noisecancelling
Latest
Jabra's Elite 75t earbuds hit an all-time low of $100 at Best Buy
Just a few short weeks after they hit $120, you can now get Jabra’s excellent Elite 75t earbuds in black for $100 from Best Buy.
Bose wants to keep the sounds of the road out of your vehicle
If the sounds of the road are interrupting your road trip playlist, Bose might have the solution. The company announced its new QuietComfort Road Noise Control system designed to cancel out all of the sounds that seep in from outside of your vehicle. The technology, branded with the same name as Bose's noise-canceling headphones, is being made available to vehicle manufacturers around the world to provide a quieter cabin experience inside of cars, trucks and SUVs.
Jabra's latest headphones automatically adjust to your surroundings
At CES 2018, Jabra debuted its Elite 65t true wireless earbuds, an audio device that would eventually become one of our favorite headphones of the year. For CES this time around, the company has a more traditional new product: a set of over-ear noise-cancelling headphones. With the Elite 85h, Jabra offers an option that will help block out the world around you and provide hands-free access to your virtual assistant of choice for $299.
Microsoft’s Surface Headphones are a good first try
Microsoft is a software giant first and foremost. It's where it earned billions of dollars and created an empire that permeated almost every aspect of the corporate office. But it's also been diving head first into hardware from mice to the Xbox to the Surface tablets and laptops -- the tech company is no slouch when it comes to tangible items. So it should come as no surprise that it launched its own noise-canceling headphones.
Pre-order Microsoft’s Surface Headphones on November 15th
Microsoft caught just about everyone by surprise when it announced new noise-canceling Bluetooth headphones earlier this month at its Surface launch event. The subdued white cans, priced at $350, are set to compete with the excellent Sony 1000XM3 and Bose Quiet Comfort II headphones. Microsoft has now revealed that pre-orders for the Surface Headphones will start on November 15th and ship on November 19th.
Skullcandy’s new headphones are harder to lose thanks to Tile
Today, audio company Skullcandy announced new headphones with noise-canceling technology at a moderate price. The $180 Venue are sleek white over-ear cans with more modest branding (just a dime-sized logo on the headband) than is typical for the company's product lines for a cleaner look. They're also integrated with Tile's device-locating technology, letting you track down misplaced headphones using Tile's mobile app.
Nuraphones update adds noise-cancellation and 'transparency' mode
When I reviewed the Nuraphones, I was impressed. The unusual in-ear/over-ear design might look weird, but it actually works very well -- and the personalized audio profiles are impressive. Makers, Nura, were a newcomer, but the build quality and attention to detail were better than many companies that have been in the game for several years. Not everything was perfect though. The physical controls were limited, and there wasn't even a way to know they were charging/charged.
Apple's future AirPods may offer noise cancellation and greater range
Apple might have larger plans in store for future AirPods beyond water resistance. Bloomberg sources claim that a higher-end version of the totally wireless earbuds could arrive "as early as" 2019 with noise cancellation and longer wireless range in addition to protection against rain and sweat. There's no mention of whether or not there would be an audio quality boost at the same time, but you at least wouldn't have to endure unwanted noises from the outside world. It's safe to presume they'd cost more than the existing $159.
B&O Beoplay H8i and H9i headphones review: Diminishing returns
B&O is a name that typically evokes an image of premium audio gear. Of course, those high-end materials and typically solid sound quality almost always come with a steep price, even if the device is part of the more consumer-friendly B&O Play line. Back at CES, the company announced updated versions of its high-end wireless headphones, the on-ear H8i and the over-ear H9i, with a handful of new features. The new additions are certainly improvements, but the total package here isn't more compelling than the best Bose, Sony and others have to offer.
The best wireless headphones
Music is a necessity while I'm working. If it's not tunes from Spotify, there's at least a podcast chattering on in my ear. Of course, if you don't want to bother those around you with what you're listening to, you need a good set of headphones. The best options will also do a good job of blocking out the outside world. We've already offered some suggestions on the best wireless earbuds, so now it's time to examine the best over-ear wireless headphones. Each was selected for its mix of comfort, sound quality and effective noise cancellation. Because let's be honest: Audio is just one part of the equation when it comes to long listening sessions.
Beats' Studio3 headphones pack improved features at a lower price
It has been a while since Beats updated the top-end Studio line of headphones. In fact, the most recent model, Studio Wireless, debuted in 2013. Well, until now. Today, Beats is introducing the Studio3 Wireless, the latest high-end headphones for the popular brand that pack in Apple's W1 wireless chip, Pure Adaptive Noise Cancellation and much-improved battery life into a familiar design.
Sony put me in a fake plane to test its noise-cancelling headphones
Sony makes an awful lot of headphones. Ranging from the cheap-but-passable to premium and pro-level items, it's been in the personal audio game for a long time. This year, it's following up on its award-winning wireless noise-cancelling MDR-1000X cans with the WH-1000XM2, adding more features and augmenting its already-capable noise cancellation skills. Naturally, at a show like IFA, that might not be enough to hold the attentions of Engadget's official audio dilettante (me), so Sony made a faux plane fuselage, equipped with some lounge chairs, Sony's top hi-def audio players and those new cans. It also threw in some fake plane background noise for testing purposes. Welcome aboard.
Blue raises the bar for wireless audio with its Satellite headphones
After making its name building microphones for both amateurs and professionals, Blue made the leap to headphones back in 2014. Its first model, the Mo-Fi, featured a built-in amplifier and the company followed up with three others, including a planar magnetic set that also has an onboard amp. All of those options were wired, though, and if we've learned anything about "courageous" smartphone makers these days, the headphone jack is on its way out. To cater to the wireless craze, Blue announced its first wireless headphones, the Satellite, at CES in January. While this $400 model features and amp for top-notch audio, the Satellite lacks a key selling point for headphones: comfort.
Blue's wireless Satellite headphones pack a built-in amp for $400
Blue announced its first wireless headphones back at CES, but now you can finally get your hands on a pair. The company's latest model, Satellite, has Bluetooth 4.1 and Apt-X to keep the wireless streaming from your go-to device going strong. To further enhance the high-quality audio, there's a built-in headphone amp. Similar to some of Blue's existing headphone models, you can turn that feature off to save battery or at times to you may not need it -- like when you're listening to podcasts.
Sennheiser's wireless headphones give Bose some competition
When it comes to noise-cancelling headphones, Bose is widely regarded as best in class, with its QuietComfort 35s doing a stellar job at blocking out unwanted distractions. Here at CES, Sennheiser has its own wireless model with active noise cancellation: the HD 4.50BTNC. Naturally we wanted to see how the headphones held up in the chaos of a trade show booth. Spoiler alert: Bose may have some competition on its hands.
Sennheiser's new wireless headphones build on its popular HD 4 series
Sennheiser typically rolls out its latest headphone models on the show floor at CES every year and 2017 is no different. In addition to its first consumer Ambeo headphones that record your surroundings for better audio quality, the company has three more models it's showing off for the first time. First, the HD 4.50BTNC and HD 4.40BT are wireless headphones that build on the company's popular HD 4 series.
Blue's first wireless headphones nix the cord, keep the built-in amp
Blue is a name most people associate with USB microphones for podcasting and desktop recording. But the brand has a stellar reputation for studio mics as well. Back in 2014, the company released its first set of headphones, Mo-Fi, which featured a built-in amp to drive high-quality sound. At a time when headphone jacks are becoming scarce, wired headphones are an increasingly tough sell. Against that backdrop, Blue has a wireless option it's debuting off at CES -- and it still features an amplifier to preserve top-notch audio quality even after nixing the cable.
Orosound's 'noise-managing' earphones hush unwanted sounds
Sometimes it's nice to be able to hear clearly in a crowded and noisy environment. It can be extremely difficult to communicate with someone when you can't pick up every word they're saying. The chaos of a CES event is a prime example. Orosound is looking to lend a hand, helping you hear better in noisy situations with its wireless Tilde earphones.
B&O brings noise cancellation to its wireless over-ear headphones
Bang & Olufsen debuted its wireless over-ear headphones over two years ago and despite offering active noise cancellation (ANC) for its on-ear model, the Beoplay H7 lacked that important feature. Just in time for Christmas, the company is back with an update to those over-ear headphones that delivers ANC for $100 more. The new Beoplay H9 looks nearly identical to the H7s with the only aesthetic difference being the addition of microphones on the outside of the ear cups to help block out unwanted noise.
Sony's new noise-cancelling headphones block out the world
Sony unveiled its newest flagship set of high-end, noise-canceling wireless headphones at IFA in Berlin today. They're called the MDR-1000X and aim to block all outside sounds until you're ready to let them in.
