Review: Audio-Technica’s QuietPoint ATH-ANC7b Noise-Cancelling Headphones Are Real Beauties
12:35 pm, September 12th, 2009, Eli Milchman
Unfortunately, Audio-Technica’s $220, noise-cancelling beauties have turned me into a complete twit. They’ve caused me to belt out John Legend’s “If You’re Out There” while in line at the local Starbucks; and they make make me look like Lando Calrissian’s crony in The Empire Strikes Back
I don’t care. They’re so good, I’m probably never taking them off.
With the noise-cancelling circuitry switched on, the QuietPoint ATH-ANC7b’s deaden ambient sound, and practically eliminate low- and mid-frequency rumbling, like that of plane turbofans, a bus engine, or the chatter of loud conversation. Audio-Technica claims up to an 85 percent reduction of noise, and I’d say that’s about right. And the leftover high-frequency sound that isn’t canceled gets blotted-out when the music starts.
Good news for old-schoolers who haven't upgraded yet: The QuietPoint's gold-plated cables are compatible with the 1G iPhone's ridiculous headphone port.
I was stunned to find the earphones even eliminated wind noise while cruising down the road at 20 mph on a bicycle (note: doing this is not recommended; beside the fact that it’s dangerous and in some places illegal, I don’t think I’ve ever looked more like a goober).
Overall, sound from the QuietPoints is superb. I was never able to overwhelm them by turning the volume up or heavily weighting the equalizer in any direction. Mid-treble notes are exceptionally clear; a modest lack of bass punch was easily corrected by setting my iPhone’s equalizer to “Bass Booster.”
The QuietPoints are also extremely comfortable. The ear-cups and top bar are padded with just the right amount of velvety plushness, and they seem lighter than their bulk would suggest. These cans scream quality, and have a well-finished look and feel in line with that of Bose’s iconic noise-cancelling QuietComfort series.
In fact, I found little difference in performance between the $300 Bose QuietComfort 2s and the QuietPoints. A comparison of the noise-cancellation performance showed a negligible difference between the two. And while the QuietPoints don’t have quite the base heft of the Bose unit, they seem to reproduce sounds in the treble range with more clarity.
A single, easy-to-swap AAA battery powers the ATH-ANC7bs
As an added bonus, the QuietPoints will work — although with muffled, muddy sound reproduction — even without being turned on, a plus when the battery dies after about 35 hours of use; and since the QuietPoints run on a single AAA battery, getting the power back up shouldn’t prove too difficult anyway.
Quibbles? Just one: The QuietPoints tend to bleed sound a little; they neither isolated me from outside sounds nor isolated those around me from my music as well as other over-the-ear headphones.
One reason for wearing headphones is to avoid enthusiastically sharing music with the surrounding environment, and the ANC7bs miss the mark a little here. But the problem isn’t noticeable in most situations, and diminishes with noise-cancelling turned off.
Buy the Audio-Technica QuietPoint ATH-ANC7b Noise-Cancelling Headphones from Amazon.com.
The small pocket on the left holds the headphone's accoutrements.
The handsome nylon case makes a good home for the ANC7bs
In the box: earphones, one long and one short detachable cable, airplane jack adapter, quarter-inch jack adapter, AAA battery, case.
Posted by Eli Milchman in Music, Reviews, iPod Accessories | Comment on this article
When he was eight, Eli Milchman came home from frolicking in the Veld one day and was given an Atari 400. Since then, his fascination with technology has made him an intrepid early adopter of whatever charming new contraption crosses his path. He calls San Francisco home, where he works as a journalist and photographer. Eli has contributed to the pages of 
Awesome. I would love to try them out some time. I have a pair of the Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro which im super happy with. Its a pretty flat EQ line, altough it has a bump around 3K high, which i dont mind at all.
I love walking around with noise cancelling headphones. Altough you look like a walking DJ, its like your living in a movie and the theme music is rolling as your making up stories.
Lasse Endresen Olsen, on September 12th, 2009 at 4:11 pm
I have the last model of these headphones and LOVE them! I use them all the time. It’s well worth the money
Logan, on September 12th, 2009 at 7:55 pm
Out of curiosity, were you able to test the ATH-ANC7b’s to see if they’re shielded against GSM interference? I got the previous version of these headphones (ATH-ANC7) for about $100 a few years back, and they’ve been a godsend on transcontinental flights, but when I’m in the office or on Amtrak, I’ve noticed occasional GSM interference – nothing too terrible, but it’s still an annoyance.
M-D November, on September 12th, 2009 at 11:48 pm
M-D, as with their predecessors, the ANC7bs aren’t shielded, and GSM noise will on occasion make itself known; but like you said, nothing too terrible.
Eli Milchman, on September 13th, 2009 at 9:41 am
I have the previous version also. Simply incredible! I’ve used them on a train with great results…although I haven’t been nerdy enough to wear them while riding a bike! They do work good when remote working at Starbucks though… That probably scored back some geek points for me. If you don’t have them, get some.
Robert Gilbert, on September 13th, 2009 at 11:40 am