Headphone Reviews

Caveat emptor: Sennheiser's NoiseGard "ANC" stands for "active noise compensation" not "canceling." As such, the HD 4.50 BTNC stifled only about half of the unwanted ambient sound I created rather than washing most of it away. Sennheiser has equipped the HD 4.50 with its Adaptive ANC, which means the amount of external noise cancelation is automatically adjusted based on the sensed environment. Sennheiser's CapTune app also includes a customizable equalizer to tune the 'phones.

With only moderately effec- tive NC and my room awash with airplane cabin hum and TV talk, it was difficult to discern Sennheiser's usual unique sound signature. The high end was often smothered by the remaining audible cabin noise, the midrange seemed flat, and bass was more buried than on other 'phones in the same price range. This left "good enough," but otherwise disappointing, sound that was unworthy of a headphone maker of Sennheiser's status. Freed from overwhelming ambient noise, however, the Sennheiser's expected aural capabilities did assert themselves more adequately.

I also found the phones' ergonomics to be unnecessarily difficult. Power, track back/skip toggle, and volume up/down toggle buttons are closely and confusingly aligned like a line of Morse code under the rim of the right earcup. To toggle NC on and off, you have to somehow press both the up and down ends of the volume toggle simultaneously, which requires a difficult thin-fingered contortion. Once the blue Bluetooth indicator flickers on and off, there's no steady LED to indicate that the 'phones are on, so it's hard to discern their power status.

Sennheiser's HD 4.50 BTNC weighs just 8.5 ounces, but its headband is only lightly cushioned and might make the top of your head sore after a while. The earcups also fit more snuggly than other BT/NC alternatives. On the positive side, you do get a slightly above- average 25 hours of battery life, and the 'phones fold up into a ball more compactly than most of its BT/NC ilk into an included nylon bag. But overall, the HD 4.50 BTNC falls short in its primary mission of elimi- nating enough ambient noise to provide high quality sound, which makes it a disappointment even at its low price.

Thanks to Sony's new QN1 noise-canceling processor, the WH-1000XM3 provides NC that I found superior to every other set of headphones donned for this test outside of the Bose and Jabra models. You can also extensively customize the NC experience using Sony's supplementary Headphones app, which provides a choice of four environmental settings (Staying, Walking, Running and Transport). While I couldn't discern much of a difference between these modes, each had a sliding 0-20 noise canceling scale, a wider range of adjustment than you'll find even in Bose's app. Like the Jabra, you get an Adaptive setting that automatically detects your environmental situation and adjusts the NC mode and level accordingly. The app also supplies sound positioning, equalization, DSP sonic environment, power saving, and prompt language controls.

At 8.99 ounces, with soft, almost caressing earcups and a deeply cushioned headband, the Sony felt the lightest on my ears and head. Next to the Bose, they offered the most long-wear comfort.

Controls consist of only two buttons: three-level NC and on/off. You tap or slide your finger on the right earcup to control volume, track skip, and calls. Covering the right cup with your palm dampens the audio and turns on ambient sound mode so you can conduct a conversation.

Music and movies sounded wide and deep— perhaps too deep, with an overwhelming, boomy bass not present in the other BT/ NC headphones tested.

With the Sony, you certainly won't need a volume boost to overcome any lingering engine noise. Even with LDAC and aptX HD support, music lacked the subtlety, channel separation, and detail offered by the Bose or Jabra models. You essentially get a hollow, cavernous wave of sound that will help veil any post-NC ambient noise, making these best-suited for beat-heavy pop and rap aficionados. Sony's 'phones will definitely keep you awake.

Among the WH-1000XM3's more admirable attributes is its 30 hours of BT/NC play time (they take three hours to charge), which beats any of the other 'phones save the Jabra Elite 85h, along with its ability to be folded flat. Ultimately, the Sony's combined comfort, NC capability, and battery life places it behind only the Bose and Jabra models in this test.

Performance
Comfort
Features
Value

While the first headphones from pioneering soundbar maker ZVOX only blocked about half of the ambient noise in our tests, voices in video content came through more clearly than with other less-pricey BT/NC models I evaluated (most rejected for inclusion here) thanks to the company's AccuVoice technology. Now for the bad news: you get only 12 hours of playback time with both Bluetooth and NC activated, the shortest wireless listening duration I encountered. The AV50's short battery life makes these inexpensive headphones better-suited for a train or bus commute than for lengthy airplane travel.

On the plus side, the AV50's sound balance seems to be sharpened to compensate for the remaining level of ambient noise it fails to block out. I also experienceda wider soundstage and better stereo separation than I expected for the price. You'll want to avoid listening to quiet or subtle music, however, since it will be accompanied by the extraneous ambient noise the AV50's NC fails to smother.

Supple memory foam earcups and deep headband padding make the feather-light (7.5 ounces) ZVOX a surprisingly comfortable option for several hours of wear at home or on the road, and they curl up into a ball for compact toting. A solid white L and R is printed on the inside of each earcup that makes it easy to orient them on your head. (Why pricier models fail to label their earcups as obviously remains an ongoing mystery to me.)

Rounded up/down volume buttons bracketing a sunken rectangular pause/play button, and a separate NC on/off button are all arrayed on the underside of the right earcup, making them easy to feel-find. The AV50 has no other on-ear track trans- port controls, however. Zvox gives you a hard-shell carrying case, making this the lowest-priced BT/NC option I tested to come with that accessory.

If you can't find the JBLs on sale, or you simply need an inexpensive set of BT/NC head- phones to better hear dialogue coming from your Bluetooth- enabled TV, the ZVOX AV50 is a bargain for its price.

Conclusion
When choosing BT/NC head- phones, you need to weigh four distinct characteristics: noise-canceling effectiveness, sound reproduction, long-term wear comfort, and battery life. Generally speaking, the Bose Headphone 700, the Sony WH-1000XM3, and the Jabra Elite 85h are clearly superior to the other BT/NC models in this test when all of those parameters are considered.

Of course, each top model presents its own distinct reasons to buy: the super-comfy Bose is best if phone conversations and music playback are important; the Sony is lightweight, supplies plenty of battery power, and is voiced to enhance popular music; and, the Jabra is the easiest to use and offers the most worry-free operational life.

On the budget side, we tested several sub-$200 models that failed to quash an acceptable amount of airplane cabin noise. But thanks to its above-average NC, sound quality, comfort, and battery life, the JBL Live 650 emerged as the best under-$200 BT/ NC headphone option. And the even less-expensive ZVOX AV50's NC also proved effective for discerning dialogue in less demanding ambient-noise environments and is a good option for shorter usage periods.