Bose headphones - TranceAddict Forums

TranceAddict Forums (www.tranceaddict.com/forums)
- DJ Booth
-- Bose headphones

Posted by DJRecess on Nov-23-2006 11:51:

Bose headphones

Hey folks,

Just got asked a question through my site which I had to give a rather wet 'No - sorry' answer to. Just wondering if anyone else had an opinion on using the Bose 'Noise cancelling' headphones for DJing with.

I've never heard of anyone using them - and I guess the price tag has something to do with that - but HAS anyone tried them? Are they any good?

Cheers in advance.

Posted by Allied Nations on Nov-23-2006 15:03:

It would be awesome to spin with those, but I doubt if they could stand up to constant club usage.

I haven't spun with them, but I've used them. Go to any bose retailer and try em out- they sound nice

Posted by djdk on Nov-23-2006 15:45:

I thought about this earlier today after seeing one of thier ads on tele so I had a look on their website and having investigated how they work Im gonna go out on a limb and say they probably wouldnt be any good for djing.

The noise cancellation works by having microphones in the cups to monitor background noise, Im pretty sure that what theses microphones pick up is shifted in phase by 180 degrees and then played back through the headphones. By having two noise signals in antiphase they cancel each other out giving you a wondeful noise free listening experience.

Now this works on the principle that the backgroud noise is distinctly different from the audio signal that you're trying to listen to. When you're DJing, most of the time the background noise is going to be the same as the audio you're trying to listen to, meaning that the system is also going to cancel out some of that.

Ive never tried them so I could be wrong, but I would guess that they aren't going to be any better, and possible worse, than a pair of sennheisers etc but will cost you twice the price.

Posted by Allied Nations on Nov-23-2006 16:01:

Wow, nice info djdk!

Posted by SPAWNmaster on Nov-23-2006 19:47:

i have spun with the triports (which i use for mastering on the odd occassion) and my buddy's noise-cancelling and both headphones are not suitable for dj'ing. the sound quality is SUFFICIENT but definately not designed for club usage. what the other guy was talking about how they would interfere with what you're hearing, i didnt notice at all and the noise-cancelling effect works damn well but its like comparing a pair of mackie's for monitoring to a surround sound panasonic system. from the way they feel the bose phones are more for entertainment value and dj headphones are geared obviously towards dj-ing. yes im one of those people who owns triports and walks around with my rpdh1200's on my ipod lol.

Posted by b i n k u n on Nov-23-2006 21:21:

quote:
Originally posted by djdk

Now this works on the principle that the backgroud noise is distinctly different from the audio signal that you're trying to listen to. When you're DJing, most of the time the background noise is going to be the same as the audio you're trying to listen to, meaning that the system is also going to cancel out some of that.

Close dave...the bose headphones will try to cancel out whatever it hears that is not the same signal being fed into it. While true, if dj'ing, what's in your headphones may also be what is pumping out throught the monitors, it's not the exact same signal so the headphones will still try to cancel it out.

But why I think the bose headphones aren't suited for dj use...is that I would imagine it would have a hard time significantly reducing anything played at a club volume. active control (technology of cancelling out noise) has not developed perfectly yet and is limited to the speed of signal processors kicking out a perfect 180 phase cancelling signal, the accuracy of the microphones picking up whatever needs to be cancelled, and the accuracy of the transducers to playback the phase cancelling signal perfectly.

in simple terms, to significantly reduce the volume of a dance track from a 10k system through bose headphones is just too difficult. if it was white noise, then you'd get a decent reduction....but with actual played music, not a chance. furthermore, in theory, to cancel out a dance track at 90+ dB..you'd need roughly the same amount of energy in the phase-cancelling signal....which...isn't likely.

active control is still very new but developing fast, and i wouldn't be surprised if something comes out soon enough tho.

sidenote: my masters thesis was on active control of panels...a phd student at the time was able to cancel out a 60 Hz tone by up to 30-35 dB...useful if you live next door to a dj eh?

Posted by djdk on Nov-23-2006 21:54:

quote:
Originally posted by b i n k u n
Close dave...

bah

Posted by failsafe on Nov-24-2006 19:36:

The bose headsets have a very small frequency range which they actually work agaisn't. They perform best agaisnt a constant low frequency noise. The ideal application for noise canceling is for reducing fatigue brought on by noise. Most modern pilot headsets by david clark/bose/etc all have noise cancelling built in. Owning one of the high end pilot headsets I can tell you that the noise cancellation on high/mid frequencies is almost non existant. The low freq is where all the cuts come in. As mentioned before the sound needs to be a constant, a beat wouldn't work.