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Comment by pastrami_panda | Hacker News Reader

I've been an avid ANC headphone user for some 6 years or so.

The current gen ANC is remarkably good. The issue I had with previous generations was that a carrier wave (for lack for better word) was always audible, which admittedly wasn't as bad as the noise it was cancelling, but it could be annoying for home use when you just wanted to cancel the fridge, AC or similar room tone humming.

With current gen ANC from the good brands this sound is very quiet, in some cases bordering on inaudible. Stuff just goes quiet. It's very impressive.

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I have been using a Sony WH-1000XM3s for about 10 months now. Got it just before WFH and has been a life saver.

Question: anyone else feels fatigued after a long period with ANC on? Ears ringing after?

Because of this I use mine sparingly.

I do feel fatigued after, but, I think, not for the reasons you expect.

I noticed that when I take out either airpods pro with ANC or my WH-1000XM headphones (the first gen), I feel uneasy and overwhelmed, with some ringing.

But then I realized it wasn't due to ANC, it was due to all that constant noise around me. So if I went without that noise for an hour or two and then got introduced back to it, it takes me a solid minute or two to get adjusted. All those random noises, like water moving through pipes, wind outside, air conditioning, etc. become super noticeable and end up just overwhelming me by being introduced back all at once. I've been observing this kind of stuff for a while (had my WH-1000XM headset for over 2 years), and I got better at adjusting back over time. But i still get those shorts periods of time immediately after, when that noise ends up flooding back and just making me hyper aware of it.

The XM3 had a terrible design flaw which made it basically unusable in cold climates. If the XM4 fixed this I would A/B test them with the Bose 700.

The XM3 had a terrible design flaw which made it basically unusable in cold climates.

What was the flaw? I've almost decided to buy a pair.

I see now I accidently replied to the wrong comment and got downvoted because of it (presumably)...

Anyways it's well documented on forums and videos, the touch pad on the earcup causes erroneous inputs causing music to stop and play randomly when outside (only if it's cold though).

This was a while ago now - but Sony released an update that allows you to disable the touch buttons if you're affected by the issue. I use my XM3's in freezing temperatures often and have never had any issues with the touch buttons - so mine are still enabled.

Do you know of any ANC solution that works well (i.e. should be much better than foam earplugs, and preferably remove all sound no matter what) and is usable for sleeping?

The only product I know is the second iteration of Bose Sleepbuds. It might not fit the bill though, and they're quite expensive imo. They call it noise masking tech, so it depends on what you're looking for, but they're meant to be a earplug replacement kinda thing.

They feel amazing while lying down but that's all I know personally, the deal breaker for me is that you can't listen to what you want on them, only the sounds they've added in the app.

Thanks for your comment. I am shopping for a new ANC headphone lately.

May I ask what headphone you are using?

Not OP, but new Sony WH-1000XM4 are amazing.

Using Sony WH-1000XM3 myself. RTings has tested most ANC headphones on the market and published their measurement (not gut feeling) results: https://www.rtings.com/headphones/tests/isolation/noise-isol...

Probably would get Sony WH-1000XM4 myself this time (they pause automatically when taken off). Have not personally used Bose ones since QC35, but some people like QC35 II better for long term use. Also Sony XM3 microphone is not very good for phone calls. I have heard XM4 has fixed this, but can not confirm.

I love my WH-1000XM3s and was probably responsible for at least 3 of my friends getting pairs... but yes, agreed, the call quality is pretty poor.

Fantastic noise cancelling headphones, though.

I tried both the Sony XM3 and Bose NC 700 and went for the latter. Mostly personal preference for size, weight, fit as ANC and sound quality are pretty even. The Bose though is superior for calls. Never had a problem.

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