Audio-Technica ATH-ANC7 QuietPoint

9 out of 10 - Spectacular
BOSE KILLER!!!!
Nosie cancellation is wonderful with excellent music reproduction. Aside from flying around the country and have them block out crying ...
Nosie cancellation is wonderful with excellent music reproduction. Aside from flying around the country and have them block out crying babys and jet engine nosie, I have use these headphone as my front-of-house monitoring headphones when mixing live concerts and even in those extreme high SPL enviroments the headphone keep up.

At this point just about any brand can cancel nosie but not any brand reproduce music well... These are best of both worlds. Read more
by soundpro707 (see profile) - July 31, 2007

6 out of 6 users found this user opinion helpful.

10 out of 10 - Perfect
Best headphones on the market!!!
I was looking for a top-of-the-line noise reduction headphone and it came down to the Bose QC2 and the Audio ...
I was looking for a top-of-the-line noise reduction headphone and it came down to the Bose QC2 and the Audio Technica ATH-ANC7. A review in the NY Times stated that the ANC7 were exactly like the Bose so I went ahead and ordered them. Halfway through the first song I was in love. The sound quality is unreal! One of the best features of this headphone over the Bose is that these can reduce noise without music playing, whereas the Bose require that it be hooked up to some kind of audio player. Even without music, the noise reduction gets rid of almost all noise, but when playing music along with the noise reduction feature all other noise is gone. I also wanted good looking headphones to wear in public and I must say these headphones are incredibly stylish. In terms of comfort these headphones are amazing, you forget they're on your head plus they fit so snug that if you were to jump or walk down stairs they'd remain in place on your head.

These headphones provide better sound quality/noise reduction quality that the Bose QC series and cost half the price (Bose cost more for 1 reason, their name and reputation), its a no brainer get these headphones. Read more
by Colin2626 (see profile) - July 16, 2007

4 out of 5 users found this user opinion helpful.
2 comments posted to this opinion

9 out of 10 - Spectacular
Great product!
These are my 4th pair of noise-cancelling headphones and by far the best. I have had them for 6 months ...
These are my 4th pair of noise-cancelling headphones and by far the best. I have had them for 6 months and I am very pleased. The sound quality is good, as is the noise-cancelling. I fly every week for work and these make flying more tolerable. My only negative comment would be the lack of an in-line volume control.
I have read several reviews complaining of "noise leakage", but have noticed none in my usage. I have even asked people seated next to me in the plane and they can't hear any sound.
A great buy for the price. I don't own Bose, but I can't imagine they would be worth $175 more than these. Read more
by sbmgroove (see profile) - January 16, 2008

1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.

10 out of 10 - Perfect
Best noise cancellation
You should be considering this product if you want noise canceling but don't want to shell out 300+ for ...
You should be considering this product if you want noise canceling but don't want to shell out 300+ for bose speakers. My friend has them and he agrees that mine are a bit better with cancellation and audio quality regardless of price. I have noticed mild sound quality leakage, but no more than other over the ear headphones. This may concern you if you listen to music at extreme levels. On my zune I listen to music at a 5-6 with noise cancellation and cannot hear people talk to me, that's how amazing the cancellation is. There is no audible buzz like with other cancellation headphones.

Bottom line: If you like listening with no background noise is noisy environments these are the headphones to get. Read more
by Avidlistener (see profile) - June 2, 2008

10 out of 10 - Perfect
waste of money
tried in every common environment - noise barely muffled
tried in every common environment - noise barely muffled Read more
by mholgate (see profile) - May 20, 2008

10 out of 10 - Perfect
Absolutely Amazing
I have tried tonnes of headphones from cheap $40 to $400. Including Bose. These are excellent and are a good ...
I have tried tonnes of headphones from cheap $40 to $400. Including Bose. These are excellent and are a good price. Read more
by popl2222 (see profile) - March 13, 2008

9 out of 10 - Spectacular
Superb sound, keen price
I've flown around the world with these headphones. I fly a lot on business.

The difference noise-cancelling headphones make

...
I've flown around the world with these headphones. I fly a lot on business.

The difference noise-cancelling headphones make to long-distance jet-travel has to be experienced to be believed. The acid test is Sydney to Los Angeles (or San Francisco). This is one of the longest non-stop air routes in the world. Stuck in cattle-class, road-kill feels better than you will when you arrive. Wear a pair of noise-cancelling headphones, and you step off the flight feeling almost human: the difference is uncanny.

Many of the noise-cancelling headphones now on offer use exactly the same electronics: same microphones, same processing chip. The Logitech, Creative, Auto-Technica, both flavours of Bose: are all the same inside. The differences are in the price, comfort, and sound quality.

The Audio-Technica units provide a little less noise-cancelling than some designs (the difference is barely noticeable). The up-side is that they do this in order to achieve absolutely superb sound quality.

The bass is superb: tight and solid without being over-emphasised and wooly. The top-end is just superb! Auto-Technica teams the noise-cancelling chip with a pair of excellent earphones that extend the top-end all the way to the limit of human hearing. Yes, I agree with the CNET Reviewer - these headphones will reveal any defects in the high-end of the source material!

These headphones are very loud! That may be an advantage if you want to vibrate the eyeballs with your favourite tunes. But in an aircraft, it's a nusisance. Aircraft sound systems put out very high levels to drive the rubbishy free headsets the airlines hand out. With these headphones, you end up with the sound turned right down to minimum, and even then it's a little too loud. One of the secrets to using noise-cancelling headphones in the air is 'don't turn them too loud'. Otherwise, not only will you not hear the flight-attendants when they're trying to offer you a meal or a drink, but you will be more tired when you land.

My recommendation is to pair these phones with a "Headphone Attenuator" -- A volume control! You can buy these from electronics shops for about ten dollars -- they make using these headphones a lot better.

Comfort is a very subjective thing. Over-the-ear noise-cancelling headphones have to fit firmly, or the noise leaks in. People who wear glasses may notice some discomfort after a few hours. I do. But not enough to persuade me to take either the phones or the glasses off!

You can pay a lot more than this -- you are getting the same electronics, but the sound may not be as good! Read more
by John McGhie (see profile) - March 12, 2008

6 out of 10 - Good
Poor sound, annoying static sounds
Audio quality is really poor with these headphones. My vintage 20 year old headphones sound way better than this piece ...
Audio quality is really poor with these headphones. My vintage 20 year old headphones sound way better than this piece of junk. I can't believe the hype by users on the internet; obviously they haven't worn any quality headphones before. These don't cancel sound well either, and the sound is so poor it hurts my ears. Read more
by tofucanyon (see profile) - March 4, 2008

9 out of 10 - Spectacular
Absolutely amazing... delivered more than I expected
The ATH-ANC7 QuietPoint headphones cancel out background noise very effectively (equal to the QC3). The noise canceling feature works with ...
The ATH-ANC7 QuietPoint headphones cancel out background noise very effectively (equal to the QC3). The noise canceling feature works with or without music with makes them great for travel. There is NO buzz sound when the noise dampener is turned on. Last but not least the headphones sound great when turned off and amazing when turned on. The quality of sound these headphones put out will surprise you!!

Although these headphones are very comfortable, they could be a little more so on the top of your head. Also, the "a round the ear" headphones can get a bit warm because your body heat is trapped by all the insulation. Read more
by yrod1 (see profile) - January 16, 2008

10 out of 10 - Perfect
Bose Killer (to the extreme)
These are easily better than the Bose, but they are more durable, and cost less than half of their competitor. ...
These are easily better than the Bose, but they are more durable, and cost less than half of their competitor. Not to mention that Bose strictly manufactures their products for consumers while Audio Technica makes professional recording equipment.
Bottom line: don't waste your money on Bose. get these instead. Probably one of the only headphones I can recommend without hesitation. Read more
by macguy17 (see profile) - January 10, 2008