Question Noise cancelling headphones...

[Scouse]

Yep. I'm gonna use 'em in the car and on my bike in deserted places (off-road - not near traffic).

I'm currently doing an hour each way on my commute, which I'm finding pretty reasonable tbh, but it's still ten hours a week of dead time, lost in a 50mph zone and life I can't get back.

So, I've got Michel Thomas' Spanish course to go through. I reckon 6 months of 10 hours a week will stand me in pretty good stead for a basic level of conversational spanish - but only if I can do such actions without harming my ears.

I'm currently listening to audiobooks (who'd have thunk L. Ron Hubbard's Battlefield Earth would be any good?!) but after but a week and a half my ears are feeling the strain - I'm having to have the volume up too loud to make it over the tyre noise.

So I reckon I need a pair of noise cancelling headphones. Preferably with a built-in rechargeable battery, bluetooth connectivity and ideally some level of waterproofing.

I'm also becoming more partial to the idea of a pair of headphones that fit over my ears rather than buds - which become uncomfortable for me after a while.

Lastly, I'd like 'em to be as cheap as possible. Despite the job, I'll still be broke for a few months, but I want to save my ears from permanent damage as soon as possible...


Ideas please oh audiophiles! Help a poor n00b out!

 

[Tom]

Normal headphones for cycling, fine. Noise cancelling headphones for cycling? I would never recommend that. It's like putting tints on your car's front windows, while wearing sunglasses.

 

[Mabs]

noise cancelling headphones + machinery = novel ways to commit suicide

 

[Hawkwind]

QC15 from Bose about as good as they get for over ear, QC3 for on ear. AGK do a budget set that gets good reviews.

Do you want in-ear 'buds' or normal type?

I have heard good things about the 'Jabra Revo Wireless' bluetooth set, at around 200 USB not bad mid priced unit.

 

[Scouse]

Normal headphones for cycling, fine. Noise cancelling headphones for cycling? I would never recommend that. It's like putting tints on your car's front windows, while wearing sunglasses.

That's cause you go on the roads m8. I don't. All offroad for me

Do you want in-ear 'buds' or normal type?

Outside the ears. Buds hurt a bit after a while tbh.

 

[Gwadien]

*giggles*

 

[Tom]

That's cause you go on the roads m8. I don't. All offroad for me

Not much good when someone wants to overtake your lardy arse and you can't hear them shouting "GET OUT OF DA FOOKIN WAY!"

 

[Rubber Bullets]

Well I wouldn't ever cycle in them, and they probably fall down on a couple of your criteria such as waterproofness, but I have a pair of these and I really like them.

I have found they work great on trains and planes, and my daughter will vouch for them in automobiles, they helped a 9 hour drive to the Alps with my Nexus 7 and some ripped DVDs pass very easily.

RB

 

[Gwadien]

Well I wouldn't ever cycle in them, and they probably fall down on a couple of your criteria such as waterproofness, but I have a pair of these and I really like them.

I have found they work great on trains and planes, and my daughter will vouch for them in automobiles, they helped a 9 hour drive to the Alps with my Nexus 7 and some ripped DVDs pass very easily.

RB

I see what you did there.

 

[Bodhi]

Not sure I'd bother with Bose as the price/performance ratio isn't especially stellar, a colleague got a cracking pair of Panasonics for around 40 quid about a year ago. They seem to work, as in order to get his attention in the office we need to throw things at him.

Interesting article below comparing the different brands, Bose, apart from the QC-15's, don't come out too well. I'd go for Number 5 myself

http://time.com/74886/best-headphones/

 

[Zarjazz]

http://time.com/74886/best-headphones/

Well I can certainly recommend Shure gear though I've only bought their in-ear stuff & not the headphones on that list. I find a well fitted pair of in-ear buds are a lot more comfortable and lightweight than some big headphones and can cut out almost all background noise. Unfortunately good quality in-ear products come at a premium price.