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You are here: Home / Archives for noise-cancelling headphones

Audio-Technica ATH-ANC100BT Headphones Review

09/12/2019 By Hakan Can

Audio-Technica ANC100BT Review

Back at CES 2019, Audio-Technica introduced its latest QuietPoint ANC wireless headphones lineup. Within the three new models, ATH-ANC900BT, ATH-ANC500CT, and ATH-ANC100BT, only the latter is of the in-ear variety. Engineered with dynamic 12 mm drivers and in-line mic and controls, these in-ear headphones are designed to deliver detailed audio reproduction. Want to know if they hit the mark? Without further delay, let’s take a closer look in this Audio-Technica ANC100BT review.

Audio-Technica ANC100BT Review

Pros:
• Exceptionally comfortable fit
• Battery life of 10-20 hours*
• Active Noise Cancellation
• Control clip
• Price of $99

Cons:
• No wall outlet plug included
• Lacks wear detection
• Bass audio is a bit soft

Read:   Audio-Technica ATH-MSR7 Review - SonicPro Headphones

Audio-Technica ATH-ANC100BT Review

What You Need To Know About Operation

  1. Slide the power switch to ON. The green light beside NC lights up as well as the blue light beside the Bluetooth symbol.
  2. On your mobile device, select the ATH-ANC100BT within the Bluetooth list, and your headset is now paired.
  3. To power down, slide the power switch to OFF.
  4. To charge the headset, place the supplied USB cord into a power source. Charging of the headphones takes up to 3 hours, and playtime lasts for 10-20 hours depending on how you use the ANC100BT.
  5. Play and Pause are controlled by the pressing the large round button in the center of the clip. (If you’re like me, you may forget that it’s there.)
  6. Volume adjustment is controlled via the “+” and “-” buttons located on the side of the clip.
  7. To advance or return to a previous track, press and hold the “+” and “-” buttons for two seconds, respectively.
  8. Regarding phone calls, press the Play/Pause button once to answer and disconnect calls.
Read:   Libratone Q Adapt On-Ear Headphones Review

Design and Features

Per the Audio-Technica website, “The ATH-ANC100BT QuietPoint® wireless in-ear headphones combine Audio-Technica’s proprietary active noise-cancelling technology with Bluetooth® wireless technology to give you greater freedom and listening pleasure in areas of high ambient noise.”

The in-ear portion of the ANC100BT comes with a hard plastic outer shell in a somewhat glossy black finish. The earbuds are angled and noticeably so to fit your ears better. They’re fixed in position which is preferred by this reviewer.

The controller is located approximately two feet down from each earbud. The controller is intriguing as it’s an alligator clip design. On one end is the audio cable before it branches out to each ear. On the other is the USB connection for charging and to go wired to an audio player.

Audio-Technica ANC100BT Review

On the wide-sided top are the mic, the circular logo, and the Play/Pause button. If you’re like me, you’ll forget that the button is even there and use Play/Pause directly from the audio source. I’m not saying it’s bad placement. I simply forget it’s there.

The opposite wide side has the alligator-mouthed clip with another AT logo. From my testing, the clip holds very well onto a shirt or jacket.

On the long, thinner side with the controls, there are the On/Off slider, noise-cancelling and Bluetooth light indicators, and volume push buttons.

Silicone tips come in four sizes: XS, S, M & L, plus there’s a Medium-sized Comply™ foam set.

One downside is the headset cannot be used while charging.

The quality of workmanship from Audio-Technica is high. In testing, the buttons worked flawlessly during music and phone calls. I was never worried about the cord being pulled out the controller as there’s plenty of slack.

“An internal lithium polymer rechargeable battery powers the headphones, giving you approximately 10 hours of continuous Bluetooth and ANC use on a full charge. The headphones come with a 30 cm (1′) USB charging cable, a 0.6 m (2.0′) audio cable with 3.5 mm (1/8″) stereo mini-plug, and a protective carrying pouch.”

Read:   Sennheiser Momentum Free Earbuds Review

Specifications

• List pricing of $99.99
• Driver Type: 12mm Dynamic
• Frequency Response: 20 Hz – 24 kHz
• Bluetooth Version: 4.2
• Bluetooth Profiles: A2DP, AVRCP, HFP, HSP
• Impedance: 16 Ω w/ANC
• Sensitivity: 102-103 dB

• Cable Length: 2 Ft Detachable
• Battery Life w/ANC & Bluetooth: 20 Hours
• Battery Life w/ANC only: 10 Hours
• Range: 10 Meters
• Charging Time: 3 Hours
• Weight: 30 grams w/o cable
• Available in Black

Audio-Technica ANC100BT Review

What’s In The Box?

• Pair of Headphones
• Carry Pouch
• Quick Start and Caution Guides

• 1′ USB Charging Cable
• 2′ Audio cable w/L-shaped 3.5 mm plug
• 4 Pairs of Ear Tips + Comply Foam

Read:   Edifier TWS2 Earbuds Review

Amazon Music Playlist

• Meg Myers – Make A Shadow
• Tove Lo – Queen Of The Clouds
• The Smashing Pumpkins – Siamese Dream
• Rush – Clockwork Angels

• Bassnectar – Cozza Frenzy
• Shinedown – Amaryllis
• Halsey – BADLANDS
• Play List – Krewella and More

Audio Performance

As I often state, the most critical factor regarding headphones is sound quality, followed by fit and feel. The Audio-Technica ATH-ANC100BT in-ear wireless headphones were tested across music from the artists and playlists listed above using my Amazon Music account.

This time around, I didn’t test the headphones in the gym. Even though they’re lightweight and held firmly in my ears, I was worried about the control module bouncing off my shirt.

Audio-Technica ANC100BT Review
Audio-Technica ANC100BT Review

The first test on how well these earbuds sounded was with hard rock music from the likes of The Smashing Pumpkins, Shinedown, and Rush.

When it came to percussion instruments like drums and cymbals, the ANC100BT produced bright sounds. Percussion on these albums was by far my favorite to listen to, followed by acoustic guitar. The detailed drum work across the three rock albums was crazy good. Please take a listen to Today or Rocket from Siamese Dream. You won’t be disappointed. Who doesn’t like to hear Neil Peart or Jimmy Chamberlin hammer away on the drums?

Bass audio was a bit soft, and pretty much expected as the ANC100BT isn’t labeled a bass-heavy pair of headphones. I couldn’t enjoy Geddy Lee’s base work to its fullest. It took second fiddle to vocals, guitar, and drums.

Pop music from female artists such as Halsey’s hopeless fountain kingdom and BADLANDS and Tove Lo’s Queen Of The Clouds sounded well. The vocals across these albums shined, but like their rock band brothers, bass audio wasn’t quite where I would have liked it. If you take a listen to The Way That I Am or Thousand Miles by Tove Lo, you know bass should be more pronounced with a bit more clarity.

Overall I was very pleased with the audio emanating from this sub-$100 pair of headphones.

Read:   1MORE Dual Driver BT ANC Headphones Review

Conclusion

From a physical design perspective, I found these earbuds to be very comfortable in my ears and very portable whether clasped onto a shirt or coat.

Audio life of 10-20 hours (depending on its use) is more than enough to cover one week’s worth of commutes to work plus every lunch break. The audio quality is quite good with its 20 Hz – 24 kHz range. The ATH-ANC100BT headphones are staying put in my collection with a lot more use coming.

• Design – 4.50
• Features – 4.50

• Sound – 4.25
• Value – 4.50

What do you think of this Audio-Technica ANC100BT headphones review? Do you agree or disagree with our verdict? Let us know in the comment section below or via social media. We’re eager to hear your thoughts.

Audio-Technica ANC100BT Review

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Don’t hesitate to head over to the News page to see their latest announcements. The ATH-ANC100BT wireless in-ear headphones come with a two-year limited warranty.

FTC Disclosure: Audio-Technica provided Beantown with one (1) ATH-ANC100BT sample for review purposes. This writer’s opinion is 100% his own and not a paid product ambassador.

All photographs are the copyrighted property of Beantown LLC © 2019.

Read:   Headphones: Audio-Technica ATH-DSR7BT Review

Filed Under: Headphones Tagged With: ANC100BT, Audio-Technica, bluetooth earbuds, Bluetooth Headphones, noise-cancelling headphones 09/12/2019

Libratone Q Adapt On-Ear Headphones Review

04/03/2017 By Hakan Can

Libratone Q Adapt On-Ear Review

If you’ve been reading this website over the past six months, you would have seen the audio brand Libratone mentioned a few times. For those who still aren’t aware of the brand, they’re growing niche player in the music audio space. Not too long ago, they introduced two pairs of headphones onto the market, their first entries beyond the portable speaker sector. These products were called the Q Adapt in-ear and Q Adapt on-ear headphones. Fast forward to today, and we’ve got our hands on the latter, their on-ear headphones. So how does this product stack up? Let’s take a closer look in this Libratone Q Adapt on-ear review.

Wireless Headphones: Libratone Q Adapt On-Ear Review

Libratone Q Adapt On-Ear Review

Pros:
• Creative, modern design
• Solid construction, flexible, yet sturdy
• Feature reach with impressive sound
• Very comfortable fit
• Great battery life ≥ 20 hours

Cons:
• Bass may not be strong enough for some folks
• Only two color patterns available
• $249 price tag may be too expensive for some

Read:   Libratone One Click Speaker Review

Q Adapt Design and Features

Upon first glance, you may have said to yourself that the Q Adapt on-ear headphones have a simple, basic design. What you don’t realize, and I say this from an engineering design perspective, is that often the simplest and most basic looking designs are the most complicated to pull off. Achieving the right look and feel are no easy feat, yet Libratone did just that with their Q Adapt on-ear headphones.

Because this is a review website, we’ve had the pleasure of trying dozens of headphones. We know what works and what doesn’t when it comes to each of them. With the Q Adapt on-ear, the fit and comfort level are spot on.

Until recently, I used to wear over-ear headphones when working at the home office, mostly to shut off the outside world and focus on the task at hand. When I tell you these ear cups feel like butter, I mean they feel like butter. They’re so soft with just the right amount of padding that you can wear them for hours straight. It’s what I do.

The first time I tried the Q Adapt headphones was at CES2017. I recall having said to the Libratone representative that they’re so soft that they felt “like butter.” I was, of course, referring to the Mike Myers SNL skit ‘Coffee Talk with Linda Richman.’ For you young folks out there, Google it.

[envira-gallery id=”7789″]

The ear cup design looks like one-half of a miniaturized whoopie pie. With that said, don’t be the one fool in the country to bite into it. Right and left sides are nearly indistinguishable, and that’s okay. Even though they’re lightly marked, I often wear the headphones backward with zero negative impact.

As you see in the images above and below, one side has the power button, while the other has the CityMix™ button, microphone, audio and charging cable inputs, and the volume adjustment which you actually can’t see. Adjusting the volume is a matter of circling a finger around the outer right cup. It’s that easy. You don’t need to press anything. The right cup also contains Play and Pause features as well as the Libratone logo which can be lit or not from their app.

The outer material of the headband is the same woven fabric material found on the One Click speaker. As I stated months ago, it’s not only eye-catching, but it’s also durable. Adjusting the headband is simple. If you’ve tried B&O headphones, then you already know how easy it is. Adjustment is silent, and everything holds in place via friction.

Libratone Q Adapt On-Ear Review

Read:   Here are the AKG Headphones set for release in 2017

One final feature to mention is the ability to play the same music across two Q Adapt on-ear headphones. This can be achieved through the app using the Plus 1 feature via these instructions. I tried to play two different Libratone products (One Click and Adapt on-ear) simultaneously with Plus 1, but could not achieve the desired result. No matter, there’s a way to get around this and link two products via the SoundSpace settings.

In the SoundSpace settings, it’s very easy to link and unlink two products. Furthermore, you can listen to your music in one of three modes: Dual, Stereo-1, and Stereo-2, and in one of nine music fields. (These are listed further down in the App portion of this review.) Dual mode plays music simultaneously across both products while Stereo-1 and -2 can send left and right channels to either of the two products. Suffice to say; the music sounds odd when you hear only one channel of audio in the headphones. When volume control is adjusted on one product, it affects the other. Pretty neat.

And I didn’t even mention the hush mode, wear detection, or the ability to access Siri or internet radio.

The speaker is available in two colors: Stormy Black and Cloudy White. I believe a third color, let’s say brown, would be a welcome addition.

Fully charging the battery takes approximately 3 hours and is handled via a supplied cable.

The headphones have a height of 7.5″, an ear cup diameter of 2.4″ and weighs in at 7 ounces.

What’s In The Box?

  • Q Adapt On-Ear Headphones
  • Protective Transport Pouch
  • 3.5mm Audio Cable
  • USB 2.0 Charging Cable
  • Quick Guide

Adjustable Noise Cancellation / CityMix™

What the heck is CityMix™?

CityMix™ is the trademarked name for Libratone’s adjustable noise cancellation system. Per the table below, you can see what levels or outside noise pass to your ears. Does it work as well as they advertise? The answer is “Oh heck yeah.”

As I stated earlier, I’ll wear these headphones at the home office just for their noise-cancelling properties, with or without music. At Beantown, we’ve got a quite a few ANC headphones to choose from such as the Plantronics BackBeat Pro 2, but the ANC headphone of choice here is the Q Adapt on-ear.

CityMix™:
• CityMix™ Level 1
• CityMix™ Level 2
• CityMix™ Level 3
• CityMix™ Level 4

Adjustable Noise Cancellation:
• Pass through sound, 80% outside noise
• Passive ANC, 60% outside noise
• Medium ANC, 30% outside noise
• Complete ANC, <10% outside noise

Read:   Here are the Audio-Technica Headphones set for release in 2017

Audio Performance & Playlist

• Lady Gaga – Born This Way
• Lana Del Rey – Born To Die, Paradise
• Lorde – Pure Heroine
• The Prodigy – Invaders Must Die
• Shinedown – Amaryllis

• The Black Keys – El Camino
• 30 Second To Mars – This is War
• My Chemical Romance – The Black Parade
• Mumford and Sons – Babel
• Imagine Dragons – Night Visions

I say this time and time again when reviewing speakers and headphones; the most important performance factor is the quality of sound. Using the playlist above, the Q Adapt on-ear headphones were tested across a broad range of music. Songs within each album were sampled against comparable $200 headphones selected from the samples collection, and results were noted.

[envira-gallery id=”7791″]

The Q Adapt produced excellent vocals, which were vivid and clear. The vocal reproduction of the 3 L’s (Lana Del Rey, Lady Gaga, and Lorde) was impressive.

The headphones took a balanced approach to sound quality with reasonably good bass reproduction. One notable exception was with Imagine Dragons album Night Visions. Finding a pair of $200-250 headphones that can accurately reproduce the marching band bass drum in the song Radioactive has been impossible to date.

I tested the Libratone Q Adapt on-ear against more than ten albums. Playback of rock and alt-rock albums from 30 Seconds to Mars, Mumford and Sons, and My Chemical Romance was terrific. Listening to Lady Gaga’s Born This Way was a delight. The engineering that goes into her albums yielded huge sound without any distortions.

The negative takeaway I had with the Libratone One Click speaker, that was with the missing finger snapping sounds on Emeli Sandé’s song Wonder, has been rectified with the Q Adapt on-ear. They’re there.

Read:   JAM Audio Xterior Max Speaker Review

Libratone App

We’re not going to cover the app in detail here as it’s been covered in depth in an earlier Libratone review, notably the One Click speaker. You’re encouraged to check out that review and the discussion on the app by clicking on the first inline post in this review. BTW, that speaker is most excellent.

SoundSpace Settings:
• Neutral
• Easy Listening
• Soft & Comfortable
• Rock the House
• Jazz Club
• Movie Mode
• Live Concert
• Classical
• Speech

Libratone Q Adapt On-Ear Review

Read:   Moshi Vortex Air Headphones Review

Final Thoughts

First, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention something about the packaging on Libratone’s product. The packaging is a designer’s dream; it’s top notch, something you would see from brands who charge multiples more for their products.

When it comes to the protective transport pouch, my advice would be to keep the padding exactly where it is. Don’t toss it out. While the pouch would prevent the headphones from getting scratched or torn when you carry it around in let’s say a shoulder bag, it’s the padding that would protect the Q Adapt from getting inadvertently crushed.

Definitively speaking, these headphones are a contender in the $200-250 ANC on-ear/over-ear headphone category. They produce great sound while being super comfortable.

Usually, these headphones are priced at $249.99. Now that they’re a bit less at $219.99, they’re worth an even longer look. The Libratone Q Adapt on-ear headphones are available for purchase on Amazon or the Libratone website.

What do you think of this Libratone Q Adapt on-ear review? Do you agree or disagree with our verdict? Let us know in the comment section below or via social media. We’re eager to hear your thoughts.

• Follow Libratone on Twitter
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Don’t hesitate to head over to the Libratone home page to see their newest products. To learn more about warranties, click this link for Libratone US Warranty information. They also have a free 30-day return policy.

Feel free to follow Beantown on Twitter, Beantown on Facebook, and Beantown on Instagram.

FTC Disclosure: Libratone provided Beantown LLC with one (1) Libratone Q Adapt on-ear headphones sample for review purposes. This writer’s opinion is 100% his own and not a paid product ambassador.

All photographs are the copyrighted property of Beantown LLC © 2017.

Read:   Triby Review: Alexa Smart Speaker

Filed Under: Headphones Tagged With: bluetooth, Libratone, noise-cancelling headphones, On-Ear Headphones 10/09/2018

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