Audio-Technica ATH-ANC7 QuietPoint Active Noise-Cancelling Headphones
From audio-technica
Arrive refreshed after a long flight, avoid distractions in a noisy office, or find peace & quiet in your living room?with ATH-ANC7 QuietPoint Active Noise-Cancelling Headphones. These lightweight, compact headphones effectively reduce distracting background noise by up to 85% while offering the superior audio quality that has made Audio-Technica a worldwide leader in electro-acoustic technology. Ideal for use with MP3, CD, DVD & in-flight entertainment systems, ATH-ANC7 QuietPoint closed-back headphones feature large-aperture 40 mm drivers with neodymium magnet systems for deeper bass, extended treble and higher fidelity. Noise-cancelling electronics are fully integrated in each earpiece, with no need for external modules. A single AAA battery powers the active noise-cancelling technology; the audio functions in passive mode even without the battery. These headphones fold flat for easy portability. They include a detachable cable (remove for noise-cancelling function without audio) with 3.5 mm mini-plugs, a full-size ¼? adapter, a specialized airline adapter for connecting to inflight entertainment systems, and a handy carrying case. Audio functions (in passive mode) even without the battery Fully integrated electronics?no external modules needed Uses 1 AAA Battery Full international 1 Year Warranty
No audiophile here and I haven’t tried others, but these seem to be pretty good bang for buck. This probably makes more sense for listening in noisy environments than pricier headphones. Listen to music over your computer’s hum, or cut out your neighbor’s barking dogs. No battery? Still works as headphones.
A couple of nits - IMHO it sounds like it adds more white noise than would be expected as a normal processing artifact (to mask what it doesn’t cancel?). And I also think that engaging the noise cancellation feature does boost the external signal sent to the phones, contrary to what the manual says (possibly to enhance signal to noise ratio).
Overall - I like it. Quiet! Nice sound, nice quality look and feel.
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