Cancelling
the unwanted.
Popping
on your headphones and kicking back with some music, podcasts or
audio books is a great way to unwind and escape. But... damn that
background noise, the sort that somehow always manages to seep in
between the highs of your beat or the words of the speaker. What you
need is a decent pair of noise-cancelling cans, and we think we've
found them in the Lindy Cromo NCX-100 Headphones.
The
only other pair of noise-cancelling headphones that we have ever
reviewed were the Velodyne
vQuiet two years ago. Trouble is, they were expensive and very
chunky – not ideal for day-to-day commuting when you might want a
bit of quiet time. Thankfully the Lindy Cromo NCX-100 are smaller
and lighter, and drop in at less than half the price. These are
sub-£100 active noise-cancelling headphones that also include a...
wait for it... hard carry case! Yay!
The
Lindy Cromo NCX-100 Noise-cancelling Headphones are on-ear cans which
feature 40mm high output drivers with neodymium magnets. Even without
mentioning the noise-cancelling capabilities, these are exceptional
headphones that deliver bass as if you had your head within a huge
speaker. Musical reproduction is great, with a high level of clarity
for both sounds and vocals. They feature an integrated amplifier and
bass boost, meaning that they can certainly pack a punch while
keeping control, even a high volumes.
But
obviously the main selling point of the Lindy Cromo NCX-100s is their
noise-cancelling powers. Uniquely they run off two AAA batteries (not
included) instead of the more conventional Micro USB charging port.
The batteries aren't needed to use the headphones in normal passive
mode, but to kick in the cancelling feature you'll need some juice.
Switch it on using the button on the right can and your brain will
seem to quickly sink underwater.
Like
others we've played with before, the Lindy Cromo NCX-100's
noise-cancelling feature presents your ears with a deadening sound;
like hearing something while hearing nothing at all. The whole world
around you seems to have the volume turned down, allowing you to
focus more on your music or spoken word track. The headphones are
capable of removing up to 95% of background ambient noise of sounds
up to 15dB. This makes them perfect for removing that background roar
of plane engines, and the constant hiss of a train.
And
they're comfortable, truly they are. We've got big bugbears with
heavy headphones that squeeze your head for dear life to stay on top,
but the Lindy Cromo NCX-100 are refreshingly light despite their
capabilities. Oh, and they come with their own hard carry case. Did
we mention that?
£95.94
Available from www.amazon.co.uk