Just in time for the holiday gift-giving and travel season, Audio-Technica has released two new sets of active noise-canceling headphones in the form of the QuietPoint ATH-ANC25 on-ear and QuietPoint ATH-ANC27 over-ear headphones. Both feature active noise-canceling technology to block out background sound and let users focus on their music (or video, or VoIP, or game, or…) along with inline volume controls, detachable cables, and airline adapters, along with 20–20,000Hz frequency response that spans most of typical human hearing range.
Audio Technical says the over-year ATH-ANC27 model offers up to 85 percent active noise cancellation, while the on-ear ATH-ANC25 models can cancel out up to 80 percent of background noise. Both sets of headphones operate using a AAA battery; however, unlike many noise-canceling headphones, these new Audio-Technica headphones continue to function as normal headphones even when the battery is dead—although they do lose their noise-canceling capability. Both models also feature detachable cables, so they can be used as cordless noise-canceling headphones without any audio input—say, if you want to try to sleep on a plane.
Both sets of headphones sport 3.5mm plugs for use with common portable electronics, and come with both an airline adapter (for use on flights) and a 1/4-inch plug adapter. The ATH-ANC25s feature a folding design that lets them slip into a pouch, while the ATH-ANC27s come with a hard-shell travel case.
The ATH-ANC25s have a suggested retail price of $79.95, while the ATH-ANC27s have a suggested price of $99.95.
