Audio-Technica ATH ANC3WH NoiseCancel Earphone

by Audio-Technica

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 7 x 3.8 x 3 inches ; 1 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B0015BUB5C
• Item model number: AUD ATHANC3WH
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (44 customer reviews)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: July 30, 2004

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description

Audio-Technica's ATH-ANC3 QuietPoint Active Noise-Cancelling In-Ear Headphones reduce distracting background noise by 85% while offering the superior sound that makes Audio-Technica a world-leading pro audio company. Engineered to create a comfortable listening environment in areas with high ambient noise, these in-ear headphones feature a miniature microphone in each earpiece that picks up ambient noise (such as traffic, air-handling systems, etc.). Electronics in the control box create a noise-cancelling wave that is 180 degrees out of phase with the ambient noise. This wave acts like a noise eraser: it cancels out the annoying sounds that surround you without diminishing the audio you want to hear. The result is a peaceful enclave to enjoy the music or movies of your choice. Wherever you happen to find yourself--on a busy subway, in a noisy office, or settling in for a long flight--there is no better way to experience audio or immerse yourself a quiet environment.

Cancel out the annoying sounds that surround you without diminishing the audio you want to hear (black headphones pictured).

Available in black and white. Click to enlarge.

Includes detachable cable, airline adapter, carrying case, replaceable rubber tips, and battery (black headphones pictured). Click to enlarge.

ATH-ANC3 Features

• Ultra-compact in-ear design is ideal for travel
• Advanced electronics cancel up to 85% (20 dB) of background noise
• Innovative ANC circuitry delivers an exceptionally pure audio signal in noise-cancelling mode
• Ideal for use with all audio sources, including MP3 & other portable players
• Soft interchangeable ear pieces (small, medium & large) provide a custom fit
• Monitor switch deactivates noise cancellation/audio so you can listen outside when you need to
• Audio functions (in passive mode) even without battery
• Sleek control box offers on/off and monitor switches and clothing clip
• Two-pin airline adapter connects to in-flight entertainment
• Hard carrying case protects headphones & accessories
• Y cable includes an adjustable sleeve and extension for secure, comfortable fit
• A single AAA battery powers noise-cancelling electronics
• Gold-plated mini-plug provides exceptional corrosion resistance, superb conductivity and low noise

About Active Noise-Cancelling Headphones
Audio-Technica's ATH-ANC3 QuietPoint in-ear headphones use active noise-cancelling technology to reduce distracting background noise by up to 85%, providing an exceptionally comfortable and restful listening environment in areas with high ambient noise. Active noise-cancelling headphones have components not present in ordinary headphones:

• Microphone--Noise-cancelling headphones feature a miniature microphone in the earpiece that picks up ambient noise (such as traffic, air-handling systems, etc.)
• Noise-canceling circuitry--Electronics in the ear piece create a noise-cancelling wave that is 180° out of phase with the ambient noise. This wave acts like a noise eraser: it cancels out the annoying sounds that surround you without diminishing the audio you want to hear. The result is a peaceful enclave to enjoy the music or movies of your choice.
• Battery--The noise-cancelling electronics are battery-powered.

What's in the Box
ATH-ANC3 Headphones (white), Detachable .5 m cable with gold-plated 3.5 mm (1/8-inch) stereo mini plug and jack, Gold-plated airline adapter, Protective carrying case, Replaceable rubber tips, Battery

Product Description

The Audio Technica ATH ANC3 QuietPoint earbuds offer superior sound and reduce distracting background noise by 85% which is why Audio Technica is a world leader in the pro audio industry. Engineered to create a comfortable listening environment in areas with high ambient noise, these in-ear headphones feature a miniature microphone in each earpiece that picks up ambient noise (such as traffic, air-handling systems, etc.). Electronics in the control box create a noise-cancelling wave that is 180° out of phase with the ambient noise. This wave acts like a noise eraser: it cancels out the annoying sounds that surround you without diminishing the audio you want to hear. The result…a peaceful enclave to enjoy the music or movies of your choice.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

30 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good background noise reduction, March 7, 2009

By 

Val (Mount Juliet, TN) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Audio-Technica ATH ANC3WH NoiseCancel Earphone (Electronics)

I got these earphones very recently. I'm planning an airplane trip soon and want to block out the airplane noise. For now, I've used working around the house doing chores. They blocked out vacuum noise very well, and reduced crowd noise in a restaurant as well. They don't block out much noise with the noise cancelling off, even though they are in ear models. I have a very inexpensive set of earphones that do a better job of blocking out ambient noise better than the Audio Technicas do. However with the noise cancellation on, the ATs block out far more.

My biggest complaint is these plugs are very uncomfortable on my right ear. I'm sure it has more to do with my ear than the earphones, but they're uncomfortable nonetheless. I wore them for about two hours and didn't notice the pain until I took them out. OUCH! My right ear was KILLING me. I didn't pay attention to the alignment of the plugs in my ears, so it could also have also been how I put them in. I will be more careful in the future to make sure it isn't operator error. I can't imagine why only one ear hurt. ? At full retail, the pain would be unacceptable. At less than $65, it is bearable. = /

Lastly, with the inexpensive ear phones I mentioned before, I can listen to my mp3 player at very low volumes, about 10% - 20 of the max. They block out that much ambient noise. With the Audio Technica ear phones, I have the volume set right in the middle of the volume level. I would have hoped I could listen at lower levels than that. But the sound quality is much better than any other ear phones I have owned before.

All in all, these are a good buy. They cancel out noise and have good quality sound.

*****4/28/2009****UPDATE
I use these phones maybe two hours every week or so and I'm still using the original battery. I left them on for over 24 hours by accident. They were in a fairly quiet room with my MP3 player off, and the battery is still holding on. I'm pleasantly surprised by that fact.

*****5/9/2009 UPDATE*****
As I suspected...operator error. I was thinking of giving these away- they were hurting my right ear so much. They also caused a lot of static I didn't get with my Jbuds. But then I thought maybe the static I was hearing and the discomfort were caused by the same thing. This morning I replaced the silicone plugs with the LARGEST ones, and VOILA!! They blocked more ambient noise, I'm using at a lower volume and the pain went away. Apparantly they were jamming against my ear cartilage to create a seal, vs letting the silicone do the job. Mystery solved! Really good ear buds.

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome compared to headphones that cost 5X as much, September 15, 2009

By 

jda5id "jda5id" (Austin, TX) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Audio-Technica ATH ANC3WH NoiseCancel Earphone (Electronics)

I've owned these ANC3s for a while but recently read about the improvements baked into the new Bose QuietComfort® 15 and decided to take the plunge and see if they really are worth the money. I fly 35 weeks/year so blocking out the sonic horrors of modern-day air travel is my primary goal for these headphones. I have purchased a number of headphones over the years trying to find the right price/performance balance but had not yet taken the plunge on anything from Bose. I had an opportunity to spend an hour on my flight home yesterday comparing the QC15s to my two current favorites, these ANC3s and the Audio-Technica ATH-ANC7, and I was surprised to see that the Bose came away in a distant second place. Understand that I am not an audiophile so I am judging purely based on sound isolation. To my ears, the sound quality of all three is so far ahead of cheapo, disposable headphones that any further differences between the three are impossible to distinguish.

The ATH-ANC7 are over-the-ear like the Bose and in many respects are pretty similar. The Bose are more comfortable in terms of materials and seem to have a higher quality overall. The Bose also have significantly better noise reduction qualities. If I wanted to stick with over-the-ear and was deciding on spending the extra cost to bump up to the Bose then I definitely would.

The ATH-ANC3 are in-ear of course so it is a little bit of apples-and-oranges comparison with the Bose. They aren't the "jam into your ear canal" design like something from Shure, but they are meant to fit snugly inside. In comparing the sound isolation between the ANC3 and the Bose it was close but the ANC3 definitely had a slight edge to my ears. I like the quality of the active noise-canceling from the ANC3 better than the Bose (turning each on and off while leaving the headphones on) and then the in-ear isolation of the ANC3 provides a little extra bonus. Add to this advantage the fact that the ANC3 are far, far smaller (a great little case that also fits my iPod) and have a monitor button that let's you hear what is happening around you without removing the earphones, and the gap between the two widens. Finally, consider that you can buy 5 pairs of the ANC3 for the same cost of the Bose and there is absolutely no contest.

I think I am going to try something from Shure or Etymotic to see if the true in-the-ear-canal design can provide better sound isolation, but if I decide to stick with an active noise cancelling system it will most definitely be the ANC3.

UPDATE - So I purchased the Etymotic Research HF5 and was absolutely blown away by what a great job they did with sound isolation. I was able to listen to music at literally 1/2 the volume and still get far more sound isolation than provided by any of the options mentioned above. At one point on my flight this morning I realized that I wasn't hearing the plane but rather was feeling the vibrations coming up through my feet - as soon as I lifted my legs off the floor the "sound" went away. I had really disliked the feel of a pair of Shure that I had bought years back, but the HF5s with their flange tips felt great. I was wearing the earphones comfortably for 7 hours and from airport to plane to airport to train to NYC streets I was traveling in blissful solitude. **Highly** recommended!

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars These worked for us, October 24, 2008

By 

Robert (Austin, Texas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Audio-Technica ATH ANC3WH NoiseCancel Earphone (Electronics)

We bought these for a recent trip to Europe and they did a fine job of reducing the airplane noise to a much lower level. They even reduced some overly loud conversations when we were trying to get some sleep on the plane. With the adapter for plugging into the airplane audio jacks, I was amazed to be able to clearly hear the audio on the movies for the 1st time in many years. I kept them on for the entire 9 hour flight from Europe to Atlanta, even when not listening to audio. They may not be the best device of their kind but for the money we were very glad we bought them. Definitely recommend them.