Good for short flights, but there are better choices now
Written: Jan 20 '03 (Updated Feb 09 '03)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Inexpensive. Long battery life. Effective noise reduction.
Cons: Uncomfortable after several hours. No carrying case.
The Bottom Line: Solid, economical performance. But other, more comfortable models should also be seriously considered.
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| technofan's Full Review: Lewis N Clark Noisebuster Extreme |
Note: In response to some excellent questions from members, I have updated this review to include information on how the headphones work, where they seem to work best, and how much they might cost.
One of the first, but no longer the best
The Noisebuster Extreme noise-cancelling headphones have been on the market for quite a number of years now. They are made by Noise Cancellation Technologies, Incorporated in Stamford, CT. I first purchased a pair about five years ago and found them to be very effective and basically reliable.
However, there are now other noise-cancelling headphones available. In particular, there are other models that offer about the same level of noise reduction and but more comfortable to wear during long flights.
Product Overview
The black plastic headphones are partially collapsible or foldable. Each earpiece swivels so that the headphones can be stored flat. The headband is also easily adjustable.
The headphones are permanently connected to a small electronics module that houses the noise-cancellation electronics. This module takes 2 AAA batteries and has an on-off switch, a power-on red LED, a noise-reduction-level slide control, and an attenuation switch to limit volume when you have a very loud music source.
A 32-inch audio cable with 1/8” stereo plugs is also included to connect this control module to the headphone jack on the airline seat or on your music source. The product also includes an adaptor to connect the audio cable to an airline in-seat socket that requires two separate plugs (one for each stereo channel).
The noise-canceling system works by sensing the low-frequency sounds via microphones built-in to the headsets. The electronics then create a signal that is the inverse or opposite of the noise. This sound is then fed to the headphones to cancel out the low-frequency noise that would normally reach your ear.
The advertised frequency response of the headphones is 20 to 20,000 Hz. Active noise reduction affects sounds between 200 to 1500 Hz, and provides maximum of 15 dB of cancellation between 150 and 300 Hz.
Performance
The headphones worked well on airline flights. The batteries lasted a long time, perhaps 80 hours or so on a fresh pair of alkaline AA cells. I always kept the noise-reduction-level control at maximum. The attenuation switch was useful when the audio output from the airline seat was too loud, even at the lowest volume setting on the seat controls.
After several years of heavy use on business travel, part of the plastic and metal mechanism that allows the headband to be adjusted began to fail. The electrical connection at the base of the headphones for the signal cable to the electronics module also became problematic, due to heavy use. It would occasionally produce a startling crackle in the headphones.
The noise-canceling system is only effective for steady, low-frequency sounds, such as the drone of the engines on a plane. For example, the headphones will cancel out much of the sound of a refrigerator running in your kitchen. The system doesn’t react quickly enough to cancel out complex sounds. As such, they will not cancel out speech or music. In fact, I found it easier to hear conversations around me on a plane with these headphones, as the conversations were not competing with as much ambient noise.
My major complaint with these headphones is that my ears would become sore after a few hours of wearing them. Consequently, I began to look for a more comfortable headphone. I also believed that I could achieve better noise-cancellation and sound isolation with a pair that completely enclosed the ear.
Purchase Price
I purchased these headphones for perhaps $60 about four years ago. But you can find them on the web from various sources for about $40.
Recommendation
These may be a good, economical choice for someone that takes mostly short flights. But for the traveler that takes longer flights, and who wants a more comfortable fit, there are other options worth considering. Other choices may include an ear-bud design from Sony or Panasonic, the Panasonic RC-HP100 folding headphones, or the high-end Bose Quitecomfort headphones.
Recommended:
Yes
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technofan
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Reviews written: 8
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