It’s like music to your ears – literally.
For a long time now, music listeners have had to deal with outside ambiance, blasting the volume up so high that everyone could hear, which isn’t really beneficial for anybody.
But now, Phitek has has released their Blackbox C14 Noise Cancellation Earphones.
At first, noise canceling devices came in the form of headphones or ‘earmuffs’ as some call it, which proved to be a hit, but were also too bulky and could cost as high as $400. The C14 however looks like an ordinary pair of earphones (with a little black box attached) and it easily fits into any pocket. At $99 they are not as inexpensive as a regular pair of earphones but still cheaper than other noise-cancelling headphones.
The C14 earphones uses Phitek Systems’ ‘Active Noise Rejection’ (ANR) which was introduced in in-flight entertainment systems on airlines like Singapore Airlines, Qatar, Emirates, Air New Zealand and Finnair.
What ANR technology does is cancel out any outside noises by creating ‘anti-noise’ which is described as ‘an inverted version of the noise itself.’ So by turning on the noise cancellation on the earphones (located on the small black box that is attached), it creates what the company calls ‘quietude.’
So do the C14 earphones actually provide ‘quietude’ for the user?
They were tested out in one of the noisiest places in the city of Toronto – the TTC.
One great thing about the earphones is that because not everyone’s ears are made to the same shape, it comes with different earbud sizes to match what’s most suitable for the user.
Another, more important thing about them is they work very well. The quality of the music is clear, there’s no muffled sound and best of all, it does a great job at reducing outside noise. So no crying babies, no hearing the conversation of the people next to you and no sounds from the noisy bus. Just great music.
A couple of things however did come to mind when using the earphones. First was the fact that the C14 earphones run on a AAA battery. This is inconvenient as the user always has to carry an extra battery around, and should the batteries die on the noise canceling devices, the earphones stop completely. This can prove to be an inconvenience when riding the bus, or going for a run. Rechargeable batteries may be a solution.
The other concern was that the earphones were ‘in-ear’ which may not be comfortable for everyone.
Overall, Phitek’s Blackbox C14 Noise Cancellation Earphones are a neat innovation. It comes in handy in noisy atmospheres and proves to provide ‘quietude.’ Although it may cost more than the average price for a set of earphones, anyone willing to pony up the dough will be satisfied with the results.
Tags: Blackbox, C14, earphone, headphone, noise canceling
This is a “Lite” review, like most on the internet. These are music reproduction devices, yet there are only three generic adjectives describing the sound – “clear, no(t) muffled…great”.
A modicum of meaning could be expressed by, for example, commenting on the relative tonal balance to a reference or mean; noting which music was used or what music the reviewer prefers; and what source was used – in particular, the digital encoding.
These also purport to reduce noise more than simply blocking the ear canal with a silicone bulb. Where is that comparison, that justifies the initial price and the cost of supplying batteries?
Perhaps Ms. Gates is too pre-occupied with her “Big-Think” agenda – the meaning of life and world hunger – to be bothered with useful details in a review. Maybe she will share her thoughts on those topics.