Noise Cancellation Headphone Review: Bose vs. Audio-Technica (And You’ll be Surprised Who Wins!)

by Neil Woodburn on

For a long time now, Bose has been the king of noise canceling headphones. Walk through any First Class cabin and 90% of the passengers have a Bose firmly attached to their ears, adding just one more layer of bliss to their already envious levels of comfort. For those of us stuck in Coach, this was just one more reason to hate them.

Of course, Bose headphones are the one slice of First Class comfort which those of us slumming in Coach can actually take advantage of. Ironically, they are so expensive ($299) that if one can afford a Bose, one can probably afford First Class.

This is no longer the case.

Whereas Bose was once the only headphones to consider, other manufacturers have finally caught up with the technology and now promise comparable products at cheaper prices.

But can they compete with the Bose legacy?

I was determined to find out. And so, I recently took to the air with $500 of noise canceling headphones in my carryon; a $299 Bose QuietComfort 2 and a $199 Audio-Technica QuietPoint ATH-ANC7.

I had picked the Bose QuietComfort 2 instead of the more recently released QuietComfort 3 because of numerous reviews I had read stating that the QuietComfort 2 was actually a better product than its successor–a headphone which doesn’t completely cover the ears.

I had chosen the Audio-Technica based upon an article in Wired Magazine promising how they had outperformed the Bose QuietComfort 2–a practically sacrilegious statement in the world of noise canceling headphones!

A few weeks ago, I boarded a flight to Washington D.C. and tried them both out, quickly becoming the envy of my fellow Coach passengers as I proceeded to alternate wearing them throughout the flight.

At first glance, both headphones appear almost exactly alike. Both come with a sturdy carrying case, a gold-plated airline adapter, a gold-plated stereo adapter, a 1.6 m connector cable, and a mesh pocket Velcroed into the interior of the carrying case. It was actually very odd how remarkably similar both packages are. The only difference is that the Bose includes an extension cord and a strap for the carrying case. Otherwise, if I’m not careful I might accidentally take my girlfriend’s Bose on my next trip thinking it was my Audio-Technica.

The actual design of the headphones is very similar as well. Both cover the entire ear and both fold nice and flat for storage. The Bose is just slightly lighter at 6.9 oz. versus 7.1 oz. for the Audio-Technica. Although this is hardly enough to make a difference, the Bose does sit a little lighter on my head and is a little more comfortable than the Audio-Technica. The real difference, however, is the leather-covered ear cap cushions. The leather is soft and nice on the Audio-Technica, but somehow crosses into the realm of sublime and caressing with the Bose. I don’t know how they treat their leather over at the Bose factory, but baby is it smooth!

At this point, before actually flipping the switch on the headphones, the Bose had a slight edge over the Audio-Technica. Things started to change, however, once I turned on the headphones. While Bose has a great reputation for sound, the heritage of Audio-Technica is in professional recording studios where the world’s most talented musicians regularly use their products. This reputation for quality sound was quickly evident the moment I plugged the headphones into my stereo at home. I decided to test them out with Dave Brubeck’s seminal work, Time Out–the best selling jazz album of all time. The sound was amazing. The sax floated ever so gently through the headphones while the snare drums and percussion barreled in sharp and clear.

The Bose were just a slight step behind, not quite as tight, a little too much boom and bass, but still a rather good performance. There was, however, a much larger difference in sound quality when I plugged in something a little harder: Irish punk band, Flogging Molly. The Audio-Technica remained exceptional, capturing the swinging shifts between Irish instrumental and punk rock cacophony. The Bose, however, tended to mute the shifts and produced a booming irritance which overwhelmed the notes and made the CD sound like it was mixed in a garage somewhere.

With such extreme notes and more powerful music, the Audio-Technica clearly dominated the Bose. Much of this edge, however, nearly disappeared when I plugged into my iPod where MP3 music files are of lesser quality than CDs. The Audio-Technica was still superior interpreting the MP3 files, but the Bose wasn’t too far behind.

Well, this is all great, but the real reason most people buy noise cancellation headphones is to simply cancel noise. Before I get into this aspect of the headphones, however, let’s spend a moment discussing what, exactly, “noise cancellation” means.

Many people assume that such a device completely cancels all surrounding sound as though the headphone user has suddenly found himself in the vacuum of outer space. This is not the case. Noise cancellation is based upon the theory that sound can be cancelled by creating a sound wave exactly opposite of the one being heard. The new sound wave simply cancels out the existing one. This is exactly what noise cancellation headphones do. A small microphone picks up incoming noise and then cancels it out by generating an opposite sound wave.

The problem is that a pair of headphones, no matter how advanced, cannot predict the next sound wave coming its way. As a result, the canceling sound wave is always a fraction behind the actual noise itself. Constant noise that doesn’t change pitch, however, can be negated much easier since the wave remains the same for extended periods of time–like a plane engine, for example.

So what this means is that noise cancellation headphones do not remove all sounds, just constant ones like the humming of an airplane engine while in flight. You’ll still hear that crying baby and the flight attendant taking drink orders, but these sounds will be greatly muffled. Turn on some music (Flogging Molly!), however, and it all disappears.

And so, I spent most of my flight to Washington DC taking off one pair of headphones and putting on the other. It didn’t take me long, however, to determine which pair knocked out the most ambient noise. Yes folks, it was the Audio-Technica. Not only do these little wonders provide superior sound quality but they also kicked some Bose butt in the noise cancellation category. And as if this wasn’t enough, the Audio-Technicas are also $100 cheaper.

Sorry Bose, but you’ve been dethroned!

Lose the Bulky Wallet: Consolidating Credit Cards into one Cool Device

by Neil Woodburn on

If you’re like me, you’ve got far too many cards in your wallet. Wouldn’t it be easier to get ride of all but one, a magical card which assumes the identity of all your other cards?

Well, the iCache is on its way.

This small electronic device electronically stores information from all the magnetic strip cards in your wallet. Any time you need to use one, you pick what you want from the screen and a plastic card temporarily loaded with the pertinent information slides out of the contraption. It is good for one swipe and then the information is stripped from the card and it returns into the iCache.

The coolest thing is that one cannot access the device until the correct thumbprint is scanned.

The device itself is about the size of a small cell phone, so it really won’t cut down on space–especially if you’re a guy and will be carrying it around in your pocket. Personally, I think I’ll pass for now. But once they figure out how to do this with my cell phone, I’m on board!

Turning your Laptop into a DVR TV

by Neil Woodburn on

For all you road warriors out there who simply can’t be on the road without catching your favorite TV show, here’s a handy little device which converts your trusty laptop into a DVR television.

Simply plug the WinTV-HVR-950 hybrid TV stick into an available USB port, load up the software, hook up the portable TV antennae, and start watching TV. The antennae can pluck both analog and digital signals from the air.

Or, if you happen to be near a cable jack, you can screw the cable onto the end of the device and pick up a cable television signal. Of course, if you are near a cable jack you’re probably near a TV as well. The benefit here is that the WinTV-HVR-950 can record programs to your hard drive just like a DVR. So, the night before you fly home, you can plug into your hotel’s cable, and record a few shows for the plane flight.

This is a pretty cool little toy but personally, I think the only reason I might ever use it would be to catch live sporting events while I travel. Otherwise, it’s DVDs and video iPods for me.

Price: $99

Top Road Trip Gadgets

by Neil Woodburn on

Summertime is road trip time.

In the old days, this meant long tedious hours in the car with nothing to do but play I Spy Something with my Eye.

These days, however, a whole host of gadgets are at our fingertips to woo, mesmerize, comfortize, and otherwise entertain our bored skulls as we tool down the highway.

But what to bring along?

Douglas Rogers, writing for Forbes Traveler, has thoughtfully put together a list of Top Road Trip Gadgets (and, as usual with Forbes Traveler, a slide show to accompany it). Some of the items aren’t too unique–such as a satellite phone, handycam, or laptop computer–while ohers are a bit cooler; a radar detector or satellite phone. What really blew me away, however, were two very cool items.

The first is the Car MD. This nifty little tool “plugs into your car’s computer” and diagnosis any problems with your automobile. It costs $89.99, which is a whole lot cheaper than a mechanic and more honest as well. But is it reliable? Forbes Traveler unfortunately does not provide a hands-on review so you just might have to check it out yourself.

The other cool gadget is the sunglasses with a spy camera (above). Pop one of these on your head, plug the other end into an MP4 player, and then you can record video of everything you come across on your road trip, including, according to Forbes Traveler, that “cute girl in the MG convertible.” Shame on you Forbes!

Bill of Rights Travel Gear

by Adrienne Wilson on

Let’s imagine – you’re at airport security waiting in one of the most horrific lines ever. Your turn finally comes and you’ve done everything they’ve asked for and more: laptop out of case (separate bin), cell phone out, belt off, shoes off, hat off, jacket off and undergarments off (kidding). You go through the metal detector, the lights flash red, the sirens alarm and now you must be searched. Did I miss something? Oh yes – the Bill of Rights. How clever is this for a piece of travel gear?

Created by Dean Cameron as a sort of political art tantrum the Bill of Rights – Security Edition is a single sturdy metal card, 2.5 inches across by 3.5 inches high (playing card size) with the first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution printed on each side. (For quick reference Amendment #4 is highlighted in red.) So as you tip off the detectors, TSA searches you and “takes your rights” from you, you’ll need to decide “how much freedom are you willing to give up for safety?” If the thought of being bold and challenging our nation’s security worries you some, but you still wish to be heard, Security Edition has also created Fourth Amendment dog tags, key chains, and luggage tags. Not quite as in your face as the full Bill of Rights, but food for thought none-the-less.

Cheap and very, very cool – those luggage tags could well be in aid in getting your baggage back untouched.