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Audio-Technica ATH-ANC7 QuietPoint

The Audio-Technica ATH-ANC7 QuietPoint premium-grade, closed-back headphones feature active noise-cancelling and large 40 mm drivers at an attractive price point of $220. These headphones compete with the similar active noise cancelling products from Bose and Sennheiser. They deliver excellent mids, and high frequencies, and adequate bass while removing up to 20 dB of the ambient noise. This is done with an active noise-cancellation circuit powered by a single AAA battery. The headphones operate with either noise-cancelling on or off, but sound significantly worse with the circuit turned off.

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Audio-Technica ATH-ANC7
MSRP $220.00
Release date --
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Pros & Cons11
Reviews5
Details
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Competitors6
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Pros & Cons

ProSCORE
5 reviews
85
negative
mixed
positive
4 positive
1 mixed
0 negative

[i] How is the ProSCORE calculated?

show me!

Pros:
Do you agree?
•
circumaural design, more comfort
+5agreedisagree

•
Good price for the quality ($220)
+4agreedisagree

•
Effective active noise cancelling up to 20 db
+4agreedisagree

•
Comes with a velvet-lined carrying case
+3agreedisagree

•
Great mid-range and high frequency audio clarity
+3agreedisagree

•
Lightweight for its class (201 g)
+2agreedisagree

•
If batteries run flat, active noise cancellation stops but headphones continue to operate. However, there is a reduction in sound quality. Better than nothing when the batteries die on a long flight.
0agreedisagree

Cons:
Do you agree?
•
Could use more bass
0agreedisagree

•
requires AAA batteries for noise canceling operation
0agreedisagree

•
doesn't sound half as good with noise canceling off
0agreedisagree

•
not as effective as active noise canceling IEMs
0agreedisagree


5 people added to this review by submitting or voting on pros and cons. Add your say!
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Details

The ATH-ANC7 include a detachable 1.6 m (5.2 ft) cable with two 1/8" stereo plugs. One end of the cable is at 90 degrees to accommodate for different headphone jacks. There is also an included velvet-lined, hard case for transport and storage. While these headphones are relatively lightweight for their class (201 g, 7.1 oz), and are collapsible, they still are not by any means compact headphones.

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This report was started May 26, 2007 at 5:06 pm by Erik
with the last edit occurring September 9, 2009 at 10:25 am by Yale
This page has been viewed 8264 times, with 63 edits by 11 contributors.
See the full report history »

Buy It

Competitors

Audio-Technica ATH-ANC7 QuietPoint is ranked 1st among it's competitors.  See the top picks in Headphones »
Able Planet NC200

Able Planet NC200

MSRP  $99.99    Released  January, 2008
Pros
  • Affordable compared to other noise-canceling headphones
  • Noise canceling technology actually works
  • Decent sound isolation from environmental noise
Cons
  • Sound quality probably won't satisfy audiophiles
  • An audible hiss is introduced when using the noise cancelling
  • Compared to non-noise canceling headphones build quality isn't as good
ProSCORE
3 reviews
67
Vote! (1 vote)
vote Audio-Technica ATH-ANC7 QuietPoint 100% vs. vote Able Planet NC200 0%
Bose QuietComfort 15

Bose QuietComfort 15

MSRP  $299.95    Released  August, 2009
Pros
  • noticeable upgrade in almost all respects from previous generation QuietComfort offerings - better battery life, lower background hiss, tighter bass, better noise cancellation
  • offered 'exchange program' makes upgrading cheaper
  • very comfortable
Cons
  • BOSE is mostly marketing - better options are often available for less money
  • active noise canceling introduces additional noise into music - can often be heard
  • require a AAA battery for active noise canceling
ProSCORE
2 reviews
33
Vote! (0 votes)
vote Audio-Technica ATH-ANC7 QuietPoint   vs. vote Bose QuietComfort 15  
JVC HA-NC250

JVC HA-NC250

MSRP  $199.95    Released  July, 2007
Pros
  • affordable price compared to the competition
  • 50 hours of use on a single battery
  • Noise cancelling feature integrated into earpad, audio cable can be unplugged and noise cancelling be on.
Cons
  • JVC is not generally known for their headphones
  • active noise canceling isn't as effective as passive IEMs
  • active noise canceling introduces noise and artifacts (high noise floor) into music
ProSCORE
3 reviews
62
Vote! (0 votes)
vote Audio-Technica ATH-ANC7 QuietPoint   vs. vote JVC HA-NC250  
Sony MDR-NC500D

Sony MDR-NC500D

MSRP  $400.00    Released  March, 2008
Pros
  • 28 hours of battery-life
  • Noise-canceling
  • Rechargeable
Cons
  • Expensive
  • Requires a battery
  • Noise-cancelling can't be turned off
ProSCORE
3 reviews
55
Vote! (0 votes)
vote Audio-Technica ATH-ANC7 QuietPoint   vs. vote Sony MDR-NC500D  
Sennheiser PXC 450

Sennheiser PXC 450

MSRP  $450.00    Released  June, 2007
Pros
  • Excellent noise-canceling function (23 dB attenuation)
  • Great audio performance
  • Large, comfortable earcups
Cons
  • Expensive ($450)
  • Potential feedback from noise-canceling while resting head against a window, seat, etc.
  • Very large
ProSCORE
4 reviews
46
Vote! (0 votes)
vote Audio-Technica ATH-ANC7 QuietPoint   vs. vote Sennheiser PXC 450  
Bose QuietComfort 3

Bose QuietComfort 3

MSRP  $349.00    Released  June, 2006

Bose engineers hit the drawing board to come up with their latest model of their popular QuietComfort line of noise-cancelling headphones. The greatest challenge was to move from a "circum-aural" to a "supra-aural" design while maintaining sound quality. This just means that these headphones are smaller than last generation and fit on top of...

ProSCORE
0 reviews
N/A
Vote! (0 votes)
vote Audio-Technica ATH-ANC7 QuietPoint   vs. vote Bose QuietComfort 3  

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Comments

11 taps
1.  avatar soundfoh said:

I just love this product. Great design blows away my BOSE. I bought them from an AT dealer for $129.99 and got them for free shipping. They sent our a flyer with special pricing. h**p://www.roaddogonline.com/dailygrowlissues/emailflyers/email_flyer_AT_ANC7_JULY_AUG_08.html
Jul 30, 2007 4:01pm
2.  avatar adrian said:

Honestly these are my first set of over the ear headphones so my experience with these is limited. I have used Sony bud style headphones over the last decade including the following models (MDR-888, MDR-EX90LP, MDR-EX71SA, etc, etc). I bought the ATH-ANC7 at Yodobashi in Japan so I was able to test a whole range of brands and models. The ATH-ANC7 and the Panasonic RP-HC500 were very close in noise canceling capability with the Panasonic being about USD$60 cheaper. I couldn't test the sound quality so I opted with the ATH-ANC7 since I had read some good reviews. I wasn't disappointed, my uneducated impression is that the headphones have good range and has brought a new experience to all my music. It is a marked improvement over the sound quality of my current in-ear headphones (MDR-EX90LP). Initially I found the headset uncomfortable, since I am not used to over the head, but a couple of weeks of use has made things good. Now for the most important part. Active noise cancellation works fantastic. When listening to classical music in a quiet room there is a small amount of white noise. Not sure if this is a problem with my unit since I could not detect this white noise at Yodobashi. However, Yodobashi is far from quiet and the ambient noise leaking into the headphones probably masked this white noise. With other kinds of music this white noise is not noticeable. If you are buying these for a plane flight you won't even notice the white noise with all the ambient engine noise leaking into the headphones. Recently I tried out the QC2 and QC3, honestly I couldn't tell the difference so I'm glad I got the ATH-ANC7 over the Bose. Overall I am happy with their performance and do not regret the purchase.
Aug 13, 2007 1:24am
3.  avatar Cassie said:

I don't typically write these reviews, but I can't tell enough people about how great these noise cancelling headphones are from audio technica. I work in a very noisy office environment and have needed to use nc headphones in the past. These are by far the best pair I have ever owned. Not only are they great at cancelling the ambient noise, but they sound great too. The sound is clear, balanced and seems to stay true to the music, which is something I really like. I recently took a new position and now I'm traveling a lot too, so I was pleasantly surprised to find how great these work on the airplane. I knew they worked great to block out office background noise, but I had no idea it could make the plane ride as enjoyable as it was too. Before I bought these, I saw a lot of people post that these were great headphones for the price, but I think they're great headphones period, whatever you pay. Compared to the Bose and Sony's I've tried in the past, these are the best in my book!
Aug 14, 2007 10:08am
4.  avatar adrian said:

An update. Just did a couple of 12 hour flights, one during the day and the other overnight. Both times I wore the ATH-ANC7 and they worked superbly. They remove the roar of the engines, which can fatigue passengers, leaving a comfortable level of noise. I don't have a single regret buying these headphones and they definitely made for a more comfortable flight experience. They worked so well I could hear a high pitched whine in the aircraft's video/audio on demand system. If you don't have good noise cancellation you wouldn't hear this whine over the roar of the engines. I've clocked up about 40 hours of use from a single AAA Energizer alkaline battery and its still going strong. Just bought some AAA lithiums so I'm patiently waiting for the alkaline to die.
Sep 02, 2007 1:28am
5.  avatar otterpopjunkie said:

Seems like most everything has been said. Yale added "requires battery" as a con. It does a terrific job of passively cancelling ambient noise, of course the battery is required. I would say it's a pro that it's a small built in AAA and still gives you 40+ hours of operation.

Also, the noise quality is just fine with the active cancelling off. It's just quieter.

The bass is okay on these headphones, you can't expect much more considering they're noise cancelling (which can makes bass reproduction more difficult) and not that large.

Listening to music on these with my Cowon A3 on these is absolute heaven, I can tell you that. Way better than busting your hearing out on the airplane with a pre-amps and earbuds like I had to do before.

Apr 11, 2009 2:18pm
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Reviews

Sort by: Most helpful  •  Newest  •  Most positive

adrian

avatar
July 16, 2007
approved
reviewer
ProSCORE
100
negative
mixed
positive
7 pros
0 cons
have ithave it
love itlove it
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Pros

  • circumaural design, more comfort
  • Good price for the quality ($220)
  • Effective active noise cancelling up to 20 db
  • Comes with a velvet-lined carrying case
  • Great mid-range and high frequency audio clarity
  • Lightweight for its class (201 g)
  • If batteries run flat, active noise cancellation stops but headphones continue to operate. However, there is a reduction in sound quality. Better than nothing when the batteries die on a long flight.

Cons

Did not agree with any cons

Comments

"Honestly these are my first set of over the ear headphones so my experience with these is limited. I have used Sony bud style headphones over the last decade including the following models (MDR-888, MDR-EX90LP, MDR-EX71SA, etc, etc). I bought the ATH-ANC7 at Yodobashi in Japan so I was able to test a whole range of brands and models. The ATH-ANC7 and the Panasonic RP-HC500 were very close in noise canceling capability with the Panasonic being about USD$60 cheaper. I couldn't test the sound quality so I opted with the ATH-ANC7 since I had read some good reviews. I wasn't disappointed, my uneducated impression is that the headphones have good range and has brought a new experience to all my music. It is a marked improvement over the sound quality of my current in-ear headphones (MDR-EX90LP). Initially I found the headset uncomfortable, since I am not used to over the head, but a couple of weeks of use has made things good. Now for the most important part. Active noise cancellation works fantastic. When listening to classical music in a quiet room there is a small amount of white noise. Not sure if this is a problem with my unit since I could not detect this white noise at Yodobashi. However, Yodobashi is far from quiet and the ambient noise leaking into the headphones probably masked this white noise. With other kinds of music this white noise is not noticeable. If you are buying these for a plane flight you won't even notice the white noise with all the ambient engine noise leaking into the headphones. Recently I tried out the QC2 and QC3, honestly I couldn't tell the difference so I'm glad I got the ATH-ANC7 over the Bose. Overall I am happy with their performance and do not regret the purchase."
"An update. Just did a couple of 12 hour flights, one during the day and the other overnight. Both times I wore the ATH-ANC7 and they worked superbly. They remove the roar of the engines, which can fatigue passengers, leaving a comfortable level of noise. I don't have a single regret buying these headphones and they definitely made for a more comfortable flight experience. They worked so well I could hear a high pitched whine in the aircraft's video/audio on demand system. If you don't have good noise cancellation you wouldn't hear this whine over the roar of the engines. I've clocked up about 40 hours of use from a single AAA Energizer alkaline battery and its still going strong. Just bought some AAA lithiums so I'm patiently waiting for the alkaline to die."
Did you find this review helpful?
Yes
 / 
No

Erik

avatar
June 28, 2007
approved
reviewer
ProSCORE
86
negative
mixed
positive
6 pros
1 con
want itwant it
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Pros

  • circumaural design, more comfort
  • Good price for the quality ($220)
  • Effective active noise cancelling up to 20 db
  • Comes with a velvet-lined carrying case
  • Great mid-range and high frequency audio clarity
  • Lightweight for its class (201 g)

Cons

  • Could use more bass

Did you find this review helpful?
Yes
 / 
No

Yale

avatar
April 8, 2009
approved
reviewer
ProSCORE
50
negative
mixed
positive
3 pros
3 cons
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Pros

  • circumaural design, more comfort
  • Good price for the quality ($220)
  • Effective active noise cancelling up to 20 db

Cons

  • requires AAA batteries for noise canceling operation
  • doesn't sound half as good with noise canceling off
  • not as effective as active noise canceling IEMs

Competitors

Yale prefers Audio-Technica ATH-ANC7 QuietPoint over Able Planet NC200
Did you find this review helpful?
Yes
 / 
No

otterpopjunkie

avatar
April 11, 2009
approved
reviewer
ProSCORE
100
negative
mixed
positive
5 pros
0 cons
love itlove it
have ithave it
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Pros

  • circumaural design, more comfort
  • Good price for the quality ($220)
  • Effective active noise cancelling up to 20 db
  • Comes with a velvet-lined carrying case
  • Great mid-range and high frequency audio clarity

Cons

Did not agree with any cons

Comments

"

Seems like most everything has been said. Yale added "requires battery" as a con. It does a terrific job of passively cancelling ambient noise, of course the battery is required. I would say it's a pro that it's a small built in AAA and still gives you 40+ hours of operation.

Also, the noise quality is just fine with the active cancelling off. It's just quieter.

The bass is okay on these headphones, you can't expect much more considering they're noise cancelling (which can makes bass reproduction more difficult) and not that large.

Listening to music on these with my Cowon A3 on these is absolute heaven, I can tell you that. Way better than busting your hearing out on the airplane with a pre-amps and earbuds like I had to do before.

"
Did you find this review helpful?
Yes
 / 
No

thrillmetoo

avatar
June 28, 2007
approved
reviewer
ProSCORE
100
negative
mixed
positive
1 pro
0 cons
want itwant it

Pros

  • circumaural design, more comfort

Cons

Did not agree with any cons

Did you find this review helpful?
Yes
 / 
No

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This product is also known as:

Audio, Technica, AudioTechnica, ATH, ANC, 7, ATHANC, ANC7, ATHANC7