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Noise cancelling headphones

I have the Sony XM3, by all accounts the XM4 is an improvement.
The noise cancelling works very well. Sound is good.
However, in terms of pure SQ for music listening, they aren't as good as non-noise cancelling you can get for that price (even with NC turned off). They are fine, it's just that you can't get quite the same level of music SQ when some of the budget for the phones goes into the NC.

So it depends on how important the NC is to you. I use them when travelling, so it was very important to me.
 
Just bought a pair of the Sony headphones off Amazon

I looked earlier today and they were £279 (£299 everywhere else)

Just looked 5 mins ago and they are now £248 so I've ordered a pair
 
I used to travel on planes and trains a massive amount and tried every noise cancelling headphone out there, really extensively, for dozens of hours a week, for years.

The Sonys you have identified are the best, on every level, without a shadow of doubt.

As Ali said above, just buy them.
Interesting. I bought Sennheiser NC phones close to 20 years ago and still have them. Only used for long haul flights and have been really pleased with them but tech moves on so I might check them out.
 
Interesting. I bought Sennheiser NC phones close to 20 years ago and still have them. Only used for long haul flights and have been really pleased with them but tech moves on so I might check them out.

I'd be amazed if you didn't find that it had.

Mind you, I'm also amazed that you've been taking the same headphones on and off planes etc for 20 years and not lost them. I'm pretty disciplined about not losing things when travelling, but 20 years for a travel item must be a record. :)
 
I'd be amazed if you didn't find that it had.

Mind you, I'm also amazed that you've been taking the same headphones on and off planes etc for 20 years and not lost them. I'm pretty disciplined about not losing things when travelling, but 20 years for a travel item must be a record. :)

The last time I left anything on a plane was also around 20 years ago. I had bought a very expensive leather jacket in Paris. The flight was delayed and got back to LHR in the early hours, 3 hours late, knackered.

Next evening, thought I would wear it........no sign of it anywhere and had obviously left it in an overhead locker in it's carrier bag.

Tried lost property etc, zilch. Somebody got really lucky that day and I have been extra careful since!
 
A cheap alternative is to use use the ear defenders that builders wear with in ear headphones underneath. The black pair I use look like large old fashioned headphones.

Not saying as good as spending £200 on a pair of Sony's but it is more effective than the £50-£60 Sennheiser noise cancelling headphones I once used.
 
The last time I left anything on a plane was also around 20 years ago. I had bought a very expensive leather jacket in Paris. The flight was delayed and got back to LHR in the early hours, 3 hours late, knackered.

Next evening, thought I would wear it........no sign of it anywhere and had obviously left it in an overhead locker in it's carrier bag.

Tried lost property etc, zilch. Somebody got really lucky that day and I have been extra careful since!

There's something uniquely memorable about losing prized coats. I can clearly remember one that I left in an overhead luggage rack on a train to Cambridge and another, even more highly prized leather one, that I left in a taxi that had taken me to Fiumicino. With that one, I realised the minute he started to drive off and ran after him waving, but he didn't stop.
 
well, I've had my Sony's for a little over a week now and I love them

They do everything I want, the noise cancelling is very good and certainly makes my listening experience far more enjoyable when the TV is on in the same room, without music the noise cancelling works brilliantly allowing me to read without distraction.
I'm equally impressed with the sound quality of the these headphones, whilst they're never going to compete with high end cabled headphones I think they do a great job of reproducing the music I've listened to.
so all in all a very happy punter here

And more importantly thanks to anyone who took the time to post on this thread

All the best
 
Noise cancelling is a game changer imo for portable use. Before i got the airpods pro, i never realized how much the exterior sound affected the sound.
Since i just dislike iem, noise cancelling with the pods is amazing.
 
Noise cancelling is a game changer imo for portable use

Yeah exactly this ^

Started off with the AirPods Pro when they were released and recently bought the Airpods Max as well, if you’re in the apple ecosystem then they are all round excellent in use.
 


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