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+--- Thread: Candidates for decent hearing protection (/showthread.php?tid=14008)
Candidates for decent hearing protection - GoldOxide_imp - 03-07-2023
I was able to perform an initial assessment of the "QuietOn 3.1" ANC ear buds and here is my opinion:
Summary:
[ul] [li]They work as advertised![/li] [li]They are small and flat enough for me to slide my helmet (Klim Krios Pro in my test) without issue.[/li] [li]They are true Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) devices. ANC comes on about 20 seconds out of the charging pod and you can hear it kick in.[/li] [li]28 hours of continuous use on a single charge out-of-the charging pod.
[/li][/ul]
Pros:
[ul] [li]Four sizes of wipeable foam-like pads that provide useful passive noise isolation. Ensure the correct size is chosen and seals well upon foam expansion.[/li] [li]Sound suppression appears to be about 80% quieter than ambient sounds, but you can still hear enough around you to stay alert (e.g. voice tones, abrupt sounds like banging, sirens and horns).[/li] [li]Compared to Sony over-the-ear WH-1000XM3 ANC headphones, I would say maybe 80 to 100% (equally) as effective. I was quite surprised. I did not expect this. Your results may vary depending on your ear design. Nonetheless, effective and without the bulk and weight. For me, this performance could not be ignored.[/li] [li]I found the foam buds comfortable, at least more so compared to silicone earplugs and generic industrial foam plugs. I have been wearing them for hours now without agony. I cannot say the same with audio/Bluetooth/silicone/foam earbuds.[/li] [li]Build quality of the devices are excellent, solid, and I would say "Apple-like" in feel and experience.[/li] [li]For sleeping, I personally have no problem resting on my side. The devices didn't bother me. Silicone earplugs would have bothered me.[/li] [li]Multiple applications: Motorcycle wind noise reduction, whining children in airplane fuselages, sleeping, industrial, urban, and concert noise suppression.
Portable technology.[/li] [li]Made in the EU (designed in Finland).
[/li][/ul]
Cons:
[ul] [li]Pricey. This might be the biggest drawback.[/li] [li]They don't appear to be IPx water-resistant. Hopefully not an issue wearing a motorcycle helmet.[/li] [li]Maybe not a con, however, the buds are always on once removed from the charging pod for up to 28 hours of continuous use. They turn off when put back into the charging pod.[/li] [li]This is not a con for me, but the reason for over a day of continuous use is possible on a single charge is because there is no Bluetooth radio to power. Therefore, there is no sharing of media and communications. This is a trade-off, but should not be a surprise, and also given their small size. QuietOn 3 design scope was for primarily for sleepers, but it can be used in noisy industrial environments.[/li] [li]Possible con: Using the Klim Krios Pro helmet, it seemed like ANC performance dropped to about 80% - consistently for me. Was it because of my slight jaw or outer-ear adjustment with the helmet on, or was the ANC trying to adapt to the possible "muffled echo" (due to the helmet padding, and inside helmet shell curvature)? I don't know. Nevertheless, the change was reproducible.[/li] [li]You may hear your breathing. With full-on in-ear ANC, that leaves bone conduction of bodily sounds to migrate to your ear canal. Not sure if this is a con, but rather a normal behaviour with in-ear plugs in general. Nonetheless, it doesn't go away with these in-ear devices.
[/li][/ul]
Reference:
https://the-gadgeteer.com/2021/06/06/quieton-3-active-noise-cancelling-earbuds-review-no-music-just-quiet/
RE: Candidates for decent hearing protection - Nachodaddy - 03-07-2023
My wife says my favorite four-letter word is "What?"
If they'd had these sixty years ago, I would still probably not worn them, (definitely would not have been able to afford them) but they sure would have made a big difference in my hearing in my old age if I had.
RE: Candidates for decent hearing protection - ymtnpoah11_imp - 03-07-2023
Active noise cancellation is the cat's pajamas when flying commercially - Life changing tech. I haven't tried them while riding, where on bikes I want only to reduce db levels, rather than omit that which would be safer to hear.
Is it a good idea? Don't most places have legislation governing the use of headphones while driving?
RE: Candidates for decent hearing protection - emptysea - 03-07-2023
Seems like a great solution, but the cost is pretty high. I don't recall exactly, but my Bose QC20s were under $200us, I think, and I can listen to music when I want. I have used them for sleeping and on airplanes, too.
I do regret not using ear pro when I was younger, but I'm doing what I can to keep additional hearing loss at bay. Now if they only had a device that would remind me of the reason I got up and walked into the kitchen.
RE: Candidates for decent hearing protection - GoldOxide_imp - 03-07-2023
(03-07-2023, 06:07 AM)EmptySea_imp Wrote: Seems like a great solution, but the cost is pretty high. I don't recall exactly, but my Bose QC20s were under $200us, I think, and I can listen to music when I want. I have used them for sleeping and on airplanes, too.
I do regret not using ear pro when I was younger, but I'm doing what I can to keep additional hearing loss at bay. Now if they only had a device that would remind me of the reason I got up and walked into the kitchen.
RE: Candidates for decent hearing protection - the Ferret - 03-07-2023
Probably