Alone with music: TOP 5 vacuum headphones with active noise reduction

Similar to overgrown beans, Sony WF-SP700N is a direct competitor to the popular true wireless headphones Apple AirPods , but with a bias towards sports. This is evidenced by the protection of the case from splashes and sweat according to the IPX4 standard and the presence of special hypoallergenic silicone inserts that ensure a secure fit in the auricle. Let's just say that the tenacity of landing in the ears is amazing. Fans of running and other active sports should be delighted. Last but not least, the ears don't feel tired even after a couple of hours of listening.

In order not to distract from music and physical activity, Sony decided to simplify this model as much as possible. For example, the control scheme is quite familiar: on each earphone there are several buttons to start a track, pause, switch to talk mode and turn on active noise reduction or ambient sound mode, which on the contrary does not disconnect from external noise, but allows you to clearly hear what is happening around. Shumodav is not the coolest, although the robot vacuum cleaner crawling under your feet muffles wonderfully. The passive noise isolation of the headphones is also not bad. Of the additional buns, there is only an equalizer sewn into the Sony Headphones Connect application, plus an unusual priority switch between sound quality and connection stability. The first option turned out to be convenient for the house, the second — for the street.

The sound of the headphones is traditional for modern lifestyle headphones — bass reigns in it. The perfect soundtrack for them is a selection of music for training: drum and bass, hip-hop, EDM, trap, etc. Their WF-SP700N is played almost flawlessly: the rhythm is clear, juicy, accented. For cool jazz and other delicate genres, this model is not so great, but the nature of the sound can be adjusted using one of the 8 built-in equalizer presets. There will still be a lot of bass, but the overall tone of the sound changes dramatically. As for the wireless connection, the model works with Bluetooth v 4.1, supports AAC codecs (but for some reason not branded LDAC) and will last up to 3 hours on a single battery charge. The battery life is mediocre, but on the other hand, hardly anyone will train even 3 hours in a row.

Considering that wireless headphones are in particular demand among sports fans, JBL successfully cooperated with the popular manufacturer of sports equipment Under Armour and released three models of JBL Under Armour headphones. Today we will talk about the most expensive and sophisticated model of this trio — JBL Flash, which, as the official slogan says, "created by runners for runners."

UA Flash True Wireless looks massive, but this impression is deceptive. Each insert weighs only 16 grams and sits firmly in the auricle. It is only important to choose the right ear pads: their range is represented not only by three sizes, but also by two types (regular and sports, with an additional "fin"). In addition to the main rubber insert, which is in direct contact with the sink, a simple soft "process" is provided, acting as an additional retainer.

Despite the external simplicity, ergonomics here is 5+, for all the time of tests on the treadmill, cycling or going to the gym, JBL Flash has never fallen out of my ears. I was also pleased with the attention to detail. For example, the grooved surface helps to quickly pull out the earphone, even if your hands are wet. The control buttons are the usual mechanics, not touch-sensitive. It is convenient to operate the headphones even with gloves. And the case itself is protected according to the IPX7 standard, that is, you can run with them in light rain, but you should not dive in the pool.

Each of the headphones has a 110 mAh battery installed — according to their characteristics, they are enough for 5 hours of sound, which has been confirmed in fact. Of course, the kit includes a case with a much more powerful battery for an additional 6 charges. It is made of metal and looks very solid, but the designers overdid it with the size. Unlike AirPods or Huawei FreeBuds , it is difficult to fit it in the pocket of jeans or a shirt. In terms of additional JBL Flash chips, they are not particularly striking — there are TalkThru operating modes (you can hear the interlocutor's speech) and AmbientAware (you can hear everything like in-ear headphones), as an alternative to active noise reduction. That's all, actually. The sound is traditional for JBL: cheerful, energetic and bass. The very thing for going to the gym.

If most true wireless models with active noise cancellation are designed for athletes and ease of use, the Bose QuietControl 30 is a slightly different beast. These are ordinary wireless vacuum headphones with an emphasis on high-end sound, maximum comfort and high-quality noise reduction. A kind of irreplaceable companion for a music lover who loves walking.

Listening to music in them is a pleasure. If you are a Bose fan, then focus on the popular Bose QuietComfort 35 II Price from 8 150 up to 14 350 ₴, their sound quality and character are very similar: the sound is somewhat neutral and crystal clear, with scrupulous attention to detail. They do a great job with compositions of any type and complexity, whether it's an orchestration loaded with live instruments or a rocking Lil Pump beat. Despite the size, QuietControl 30 creates a sense of volume, does not cause fatigue at high volume, and does not tyre the ears after an hour of listening to music.

An important part of Bose audio equipment is the Bose Connect proprietary application, which significantly expands the possibilities of using headphones. For example, it has a scale for adjusting the noise reduction level (by the way, the noise reduction is excellent), an auto-off timer, the ability to view a list of connected devices, set equalizer settings, etc. And this is not to mention that the application shows all important data about the track, even if you listen to music from external streaming such as SoundCloud or Bandcamp.

QuietControl 30 has a few flaws, but they don't spoil the overall impression much. Firstly, the inability to use them while charging is annoying. Secondly, I was a little upset by the quality of the built-in microphone, which transmits the interlocutor's speech so deafly, as if he broadcasts from an underground bunker. Well, the design here is not as convenient as that of true wireless headphones — the model is formally wireless, but there is a wire connecting a pair of headphones and a battery. But thanks to the fact that the battery did not have to be hidden in the headphones themselves, it was possible to increase the battery life to 10 hours. This is 2-3 times more than most true wireless models.

In recent years, things have not been going well in the Sony headphone market, but with the advent of headphones with active noise reduction, the Japanese have made some kind of hyper-jump in quality. If they already had a complete order with sound quality, then here is the noise reduction system of top models like Sony WH-1000XM3 or 1000XM3 tore to shreds competitors in the face of Bose, JBL and the rest.

The trick is that Sony engineers took the processor tested on full-size headphones and miniaturized it. This is not just a 24-bit DAC, it is designed for a specific model and location of microphones. At the output, this gave active noise reduction almost like in older models. In the office, they completely isolate from external sounds, in the air they reliably cut off the noise of the street, and in the subway, the sound of wheels only slightly makes its way through the general background. Further more: using the Sense Engine settings in the mobile application, the headphones will be able to determine what you are doing at the moment (walking, sitting, riding in transport) and adjust the noise reduction mode to what is happening. Switching works neatly and smoothly, so you don't pay attention to it at all.

Of the outright disadvantages of the model, we will highlight a giant charging case that does not fit in any pocket. Although, the case itself with magnetic fasteners looks cool and is decorated in the same colour as the headphones themselves. Also, there is no protection from water or sweat in the 1000XM3, it is not a sports model, and it was not conceived as such. Otherwise, these are top-end headphones that cost a decent amount of money, sit perfectly in the ears, isolate from external noise like no other, and also delight with high (but not perfect) sound quality and battery life.

In 2019, Apple seriously took up the development of true wireless headphones, introducing three new models at once: the second version of conventional AirPods, overhead and completely new AirPods Pro, which were developed without much regard for the first and second generation of AirPods, Now they are purely vacuum headphones with silicone nozzles (so be sure to try them on before buying, they may not fit), they have become larger (there are more electronics inside), but due to the shortened "legs" they look neater than their predecessors. Another big innovation was the protection of these babies from sweat and water according to the IPX4 standard, which implies active sports.

The management system has also been completely redesigned. If the first and second generation AirPods relied on an accelerometer and tapping on the body, then here we have small panels with pressure sensors that allow you to pause playback, switch tracks and turn on the "transparency" mode. With it, headphones specifically transmit external sound through the built-in microphones so that the user can hear what is happening around. In general, it has become more convenient to manage the new Pro, although you also need to get used to the system.

But the most interesting and unusual innovation is the connection calibration mode. The smartphone sends a test signal and compares the sound in the earphone with the level outside, after which AirPods Pro understand how well or poorly the nozzle fits. Sometimes the system advises you to simply pull out and insert the earphone back, sometimes replace the nozzle. Calibration affects both the quality of active noise reduction and the overall sound quality. And this is again an occasion to talk about changes. Thanks to the vacuum fit and new custom drivers, the sound quality has changed dramatically: the new product has a great dynamic range, the bass has become much more powerful and can be heard even in the subway, the sound spectrum has become smoother and does not sink in the upper middle. Their character is universal with the expectation of the most diverse audience, and the overall sound level is excellent for wireless headphones.

Against the background of all this, the minus is essentially one and this is again a damn high price, it exceeds $ 300. However, given their convenience, versatility and the amount of electronics that each earphone is stuffed with, such a price tag looks quite justified. And additional chips like a case with wireless charging support also cost money.