Customer Reviews

ABLE PLANET NC300B True Fidelity Around-the-Ear Active Noise Canceling Headphones (Black)

5 star:		(25)
4 star:		(15)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(13)

 

 

I bought these on a whim because my job requires air travel a few times a year and I've always been curious about the technology (and because the roar of the airplane cabin really bothers me). This is my first pair of NC headphones and I had no idea what to expect. I thought maybe total silence. I thought wrong. Without any music playing I could easily hear the TV, bathroom fan, etc. The NC300B's did eliminate much of the lower frequency noise, but I was mildly disappointed. I added my MP3 player to the mix and was happy to find that I could listen to music at reasonable levels and my kids voices were effectively muted. Later on I used them while reading and noticed that they did manage to cancel out traffic noise completely (no music required). Then I did a side-by-side comparison with an old pair of standard Sony headphones that I've had for 20 years while I pressure washed my driveway. There is really no comparison. I couldn't hear the music at all with the Sony's, the music came through loud and clear with the NC300B's. I'm still curious as to how these stack up against the top of the line Bose. I'm guessing not very well, but I would expect that given that I paid 1/6 of Bose's asking price for my NC300B's. Also, I'm not an audiophile, so the muddy sound at louder levels on some songs doesn't bother me. I like them at the sub $70 price and would recommend them to my cost conscious friends.

I've owned these headphones for about 2 months and I have to say for the price they are an exceptional pair of headphones. They sound much better than my Bose in ear headphones that were $100.

The bass response is pretty good in the lows, but could be louder, the mids and highs are good especially in classical and country, however you MUST have the sound isolation switch set to on in order to hear the sounds otherwise they'll be too quiet and mediocre sounding. The sound isolation is great and even if you aren't listening to music, they'll muffle surrounding noises by about 50-70%. They come with an airplane adapter, which is very useful and the cord to the headphones is detachable! that could save you lots of money if you accidentally trip over the cord and tear it, which I feel is a little long. The cord also has in-line volume control, which makes life soo much easier with it than without it.

Now onto the bad. These headphones LEAK SOUND like mad at medium-high volumes! Everybody seems to have failed to mention this. If you are listening to music at medium sound with sound isolation on, they will be noticeably loud for up to (approx)15 feet to neighboring people. This was a huge nuisance to me since this won't allow me to go on an airplane without sounding worse than a crying baby when I listen to my metal and speedcore. Also if the battery runs out then the headphones will be distorted with sound isolation on, but that's to be expected. Finally, there is a semi-annoying white noise to the headphones when sound isolation is on and you aren't listening to any music.

Overall, I had to return these headphones because of the sound leaking problem, but if you listen to your music alone or just don't give a damn about who's next to you then these bargain noise canceling headphones will be great for you.

I am super picky on my headphones, but never willing to spend big money on them. I saw these in Maclife magazine, they gave them a good review and the price was reasonable. I couldn't find them in any local store that I could try, so I was hesitant to buy them. I found them on Amazon for 50% off and I took a chance and purchased them, thinking for the price Im sure they'll be great.

Well I was blown away with these headphones. Amazon had a crazy good deal, but even if I paid regular price they are still an amazing deal. They are not the best NC headphones out there, but if you want the best you'll be paying 2-3 times the suggested retail price of the NC300's! I am totally satisfied with the NC without having to turn the volume all the way. A reasonable volume level will be more than enough to block out all the noise in the room. I work in a fairly loud office and spend a lot of times in restaurants and coffee shops working and they are perfect for eliminating the noise. I can't wait for my next flight to test them out, but I know they'll be more than enough.

In Summary, I would probably give them 4 starts on a 5 star scale if Im reviewing them compared to what else I've used. They are just not simply the best level NC. However, Im realistic, and for the price I paid I had to give them 5 stars every time!

Great Headphones and Amazon came through with the great price!!

The best buy for the price. I did a lot of research prior to purchasing my pair of Noise Cancelling Headphones. These had the best reviews from sites like Forbes, PCWorld, MacWorld the Washington Post. There were a few others too, I just don't remember.

They are very comfortable and the music works when the batteries run out. I fly a lot and these have been a life saver. Much better than the Bose Q2's I had, which broke after a year.

These are the type of noise canceling headphones which generate white noise as part of noise reduction. The white noise is about as loud as the heating system noise which I was trying to eliminate. Also, the audio was distorted, kind of like a table radio turned up too loud from across the room.

This is the first time that I have ever turned in a poor report on Amazon, but it's prudent to mention the shortcomings of these headphones.

On a brighter note, Amazon makes returns easy - Thanks Amazon!

I purchased these for our church so that the sound technician can isolate one singer or instrument in order to make corrections while they are playing. We had large, sealed Sony cans and in order to block out the 95db sounds of the live band, you have to duck behind the sound booth and cup your hands over the headsets ear cans to have any hope if trying to isolate one channel. Even with all of that, you cannot ever get rid of the bass sounds with conventional headphones.

These things changed all of that. I was blown away by the fact that these headphones eliminate almost all of the bands sounds including the bass guitar and kick drum in the room without doing any gymnastics and they allow you to single out any channel and hear it clearly isolated from the rest of the band. I was not sure this was going to work at all since the very sound I was trying to hear was part of the sound I was trying to isolate from but it works and it works well. I could not imaging not having these now for this type of application.

I have only owned these for a month, but I dont understand why some reviewers said there's distortion. There is not any distortion AT ALL. These are high-quality headphones for people who want more than just average sound. These headphones blow away similarly priced headphones. The sound is crystal clear even with the white noise switched on.

The only thing I did not like at first is that the padding can feel a little tight and make your ears itch. But this went away after a few days.

I work in a noisy office, where I need to concentrate. After buying and trying about 5 different headphones, I kept these. They practically make it sound like the office is empty (woohoo!). PLUS, the sound quality is so excellent that it makes any type of music sound great. I basically said this already, but dont believe the reviews that said these headphones have distortion. These are top notch in quality of sound.

I purchased the headphones with the expectation of getting noise cancelling and a decent sound quality for a reasonable price. The noise cancelling worked satisfying but the sound quality of the item I recieved was so poor, that I could not see myself using them even for walk around or on a plane, and certainly not for concentrated music listening. The treble level was unacceptably low and even worse when the noise cancelling was on. If I cranked the treble level by use of equalizer, the headphones could play it, but it required a macabre level of equalizer adjustments.

I returned the item claiming it was defect, and bought a pair of AKG 271S, which I enjoy 100% though they are without noise cancelling. As I understand the Able Planet Linx system, it is supposed to increase the treble level, thereby minimize the risk of hearing damage due to the use of headphones, because the increased treble level automatically makes the listener turn down the volume.... Maybe I get it wrong, but that does not make a whole lot of sense to me in terms og quality listening, because it intentionally shifts the frequency balance so to speak. Anyway, it seems to be a patented system, so there might be some reason it it. Bottom line, I don't know whether my headphones was defect because I have not had the chance to compare them with others.

After reading all the great reviews for these headphones, I had to buy a pair for myself. So far, it seems as though they pretty much hold up to what other reviews had stated. I'll go a bit more in-depth for those of you who might appreciate it.

I'll start off with the case. I LOVE the case they come with. My previous pair of headphones (Bose Over-Ear $140) surprisingly did not come with a hard case and definitely took quite a beating and eventually broke from it. The case that comes with the NC300Bs is a hard shell with a medium-duty zipper. The inside has a mould for the headphones to fit into and a small pouch for the wires and extra adaptors.

Now onto the "noise canceling" part of them. Yes, "noise canceling" is in quotes for a reason. With the noise canceling switched on, some noise is drowned out, but I can still hear people talking in the next room over. With music playing, it isn't really a problem since any noise that leaks in can be drowned out by the music. To summarize, I wouldn't call these "noise canceling" headphones. They're more like "noise reduction" headphones.

The sound of these headphones is excellent, especially for the price. The bass is quite full, but not overpowering and the mids and highs are very well balanced. For $75 these are a great pair of headphones for most audiophiles not wanting to dish out $300+.

Sound leakage with the NC300Bs could be a problem. At medium-level volumes, there is a substantial amount of leakage. If you are planning on taking these into a library and jamming out while you study, good luck. I also would not recommend these for an airplane if you like listening to your music really loudly. Unless you don't care if you piss off the person sitting next to you on the plane, don't turn them up more than 25%.

Overall, I gave these headphones a 4/5 because they really are very good headphones for their price tag. If you're willing to dish out $300 for some Bose QuietComfort 15s, go ahead, but these are the best you're going to find for the money.

I had done a great deal of research before purchasing NC headphones for a trip overseas. When I called Able Planet they gave me a description of the their product differences. I chose these because when I listen to my stereo I like a little more bass, these headphones deliver! The NC saved my brain and ears on the long flight but also gave me great enjoyment from my movie and music! LOVE THESE! When I travel - these are the first thing I pack!