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Today's Bonus:
- Ultra-compact in-ear design is ideal for travel
- Advanced electronics cancel up to 85% (20 dB) of background noise
- Innovative ANC circuitry delivers an exceptionally pure audio signal in noise-cancelling mode
- Ideal for use with all audio sources, including MP3 & other portable players
- Soft interchangeable ear pieces (small, medium & large) provide a custom fit
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I got these earphones very recently. I'm planning an airplane trip soon and want to block out the airplane noise. For now, I've used working around the house doing chores. They blocked out vacuum noise very well, and reduced crowd noise in a restaurant as well. They don't block out much noise with the noise cancelling off, even though they are in ear models. I have a very inexpensive set of earphones that do a better job of blocking out ambient noise better than the Audio Technicas do. However with the noise cancellation on, the ATs block out far more.
My biggest complaint is these plugs are very uncomfortable on my right ear. I'm sure it has more to do with my ear than the earphones, but they're uncomfortable nonetheless. I wore them for about two hours and didn't notice the pain until I took them out. OUCH! My right ear was KILLING me. I didn't pay attention to the alignment of the plugs in my ears, so it could also have also been how I put them in. I will be more careful in the future to make sure it isn't operator error. I can't imagine why only one ear hurt. ? At full retail, the pain would be unacceptable. At less than $65, it is bearable. = /
Lastly, with the inexpensive ear phones I mentioned before, I can listen to my mp3 player at very low volumes, about 10% 20 of the max. They block out that much ambient noise. With the Audio Technica ear phones, I have the volume set right in the middle of the volume level. I would have hoped I could listen at lower levels than that. But the sound quality is much better than any other ear phones I have owned before.
All in all, these are a good buy. They cancel out noise and have good quality sound.
*****4/28/2009****UPDATE
I use these phones maybe two hours every week or so and I'm still using the original battery. I left them on for over 24 hours by accident. They were in a fairly quiet room with my MP3 player off, and the battery is still holding on. I'm pleasantly surprised by that fact.
*****5/9/2009 UPDATE*****
As I suspected...operator error. I was thinking of giving these awaythey were hurting my right ear so much. They also caused a lot of static I didn't get with my Jbuds. But then I thought maybe the static I was hearing and the discomfort were caused by the same thing. This morning I replaced the silicone plugs with the LARGEST ones, and VOILA!! They blocked more ambient noise, I'm using at a lower volume and the pain went away. Apparantly they were jamming against my ear cartilage to create a seal, vs letting the silicone do the job. Mystery solved! Really good ear buds.
Buy Audio-Technica ATH ANC3WH NoiseCancel Earphone Now
I've owned these ANC3s for a while but recently read about the improvements baked into the new Bose QuietComfort® 15 and decided to take the plunge and see if they really are worth the money. I fly 35 weeks/year so blocking out the sonic horrors of modern-day air travel is my primary goal for these headphones. I have purchased a number of headphones over the years trying to find the right price/performance balance but had not yet taken the plunge on anything from Bose. I had an opportunity to spend an hour on my flight home yesterday comparing the QC15s to my two current favorites, these ANC3s and the Audio-Technica ATH-ANC7, and I was surprised to see that the Bose came away in a distant second place. Understand that I am not an audiophile so I am judging purely based on sound isolation. To my ears, the sound quality of all three is so far ahead of cheapo, disposable headphones that any further differences between the three are impossible to distinguish.
The ATH-ANC7 are over-the-ear like the Bose and in many respects are pretty similar. The Bose are more comfortable in terms of materials and seem to have a higher quality overall. The Bose also have significantly better noise reduction qualities. If I wanted to stick with over-the-ear and was deciding on spending the extra cost to bump up to the Bose then I definitely would.
The ATH-ANC3 are in-ear of course so it is a little bit of apples-and-oranges comparison with the Bose. They aren't the "jam into your ear canal" design like something from Shure, but they are meant to fit snugly inside. In comparing the sound isolation between the ANC3 and the Bose it was close but the ANC3 definitely had a slight edge to my ears. I like the quality of the active noise-canceling from the ANC3 better than the Bose (turning each on and off while leaving the headphones on) and then the in-ear isolation of the ANC3 provides a little extra bonus. Add to this advantage the fact that the ANC3 are far, far smaller (a great little case that also fits my iPod) and have a monitor button that let's you hear what is happening around you without removing the earphones, and the gap between the two widens. Finally, consider that you can buy 5 pairs of the ANC3 for the same cost of the Bose and there is absolutely no contest.
I think I am going to try something from Shure or Etymotic to see if the true in-the-ear-canal design can provide better sound isolation, but if I decide to stick with an active noise cancelling system it will most definitely be the ANC3.
UPDATE So I purchased the Etymotic Research HF5 and was absolutely blown away by what a great job they did with sound isolation. I was able to listen to music at literally 1/2 the volume and still get far more sound isolation than provided by any of the options mentioned above. At one point on my flight this morning I realized that I wasn't hearing the plane but rather was feeling the vibrations coming up through my feet as soon as I lifted my legs off the floor the "sound" went away. I had really disliked the feel of a pair of Shure that I had bought years back, but the HF5s with their flange tips felt great. I was wearing the earphones comfortably for 7 hours and from airport to plane to airport to train to NYC streets I was traveling in blissful solitude. **Highly** recommended!
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We bought these for a recent trip to Europe and they did a fine job of reducing the airplane noise to a much lower level. They even reduced some overly loud conversations when we were trying to get some sleep on the plane. With the adapter for plugging into the airplane audio jacks, I was amazed to be able to clearly hear the audio on the movies for the 1st time in many years. I kept them on for the entire 9 hour flight from Europe to Atlanta, even when not listening to audio. They may not be the best device of their kind but for the money we were very glad we bought them. Definitely recommend them.
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What I think some of the less satisfied reviewers here may be missing is a proper seal in the ear canal. These phones are NOT earbuds. The key is for them fit like earPLUGS. The earmold should go in more deeply than you think. If properly fitted they'll provide ample bass (but see below) and good noise reduction, and they won't slip or fall out. However, Audio-Technica's instruction booklet tells you essentially nothing about how to fit them.
First, make sure you're using the correct unit for each ear. The letters L and R are printed on the ear side of the phones, but they're almost impossible to read. Hold one of the phones in front of you, the silicone earmold pointing to the left (as if you were about to put it in your right ear). The earmold should be pointing upward at about a 45 degree angle. The wire exiting from the phone should be running away from you. No? Grab the other phone.
With your left hand, pull up gently on the top of your right ear. With your right hand, push the earmold *upward* into your ear canal with a slight twisting and rocking motion. Repeat with the left ear, of course.
Much of the ambient noise should be gone, before you even switch on the dongle. If you still hear lots of noise, or if the phones fall out just by the weight of the cord, you haven't inserted them right. If necessary, try different earmold sizes. In many cases you may need a SMALLER earmold, not a larger one, so the earmold goes deeply enough into the ear canal. Also try adding a drop of K-Y Jelly or similar skin-safe lubricant to the silicone earmold. You snicker! I'm not joking. It works.
The cord shouldn't hang down from your ears. The wires should exit forward and slightly upward. Loop the wires over the top of your ears and bring the wires together behind your head, not under your chin. The sliding bit of plastic on the phone wires snugs up the wires, to keep them in place over your ears. Bring the cord forward over one shoulder, and clip the dongle to your collar or pocket. This will eliminate the thudding noise that dangling wires transmit to your ears when they hit something.
How do these phones work? I'm not sure the ANC reduces noise by 20dB I'd estimate it at something closer to 12dB but it's still quite a substantial difference. The pure isolation phones (without ANC) such as the Shures and Etymotics are great if you want to shut out the world entirely. The ATH-ANC3s don't isolate quite as completely, so conversation is still possible (if a bit awkward). Just hit the mute button.
Sound quality: Warm and fat, with a sizable mid-bass peak. The high end is a bit pinched and not too clean. Instruments lack a sense of air around them. Stereo imaging isn't what it could be. There is some audible hiss when the ANC is on, but it's minimal, and far less objectionable than the background noise it's eliminating.
I'd characterize the ATH-ANC3's as a rockor pop-oriented sound. Classical music lovers might want to consider the Shure or Etymotic isolators but remember, they cost 3-4 times as much. For many folks, these phones will sound just fine and will almost certainly trounce the $1.50 cheapies that came with their mp3 players.
Build quality: I don't see too much to gripe about. The dongle feels reasonably sturdy, though the clip looks flimsy. These phones are made in China, unlike earlier (and more expensive) Audio Technica products that were made in Japan. Be aware that they may not have passed through the kind of quality control that the name would suggest. But also remember what you're paying for them.
Bottom line is that these phones provide significant relief from noise while still allowing conversation. The sound is acceptable if not stellar. I don't think I'd pay A-T's MSRP for them, but at anything under seventy bucks or so, they're a more than respectable value, especially if most of your listening is rock, jazz, or pop music.
I purchased these noise suppression earbuds for 2 purposes; flights and riding my motorcycle. I am very pleased to say they work fabulous for both. Not only do a great job of eliminating background noise but they sound great! I have the Bose earbuds but I think these actually produce a nicer sound; I immediately heard nice crisp highs that I didn't with my Bose.
The only negative thing is that the right bud seems to slide out of my ear canal so I have to keep pushing it back in. I don't seem to have the problem with the left.
They aren't as comfortable as the Bose but the Bose have no noise suppression or isolation at all.
Definitely a great buy at $55US.
