Audio-Technica's newest noise-cancellers, the ATH-ANC3 QuietPoint

We gotta say we're loving the absolutely over-the-top headphone press releases that have been coming out of CES this year, but Audio-Technica appears to be immune -- and the new ATH-ANC3 QuietPoint noise-cancelling in-ears are similarly all business, employing a pair of external mics to block 85 percent of all external noise. Unlike other active noise-canceling sets, the ANC3s work without batteries, or you can switch it around and use the noise-canceling features without audio playback. A-T says these'll hit in spring for $169 -- guess you'll have to keep your earplugs in until then.

[Dankoozy @ Jan 7th 2008 1:54PM]

Will they make a regular headphone version of this? I don't like these plugs that you have to push in all the way to the brain

[Mike G @ Jan 7th 2008 2:13PM]

The "headphone" version of this has been out for quit some time and is a very credible alternative to the Bose.

http://www.amazon.com/Audio-Technica-ATH-ANC7-QuietPoint-Noise-Cancelling-Headphones/dp/B000OMKR8E

I hope these are better than JVC's version (which suck): http://www.amazon.com/JVC-Inner-Noise-Cancelling-Headphone/dp/B000NUYVWK

[Ed.C @ Jan 7th 2008 5:02PM]

I have a pair of the headphones. They seem to work great with a few exceptions. I have experienced a cyclic hum when the volume is low. This was in an airplane and I was wondering if it had anything to do with the APU of the plane. I have not been able to reproduce the same effect with any of my DC electronics. I will get a chance to test then again in a plane tomorrow on my way to CES!

The cool thing about this headphone is that it works as a regular headphone (w/o noise cencelling) if your batteries run out.