the best Active *Noise* Reduction technology existing

Scott Dorsey wrote:
wrote:

I am trying to decide on an Active Noise Reduction (ANR) headset or
earplugs. I have looked at the Sony, Bose, Shure and other models, but
almost all reviews/comments mix two very different issues: noise
reduction and sound quality.

Why not use both at the same time? It is fairly standard practice to use
foam plugs underneath active ear protection devices.

Wearing both is what I do when I'm carrying my NC headphones. The net
effect is quite good.


Various manufacters claims various degrees of noise reduction. As for
Bose, they do not even release their technical specs (although would it
not be possible for any lab to measure them across a frequency range
and publish the results?).

Part of the challenge is that there's no clear "Underwriters
Laboratory" standard (control) to benchmark test against.

Bose products are 90% marketing, and 10% technology. Some of them
(like the headsets) work okay, just at much higher cost than they should.

Truer words haven't been said about the $300 Bose headphones. There
are some dramatically less expensive alternatives out there that are
probably 90% the pragmatic performance potential, such as the "Plane
Quiet NC6" headphones which sell for a bit over $50. Here's a review:

http://www.thetravelinsider.info/roa...headphones.htm

FWIW, Sharper Image catalog has a NC headphone that looks suspiciously
familiar to the NC6. It might be worth a visit to your local store to
see a copy in person.


Can anyone give me some pointers as to how I could go about finding the
best ANR headset/earbuds out there?

Your deck crew guy is probably issued a set of David Clarks. Sennheiser
also makes some that are okay.

CONTROL also made the famous 'Cone of Silence', which was extremely
effective, but hard to use :-)

FWIW, a couple things about the practical use of a travel-oriented NC
headset: some designs can be quite bulky, so do pay attention to how
they fold (or not) for how much room they'll take up in your carry-on.
Ditto for if they have a detachable cable (its just one more thing to
lose). Also, many of them (including my NC6's) have smaller "on the
ear" rather than large "over the ear" designs, which can have a
tendency to pinch your ear onto your eyeglasses and become
uncomfortable to wear after a few hours of continuous use. Afterall,
it does you little good to have the "perfect" set if they end up being
too big / too heavy to be worth carrying.


-hh