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Tag: Noise Cancelling Headphones

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  • HEADPHONE REVIEW | August EP750 Noise Cancelling Headphones

    HEADPHONE REVIEW | August EP750

    August EP750 Noise Cancelling review

    Introduction

    We’ve become a bit obsessed with noise cancelling headphones recently – and there are so many choices out there. All of the big brands in audio have released their own versions, with their own sound cancelling technology – some with amazing results, but for the best, you’ll have to fork out a huge wad of cash.

    Recently a pair of headphones from the relatively unknown manufacturer August landed on the Tech desk at TGUK HQ. They just might be, for their price, be best we’ve tested in 2017.

    Build And Quality

    Out of the box, the first thing you’ll notice about the August EP750 headphones is that they are big. If you like your ears covered (perfect when it’s cold outside) then these will please. Each ear cup is covered with soft padding, making extended listening a pleasure. Access to the buttons that control volume, calls making and answering, and the noise cancellation feature are all easy to find and navigate. They feel solid and they don’t feel like they’ll slip off your head. The padding is thick and comfortable and should fit over the average ear and provide a good basic level of sound isolation, even before you turn on the noise cancelling.

    The other thing you’ll notice is that they are incredibly easy to use. The headphones include a rechargeable battery, which charges by USB. Pairing them with your device is no problem, but if you’re a bit over the Bluetooth faff, generally, they’ve included a gold plated jack cable, which you can plug in directly.

    You can also use these headphones to place and answer calls and amazingly, you can connect these headphones to two devices simultaneously.

    In the box, you’ll find a selection of adapters, easy to read instructions and a robust storage case for your new headphones.

    Sound

    Sound wise, the August EP750 is near perfect. Rounded base, clear vocals and the EQ is nicely balanced – a little coloured to add good bass tones and a crisp, but not painful, high ends. When I went back to my standard pair (the headphones I always use, which happen to be a pair of Bose) I found that the August EP750 actually outperformed them.

    There is a little issue with wind noise when you’re walking – especially if it also happens to be windy out – although this is an issue with most over-the-ear headphones. You might notice the sound of the wind as you walk from location to location.

    Is the noise cancelling affective on these headphones? Well, it’s not as good as others we have tested, like the Libratone, but you pay for what you get. It does a could job of eliminating traffic noise and general hum noises – so these would be perfect on a flight for instance. For more general noise cancellation, say an open plan office, they might need to fork out a bit more cash.

    Verdict

    Great sounding headphones, with good general hum killing technology. They also won’t break the bank.

     

    LOVE

    Price  – Sub £70 for Noise Cancellation is great

    Fantastic sound, better than some bigger brands

    Lots of extras in the box

    LOATHES

    Wind sound when walking

    Noise Cancellation not as good as others

    You can buy them from Amazon.co.uk

    Tech Spec

    • Bluetooth: v4.1
      NFC: On left ear piece
      aptX: Enabled
      Noise reduction level:-18DB
      Operating Range: Up to 10m
      Frequency Response: 20Hz-20KHz
      Speaker Output: 20mW
      SNR: =85dB
      Distortion: = 1.0% Battery: 3.7V/270mAh Li-ion
      Working Time: 15 Hours
      Charging Time: 3 Hours
      Standby Time: 540 Hours
      Weight: 235g
      Dimensions: 201 x 180 x 65mm

  • HEADPHONE REVIEW | Libratone Q Adapt

    HEADPHONE REVIEW | Libratone Q Adapt Noise Cancelling Headphones

    Introduction

    Noise cancelling headphones have become increasingly popular in recent years, as we look to envelop ourselves in our own world, cutting out the distraction of the world around us. It’s especially beneficial in open plan offices, packed tubes, homes near busy roads and well, maybe even a snoring partner. You’re going to have to fork out a fair wedge for a decent pair; my money is on the Scandinavian designed Libratone Q Adapt, do happen to come in a sub £180 price tag.

    Build And Quality

    I had not heard about the Libratone brand before. When you think of headphones, the mind tends to go for Bose, Beats or even Sennizher, so when I was offered a pair of the Q Adapt noise cancelling headphone I was intrigued.

    When reviewing tech items, we ask for new out of the box items, just as you’d find in a shop, in order to give a full summary. So my first impressions aren’t great – the pair sent, still had earwax or ear fluff – or whatever it was – on from the previous reviewer. I have to say this nearly made me heave.

    However, I’m glad I stayed the course and reviewed them, as they are, without a doubt, the best noise cancelling headphone I have ever reviewed.

    Out of the box and charged the headphones are simple to pair with a Bluetooth device. They also come with a standard mini jack socket so you can plug them directly into your iPhone, computer or iPod.

    Controls for the unit are simple. Volume and skip functions are controlled by various hand actions on the right-hand ear cup. Pausing your audio happens when you just take them off your ears.

    The Noise Cancelling feature has three levels of reduction, and I have to add, the best I’ve ever tried. The first setting filters out lower rumbles, the second filters out higher frequencies, the third, and most impressive reduction is impressive. They call it the CityMix and I can see why.  You could be standing in the middle of traffic and be none the wiser. Although I didn’t try these on an aeroplane, I imagine this would be incredibly effective.

    My gripe with the set is that they felt a little loose on the head, even at the smallest and tightest setting – but without knowing how many people had used these before me, I can only summarise that numerous different head sizes have stretched them.

    The design is classic and unfussed, and they come in three colours, Cloudy White, Elegant Nude and Stormy Black.

    You can use them to answer calls and speak wirelessly.

    Sound

    The fact that these earphones do such a great job of filtering out external sounds, means your audio sounds incredibly clear. The bass response is warm and crisp. They provide a very comfortable listening experience – no sharp edges to the sound, music sounds fully rounded – while speech feels crisp and clear.

    Verdict

    If you’re looking for a pair of headphones, which feel comfortable, have a long-lasting battery (30 hours playback) and have incredible noise cancelling capabilities and have £149.00 to spend, then the Libratone Q Adapt headphones are the option for you.

     

    LOVE

    Awesome noise cancelling ability

    Classic design

    Feel comfortable, even after an extended listening period.

    LOATHES

    They felt a little loose

    You can buy them from Amazon (£143.00 at time of publishing) John Lewis, £179.00 (at time of release)

  • EARPHONE REVIEW | Jam Ultra

    EARBUD REVIEW | Jam Wireless Audio Ultra

    Introduction

    If you’re not a fan of the headphone, then earbuds are the only other option – and what with Apple doing away with the standard audio jack, wired head and earphones could be a thing of the past. Wireless earbuds are a marvel – no tangled wires, no choking yourself when getting up from your desk when you’re still attached to your computer. There’s a lot of freedom. But there are problems too. Earbuds don’t always stay in the ear, you have to remember to charge them and then there’s the worst bit – pairing them. Jam have sorted two of these issues out perfectly with their Ultra earbuds – the pairing issue – not so much.

    Build And Quality

    Out of the box and charged in their own little charging dock, the Jam Ultras are incredibly easy to use. The individual earbuds have built-in batteries and as you lift them out of the dock they pair with each other – pairing them to your device, be it, phone or desktop isn’t too much of a sweat either. Most of the time.

    Speaking of sweat they are resistant to it, which is fantastic if you should use them whilst out jogging or in the bath. They are dark in colour and once fitted into the ear are almost unnoticeable. None of the ridiculous white stork thing that’s going on with Apple’s own earbuds.

    They last for three hours on one charge – but with their own charging dock, which can charge them up to 10 times, these buds can last for 30 hours. Rather brilliantly because there’s a USB port you can also charge your phone while you’re at it.

    They have a simple look to them, dark and with a slight material texture to them. Once they’re in, the noise blocking from the external world is brilliant. If you’re looking for noise cancelling headphones these, although not actually “noise cancelling”, are a great find.

    Now here’s the problem – I found that these were impossible to use for TV or for watching any kind of streaming. They can’t keep up with your device and the lipsync is terrible.

    They also, rather annoyingly have a habit of desynchronising with each other – meaning that one ear suddenly goes dead and then comes back after a moment. Considering the wireless feature is probably why you’d buy these earphones, it’s utterly infuriating.

    Controlling the earbuds is a simple process. There’s a pause button, which doubles up as the pairing and off button. You can’t change the volume or skip to the next tune on these.

    You can use them to answer calls and speak wirelessly.

    The JAM ULTRA’s come with their own charging dock.

    Sound

    The fact that these earphones do a great job of filtering out external sounds, means audio feels very present – and up close. The bass response is good for the tiny speakers – but perhaps the top end feels a little dead, which gives an overall mid to bottom sound palette.

    Verdict

    If you’re looking for sub-£100 wireless earphones that come with their own docking station – which are easy to set up then these are a good fit. If you’re looking to watch TV with your earbuds then these aren’t for you.

     

    LOVE

    Good bass response for little speakers

    Nicely packaged

    Charging Dock

    LOATHES

    Desynchronising earphones

    Shortish battery life

    You can buy them from Amazon.com

  • HEADPHONE REVIEW | Noise Cancelling Lindy NC60

    HEADPHONE REVIEW | Noise Cancelling Lindy NC60

    Introduction

    Noise cancelling headphones have become increasingly popular in recent years, as we look to envelop ourselves in our own world, cutting out the distraction of the world around us. It’s especially beneficial in open plan offices, packed tubes, homes near busy roads and well, maybe even a snoring partner. The only problem is that they tend to be very pricey, especially if you’re looking for solid construction and successful noise cancellation. The Lindy NC60’s tackle this on all three fronts – they are sub – £60.00, they look robust and they promise to cancel 85% of noise.

    Build And Quality

    Out of the box, the Lindy 60s are incredibly easy to use. Simply insert the batteries supplied, plug in the jack into your device, turn on the ‘ANC’ (active noise cancelling) function and away you go. There’s no pairing to do as they aren’t Bluetooth.

    They feel solid and have a rubberized texture to the cup and that signature red inner. The padding is thick and comfortable and should fit over the average ear and provide a good basic level of sound isolation, even before you turn on the ‘ANC’. They are padded with leather, not great if you’re a vegan or someone who doesn’t like animal products in everyday objects. In past experience, although not of these headphones, leather headphone pads can begin to degrade after a couple of years of use, especially if they get wet – from sweat or indeed using them in the bath and having wet hair.

    The cup has a couple of simple controls. A volume fader and the on switch for the noise cancellation, which as a blue LED to show whether it’s on or not.  On the other ear a standard wired headphone jack output – which attaches to your device.

    The bridge between the two ear cups is well padded and fits nicely on top of the head. The squeeze between the two cups is good and doesn’t feel uncomfortable.

    The noise cancellation feature is powered by two AAA batteries which are supplied, but not rechargeable, which is a huge let down for these headphones.

    The product also comes with a neat hard-body travel case and a couple of adapters.

    Sound

    When the ‘ANC’ is turned off the sound is plain and dull, feeling distant and to be frank muffled, however, once the noise cancellation feature is turned on, the sound comes alive. It’s certainly a lot more present as the background sounds are also filtered out. The headphone gives a good performance, that rivals much more expensive sets. In fact, once you’ve experienced Noise Cancelling headphones, it will be hard to go back to any other type of headphone.

    Is the noise cancelling affective on these headphones? Well, as they say, you get what you pay for. It’s not as deadening as other headphones we’ve tested, some offer different levels of cancellation, these just take out the lower end frequencies, which can mean you get bleed through of higher end noises.

    Verdict

    A good entry-level to noise cancellation that won’t break the bank.

     

    LOVE

    Price  – Sub £60 for Noise Cancellation is great

    Good bass response and bright sound

    Nicely packaged

    LOATHES

    Leather padding

    Batteries not rechargeable

    You can buy them from Lindy.co.uk or Amazon.com

    Tech Spec

    • Over-ear design with breathable protein leather ear pads
    • ANC reduces external low frequency noise by up to 85%
    • 40mm high output drivers with neodymium magnets
    • Impedance: 32Ω passive mode / 100Ω ANC mode
    • Sensitivity (1mW@1kHz ±3dB): Passive 93dB ANC 103dB
    • Nominal THD: Passive <0.1%@ 1kHz / ANC <0.5% @ 1kHz
    • Frequency response: 20Hz – 20kHz
    • Battery Life:
    • ANC mode only (no audio playback): 130 Hours
    • ANC mode with playback at 50% volume: 72 Hours
    • Adjustable volume
    • Powered by two AAA batteries
    • 3.5mm Stereo Jack Socket for detachable 3.5mm cable
    • Dimensions: 196 x 160 x 45mm
    • Weight: 203g (including 2 x AAA battery)