In-flight groovy

I flew to the States wearing these headphones and had them on for the best part of the 10-hour flight. Part of the reason was I fell asleep with them on. They really are incredibly comfortable and I experienced no fatigue whatsoever from wearing them – they sit just right and even though they are a bit on the bulky side, they’re not particularly heavy.

Kitted out for the long haul

The real shock comes when you take them off. Extracting yourself from this cocoon, that greatly subdues jet engine roar, really hits you when it’s time to take a RunPee break from the in-flight movie. The low to low-mid frequencies are where these headphones do most of their work. If you have them on and no audio playing, the engines may be quieter, but the squawking child in the seat behind you will still cut through.

On the tube they work very well too, and walking around town with growling buses passing by producing merely a whimper, was immensely satisfying. Again, taking them off is a shock, as you notice just how noisy 21st century living is, with a constant rumble greeting your ears that the ATH-ANC7b headphones manage to tame.

Verdict

The mantra in audio circles seems to be: if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it – which sees certain microphones and headsets go on for decades. Indeed, Audio Technica’s ATH-ANC7b headphones have been out for a while, but are an enduring product in the company’s range. Robust, well kitted-out, amazingly comfortable, very effective and beautifully simple, they just work – and on a noisy journey, what more do you want? ®

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