noisecancelling
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Fiddy Cent gets into the headphone game with SYNC by 50, countdown to Ford lawsuit begins... now
Well, after the termination of 50 Cent's alignment with Sleek, it was only a matter time before the rapper's SMS Audio company filled the void. (After all, how do you know your cans are quality if they haven't been endorsed by a man who was shot nine times and survived.) We don't know when the wireless SYNC by 50 headphones will arrive or how much they'll cost, but you can bet the part-time actor and entrepreneur will be making the rounds, trying to sell us on the 40mm driver, 50-foot range, "professionally tuned digital EQ" and passive noise isolation. While the integrated music controls are nice, our favorite feature might be the ability to connect four sets of SYNCs to the same source. Check out the gallery below and a few choice specs from the data sheet after the break.%Gallery-135320%
Sony launches party pack of noise-cancelling headphones, your personal discotheque awaits
To the joy and delight of babysitters everywhere, Sony announced a boatload of new noise-cancelling headphones and earbuds to keep you sane in loud situations. Leading the pack are the $200, on-ear active / passive MDR-NC200D headphones, which have a 40mm drivers in each ear, 22-hour battery and folding design. For $150, users wanting portability can cop the smaller in-ear MDR-NC100Ds, which have a lower price tag and 13.5mm drivers. Both headphones feature Sony's "Artificial Intelligence Noise-Cancelling" technology, which claims to automatically reduce ambient noise by around 98.2 percent -- because you know, precision matters. Also launching today are two new smartphone headsets -- the $40 in-ear DR-EX14VP and the $60 DR-XB23VP earbuds -- with connectivity to Android, iPhone and BlackBerry phones, as well as Sony Ericsson, Nokia and other phones thanks to an included compatibility cord. Pulling up the rear are the new iPhone control headsets -- the $60 DR-XB22iP in-ear silicone hybrids, the $40 DR-EX61iP earbuds and the $150 "over-the-head" DR-ZX701iP. Currently accepting pre-orders, the headphones will be available for purchase sometime in October -- just in time to tune out the doorbell this Halloween. Check out the full PR after the break.
iPhone 4 noise cancellation chip demoed with comparison video
Last summer, when the folks at iFixit first did a tear down of the iPhone 4, one of the interesting tidbits they revealed was that the iPhone 4 has two mics (which is more than most other cell phones), and that it has a white-labelled (manufacturers details removed upon request from Apple) noise cancellation chip in it. The idea being that ambient noise is identified by the second mic, and processed and cancelled out by the chip -- leaving the person listening to whoever is speaking into the iPhone 4 with much clearer audio. Furthermore, a few months ago, you may have noticed that iFixit -- along side the help of Chipworks -- revealed the unbranded chip to be a low power audio signal processor manufactured by Audience. The same noise cancellation chip found in the Google Nexus One phone. While that in itself may not be all that interesting, we thought you may be interested in the YouTube video iFixit sourced to demonstrate the power of the Audience chip. The video below is a recording of two separate voice mail messages called from the same noisy location, but on two different phones. One is from an unnamed, standard cell phone, the other is from the iPhone 4.
Nox Audio Admiral Touch prototype preview redux: now with more clever ideas and some bass
It's been fully five months since Nox Audio's everything-but-the-kitchen-sink Admiral Touch headset prototype wowed us at CES 2011, and boy, have things changed. That ugly metal band is gone, replaced by a handsome black and silver rig, with a neatly integrated adjusting strap for a comfortable noggin squeeze. Both sides of the Admiral Touch now sport buttons, including one to add the T-Pain Effect (we kid you not). More after the break. %Gallery-125751%
Sony's NC-13 buds cancel noise, RF865 cans transmit across a football field
Given the one-size-fits-few nature of most audio products, it's good to have choices, and Sony happens to have two new pairs of headphones designed for very particular segments of your life. If, say, you're a traveling music lover who doesn't happen to have the disposable income to obtain Sony's premium $300 MDR-NC300D noise canceling buds (which the company claims filter out 99 percent of noise), you'll find a cheaper alternative in the new $70 MDR-NC13, which only make a estimated 87.4 percent of background distractions go bye-bye. C'est la vie. If, on the other hand, you need to throw sound from one end of your mansion to the other for hours on end, the MDR-RF865RK wireless headphones might be the wide receiver you've been dreaming of -- Sony claims they'll play audio up to 100 meters away from their dock, which provides up to 25 hours of playtime after a 3.5 hour charge. No price or availability for the wireless cans, which were just announced in the UK, but you'll find the NC-13 on sale at Sony's online store right now. PR after the break.
GM shows off Terrain SUV with noise cancellation, says silence equals fuel efficiency
GM claims its new Terrain has other SUVs beat when it comes to fuel efficiency, and they're citing active noise cancellation -- a concept near and dear to audiophiles everywhere -- as one of the driving factors that puts it 4MPG above the competition. Basically, the Terrain's enlisted a new one-touch "Eco mode" that allows its four-cylinder engine to run at a lower torque, decreasing engine speeds, and thus saving gas. The thing is, this increased fuel efficiency comes with a "low-end frequency boom," which is where the noise cancellation sets in: two microphones built in to the car's headliner detect the boom, prompting a frequency generator to pump counteracting sound waves through Terrain's speakers. Simply put, GM's just getting rid of an unpleasant hum. So a quieter car isn't necessarily a greener car, but we'll take a more fuel efficient SUV any day. If you're picking up what GM's laying down, check out the full PR after the jump.
Ask Engadget: best (non-ugly) noise-cancelling Bluetooth headset for drowning out office noise?
We know you've got questions, and if you're brave enough to ask the world for answers, here's the outlet to do so. This week's Ask Engadget question is coming to us from Simon, who seems to be not-so-secretly hoping to drown out his entire office. If you're looking to send in an inquiry of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com. "I need a headset which can block out the background from a busy office. I'm talking repetitive noises such as drilling, background chatter, keyboard clattering, computer fan whirring and the endless static from our building's air conditioner. I would love if this headset had a fair to good quality of sound for MP3s, and it would of course have to have a good microphone for IP phone telephony and Skype. If it didn't look like something from Radio Shack that would be a bonus, and if the microphone was a bit discreet for street and airplane use that would be an added benefit. Lastly the connection to a workstation could be both USB and Bluetooth, with a preference for wireless. Thanks!" Bluetooth headsets have evolved quite a bit since the last time we had this discussion, so we're curious what you're currently using to make work a wee bit more bearable? No need in keeping secrets, right? Speak out in comments below!
Ask Engadget: best passive noise cancelling headphones?
We know you've got questions, and if you're brave enough to ask the world for answers, here's the outlet to do so. This week's Ask Engadget question is coming to us from Alex, who just can't take the noise, dude. If you're looking to send in an inquiry of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com. "Hello Engadget. I've always been a fan of high quality audio but I have a problem. I need noise cancelling headphones, but active noise cancelling gives me a headache and my ear canals aren't round enough to use in-ear earphones. I've also looked into custom earphones but I can't afford paying $400 or more for a set. What are your recommendations for the best pair of passive noise cancelling headphones? My ears thank you." We will say that Klipsch's oval ear tips tend to fit in funky ear canals that typically reject round ones, but if you're still hellbent on a pair of cans, we're hoping our audience below can toss out some advice. If they can hear us from underneath their noise cancelling headphones, of course.
Blackbox i10 noise cancelling earbuds tap into iPod / iPhone dock connector for power, pleasure
Oh, sure -- you've got at least 893.1 options (at last count, anyway) when it comes to noise cancelling headphones for your iDevice, but do any of those plug directly into the dock connector instead of requiring a separate battery? Exactly. That's the claim to fame for Blackbox's i10, a new set of earbuds that rely on power from your iPod or iPhone in order to achieve that active noise cancelling action that the youngsters are so crazy about these days. According to the company, these will filter out 92 percent of background noise using Phitek Systems' ANR technology, and the inline remote makes it easy to adjust volume and the like. They're available today for £79.99 ($123) over in the UK, but only heaven knows when they'll mosey over to North America. [Thanks, Sharmee]
Ask Engadget: Best noise cancelling Bluetooth headset?
We know you've got questions, and if you're brave enough to ask the world for answers, here's the outlet to do so. This week's Ask Engadget question is coming to us from Jonathon, who's currently preparing for a summer of fun with top dropped. If you're looking to send in an inquiry of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com. "I'm looking for a Bluetooth headset with the best noise reduction. I've got a convertible and would like to be able to have a conversation with the top down (at least around town, highway would be fantastic but probably unrealistic). So, any thoughts and / or suggestions?" BT headsets have come a long way since we first posted a similar question in 2005, so we suspect the answers here will be quite a bit different. Do you have a particular earpiece that you enjoy while cruising under the open skies? Don't hold back on us, now.
Sony's noise-canceling earphones US-bound in February
You didn't have to wait until now to pick up Sony's MDR-NC300D noise-canceling earphones -- after all, they've been imported from Japan since their June debut. Still, now that the 'buds are hitting official status US routes in February, it'll be a heck of a lot easier to make that impulse buy. No price mentioned, but expect at least a few Benjamins to automatically eject from your wallet.
Sony NW-A845 Walkman slips into European hands, too thin to be noticed
There's an old saying that the Japanese keep the best to themselves, but not this time. Sony's finally man enough to let go of their "slimmest ever Walkman," the NW-A845, to our European cousins. Apart from the obvious (and ever-so-useful) fresh injection of Latin-based languages, we're not seeing much difference with the almighty Japanese version (NW-A840) from September: 7.2mm thin, 2.8-inch of OLED goodness, 29 hours of marathon listening and premium EX earphones. Unlike the buffet in Japan though, there'll only be one "Falcon Black" 16GB model of unknown price for Europe, available for grabs in February.
Sony NWZ-S745 on sale in Canada, US given cold shoulder
We don't know about you, but every time we hear of a Walkman, we think of the old school cassette players, and are left strangely disappointed by the slinky modern variants and their tons of storage. The 16GB S745, which has absolutely nothing to do with Mickey Mouse we assure you, has entered North American retail channels, only it seems to have skipped the US for its more peace-loving neighbor up north. Eagle-eyed Canadian shoppers have spotted the more advanced version of the S740 on sale in Sony Style stores (for 200 CAD or 188 in real American currency), replete with a 2-inch screen, noise-canceling earphones, and an unhealthily thin case. Still, suspicions abound that Sony is merely waiting for CES to roll around to make its big US unveiling, but if you really can't wait it's not like driving up to Canadia would be that terrible anyway.
Video: Sony NW-A840 packs OLED, noise cancellation, and 64GB of flash heat, still thinnest Walkman ever
Sony's keeping the pressure on the dedicated portable media player market with the launch of its latest OLED Walkman. The NW-A840 series is the thinnest Walkman ever at 7.2mm and comes packing a 2.8-inch OLED display and up to 64GB of flash storage. The players also feature Sony's digital noise cancellation, premium MDR-EX300SL earbuds right in the box, and the ability to pump 720x480 pixel video out to your TV. Sony rates the battery at 29-hours of continuous music or 9-hours of video. The A-series ships in three models -- 16GB NW-A845 (¥24,000/$263), N32GB W-A846 (¥30,000/$329), and 64GB NW-A847 (¥40,000/$439) -- starting October 31st. Also available in black for those who detest downtown hipster-brown. Video preview after the break. [Via Sony Insider]
Sonic Blaster is defeated by fashionable noise-canceling 'head shield'
The Long Range Acoustic Device (or Sonic Blaster, for us simple people) is among the Navy's proudest feats of warfare engineering and a favored tool of law enforcement agencies. The non-lethal amp pumps out an ultra-powerful beam of sound that deters baddies from coming within 82 feet of its position. Unless, of course, those baddies decide to act fresh and bring one of these sound insulating, double-glazed head shields, which will let the wearer stand right in front of a Sonic Blaster without losing his hearing for all eternity. Created by the BBC's Bang Goes the Theory show, the head shield is a perfect complement to your favorite hoodie and casual pair of jeans for a stylish riot out on the town.
Bose recruits QuietComfort 15 headphones into war on noise
What is it with headphones and extra wordy product names? The Bose QuietComfort 15 Acoustic Noise Cancelling (still with us?) cans are out today, accompanied by an official press release loaded with an impressive array of vague improvements. There's a new "proprietary acoustic design" for passive noise cancellation, "more sophisticated proprietary electronics" for the active stuff and a "new proprietary ear cushion." Clearly, Bose wants you to know its stuff is uniquely awesome, but of course the one way to know for sure is to go test them out for yourself. Your nearest purveyor of audiophile equipment should have them already, and he should let you have a pair for $299.
Nokia's world-beating BH-905 Bluetooth cans slip into the photo booth
Nokia's BH-905 made some serious waves when it debuted back in early June, but what else would you expect from a product that calls itself "the best headset ever made?" The Bluetooth-equipped cans, along with its ten microphones, supple ear cups and A2DP / AVCRP support, are expected to launch globally next month for around three hundred bones, and the fine folks over at NokNok have already managed to score a pre-release model. Aside from visibly gushing all over themselves, they also note that the cans are far smaller than the original press shots made them seem, giving cautious travelers reason to breath a sigh of relief. Hit the read link for a luxurious hands-on look.
Video: Sony's MDR-NC300D noise-canceling canal earbuds
We know you haven't slept in the week since we first got wind of Sony's MDR-NC300D heaphones and while, sadly, there is (as of yet) still no domestic street date, we do have some more details and a fun little video to tide you over. Billed as the "world's first" digital noise canceling canal earphones (and we're inclined to agree) these guys boast 98.4% noise reduction, an integrated S-Master amplifier, 16mm diameter drivers for each bud, and three separate noise canceling modes. For those of you with a more technical bent, you'll be pleased to know that the 'phones sport a playback frequency of 6Hz ~ 24kHz, a sensitivity of 103dB/mW, and a 16Ω impedence. And it runs on AAA batteries -- meaning these aren't the iPod killers that we've seen in similar devices. This bad boy will hit the streets and shelves of Japan on June 21st for ¥30,975 (around $315).Video after the break.[Via Sony Insider]
Sony introduces MDR-NC300D noise-canceling headphones
Tired of listening to more than just your music? Not down with handing over any of your hard-earned cash to the specification-hiding folks at Bose? Have a look at Sony's latest, the MDR-NC300D. These flashy earbuds boast an in-line noise-canceling module with three separate modes: a general mode, airplane mode and one for trains / buses / cars. Granted, we get the idea that those selections are a bit of marketing hype, but whatever the case, Sony asserts that these buds will eliminate up to 99 percent of undesired jibber jabber. All that's required is a single AA cell, which should provide right around 20 hours of noise suppression. Interested? Pony up ¥40,900 ($415) and prove it.[Thanks, Waroxy]
Nokia's Bluetooth BH-905 is 'the best headset ever made'
Pretty strong words from Nokia calling its new BH-905 headset "the best headset ever made." The claim comes as a result of a partnership with Wolfson Microelectronics to add its 10-microphone "feed-forward" active noise-cancellation technology to the headset -- 8 mics for capturing background noise, 2 for your voice. The headset can connect wirelessly over Bluetooth or via a selection of plugs for your home stereo, MP3 player, or airplane jack. It also features high-performance speakers with stainless steel audio controls on one can, phone controls on the other. They'll hit globally in August for a steep pre-tax price of €285 / $403. Hey, that's not bad for the best ever.[Thanks, Stephen R.]Read -- AnnouncementRead -- Microsite with video
