Audio-Technica ATH-ANC7b QuietPoint Active Noise-Cancelling Headphones
Posted by Bill on October 27th, 2009 at 09:07pm Comments
Audio-Technica ATH-ANC7b QuietPoint Active Noise-Cancelling Headphones
Reviewed by: Bill Henderson
Audio-Technica ATH-ANC7b : QuietPoint® Active Noise-cancelling Headphones
Price: $219.95
Truth be told, every headphone I have reviewed so far have actually been earphones - the kind you stick into your ears. And while some are absolutely wonderful sounding, a lot of people have concerns with them (not me). Some are bothered by the ‘uncomfortableness’ of them, no matter how well they fit (fit is EVERYTHING with earphones). And others just don’t like things sticking inside their ears… period. Which is where headphones come in.
There are two styles of headphones; over-the-ear and on-the-ear. Of these, some incorporate sound canceling technology. What that means is when you listen to them, you can flip a switch that magically kills most background noise, which is great for air travel, long car rides and the ‘hum’ of office noise.
That’s the fun of reviewing the Audio-Technica ATH-ANC7b QuietPoint headphones.
Yeah, the name is awful. But the sound is incredible. I figured out what all the initials meant, but once you have these on your head, who cares? Let’s just call them QuietPoint from here on, simply because that perfectly describes them.
The Quietpoints are over-the-ear, meaning the cups completely cover your ears and rest against your head. Not only does this help block outside distractions, it pretty much prevents others who may be nearby from hearing your music, depending on the volume. Also, these are not for casual outdoor listening. Not only will you probably sweat in them, it’s just downright dangerous. That’s how isolating they are. But oh, does that isolation sound nice in your favorite chair or airline seat.
The QuietPoint’s noise canceling feature requires one AAA battery with a low-power indicator (remember to turn off the phones after using or you will burn through a batteries fast).
How does it work? Technically, by creating its own sound waves that mimic the incoming noise but 180 degrees out of phase, resulting in an extremely quiet environment. Audio-Technica claims noise reduction up to 85% (20db). Whatever. All I know is things are quiet when you wear them and REAL quiet when the noise canceling is turned on. You don’t even have to be listening to anything to appreciate this feature. It’s kind of unnerving if you’ve never done it before.
I tried sampling different types of music to see which sounds better and if the headphones lean towards accurate highs or a more feeling bass.
What I discovered is that the Quietpoint’s 40mm drivers are quite well-balanced. They handlled both extremes well. Listening to a bass heavy song (I don’t do hip-hop) like Kate Bush’s Aerial, revealed a thumping punch with no buzzing or audible distortion. And the bright bird chirping (you have to hear the song) came through with clarity without brittleness.
Watchng movies and TV shows on my mac was a treat. It’s not surround sound, but in movies such as Last of the Mohicans, you feel the sharpness of the knives and the cracking of the bones in that last action scene all set against a soaring violin soundtrack. Powerful stuff. TV shows fared about as well from the audible upgrade.
Then it was on to The Beatles newly remastered Revolver album (stereo version). The QuietPoints accentuate the love and hard work that went into the song Tomorrow Never Knows with all its sound effects swirling around Ringo’s discordant drumming. It’s as if you are in the studio with the Beatles. Well, maybe that’s a little hyperbolic, but only a little.
However, there is what I consider one of the best speaker-testing songs I love: AC/DC’s You Shook Me All Night Long. Man, oh man, Brian Johnson’s vocals just snarl on top of Angus Young’s searing lead guitar. AC/DC has always had impeccable production values, but these headphones really do make you feel that you are in the studio with them. No hyperbole here.
The Quietpoints fold up into a nice crush-resistant case for protection when packed away for trips. Included are an airline adapter and a 6.3mm home stereo adapter, both gold-plated. These adapters are stored in zippered netting inside the case. The 60+ inch 3.5mm mini-plug cable is completely detachable, so if anything happens to the cable, it can be easily replaced. The adjustable headband is nicely padded and very comfortable. However, after a couple of hours, I did notice a bit of squeeze on my head, but it was tolerable. I would have preferred a little looser fit or better yet, something I could adjust for my over-sized head.
The ATH-ANC7b QuietPoint headphones are a real bargain if you want your music to sound like it was meant to. But they are an even better bargain if you want to listen to your music … and nothing else.
Score:
9/10
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