they can be had for less than what i paid despite mine being on offer.
Just trying a pair of Soundcore Life 2s by Anker. £65 in a bundle with case, power bank and some cables. Early indications are good. ANC seems decent and sound quality is more than good enough for my non hd lug holes. Just need to decide on long term comfort.
anker make some great stuff.
i picked up some of the qc25s mentioned further up. i was also able to get a third party bluetooth adaptor that fits very neatly and would pass muster at a glance as part of the headphones. great sound and very convenient without the cable. doubt i'll ever fly without them.
Sony XM2s. End of story. Ive owned these for the last 3 years and theyve flown around the world more times than i care to think about, and never missed a beat. Much better noise cancellation than the Bose QC25s i had previously and very nearly (though admittedly not quite) as comfy. That said the Bose are extraordinarily comfortable! I gather the XM3 model is even better again..
Oldtennisshoes - what's the NC like? Is it like, 'oh, that's pretty quiet' or 'zomg I've gone deaf' ?
I picked up a pair of the Sennheisers mentioned a few times up there - the M2 AEBT - for £189 on Amazon last month. At that price they are awesome. Seem to be back up to £229 now though.
Sony XM2s. End of story
Mate, this is (or was) a thread about good NC for low price. Recommending a £350 pair isn't a great help!
Oldtennisshoes – what’s the NC like? Is it like, ‘oh, that’s pretty quiet’ or ‘zomg I’ve gone deaf’ ?
Pretty good actually - the over ear design helps, but you can definitely tell when it's on and there's none of the slight hiss you get with some.
Out of interest then - have you tried really expensive ones?
I bought the Qc25s before, possibly the best 130 quid I've ever spent.
Invaluable for tuning out office chatter or other people's shit music.
Makes noisy Northern Rail train rides much more relaxing.
Out of interest then – have you tried really expensive ones?
Yes, Bose QC35 IIs - which are truly excellent, but for less than a quarter of their price, the soundcores are more than worth the money.
