The Able Planet noise-cancelling headphones try to implement a lot of the features of the Bose QC3, but just doesn’t pull it off as well. Additionally, the cord that comes with it is just too long and the inline remote just gets in the way. The inline remote does not work with Android devices, which makes the cord even more annoying.
There is no specification about the noise cancellation, which means they don’t want you to compare with other products. The noise cancellation appears to be about the same as Beats Audio, which is around 17 decibels. When you consider that a quiet room is about 30dB then you can easily conclude that this will not shut out all of the rumble of an airplane or bus while travelling. It works a little bit, and there is a slight hiss when the Noise-Cancellation circuitry is active.
Conclusion
The Able Planet headphones don’t deliver the same level of audio quality or noise-cancelation as the $300 set it tries to emulate, but it is certainly better than premium earbuds costing twice as much. When compared with other over-the-ear headphones, the sound of the Able Planet NC350SCT is okay, but can deliver more sound than many premium earbuds.
The headset’s over-the-ear design is way more comfortable after several hours, and the audio quality isn’t horrible, even if its bass can distort rather easily.
The Able Planet website has the NC350SCST-OB headset listed at $150, but it is nowhere near the level I would expect out of a headset at that price range. These were picked up at Fry’s electronics for $40 as a refurbished item, and these headphones are a clear value.
These headphones seem like they could fit the bill if you need an extra pair just to drown out the noise on a flight or bus, or just need a cheap backup pair. The size of the earcups may fit over-the-ear for many women and smaller men, but the average American man may find them a bit cramped.
There have been reports of the headbands breaking and inline volume knob breaking within a few months. My Bose QC3s have been working great and comfortably for over 2 years, although I did recently have to repair the earcups on them.
Able Planet NC350SCT Noise Cancelling Headphones
