The big put-off for many people when it comes to noise-cancelling headphones is size -- these headphones are often excessively bulky. Audio Technica may have the answer with the active noise-cancelling ATH-ANC3 earphones.
These 'phones offer the same cancellation benefit of their full-size brothers, but at around £75 and many, many times smaller, they are potentially a very attractive alternative.
Design
Audio Technica's iPhone-compatible ANC3s aren't just noise-cancelling, they're also sound-isolating. They achieve this by using soft silicon tips to sit nice and snug in your ear canal. To ensure a good fit, AT supplies tips of various sizes. We found them fairly comfortable, too. The large portion of the 'phone was noticeable to us, and we felt average fatigue after a few hours of continued listening.
While the earphones themselves are lightweight enough, the in-line battery compartment is not. You'll definitely notice it's there. We found its clip very useful -- clipping the battery pack to our jeans pocket while an iPod rested inside the pocket let us forget about the weight completely, as it felt like it had been removed. Certainly, it's not a pair of 'phones to consider for the gym or jogging.
Features
A combination of noise cancellation and sound isolation makes these a unique pair of earphones. The electronics in the battery pack actively monitor ambient noise around you -- air conditioning, rumblings on a train, wind rushing past a window -- and use a clever technique to 'cancel' it out so you don't hear it. The sound isolation, on the other hand, keeps all the sound being produced by the 'phones in your ears, so it doesn't leak and allows you to keep the volume lower without losing any perceived loudness.
Should your trusty battery expire mid-album, the ANC3s can be switched to passive mode, allowing them to function as normal sound-isolating earphones -- a job they're quite good at. A button on the battery compartment, when depressed, hushes your music to a level quiet enough to allow you to talk to people or indeed yourself, should you be so inclined.
Performance
The sound-isolating/noise-cancelling duality makes for an impressive earphone. In the office, the air conditioner was completely silenced and voices all but nullified.
A tiny microphone is located in the earphones, not the battery pack, so the detection of unwanted sound seems just that much better. Journeys on London's famously loud Underground became 10 times more pleasant with noise cancelling switched on. The deafening rumble was significantly deadened, making for a vastly enjoyable listening experience. At home, the sound of a loud PC was made as good as silent.
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Ryco 12 September 2011
Good: Very good quality in ear head phone - excellent noise cancellation - it is possible to simply relax and enjoy a very musical experience
Bad: slight hiss on occasions but not really audible when listening to music. I think these headphones are slightly unforgiving with old or not so great recordings. I personally don't find this a problem
Comment: Excellent quality sound for a reasonable amount of money. The build quality comes in for some criticism, you can't have everything and good sound as well, well you can if you want to pay 3 or 4 times as much. However, does 3or4 times cost equal 3or4 times better in all respects, you will have to judge for yourself. While writing this I am listening to a Beethoven Symphony with these headphones and am enjoying the scale and dynamics of the music. My point is the sound is involving and enjoyable.
If you buy these headphones I don't think you will be disappointed with their overall performance.
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