Best Noise-Cancelling Headphones?

[rls303]

Hi everyone,
It seems that the QuietComfort headphones seem to be pretty popular amongst students, eventhough they are quite pricey. I am planning on getting a pair on craigslist for $200, would you guys advise this?

I found the ones that were available at the prometric test site for my MCAT to be quite painful to my ears...are these better in that regard? I don't want to spend so much on the headphones only to find them irritating and harmful to the pinna.

Thanks in advance!

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[jr doctor in sd]

I bought the bose QC3s off some very sketch person for very cheap (i like to act like they were not stolen haha but not sure).

They are the BEST. They dont cancel out all noise...but enough to make studying no problem when the place is crowded. I dont like the QC2s as much.

Hi everyone,
It seems that the QuietComfort headphones seem to be pretty popular amongst students, eventhough they are quite pricey. I am planning on getting a pair on craigslist for $200, would you guys advise this?

I found the ones that were available at the prometric test site for my MCAT to be quite painful to my ears...are these better in that regard? I don't want to spend so much on the headphones only to find them irritating and harmful to the pinna.

Thanks in advance!

 

[NickNaylor]

You know I be reppin' them Bose.

 

[tabascosauce]

i too throw them bose

recently bought the AE2s. although they are not noise canceling they are quite comfortable and do block out some ambient noise. softest plush leather ive worn as well. better than my pillow. i wouldnt recommend the AE2s if you like more pronounced bass though. its more of a balanced headphone.

 

[Mithril]

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[HK35]

I bought the Sennheiser HD 280's, they are 100 dollars and they are very high quality, and great for studying. And at full volume in the library you dont disturb anyone

 

[Mr Hippopotamus]

I got a pair of Skullcandy earphones, and they're amazing. Great noise canceling, crisp sound. And only $40! Also, they fit my proportionally tiny ears...

 

[mtbtx]

Any earphones/headphones by Shure will do you right. I've had a pair of shure earphones (discontinued now) for 5 years and they still perform excellent. I've worked out with them and used them to study all this time. They get a 👍 from me.

 

[Gibtone]

Any earphones/headphones by Shure will do you right. I've had a pair of shure earphones (discontinued now) for 5 years and they still perform excellent. I've worked out with them and used them to study all this time. They get a 👍 from me.

Shure are def. the best quality headphones...I've had both Bose and Shure headphones and any of the Shure SE models produce way better sound quality and comfort than any other noise cancelling headphone, alot of musicians use them for recording so they've gotta be good!

 

[NickNaylor]

Shure are pretty fantastic, but they're hella expensive.

 

[ucladoc2b]

I have a pair of Bose QC 15 headsets.

I was very hesitant to spend $300 on them. However, they are a godsend.

I fly twice a week. Even when I am sitting right next to the engine, the headphones produce such a clear sound and quiet environment. You can use the noise canceling function for them although they tend to work best when playing music or a movie.

 

[willen101383]

I bought the Sennheiser HD 280's, they are 100 dollars and they are very high quality, and great for studying. And at full volume in the library you dont disturb anyone

+1 I have the sennheiser I want to say EC350s. Sucks because they have the battery pack/electronics pack...but they are way more streamlined than any of the bose models. Significantly cheaper too.

 

[altogether]

Hi everyone,
It seems that the QuietComfort headphones seem to be pretty popular amongst students, eventhough they are quite pricey. I am planning on getting a pair on craigslist for $200, would you guys advise this?

I found the ones that were available at the prometric test site for my MCAT to be quite painful to my ears...are these better in that regard? I don't want to spend so much on the headphones only to find them irritating and harmful to the pinna.

Thanks in advance!

Wait what you can wear noise canceling headphones during hte mcat?

I bought the Sennheiser HD 280's, they are 100 dollars and they are very high quality, and great for studying. And at full volume in the library you dont disturb anyone

Sennheiser is probably the best in terms of price to quality but only for ppl with small heads...

 

[mtbtx]

Shure are pretty fantastic, but they're hella expensive.

True, I received them as a gift. I honestly wouldn't have bought them with my own money but would now knowing how good they are. It really makes a huge difference when working out and studying. Its really nice to have quality sound at low levels so I don't hear anything else and don't damage my ears.

 

[Mithril]

.

 

[MCAT guy]

I'm in this market. What's the best for a decent price? Bose?

I have a pair of Bose QC 15 headsets.

I was very hesitant to spend $300 on them. However, they are a godsend.

I fly twice a week. Even when I am sitting right next to the engine, the headphones produce such a clear sound and quiet environment. You can use the noise canceling function for them although they tend to work best when playing music or a movie.

Maybe I will ebay those babies.

 

[Mithril]

.

 

[BaronVonZ]

Etymotics E6ri's are the best ~$100 I've ever spent. I had shure e3c's and the difference in sound is substantial. If you want quiet the ety's are phenomenal - thats why I got them. They sit deep in the ear canal and act like ear plugs. On a recent flight I was listening to quiet talk radio (podcast) and didn't notice the baby screaming its lungs off behind me until I took them out to use the restroom.

Bose sounds pretty good for a $35 head set... what a shame they cost $200. They're selling a brand name and an image, not audio quality.

 

[CarefreeSurfboard]

Bose, Shure, Skullcandy, Dre's, regardless

I'm gonna go with my Audio Technica M-50s. Raving reviews from all around. Little to no bad reviews. Get a nice headphone amp and these will be even better than they already are. Once the music is on, pretty much in your own little world.

http://www.amazon.com/Audio-Technica.../dp/B000P62ND6

Got them for $87 off E-bay.

 

[RadioCure]

Don't waste your money on Bose; anyone who knows anything about good audio products will tell you the same. They pump up their highs and lows to wow the average Joe while basically ignoring quality in the mids for an unbalanced and inaccurate sound reproduction.

The most important thing you can do is to look up reviews online from websites dedicated to headphones or sound products. Make sure your reviews are coming from true audiophiles who listen to $20 earbuds and $10,000 headphone rigs alike to get a better idea of where the product you're interested in falls in line.

Have you considered in-ear canal buds? They'll be much more portable and less of a burden on your head. While most aren't noise-canceling, they sit deep in your ear canal, acting as ear plugs, which is referred to as sound-isolating. I have a pair of these and they are phenomenal: http://www.jays.se/products/earphones/q-jays.html I use them in the library all the time and they cut out people talking and other sounds very well even without anything playing.

 

[Andnosoupforyou]

+1 to avoiding Bose.

If you can afford them, get the Shure SE530's or SE500 (same thing, essentially). I cannot recommend these earphones enough, and I've owned many many different earphones. Soundearphones can sell them to you for $300 or so if you coax them a bit (super legit company, and always so nice). I've had them for two years so far, and I have never ever once regretted the purchase. It's literally a concert in your head, and makes the perfect study aid. Buy a good set of headphones, and they'll likely outlast your iPod/iPhone/media player. $300 seems like a lot to spend on headphones, but trust me, once you make the leap you will never regret it.

Also, check out head-fi.org for info on all things headphone-related. But try to hold onto your wallet.

 

[GooseWing]

bump

Just got moms to give me her pair of Bose that she'd use while traveling on airplanes.
Excited to use them for epicstudymadness this semester 👍👍

 

[dbeast]

Beats by Dre Beats by Dre Beats by Dre Beats by Dre Beats by Dre Beats by Dre Beats by Dre Beats by Dre Beats by Dre Beats by Dre Beats by Dre Beats by Dre Beats by Dre Beats by Dre Beats by Dre Beats by Dre Beats by Dre Beats by Dre Beats by Dre Beats by Dre Beats by Dre Beats by Dre Beats by Dre Beats by Dre

 

[tomh98]

I lost my $$$ headphones when I flew home for christmas, and at the airport on the way home I bought a $30 pair of JVCs. I now wonder why I spend money on expensive headphones which ultimately get lost or broken due to overuse. The JVCs obviously do not have active noise canceling technology but they created a sound-proof seal that more than met my needs. And I really don't like carrying around bulky headphones, personally. So unless you are a music freak with highly sensitive ears, don't waste your money. Med school is expensive enough.

 

[WingedOx]

I bought the Sennheiser HD 280's, they are 100 dollars and they are very high quality, and great for studying. And at full volume in the library you dont disturb anyone

yeah, I am using some Sennheiser in ear buds right now... not sure the model, but they were massively marked down on clearance at FYE for about 30 or 40 bucks. Really great sound.

Skullcandy buds are good for the price, but they don't last long. For 2x the price, Sennheisers will sound 1.5x better and last 5x as long. My last pair lasted until I accidentally dragged the port out of my car door for a 120 mile trip.... 😡

 

[addo]

The best depends on your price range.

JVC HA-FX 33/34, 55, 66, <$25.
Denon C351, Creative EP630, Sennheiser CX300, Shure SE115, $50-$100 for IEMs or Grado SR60/80 for full cans.
There are Grado SR125/225, Shure SRH 840 for $100-$200.
Sennheiser HD 600/650 if you have a lot to spend.

Denons are also very good. Bose is rubbish for its price. If they were $100 cheaper then they would be great.

someone actually knows about headphones.

For open headphones, I got a pair of sennheiser HD650, but being open these will leak sound all over your surroundings. I got a closed pair (beyerdynamic dt770) that while they are not noise cancelling they isolate noise very well and dont leak sound until you crank them up pretty loud. At 300 and 250 ohm impedance respectively these type of headphones dont sound as good as they could without a decent amp. A nice quality ear bud style headphone, like a senn IE8, will isolate sound, will not leak, and give you GREAT sound quality playing through ipods or other portable devices. If you are set on noise canceling, go for a pair of sennheisers.

Please stay from noise canceling trash from bose and dr. beats if you actually enjoy listening to your music, and appreciate build quality.

 

[WingedOx]

of course, just as I discovered this thread, I was thinking of starting a "what are you listening to right now" thread, and wondering how long I could keep it going before getting moved to all-students.

/might as well just use the buds that come with your iPod if you're going to listen to Kesha.

 

[GooseWing]

Please stay from noise canceling trash from bose and dr. beats if you actually enjoy listening to your music, and appreciate build quality.

Keep in mind this thread is titled: "Best Noise-Canceling Headphones"

 

[addo]

Keep in mind this thread is titled: "Best Noise-Canceling Headphones"

I dont have anything against noise canceling headphones. I have a pair myself, i was just advising him to stay away from dre beats and bose as they are overpriced, and have cheap build quality. I also dont personally dont like the sound quality of them, but thats subjective and some people do like it, but again for the price there are much better options.

 

[gettheleadout]

Well-fitted IEM's will do better than any active noise canceling, just saying. I'm talking ~30dB pad and no high pitched buzzing in your ear. 👍

Also, +1 for the M50s, I just got those a while ago and they sound great, especially for the price.

 

[Frederick01]

I have a Shure SE115-K ear phones. They are pretty good and cancel out most of the noise. The quality of music with these ear phones is also pretty awesome. I have had them for almost a year and a half and they are still pretty good.

 

[TheProfessional]

I have the Bose QC3s for 4 years now and they've held up amazing. The same noise-cancelling like they had out of the box. Kills that jet noise and knocks out most noise when you're studying.

 

[akwizeguy]

Beyerdynamics DT770 80ohm

 

[TheRealAshland]

I have the studio beats by dre, they are wonderful, I can tune out everything around me.