4 ms·

I'm seeing more and more of these "smart headphones" that happen to maybe increase selective noises and cancel some others out but are not "hearing aids" due to

I'm seeing more and more of these "smart headphones" that happen to maybe increase selective noises and cancel some others out but are not "hearing aids" due to the medical device designation.

lowercased 8y ago
i've been using bose qc20 for a few years for the noise cancelling. I'm curious about the 'hearphones' - to know if the effect is similar to the qc20 'pass through' mode - which still muffles some background noise but opens up to allow voice frequencies through. can't get any clarification if the effect is similar or something radically new, and don't want to spend that much $ to find out. :)
- birdman3131 8y ago
  I have a pair of Sony MDX-1000X headphones. Very good noise canceling. Passthru is a joke though. Everything passthru is slightly usable. Vvice passthru is horrible.
- hindsightbias 8y ago
  I learned you can't assume anything when you buy an expensive set of noise-canceling headphones and then spend an international flight with two people behind you prattling. It just made their conversation clearer. Also nearly jumped out of my seat in a terminal when a gate announcement was made. Guy across from me pulled out his IEM and said "you know airports increased the volumes on their announcements because people wearing headphones were missing their flights?" IEMs - best invention ever. Can't wait for adblock glasses.
  - lowercased 8y ago
    QC20 are 'in-ear' not 'over the ear', with their molded rubbery ear plug things to help block out leakage. they're not perfect, and on their own, yes, noise cancelling can just make voice somewhat clearer. I always pipe a bit of grey noise through the ears to mask that (unless I'm piping music through).
    - ghaff 8y ago
      Overall they're pretty good though. Until I got a pair and watched movies in a plane wearing them I never really realized how high I had to pump the volume to overcome the engine noise.I pretty much wear them all the time in a plane now even if just to use the noise cancelling.

I'm seeing more and more of these "smart headphones" that happen to maybe increase selective noises and cancel some others out but are not "hearing aids" due to the medical device designation.

lowercased 8y ago

i've been using bose qc20 for a few years for the noise cancelling. I'm curious about the 'hearphones' - to know if the effect is similar to the qc20 'pass through' mode - which still muffles some background noise but opens up to allow voice frequencies through. can't get any clarification if the effect is similar or something radically new, and don't want to spend that much $ to find out. :)

birdman3131 8y ago
I have a pair of Sony MDX-1000X headphones. Very good noise canceling. Passthru is a joke though. Everything passthru is slightly usable. Vvice passthru is horrible.
hindsightbias 8y ago
I learned you can't assume anything when you buy an expensive set of noise-canceling headphones and then spend an international flight with two people behind you prattling. It just made their conversation clearer. Also nearly jumped out of my seat in a terminal when a gate announcement was made. Guy across from me pulled out his IEM and said "you know airports increased the volumes on their announcements because people wearing headphones were missing their flights?" IEMs - best invention ever. Can't wait for adblock glasses.
- lowercased 8y ago
  QC20 are 'in-ear' not 'over the ear', with their molded rubbery ear plug things to help block out leakage. they're not perfect, and on their own, yes, noise cancelling can just make voice somewhat clearer. I always pipe a bit of grey noise through the ears to mask that (unless I'm piping music through).
  - ghaff 8y ago
    Overall they're pretty good though. Until I got a pair and watched movies in a plane wearing them I never really realized how high I had to pump the volume to overcome the engine noise.I pretty much wear them all the time in a plane now even if just to use the noise cancelling.