Beats by Dr Dre noise cancelling headphones

Owen824 · 09-01-2009, 12:02 PM

I am looking for some noise cancelling headphones in the high end area and am considering the Sennheiser PXC450's, Bose QC3's or the Beats by Dr Dre.

Read a lot of reviews on the Dre ones and i like the actual look and design of these the best. Just wondering if anyone has any experience of these and could make a comparison to the Bose or Sennheisers. Money is not an issue here as there is only £90 difference between the 3 which is not a drastic difference.

So any thoughts would be appreciated. 1st time buying high end headphones so want to be sure. Really tempted by the Dr Dre ones as i listen to a lot of old school hip hop, classic rock, metal, and all that other noise.

**Steven** · 09-01-2009, 12:57 PM

Active noise cancelling 'phones make use of electronic circuitry to block out external noise. For anyone who has tried a pair, that'd be the background humming noise when you are wearing a pair but have music off

I know not everyone gets on with IEMs because not everyone's ear canals can take to the tips. IEMs block noise out better because they are passive. Think ear plugs.

Or a pair of closed full sized cans?

£ for £ either will be far superior in SQ

Anyway to answer your question, you could pop into an Apple store and try a pair. For what it is worth I thought Dr Dre's effort was quite good for a first time compared to other active noise cancelling cans and the colours are striking. Though I remember thinking the construction didn't feel like the pricetag They are though incredibly biased towards bass but then a hip-hop producer is being used to market them so...

Interestingly they have an amp built into them... which if you translate the marketing speak means the SQ has been mashed for those who think quantity is the same as quality

My personal opninon - I have always thought that the SQ of active noise cancelling cans are equivalent to normal full sized cans costing a third of the price. Your own experience(s) may differ

Owen824 · 09-01-2009, 1:09 PM

I do a lot of travelling to the states and far east so definitely need the noise cancelling aspect, otherwise i would just go for normal cans. Unfortunately i have to rely on reviews due to the closest apple store being in Glasgow and me being in Edinburgh never go through to Glasgow so am unable to see them in person.

animal40 · 09-01-2009, 3:10 PM

I was in the apple store in glasgow on saturday to try out the Bose Quiet Comfort 3's but then I saw the Beats and tried them out as well and I felt the sound from them was much better. So I bought them instead and love them. They look much better than the others you mention and I think the build quality is great. I use them on the the train going to uni and it blocks out everything, I can't hear a thing when playing music. I also use them at home to listen to music and they sound better than any headphones I've had in the past.

Owen824 · 09-01-2009, 3:25 PM

thanks for that? Mind asking how much you paid for them at the apple store? I have found them for £214 from dabs but they are awaiting stock.

at that price i understand why.

Arcam_boy · 09-01-2009, 6:35 PM

Might not be classed as proper noise canceling headphones but I recently purchased some Sennhesier eh 350's (RRP £65 but got them in a sale for £25).

They sound very good indeed and block out all outside noise. They have a very nice fit although not quite as comfortable as my HD 650's. Bass is superb and has a really kick and mid range is also very clear.

I use them to train at the gym where the weights area has a large stereo system pumping away and with these on I can't hear it at all and listen to my music in peace

animal40 · 10-01-2009, 1:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Owen824

thanks for that? Mind asking how much you paid for them at the apple store? I have found them for £214 from dabs but they are awaiting stock.

at that price i understand why.

I paid £274 in the store. I'd rather not know how much they are online after paying that, but after trying them in the store I had to have them, and I had the cash, so just went for it. Also good for blocking out my girlfriend.

Owen824 · 13-01-2009, 1:59 PM

Well, i just orderd a pair from dabs which are expecting them in the next 5-7days. £224 all in so i am hoping these bad boys blow me away. No longer have the surround sound due to selling the house and other one will not be ready till april/may time so need something to keep me amused till then!

Owen824 · 19-01-2009, 11:54 AM

Well it appears that it has gone back to out of stock from expecting stock with 5 days. So not sure where my order stands. Was hoping to get them this week.

Now the problem is i am off to glasgow tomorrow for business and will need to decide whether i can hold off and save the £60 extra or pop into the apple store and buy them tomorrow. Ah decisions....decisions...

-Ad- · 19-01-2009, 12:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Owen824

Well it appears that it has gone back to out of stock from expecting stock with 5 days. So not sure where my order stands. Was hoping to get them this week.

Now the problem is i am off to glasgow tomorrow for business and will need to decide whether i can hold off and save the £60 extra or pop into the apple store and buy them tomorrow. Ah decisions....decisions...

That out of stock is hinting not to buy. I think they are horrible value and sound worse than my £7 koss clip ons. I compared my now dead westone um1 instore and they were much better. The QC don't sound that good at all, especially at the silly price of £275.

Bought the sennheiser HD25-II 1 for xmas for £126 from the DJ store and they are stunning. They sit on the ear like the QC but don't use some fancy circuitry and more noise to isolate noise, they just fit well and seal your ears up very well. Plus the sound quality is absolutely sensational, so much so that I don't seem to be using my Grado HF-1 anymore, jsut because the senns do everything soo well.

Please don't fall into the BOSE marketing trap, and the trap that noise cancelling is the be all and end all for travelers. It really isn't. My HD25 are used on my commute on the underground everyday and cut out enough noise. Would love to hear the BOSE on the underground, or their attempt anyway

Owen824 · 19-01-2009, 12:49 PM

When i flew back from new york i was put in first class and they gave you bose qc2's to use. I have to say they worked a heck of a lot better than my normal headphones regarding noise. As i do fly a lot noise cancelling headphones are a priority. I really like the look of these compared to the sennheiser noise cancelling ones and the bose ones so am going to stick with these and give them a try.

should i be dissapointed i will let you know and you can give me a big fat i told you so. thanks for your thoughts though, it is good to get information from both sides of the reveiw scale.

Owen824 · 27-01-2009, 2:18 PM

well headphones got delivered today so will post my thoughts once i have had a play around. looking forward to this so hopefully will not be disappointed!

Owen824 · 27-01-2009, 8:57 PM

Ok so have had a little play with them and am pretty impressed so far. The headphones are very comfortable on the ears and fit mine perfectly. Sound wise they are incredible. I really like the fact they are compatible with blackberrys for answering calls as well. "Ooks wise is what sells these for me. The unboxing process was quite nice as they come in a really plush box and you just feel you are buying quality. I will have a few days listening and report back on sound. So far so good!

Owen824 · 11-02-2009, 3:26 PM

Have to say, I am still really pleased with these headphones. Sound quality is way better than any other headphones i have ever used, mind you this is my first trip into high end headphones. Off to the states next week so will test out the noise cancelling abilities. Now if this lets me down then that will be a bit of a problem. Lets hope not.

Dabs now has them at £201 as well. Worth it in my book so far. beats paying £300 for QC3's.

Owen824 · 03-03-2009, 11:26 PM

Just thought i would post my thoughts on the noise cancelling abilities of these headphones. Just flew home for a quick trip and am very pleased with them.

Was in business class and they give you bose qc2's which allowed me to compare. The beats performed a lot better than the qc2's and sounded a lot better. The beats are also more comfortable as well. It was an 8 hour flight and then had another 3 hour flight and not once did they start to get sore or uncomfortable.

The bose lacked the punchy bass that the beats had and i could hear more outside noise with them as well. So overall i am very pleased with my purchase and think they are well worth it.

**Steven** · 04-03-2009, 12:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Owen824

The bose lacked the punchy bass that the beats had and i could hear more outside noise with them as well.

So you could still hear some outside noise with the beats? Not necessarily a bad thing as anyone who uses IEMs out and about attests

StooMonster · 09-03-2009, 5:13 PM

I have a pair of Bose QC3 that I picked up from a Bose outlet in CA, which saved quite a few quid in price; I think they work pretty well on planes and I even use them at home to play games on my PC (it's a bit of an outrageous gaming-rig with noisy SLI cards).

However, I had a go of some Beats by Dr Dre (Monster Cable) in my friend's studio the other day and have to say they were pretty darn good; although I should take my Bose over for a comparison. I did like the way the Beats folded up too, very nice.

StooMonster

Owen824 · 09-03-2009, 9:20 PM

nice to know as i was seriously considering the bose qc3's but they were a bit more than i wanted to spend and did not look nearly as good.

scgf · 12-04-2009, 6:49 PM

Do the Beats sound good with more acoustic music - along the lines of Coldplay? I currently have a pair of Etymotic Research ER4P and I don't enjoy the feeling when they are inserted into my ear canal, even though I get almost 100% isolation from extraneous sounds. The other problem is that it is rather disconcerting not to be able to hear anything around you like someone breaking into the house while you sit blissfully listening to music . . . .

ash · 12-04-2009, 9:34 PM

I just want to say these are amazing... I want to get them buy they are steep!

Owen824 · 13-04-2009, 9:24 AM

I have to say accoustic music sounds really good with these. Was actually just listening to Nirvana: Live and Unplugged in NY the other day and was amazing at how good it sounded. Great bass lines and crisp clear guitars. well worth a listen.

ash · 13-04-2009, 9:44 AM

Any ideas how to raise £249 anyone?

Owen824 · 13-04-2009, 9:55 AM

amazon selling them for £239 so theres a tenner saved. surprised to see them so high considering i paid £214 from dabs i seem to remember.

ash · 13-04-2009, 10:11 AM

I have a £2.50 voucher for Amazon too!

I might just get a job

N1ght1ngale · 15-06-2009, 9:50 AM

I am looking at getting these as my sole headphones and wondered if anyone can comment on how comfortable these would be for everyday use (i.e. on the train). I do a bit of travelling with work to South Africa so want a pair I can use for long distance flights, late night home cinema/PS3 use and the everyday train.

Spending this amount of money I do not want several different sets of headphones. I am currently using some in-ear CX-300's but they are on the way out? Thanks

ash · 15-06-2009, 9:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by N1ght1ngale

I am looking at getting these as my sole headphones and wondered if anyone can comment on how comfortable these would be for everyday use (i.e. on the train). I do a bit of travelling with work to South Africa so want a pair I can use for long distance flights, late night home cinema/PS3 use and the everyday train.

Spending this amount of money I do not want several different sets of headphones. I am currently using some in-ear CX-300's but they are on the way out? Thanks

Going on my friend who has them, your ears get warm after a while. And they leak sound on loud volumes in my experience.

N1ght1ngale · 18-06-2009, 11:43 PM

Tried to listen to these in the Apple Store but none on display. Friendly staff member advised that you can buy them and return under the 14 day return policy if you do not like them so decided to give them a proper two week test (after all £280 is a lot of cash!).

Initial impressions are lovely packaging, nice feel and weight to the headphones although not perhaps as sturdy feeling as I would have hoped for the price. Sound quality is excellent and I get a real spacial sound that feels like it is really digging into the detail. Once I swapped back to my CX-300 I could not believe how tinny and narrow the sound seemed (I had never noticed this before).

I love these headphones but they have one major problem and that is sound leakage. The noise cancelling ability is good and I could not hear much external sound through them even when listening at low volume, but the problem was everyone could hear what I was listening to. This was not good at home where my other half was trying to watch TV and had my music annoying her. On the train, I didn't feel it was so much a problem but as I take late night flights I could never use them on the plane without seriousley annoying the person sat next to me.

Now in a dilemma over what to try next - narrowed choice down to Klipsh X10, Bose on Ear or Beats-In Ear. I really want the Klipsh but concerned about the possible tinny effect of in-ears. Anyone able to offer me any reassurance?

Drubbing · 19-06-2009, 3:44 AM

in-ears are not inherently tinny, don't let size fool you. If you spent the same as you did on the Dre's you would get a terrific pair. The CX300 are not a terrific pair, as you've found.

I've had them and they were awful. They are bass/treble biased, with a distinct lack of mids. But when you go to something better, you realise their sound is quite awful in comparison.

Noise isolation comes free with canals - it's 'technology' you don't have to pay for. Though, I'm surprised the Dre's leak sound, I thought noise cancelling technology was only for closed phones, I don't see how it works with open

. Unless the sound is leaking out from the inside of the cups, in which case, you may be listening louder than you think.

I don't have any experience of the canals you've listed, but Bose are another brand I stay away from; poor price/performance IME.

The klipsch are up there in price with some of the good canals from Shure and Ultimate Ears, which are quality brands. How they sound, I don't know.

mhcq2002 · 20-06-2009, 4:59 AM

Has anyone got or had a chance to listen to the in-ear ones. I've been looking at getting a new pair, I seen mixed reviews. I keep on coming back to them after I've had a look at all the other sets for around that price.

N1ght1ngale · 21-06-2009, 9:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Drubbing

in-ears are not inherently tinny, don't let size fool you. If you spent the same as you did on the Dre's you would get a terrific pair. The CX300 are not a terrific pair, as you've found.

I've had them and they were awful. They are bass/treble biased, with a distinct lack of mids. But when you go to something better, you realise their sound is quite awful in comparison.

Noise isolation comes free with canals - it's 'technology' you don't have to pay for. Though, I'm surprised the Dre's leak sound, I thought noise cancelling technology was only for closed phones, I don't see how it works with open

. Unless the sound is leaking out from the inside of the cups, in which case, you may be listening louder than you think.

I don't have any experience of the canals you've listed, but Bose are another brand I stay away from; poor price/performance IME.

The klipsch are up there in price with some of the good canals from Shure and Ultimate Ears, which are quality brands. How they sound, I don't know.

Many thanks for your comments. I still have the Beats on trial so will enjoy them while I have them and then return them. I have seen the Klipsch X10 at £130 (rather than the £180 or even £250 RRP). At this price I think I will take the plunge!