Confusion about the best noise-cancelling headphones currently available.

[admin_exported]

Hi all,

I do a lot of travel for work and am after a pair of noise-cancelling headphones. I will be using the headphones exclusively for air travel on an iPhone 4 (I have a pair of Grado SR80i's I use when not travelling on an airplane).

Price is not an issue, so value for money is not a consideration in my purchasing decision. I am simply after the best sounding noise-cancelling headphones currently available, I have read What HIFI's online review of the Bose QuietComfort 15's and Sennheiser PXC450's, which state the QC15's are currently the best, beating the PXC450's. However in the reviews section at the back of the current What HIFI magazine, they list the Senheisser PXC450 under "Best noise-cancelling headphones" section. These two reviews contradict each other and have me thoroughly confused.

I know for sure the Bose QC15 has better noise cancelling abilities, but which has the best overall sound quality? Are there any other noise-cancelling headphones that you think are the better the QC15's or PXC450's?

Cheers,

Paul

 

[Anonymous]

Don't go for the BOSE products, whilst they continually perform 'OK' they never get excellent reviews. If you're looking for excellent quality 'in ear' phones buy a pair of Shure or Sennheiser, either are fantastic brands.

 

[idc]

The category of best noise cancelling headphones has seen various changes over the past few years. You will find that the Goldring NS1000 are also award winners. The back of magazines listings will have previous winners and I think that the Bose is the last group test best of. The Bose and Goldring I have heard and even though the Goldring is much cheaper I would recommend them as they are better made, work even once the batteries run out as very good closed backed isolating headphones and they have a nice secure case which will fit your ipod or whatever you use.

I find that Bose have a marmite sound where they do bass, miss the lower midrange, have good midrange, then there is another dip and then good treble. I like it, many do not. The Goldrings are surprisingly dynamic and rock well with a slighly more veiled sound than the Bose. I have not heard the Sennheisers.

Apple stores usually have the Bose to audition and possibly the Sennheisers as well.

 

[scene]

I can personally vouch for the Goldrings, and a steal at £50 at play.com

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks everyone for the advise. I recently was able to hear the Goldring (which I never considered until you all posted your replies, so thank you), Bose QC15 and Senheisser PXC 450's together. The Bose was clearly better at noise cancelling and the other two, but I think the PCS450's had the best overall sound quality. The Goldring's sounded very good, but noise cancelling and to my ears sound quality was below the Bose. Since I will be using the headphones purely for air travel, the poorer noise cancelling of the PXC450's means any sound quality advantage may get lost with the extra background noise.

I also got lucky when travelling with two colleagues, one had the Bose QC15 and another had the PXC450's. This was great because I got to hear both on an airplane. To me the Bose were superior once on the plane. The sound quality of the Bose in the shop did not sound quite as good as the Senheisser's did, though again once on the plane the extra noise leaked in by the Senheisser's to my ears made the Bose the better sounding product.

Thanks all for your advice the Goldrings were very impressive for the price offered, but as I was not concerned about value for money, I really only was after best outright performance and the Goldrings to my ears did not quote sound as good the the Senheisser or Bose products.

I will be going for the Bose.

 

[Anonymous]

One last thing, I have always been anti-Bose. I have always thought their products were overrated and have never been impressed with their lifestyle systems.

So much to my surprise I really liked the Quiet Comfort 15's.

 

[bigboss]

Octopo:Don't go for the BOSE products, whilst they continually perform 'OK' they never get excellent reviews. If you're looking for excellent quality 'in ear' phones buy a pair of Shure or Sennheiser, either are fantastic brands.

Well, actually, Bose noise cancelling headphones have consistently been reviewed as amongst the best noise cancelling headphones.

I've got Bose QC2 & Goldring NS1000. For noise cancellation and outright clarity, the Bose is clearly better.

 

[Lee H]

My Goldrings arrived yesterday and I'm sad to say they'll be going back. They sound excellent, even before they're run in - no complaints there. But my heaven they leak like a sieve. If I was using them at home, on my own then they'd be staying and quite a bargain. But the leak is really quite bad

Back to square one for me