Creative miss: Noise cancellation headphones
Pros:
Amazing Sound Quality
Super Voice Cancellation
Cons:
Uncomfortable for long durations
Mic absent
Uncomfortable
Too heavy
The Bottom Line
Hip, Hop and Skip this product for now!
6 | Alright
FULL REVIEW
Creative's EP-3NC noise cancelling headphones are disappointing - though the sound clarity is amazing, the design just does not make the mark as it needs to be connected to a rather conspicuous and over-sized noise cancellation device - making it an overall product failure.
Creative has been a favorite with me since I realized the difference between a 2.0 and a 2.1 system. Having tried many systems from most of the leading companies, I still love my 5.1 Creatives for its clarity and attention to detail. Their products are of good quality and not too hard on the pocket. Owing to prior experiences, I was excited to try the noise-cancellation headphones but I was headed towards a world of disappointment and outwardly jokes on the black box hanging from my shirt.
The headphones and the overall design of the product are majestic in black. Every detail in earplugs has been taken care of - and I loved the way it felt on my skin. Comfort levels in a product ranks very high on my priority list - most of the headphones I have used have left an ear-bite on my ear due to some loose end or a small flaw in design. However, I had no such problems with the ear-plugs - but the biggest design flaw is the big darn noise cancellation box that also acts as the shirt clip. It is heavy, extremely noticeable and just stands out in your clothing apparel (and not in a good way). Friend's who saw the headphones on me have dubbed it as Aditya's Black Box.
The so dubbed black box is actually an external voice monitoring cum cancellation device and the job done by it is marvelous. The use of such a product is varied and for the creative mind too many to imagine. Some argue that even normal earphones of other available companies also filter the external sound but what noise cancellation headphones do is super. When the device is on, it monitors the surrounding sound - canceling the external noises to such an extent that all you see is moving lips at half the volume of your media player. The headphones give output in two ways, if you are utilizing the noise cancellation device then there is absolutely no external noise but with that off they are like normal headphones.
Clarity is excellent, from the softest instrumental music to heavy metal they were clear and never a glitch. On the contrary, it was pleasant listening to some sensual music while stuck in the lines only to look around to see the hustle and bustle of the people around. It was like having background music you always imagined in the sitcom based on your life... as I said a creative mind could do many things with them.
The headphone has a 3.5 pin that is mostly compatible with smart-phones, laptops, net-books, tablets etc. i.e. If your portable device does not support a 3.5 pin then there are extensions available. It's a great travel companion, especially in a train or on a flight where you can avoid the hiss in the ear and relate the trains motion to your favorite song. Also, one thing I realized is that the placement of the voice canceling device is very odd. If it had been even better placed wherein I could fit it on my laptop or any other possible alternative. Alas! It is not so. They black box just keeps hanging awkwardly in mid-air.
It is sad that with such amazing clarity of sound, I still am not satisfied with the product. However, I would wait to see if Creative can come up with a product with a relatively better price tag and a better design for noise cancellation. There were many jokes on the Black Box when I used to wear them while going cycling one joke I loved was, "They sure make those Black Boxes small on your planet."
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