Audio-Technica ATH-ANC7b Headphone Review @ [H]

FrgMstr

FrgMstr

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Audio-Technica ATH-ANC7b Headphone Review - Audio-Technica is one of the most respected names in the audiophile world as it applies to the computer user. Head into any forum anywhere where people are talking about headphones or headsets and you are going to find this company's name. Today we look at its closed back noise-cancelling headphones.
 
No separate plug for power? It's one of those things that I find puzzling. It can't be that hard to make a NC head phone that has the option of being powered by a spare USB port when you are using it at home. Why waste the life cycle of the batteries when you are sitting in front of a computer. While someone who is more electronics savvy will just make their own out of spare USB cables and 1.2v LDO regulators it's quite strange that no manufacturer thinks of this.
 
Now I'm curious to know how these stack up to the Bose QuietComfort headphones (specifically the QC15).

I do realize audio enthusiasts tend to shun Bose, but they do seem to be the main one you hear of when talking about active noise-cancelling headphones.
 
Bose QC are great if all you care about is noise canceling. But, they are really muddy and bass heavy. If you appreciate open well defined sound, a set of $20 sennheisers will beat out QC headphones for sound quality.
 
Your next review should be a closed headphone and should compare the noise cancelling aspects between a closed headphone like the Beyerdynamic DT770 Pro, Audiotechnica M50, Audiotechnica A700, Sennheiser HD280, or Shure SRH840 and the ANC7b.
 
Isn't there a burn in process for headphones? I quickly skimmed through the article so I don't know if you properly did burn them in. (I know nothing about the burn in process other than what I've read on head-fi.)
 
Great review as usual guys. I am really glad you guys started doing this "headphone/headset" series of reviews. You guys saved me a ton on money after you reviewed the Pysho 5.1 headset. Since then I bought a TRITTON AX51 Pro 5.1 True Surround Sound Headset and it has been awesome for gaming. Music doesn't sound quite as good (but I have a pair of Techniques DJ headphones for that ;)). I don't really watch movies on my gaming rig so I can't attest to that (that's what my home theater is for). I have had them a good 3 months now and they really do the trick of audio positioning and more than acceptable sound quality. I would love to see what [H] thinks of them but I would definitely recommend them either way. I have been playing Bad Company 2 with them and you can really get a sense of where shots are coming from and where vehicles are. Check'm out if you have the time. Cheers!
 
Interesting review; I am fairly surprised that AT sent you noise canceling headphones!

I wish AT understood gaming and the opportunity they have in the gaming market; they have all the tools and products in order to make an actual headset that would appeal to the general gaming crowd that WOULDN"T be mostly marketing fluff and "XTREME" this and "GAMEZ" that. They make nice microphones and sick headphones that are extremely comfortable... all they have to do is stick one of their mics on a pair of AD/A700's, call it a "GD700" or something, and put it out for $125-$175. With one stroke they could own the market on gaming headsets. All the people that refuse to buy a pair of real headphones just because they aren't a headset would suddenly have a real product to buy and finally see what they've been missing. :)
 
joro126 said:
Isn't there a burn in process for headphones? I quickly skimmed through the article so I don't know if you properly did burn them in. (I know nothing about the burn in process other than what I've read on head-fi.)
Click to expand...

Burn in isn't the best terminology. But yes. after a few hundred hours of use, the driver characteristics will settle in. Generally, the difference won't be so wild that it would throw off the results of a review, unless the review is more audiophile geared than gamer applications. Make no mistake, [H] isn't trying to tread on audiophile territory.
 
I dont really feel like that was a very good review. There is some commentary about what they are not so good at..but really nothing about what they are good at? If you are telling us as gamers and hardware monkeys that we shouldnt get these because they only good for noise cancellation..why not talk about how that feature works and/or compares to other NC products instead of comparing them to other gamer headsets?

Just my $.02 there. The review gave me a good idea what the product is about..but not much else.
 
I've got a pair of the previous iteration (the ATH-ANC7), and I've been VERY impressed for work headphones. Great noise cancelling (my colleagues have to throw things at me to get my attention) and I have no real issues with the clarity of these cans.

While my sennheiser 485s are better for music listening at home, these are a must have for anyone who works in a noisy office or travels a good bit. The isolation here is every bit as good as the Bose QC's, if not better.
 
Things in the review like that the audio quality goes down the drain when not using the noise cancellation feature make me wonder about the quality of this headphone. They sound like cheap cans to use in a busy place while trying to listen to crummy music from the low-quality DSP of an iPod or so :)

Sticking with AKG K701s here :D
 
It looks like an OEMed Bose to me...I've got the Bose units. They are great for travel but otherwise unremarkable.
 
Bedlam said:
I dont really feel like that was a very good review. There is some commentary about what they are not so good at..but really nothing about what they are good at? If you are telling us as gamers and hardware monkeys that we shouldnt get these because they only good for noise cancellation..why not talk about how that feature works and/or compares to other NC products instead of comparing them to other gamer headsets?

Just my $.02 there. The review gave me a good idea what the product is about..but not much else.
Click to expand...

Well, we are not a noise cancelling headphone review site, so we tended to look at what these might do for our core audience of readers. Sorry we let you down. In all honesty, we will not cover another pair of headphones like this any time soon.
 
I've owned these headphones since November. I ride the train twice a day, and let me tell you - the noise cancelling feature of these is indispensible when dealing with raucous cubs fans drinking train beers. I also used them at the office where there was otherwise annoying chatter/meetings everywhere with equally pleasant results.

Battery life for my usage (at least 2 hours every weekday) is about 30 days, which is fine since I have 2 dedicated rechargables that I use for them. The only real issue I have had with them is the "Noise Leakage" issue where coworkers can hear my music when using the cancellation feature.

All in all, I've been pretty happy but I bought them specifically for the noise cancelling features, which are great.
 
I have owned two pairs of these headphones since May of this year and had purchased them specifically for travel.

In terms of audio fidelity in noisy environments, they are absolutely brilliant. Everything from the drone of plane engines to screaming children are significantly filtered out, resulting in a much more enjoyable experience when watching movies or listening to music.

Based on research I have done, these are some of the better noise canceling headphones out there for the price demanded.
 
I just moved my office location and need some type of noise canceling head phone like this. Anyone else have this unit or something similar?
 
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