Noise Cancelling Headphones Bose Q15 vs AKG NC495 vs PXC250

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Robert Lake
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Noise Cancelling Headphones Bose Q15 vs AKG NC495 vs PXC250

Post by Robert Lake »

I own three noise cancelling headphones.

AGK NC-495
Pros: Superior music reproduction and noise cancellling. Probably the best you can find. Can be found for a relatively low cost at Amazon and at places like Schipol airport.
Cons: Quite bulky, difficult to pack in your handbag, especially for economy class flights. Difficult to wear. The weight is not a problem, but not good for comuting or walking around. The fact that they need to be charged with USB is not really problem. One charge will last a long time, and USB charges are easy to find.
BUT, they will break due to bad plastic material. One of the headphones will fall off and hang lose. This problem is well documented on the webb. It seems as finally a new model is on its way. I cannot understand how such a bad construction was allowed to pass in the first place, and go on and in production for years. :(


Bose Q15
Pros: Lightweigthed and comfortable. Quite good noise cancelling.
Cons: Overpriced, music quality is really bad from a tune dem perspective. Sound is "the Bose sound", which is good for talk, movies and audio books but for reproducing music.

Sennhesier PXC-250II
Pros: Lightweigted, easy to wear, folds toghther nicely in your bag. Good value for money. Sound ok, especially compared to the competition. Great for travelling.
Cons: A bit noisy, some distortion.

Conclusion: I am waiting for HK to repair my AKG NC495. They will most likely break again. If or when the new model comes out I will probably buy it. I think that traveling is much nicer with noise cancelling headphones. You can read, listen to music, study, and you get less tired. It is sad though that Bose dominates the market so much.
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lejonklou
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Post by lejonklou »

Thanks Robert, very useful!

I was thinking of noise canceling technology when I last flew long distance. I have tried a couple of headphone models, but not the AKG's that you mention. The ones I tried were disappointing and in particular the noise cancelling system had a negative influence on the music. Should be possible to do it well, I think.
Robert Lake
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Re: Noise Cancelling Headphones Bose Q15 vs AKG NC495 vs PXC250

Post by Robert Lake »

AKG has finally presented the successor to both NC490 and NC495, named N60 Nc.

The first generation of 495 had problems with the wrong type of plastic, which made the earcup fall off. This was corrected after some time though.

The N60 NC is simply fantastic. I have now tried it with my PC, Ipad and Sansa click zip; music, music videos, movies and sound books. And it is really good.

Sounds better, light weighted, you can walk around with it, folds together easily into a small bag. Its ability to reduce not only background noise but also background talk is impressive. And, unlike Bose it can play music!

Remember, it sounds bad directly out of the box. The battery must be charged before you can really can listen to it.

And, for €199 at Schipol Airport it is a bargin.
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matss
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Re: Noise Cancelling Headphones Bose Q15 vs AKG NC495 vs PXC250

Post by matss »

Thanks Robert! Very useful. I have been sniffing the internet for recommendations on NC headphones. Nice to find it on a trustworthy place like here.

/mats
KLP12, KDSM/2, 3xKCT, homebrewn active speakers, Sneaky DS, OD11, Axis, Linto, Classik, Klout, OA12
Robert Lake
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Re: Noise Cancelling Headphones Bose Q15 vs AKG NC495 vs PXC250

Post by Robert Lake »

I have now purchased the AKG NC60 BT for my travelling. I am very pleased with the sound and they are more comfortable than the previous models. Battery only last 15h but can charched with an ordinary USB B/C cable. A bit expensive though. I bougth mine (display ex) for half the price by searching the web now and then over time.

For around €300 you can of course get better headphones with a wire and without noise cancelling. You can probably also get better noise cancelling for a higher price.

However, AKG (now owned by Samsung) seems to focus more on music rather than spoken world and clarity. The bluetooth connection sounds quite good. I have limited knowledge of music via bluetooth. I have some low cost bluetooth speakers and the more expensive Marshall Kilburn, which has a really cool look but doesn't sound that good, and an unkown low cost Chineese headphones that sound ok I guess. AKG sounds far better than all of these. I am very glad to get rid of the cable since it is annoyning when you are travelling and need to stand up now and then. Further, the new Apple Ipad Pro has no headphone connection unless you buy an adaptor. That is the future for mobile sound I guess. So, recommended by me.
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Re: Noise Cancelling Headphones Bose Q15 vs AKG NC495 vs PXC250

Post by Naimless »

My son, on a whim, bought me a pair of B&O H8i noise cancelling headphones as a Christmas present. They were not intended for me to use with my HiFi but more for when I was travelling. I have to say they are pretty good, comfortable to wear, and the noise cancelling is quite good. I can’t compare them to any others, but the seem fit for purpose. I use them a lot for cancelling out the TV when reading a book. That way I can stay in the same room as the wife but not have to listen to what she is watching on the TV, I just listen to silence. I can’t listen to music and read at the same time unless the music is instrumental. Sound quality is good enough for listening to music when travelling and when away from the HiFi. They can plug direct into my ADSM/3 which bypasses the noise cancelling electronics and from my point of view, good enough sound quality when I can’t put the HiFi on and want to listen to some music. Only mention this at they should be added to your list if considering a pair of noise cancelling headphones.
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