Noise Cancelling Headphones

[TimSpencer]

Can anyone recommend a good pair of noise cancelling headphones for use on trains? I wonder how many people use them now?
The only way I'll ever be able to get back on a train is by using them. I've really had my fill of "If you see something that...." and other such pointless and patronizing banalities.

Only two options left for me now:
1 Use headphones
2 Avoid train travel.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Noise cancelling headphones are good at removing "droning" type noises like engines. They are not good at removing voice type sounds, indeed they tend to make them more prominent by removing the background noise.

You will therefore want to choose a good quality pair of over-ear headphones that seal out most sound even with the cancelling turned off. It's then added on top to make things even more quiet. I expect you probably want to pay £100+ to get the sort of quality you want, though I don't have experience of a specific brand to recommend some (though I expect the classic premium brands like Bose probably will deliver the quality you need).

 

[DarloRich]

I have some cheap in ear types and work perfectly well. It isn't a vacuum but perfectly quiet. Personally i just zone out announcements rather than let them wind me up

 

[gswindale]

I've got a pair of Pixel Buds Pro - they seem pretty good to me and often even after muting whatever I'm listening to, I have to take one of them out to be able to hear the sales assistant or whoever properly.

 

[bahnause]

Hands down Apple's AirPod Pro 2. Very comfortable, excellent NC and transparency mode.

 

[nlogax]

Can't ever imagine being so utterly wound up by banal announcements that I'd choose to skip train travel entirely, but hey, each to their own.

I use Pixel Buds Pro 2 for portability and shorter trips, or a pair of Bose QC Ultra for longer trips when I want to be completely immersed in whatever else I'm listening to. Would recommend either, they each have their benefits and both do a very good job of noise cancelling.

 

[Haywain]

If you want NC headphones that are not going to break the bank, Soundcore seem to be very good, and can be had for around the £50 mark. I have recently got some but haven't tried them on a train yet. They are, however, very good at shutting out Mrs H!

 

[Horizon22]

I've got a Soundcore pair. Really good and have three modes of normal / noise-cancelling and "transparency" which I hardly ever use but allows you to hear natural sounds well. They are not in-ear though, so of course not as discreet.

Does depend somewhat on your budget though although Soundcore are reasonable for the £50-100 mark.

 

[najaB]

I can second (or third) the recommendation of Soundcore. I had a set that I quite liked, the only reason that I replaced them was that noise cancellation didn't work in wired mode so they weren't as useful with aircraft IFE.

I've since bought a Bluetooth transmitter which turned out to be quite good, on two different flights I've been able to continue listening to the audio even when in the toilet.

 

[signed]

I am a die hard fan of the Sony WH-XM sets, and would very gladly recommend them.

My main gripe is that they feel a bit cheap and the plastics on the XM3/4 and the adjustments on the 5 are very fragile, otherwise great sound (especially if you tweak the EQ) and great NC

Another thing, if the NC is what you are really after, earbuds are leagues ahead because a majority of the attenuation is passive, the AirPods Pro 2 are the best in that category if you have an iPhone

 

[D1511]

I'd suggest JBL Tour Pro 2 or 3......you get what you pay for.

 

[Statto]

I have in ear wireless headphones, (Sony WI C110 to be exact), they're around £30 mark, but have a 25 hour battery life before need recharging, but are very good, easy to store away.

 

[tfw756rider]

Personally I don't use electronic noise cancelling headphones, or literal headphones at all (but I've often seen people recommending the Bose ones as working very well - even people who dislike their speaker products).

I use my backstocked supply of JVC HA-FX35/34/33 in-ear earphones, but with the "Marshmallow" memory foam tips replaced with triple flange silicon tips (the "tree-shaped" ones). These work pretty well to reduce background noise, and I do actually put them in (even without any music or sound playing) if people around me on trains and buses are being too loud.

When I do have music playing, with a 1-volt-amplifier phone and "short-middle-W-shaped" system-wide equalisation, they sound good.

 

[_toommm_]

I'd highly recommend the Sony WH1000-XM6. 30 hours of battery time, you can switch to ambient mode with the click of a button if you want to have a conversation with someone, they have a wind mode to block out wind when you're walking through the streets, and they can be used whilst charging (unlike my previous set, the XM4s).

 

[66701GBRF]

Over ear active noise cancelling headphones are generally not great at blocking out speech or higher frequency noises. They will deaden the noise but you will still hear announcements and bings and bongs etc. You are better of with in-ear earphones that have a much better passive seal.

 

[gg1]

Another vote for Soundcore, I have the Q30 model which is comfortable to wear for long periods. As touched on by other posters, the muffling effect they have on ambient noise is of more benefit than the active noise cancellation feature.

 

[signed]

and they can be used whilst charging (unlike my previous set, the XM4s).

Finally? I might upgrade from my XM5s then

 

[Cloud Strife]

Another vote for Soundcore, I have the Q30 model which is comfortable to wear for long periods. As touched on by other posters, the muffling effect they have on ambient noise is of more benefit than the active noise cancellation feature.

Another vote here as well. The Q30s are incredibly comfortable, the battery life is terrific, and they do a wonderful job of dulling the noise on trains and planes, even on noisier older 737-800s when sitting mid-cabin.

 

[m0ffy]

If you’re an Apple user, the AirPods Pro 2 are excellent at blocking out a lot of unwanted noise. As an added bonus, they can also be used as hearing aids.

 

[_toommm_]

Finally? I might upgrade from my XM5s then

Indeed, I did it earlier.

 

[bubieyehyeh]

Another vote here as well. The Q30s are incredibly comfortable, the battery life is terrific, and they do a wonderful job of dulling the noise on trains and planes, even on noisier older 737-800s when sitting mid-cabin.

I got a pair of soundcore Q20 which are really good, however since my ears are large they sit on my ears rather than over them which makes them uncomfortable for long periods.

I've yet to find a pair of over ear headphones, that can accomodate my ears.

 

[styles]

Bose QuietComfort Ultra earphones. They have setting which allow you to filter out different levels/types of background noise.

They are pricey, but after years of sub-par noise cancelling earphones and headphones, I plucked for these and have not looked back. Their noise cancellation is incredibly.

 

[tfw756rider]

Over ear active noise cancelling headphones are generally not great at blocking out speech or higher frequency noises. They will deaden the noise but you will still hear announcements and bings and bongs etc. You are better of with in-ear earphones that have a much better passive seal.

Exactly, especially with triple-flange tips.

 

[Three-Nine]

I am a die hard fan of the Sony WH-XM sets, and would very gladly recommend them.

My main gripe is that they feel a bit cheap and the plastics on the XM3/4 and the adjustments on the 5 are very fragile, otherwise great sound (especially if you tweak the EQ) and great NC

Another thing, if the NC is what you are really after, earbuds are leagues ahead because a majority of the attenuation is passive, the AirPods Pro 2 are the best in that category if you have an iPhone

One thing you may need to be aware of with this series is that some users, including myself, have had issues with a crackling/popping sound developing after some months of use. This may be due to condensation affecting one of the sensors inside the cups; I had to return my XM4s due to this. I upgraded to XM5s and initially thought I was having the same problem but it seems to have resolved itself now.

They’re really good headphones and I love using them, but just to give the original poster a heads up of a potential issue. I don’t know how common an issue it might be.