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NC Earphones
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xavier 2009-04-03, 09:57 #1
Member since Jul 2006 · 63 posts · Location: United Kingdom
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Subject: NC Earphones
I'm looking for some new earphones. I'd quite like to try some noise-cancelling ones.

- Noise cancelling
- In-ear design
- Ability to turn off NC
- small, lightweight NC 'unit'
- Price around £50

I have previously been religiously using Sony MDR-EX70s, and so I investigated the Sony NC range, the MDR-NC11s and 22s, but it seems they're not perfect.

Any suggestions?
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peter 2009-04-03, 10:19 #2
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No noise-cancelling headphones will eliminate anything like as much noise as earplug-type earphones, such as Etymotics. The problem of course is that the noise elimination can't be "turned off", so they're unsafe for walking around town (let alone cycling or driving) as you can't hear a damn thing other than your music plus silence.

Peter
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jaw2ek 2009-04-03, 10:46 #3
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In reply to post #1
There is always something like Shure's push to hear (PTH):

http://store.shure.com/store/shure/en_US/DisplayProductDet…

Never tried it, and at $70, it seems a bit much.
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mrk (Moderator) 2009-04-03, 14:18 #4
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I'd recommend getting a used PTH off of Head-Fi or Ebay (pretty cheap at either of the places, IIRC) and spending the remainder on some canal-phones.
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xavier 2009-04-06, 09:33 #5
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Hang on, how sound isolating are Shure's earphones? Is it safe to cross the road with them, or it is complete silence!?
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mrk (Moderator) 2009-04-07, 16:49 #6
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Completely unsafe. Nearly got hit by a bus the first day with my E2s, and the others isolate better.
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xavier 2009-04-15, 09:56 #7
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Okay, they may be a little too sound isolating. I need to travel by foot, by bus and by tube to get to work, so a little ambient noise is good.

Reviews mention that the Sony buds I've listed have problems with some hissing with the NC activated. Are there any (not uber-expensive) NC buds that people have experience with that work well under my conditions or others?
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Dominic 2009-04-16, 05:09 #8
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You could always have one bud in one bud out for times when you need to hear ambient sound aswell? that's what I do with my QJays when I need to hear my surroundings but want to listen to some cracking music :D
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mrk (Moderator) 2009-04-16, 19:20 #9
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Listening in one ear is worse than not listening at all :(.
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Dominic 2009-04-17, 02:15 #10
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Quote by mrk:
Listening in one ear is worse than not listening at all :(.

No it's not, that's stupid.
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mrk (Moderator) 2009-04-18, 14:10 #11
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I suppose it depends on what one is listening to, but I'd purport that in nearly all cases it's better to not do something than to do it half-assedly.
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MacDancer 2009-04-18, 14:34 #12
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For instance, if one wishes to appear pretentious and douchely, one should comport oneself with the maximum level of douchebaggery at one's disposal. Anything less demonstrates a disappointing lack of effort. ;)
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krazykit (Administrator) 2009-04-19, 19:11 #13
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In reply to post #11
Quote by mrk on 2009-04-18, 14:10:
I suppose it depends on what one is listening to, but I'd purport that in nearly all cases it's better to not do something than to do it half-assedly.

Sometimes you need to be able to hear things once in awhile but still want to listen to music, so there are perfectly valid reasons for listening with one ear, especially if you make it output mono.
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