I want to get a nice headphone set for my son who is traveling more now. He does not want the Bose QC 3 but wants a nice in-ear set. I do not need to get him anything too expensive but ones that will still cancel plane noise.
Any suggestions?
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I tested 5 sets of in ear noise canceling headsets over 4 months. In the end the Sony MDR-NC22 won out, hands down. These headsets ended up spending 40hrs in my ears over an 84hr period as I flew a little over 20,000 miles in 3.5 days back in April.
How much difference does the NC function make vs. the passive noise reduction? I have a pair of low-lever Shures and wondered if the Sony's are that much better?
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I tested 5 sets of in ear noise canceling headsets over 4 months. In the end the Sony MDR-NC22 won out, hands down. These headsets ended up spending 40hrs in my ears over an 84hr period as I flew a little over 20,000 miles in 3.5 days back in April.
Do you think these earbuds would stay put while exercising? I like to listen to podcasts at the health club and having them remain in place is key. Jogging on the treadmill, for example, makes it a little harder to keep them in place. (I do not use earphones while jogging outdoors!!!)
How much difference does the NC function make vs. the passive noise reduction? I have a pair of low-lever Shures and wondered if the Sony's are that much better?
I demo'd the Sure SE420 headsets, which cost around $400, while the Sony headsets are around $120.
In terms of noise levels, I honestly found the Sony headsets to be better at filtering out the noise and overall more comfortable in my ears.
The Sure headsets did block out noise, but not enough to allow me to fully forget the world was outside my sweatshirt's hood. The Sony headsets by comparison provided a noise canceling level (if that is the right term) that let me pull my hood up and forget the world existed while sitting on the plane and at the gate.
Do you think these earbuds would stay put while exercising? I like to listen to podcasts at the health club and having them remain in place is key. Jogging on the treadmill, for example, makes it a little harder to keep them in place. (I do not use earphones while jogging outdoors!!!)
Thanks.
The Sony MDR-NC22 headsets have stayed in my ears while running through a large international airport making my flight by the skin of my teeth. That was a good enough test for me!
Seriously, they do stay put once they are in your ears. 40hrs over an 84hr period was a good test for comfort, wearability and the ability to keep them in place. You might want to get a $7 pack of replacement 'rubber earbuds' as they do at times pop off and then can be hard to find.
That is the only drawback, but it is very minor drawback. The pros certainly outweigh the cons.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jpmcdonough
Do you think these earbuds would stay put while exercising? I like to listen to podcasts at the health club and having them remain in place is key. Jogging on the treadmill, for example, makes it a little harder to keep them in place. (I do not use earphones while jogging outdoors!!!)
I used to have some Sony in-ear phones (basically, the non-noise-cancelling version of what sefrischling is in favor of), and I didn't feel they stayed in my ear very well during activity. Additionally, the cord didn't feel very robust.
Quote:
Originally Posted by sefrischling
I demo'd the Sure SE420 headsets, which cost around $400, while the Sony headsets are around $120.
In terms of noise levels, I honestly found the Sony headsets to be better at filtering out the noise and overall more comfortable in my ears.
The Sure headsets did block out noise, but not enough to allow me to fully forget the world was outside my sweatshirt's hood. The Sony headsets by comparison provided a noise canceling level (if that is the right term) that let me pull my hood up and forget the world existed while sitting on the plane and at the gate.
It depends on your goal - Sony does have better overall noise reduction due to the combination of active + passive noise control, but IMO, Shure's audio quality is a step up from Sony, even in their cheapest models. That said, the tip selection with Shure does matter - the right choice there can give you isolation comparable to standard earplugs (-30 dB or better).
FWIW, I've owned and used all of the following earphones while traveling for ~6 months to a year:
Sony MDR-EX71
Shure e2c (now the SE110)
Shure e3c (now the SE210)
Ultimate Ears super.Fi 5Pro
Shure SE530PTH
My need to upgrade has been cured by the 530s. (At $400, I don't think Mrs. bdj would let me upgrade further!)
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The Sony MDR-NC22 headsets have stayed in my ears while running through a large international airport making my flight by the skin of my teeth. That was a good enough test for me!
Seriously, they do stay put once they are in your ears. 40hrs over an 84hr period was a good test for comfort, wearability and the ability to keep them in place. You might want to get a $7 pack of replacement 'rubber earbuds' as they do at times pop off and then can be hard to find.
That is the only drawback, but it is very minor drawback. The pros certainly outweigh the cons.
Happy Flying!
Thanks. I agree about the replacement rubber earbuds. I seem to have a mismatched set on the ones I am using at the moment. Where those little dudes disappear to is a mystery. I put them in the gym bag, zipped it up, and they went into another dimension.
Thank you for all your input and now to go do some research based on imformation given.
I must say the "stay in ear" is a big itme to me as well. i have falling asleep on a flight and have earphones fall out.
Thanks!
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i use custom products from both future sonics and ultimate ears when traveling, and can't imagine ever going back to a non-custom earphone. never falls out, isolation is fantastic (~26db).
I didn't feel they stayed in my ear very well during activity. Additionally, the cord didn't feel very robust.
Since around March I have used the Sony headsets not only while traveling, but at the beach, while packing and moving my house (which is a very physical activity), playing soccer (by myself, practicing against a wall) and the headsets have never come out.
I would say I find the Sony headset more durable that the Sure headset....and FAR more durable that the Phillips headsets and iPod headset.
ive used shure e2c, e3c, and etymotic r6i... all about 100$
with the foam type "sleeves" on them, they are all brilliant at blocking external noise, and are supremely comfortable
with the soft rubber sleeves (not "silicone"), they are still good at blocking noise, still comfortable, and are more convenient than having to roll up the foam everytime you use them
and the sound quality is great. i highly recommend all of them over bulky and overpriced bose
ive used shure e2c, e3c, and etymotic r6i... all about 100$
with the foam type "sleeves" on them, they are all brilliant at blocking external noise, and are supremely comfortable
with the soft rubber sleeves (not "silicone"), they are still good at blocking noise, still comfortable, and are more convenient than having to roll up the foam everytime you use them
and the sound quality is great. i highly recommend all of them over bulky and overpriced bose
I generally agree, but I have found that the triple-flanged sleeves are better at blocking noise and easier to insert than the foam sleeves.
(At $400, I don't think Mrs. bdj would let me upgrade further!)
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