Audio professionals conducted blind tests on various headphones, revealing surprising differences in sound quality and perception. The Bose QuietComfort Ultra, despite being a best-seller praised for noise cancellation, received mixed reviews for its sound profile, while the Nothing Headphones impressed with their feature-rich design and nostalgic EQ adjustments, highlighting the subjective nature of audio preferences.
The Verge conducted tests on various ANC headphones, including the Bose QC1, Apple AirPods Max, Bose Noise Cancelling 700, Bose QuietComfort 45, and Sony WH-1000XM5, to compare their noise-canceling abilities. They also sent the headphones to Head Acoustics, a testing facility specializing in sound and vibration analysis, for more objective testing. The Sony WH-1000XM5 performed the best in passive attenuation and ANC, followed closely by the Apple AirPods Max. The AirPods Max excelled in speech quality playback, while the Bose QC1 showed the least impressive performance compared to current-generation headphones. The article discusses the potential for future advancements in ANC technology.
