Boogie711

Hey folks - just wanted to see if my experience is atypical.

I bought a new pair of the ANC-23s from Beach Camera online and they arrived at the office today. I have to admit - I'm thoroughly underwhelmed.

I am no stranger to NC headphones. I have a pair of Panasonic over-the-ear phones that actually worked quite well, I thought. For the last two years I've used a pair of passive, noise-isolating Shure's.

When I saw the ANC23's for around $70, I thought it would be a good opportunity.

I find the noise canceling to be negligible at best. I can still hear both high and low frequencies without issue. I'll admit I'm not in a plane, but I played a recording of engine noise and sure enough, it MAY have trimmed out a tiny bit of the bottom end, but still just as clearly heard.

I also tried a white noise generator on my phone - no luck... I can hear the whirr of the office Air conditioning and the computer fans just fine.

I've tried a variety of the earbud tips (I am told I have large ear canals) and even the foam noise-isolating tips.

Did I pick up a dud pair or is this normal?

MaxVO

Return them as defective. What do you care if somebody else's earbuds work or don't.

IsleOfMan

Earbuds aren't Audio Technica's strong suit... and they definitely ARE Shure's. I really like my ANC27 NC Headphones, even compared to the much more expensive Bose QC2s they replaced. That said, if I were looking for in-ear (any in-ear becomes uncomfortable for me after about 15 min) Shure would probably be my first and last stop. If you can return them, I would. Otherwise, gift them to someone with lower expectations and keep rocking your Shures for when you need in-ear.

Scifience

Honestly, I've never found a pair of active noise cancelling headphones or earbuds I actually thought worked well except for the Bose products. Shure is great for noise-isolating, but that's a different beast.

If you're looking for a active noise cancelling, I'd highly recommend the Bose QC20i Earbuds. They're a good bit more expensive than your $70 Audio-Technica purchase, but they are super-comfortable, rechargeable, and do a great job at blocking things out.

IslesFan

I second this. As someone who's had both the ANC-23's and the QC20i's, all I need to say is WOW on the QC20i's. You *will* notice a difference.

arjunrc

If I recall correctly, I owned the ANC-23. I currently use the Bose QC20i.
I've only used the ANC-23 in airplanes and that is the reason I bought it. I can certainly state that it reduced engine noise a great deal and I used it for a few years on many flights. The Bose QC20i is better though.