Comments on: Audio Technica ATH-ANC7B Active Noise-Cancelling Closed-Back Headphones

By: G.G.P. III

G.G.P. III — Sat, 08 May 2010 00:33:26 +0000

When listening to music, most people seem to like their bass performance to be down `n' dirty, hard-drivin' and pulsating. That's cool, and if that's how you like your music you'll probably love the Audio Technica ATH-ANC7B headphones.

But if your music tastes are a bit out of the ordinary: If you dig Brahms's Requiem, or Ella singing Cole Porter, or a 30's recording of Leadbelly's chain-gang chants, or Renee Fleming as Violetta in Verdi's La traviata, or a "Bird" Parker/Dizzy Gillespie riff on practically anything -- then you might want to look elsewhere.

The Product Description promises to "deliver clear, high-resolution sound, with impactful bass, a detailed midrange, extended treble and accurate imaging in an immersive soundfield." I agree with the "impactful bass" and "immersive soundfield" parts. But the midrange gets trampled, and the treble is strangled in its crib.

I found listening to my music on these Audio Technicas like hearing stuff piped through a big, long tube. But I give the item 3 stars because many people may like this effect.

ERRATA: Another reviewer got it right: "THEY DON'T WORK WITH THE NOISING CANCELING OFF." He/she is correct. Turn on the canceling and the phones work just fine. But this shouldn't be necessary. It's a flaw.
Rating: 3 / 5

By: Lefty Knows Best

Lefty Knows Best — Fri, 07 May 2010 22:53:31 +0000

Just received my set yesterday, and am returning them today. I was hoping for literal noise canceling. I expected to turn them on and escape into a world of my own, like some sort of “manufactured deafness”. Instead I could hear everything around me, and perhaps even better than I could without them? I tested them around the house…nope didn’t block out my 3 year old who wasn’t using his inside voice, nope didn’t block out the bathroom fan, nope didn’t block out any conversations from any distance, wait, it did block out the quite sound of my refrigerator! I was purchasing them to help block out the conversations around me in my cube farm at work, nope didn’t do that either. I do believe there’s a chance they may work on an airplane, but I don’t spend enough time on planes to justify the expense. I wonder, if the original version (minus the “b”) were better? I read where they were sued for patent infringement with the original versions; perhaps it was because they worked? So disappointed!
Rating: 1 / 5

By: J. Ibraham

J. Ibraham — Fri, 07 May 2010 20:05:13 +0000

Having read all these reviews here, I am still confused. Some say the sound quality is great; some others say the sound quality isn’t that great. Some say they have bad leakage; others claim the leakage isn’t that bad. The problem is, I couldn’t find a place that had the headphones on display so I could try them, so all I am left with is the conflicting reviews here, which don’t help anyway. I have tried the Bose QC 15, and the sound quality was very good, but I guess at $300 they are about $100-$125 overpriced. I know I can order the Audio Ts and return them if I didn’t like them, but it is just not worth the hassle. So I am still confused…
Rating: 3 / 5

By: Inventor

Inventor — Fri, 07 May 2010 18:38:51 +0000

This is about the ...7 not the ...7B but I believe the facts of the case are likely unchanged. Buyer beware!

-------------------------------------

I purchased these phones in March 2008 and used them seldom. Maybe 20 hours at most. Then they died. Quit. Failed to work any more.

The maker tells me they don't bother to do any repairs and the trade in for replacements is essentially the price of a new set. In other words after a few hours of use we have to pay for a new set!

I have written AT and told them what I think, and told them I was going to tell the public what I felt too.

I will not stand by and let a vendor make garbage, sell it for a high price then not back up the product.

The age-old saying is: Price, quality, service: pick any two. Well AT has not one of these! They have high price, low quality, and nonexistent service.

Good luck to you with these products, Mr. and Ms. Public.

YIKES Rating: 1 / 5

By: eclectic

eclectic — Fri, 07 May 2010 15:52:57 +0000

The manual explicitly states that they work with the noise-canceling off- they don’t. You can hear sound but it’s very badly deteriorated.

They do a good job of noise canceling, though, and the sound with the noise-canceling on is very good.
Rating: 1 / 5