Normally, Anker products are really good, but these are dissapointing.
If these where just headphones, they would be fine, they are comfortable, sound good (not audiophile good, but good enough), look kinda good (if a tad cluncky). But these are supposed to be noise cancelling headphones. And they do not cancel noise at all.
The only discernible effect when you enable noise cancelling is that the headphones pump up the volume of what you are listening, but, once you compensate for that, the external sound dampening you get is the same that you would get by just the cushions of the headphones.
Mind you, I tested with a punny Nokia E71 playing TMBG's Call_connected_through_the_NSA.mp3 not some hollywood explosion fest. I do not want "world around dissapears" kinds of Noise Cancelling, but if these can't cancel a punny E71… Well, disappointed/dissapointing
Edit #1:
The reason I hold Anker in high regard, I because of their customer service, and this is no exception. I posted the review in about July 18, 2020, and today July 21, 2020 they contacted me. At least we know they still have top notch customer support, even during a pandemic.
Nonetheless, their sugestions were not very usefull:
«- Make sure the NC button is turned on(the NC indicator would turn green) when you want them to cancel noise outside.»
Yes, I know very well how to press the button to get the green light, and also, a very nice lady voice says "Noice Cancelling", so yes, I was 110% (one hundred and ten percent) sure noice cancelling was active.
«- Try the headphones in different noisy places with NC on and off and see any difference.»
Well, we are under lockdown. When I am able to move out, I have more important thing to do than test noise cancelling headphones. Nonetheless, I'll try to do it and report back to Anker Customer Support, and to you guys. I'll also try to get the 10 min silent MP3s from Samir Mezrahito really test this out.
Edit #2:
I was "finally" able to actuate on Anker product support's sugestion and "- Try the headphones in different noisy places with NC on and off and see any difference.".
For testing purposes I used the headphones in BlueThooth mode (to eliminate any electrical intereference noise). And used the song "A a a a a a a a a Very good song" by artist Samir Mezrahi, which, as you perhaps know, consists of almost 10 min of silence.
I tested in various scenarios:
1.) In my car, windows down.
2.) In my car windows up.
3.) Reving up my car to 2500rpm (in the parking lot).
4.) In a bus stop (with buses comming in and out).
5.) In the electric stairs of a ghostly empty shopping mall.
6.) In a queue to pay for medicines (with ambient music and people talking at moderate volume).
7.) Near the air extractor of my home kitchen.
My results:
1.) If wind blows in the headphones you actually get MUCH MORE noise with NC on than with NC off, so forget using the noise cancelling in a ferry boat, or in a bus with no Air conditioning, or in your car with windows/roof open, or in your bike.
2.) The NC was able to diminish humming noises (like the engine), but not clacking noises, or noises derived from potholes and such.
3.) The NC was very effective at mitiganting the reeving.
4.) The engine noise from the buses was mitigated, but not the clacking or the chatter from the people waiting.
5.) Again, the humm of the motor of the staris was mitigated, but not the clacking noises.
6.) In the queue, the souund of the air conditioner or the store was somewhat mitigated by the NC, but not the ambient music or the chatter, and that actually ended up being worse, because it made more noticeable the music and chatter.
7.) The NC was decent with the air extractor of my kitchen.
But, in scenarios 5, 6 & 7, I noticed that the NC tends to cancel the low frequencies, but the high ones are not mitigated at all (currently at my 47yo, i can hear up to 15Khz, so for younger peiople is probably worse), so, actually enabling NC will make any high pitch noice more noticeable (i.e. the frequency responce of the NC is not flat).
Finally, if one bought these headphones with NC because the noise made by rain, the AC fan or compressor, or some other noise like that was disturbing, it it will diminish it a little (but not much), but if one bought noise cancelling headphones because one wanted to evade the sound of coworkers talking, or kids playing in the garden or your SO watching TV in the other room, these headphones will do nothing more than what headphones with no NC (and therefore less expensive) would have.
Edit #3 (and Final):
Anker contacted me, and offered two options, return the item (as a very special consideration, since I am a few MONTHS completely outside of the return window), or get a refund for 20% of the cost, to get a more suitable Item. Since I order to the USoA and then have my Items forwarded to Venezuela, it is a hassle to return Items, so I opted for the refund, and it went smoothly.
That is the good thing of going with Anker. The litmus test of a good company comes when things go wrong, and Anker has a stellar reputation for making things right. Upgraded the review from one star to 4, but not on the account of the product itself, but rahter, due to the excellent customer service.
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