Ears On

Can a company better known for computer peripherals than for audio products make a great pair of headphones? Don't underestimate Logitech. The company's PC speakers may not keep the high-end audio industry awake at night but some of them do provide surprisingly decent sound for their modest pricetags. With these headphones, however, Logitech courts comparison with serious audio brands. That's because these are full-sized headphones (with real bass response) that enclose the ear (like the audio world's highest-performing headphone models).

These are noise-canceling headphones. That means they have built-in microphones at the sides that measure external noise and generate opposing soundwaves inside the earcups. That in turn reduces a certain kind of relentless low-frequency noise, the kind common on buses and especially on planes. Jet engines have a way of battering your ears, inducing fatigue that takes a serious toll over the course of a long flight (partly because your inner ears affect your sense of balance). Noise-canceling headphones don't kill all the noise, but to varying degrees, they do reduce it. That can make the difference between crawling off a plane feeling like hell and hopping off to take on the world.

Build quality encourages optimism. Cheaper banded headphones tend to be flimsy and loose, with the plastic enclosures of their metal bands slipping and sliding down your face. Logitech's headband is adjustable but it takes considerable thumb and finger exertion to make the adjustment, and once you're done, it's secure. The top is made of the same well-padded lambskin-like material as the earpads, and sits comfortably on the head. With the right adjustments, you hardly know it's there. Soft earpads, shaped like round-cornered rectangles, enclose the ear without pinching. (My outer ears are of average size. Your mileage may vary.)

On the left side are the switch that activates the noise-canceling circuit and the headphone cord. The cord is slender and not gold-tipped. As to whether it would corrode with age I can only speculate, but I have some old headphones whose non-gold-tipped plugs retain their shine, so I suppose it depends on the quality of the nickel plating. The cord is detachable, bringing several advantages including easier storage, the option of using the noise-canceling circuit without a trailing cable, and the option of substituting a longer cord. The headphones flatten for storage in the supplied carry case.

With the noise-canceling circuitry off, these headphones are rigorously and refreshingly neutral, with just the faintest touch of the euphony that I associate with my beloved Grado SR60. Heard through an iPod nano, the title track of London Calling by the Clash had perfectly natural vocals, as well as a credible rhythm-section sound, with the opening drumrolls thundering and echoing impressively. The 40mm neodymium magnets driving the diaphragms did not exaggerate the modest amount of bass coming out of the player at its flat EQ setting. But they did put a little bit of well-measured muscle behind what was available.

Switch on the noise-canceling circuit, though, and the sound changes to something far more skewed and perhaps more suitable for punching through musical messages on a plane. Using the SanDisk e280, I spent a couple of four-hour flights listening my way through the Led Zeppelin canon (the odd-bits collection Coda is an underrated treasure). I never felt as though I were getting less John Bonham than I deserved. But Robert Plant's vocals took on a cupped-hands sound, and Jimmy Page's fertile guitar playing lost its sparkle. Still, when you're surrounded by the roar of jet engines, these are the least of your problems.

More relevant is the way the headphones responded to noise. Between the enclosed earpads and the noise-canceling circuit, they reduced it considerably. Even when I no longer felt like listening to music, I kept the headphones on. They were so comfortable that I had no need to take them off. And the noise-canceling circuit cut the level of jet turbine noise about as well as the silicon-gel earplugs that I never leave home without.

At one point, while I sat in a window seat directly adjacent to a jet engine, the extremely concentrated low-frequency noise caused something in the right cup to buzz gently. It might have been a physical rattle, but these headphones are so solidly made, I think it more likely that the earpad's built-in mic or the NC circuit got overloaded by the sheer volume of jet turbine noise. It happened only when I turned my head at a certain angle that must have maximized the roar flowing into the mic. I've occasionally had the same problem with market-leading NC headphones costing twice as much. In fact, I've yet to find a single pair entirely immune from this effect. For best results, get aisle seats.

Still, I like the Logitech Noise Canceling Headphones enough to travel with them again. On planes, they protect as well as the best in their category, and in the quiet of your home, they perform beautifully. Warmly recommended.

Price: $149.99.

Mark Fleischmann is the author of the annually updated book Practical Home Theater and tastemaster of Happy Pig's Hot 100 New York Restaurants.