Headphones
Sennheiser HD470
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I prefer open-back cans to closed ones and absolutely love the HD470's! Bass response is mighty impressive with large pads that are light and comfortable enough ensuring you can wear the phones for several hours without feeling your ears are being turned into pancakes. An extra long 3-metre lead with a 3.5mm jack (and 6.3mm adaptor for separates) means you can plug the headphones into your hifi and laze about on the sofa or take a wander around the room whilst remaining plugged in.
The Sennheiser's are open-back design and not really suitable for travelling unless you want the whole world to hear what you're listening to. Also, the lead and plug are quite flimsy and likely to break after a while if not protected. Because of this, I rarely take the HD470's when out and about and often just use them at home with the decks where the superior frequency response and versatility (I can plug them into the Sony minidisc recorder at will) comes in mighty handy.
AKG K44
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These were kindly given to me by a mate (thanks Maidul!) and have a much livelier sound than the Numark HF125's. A 3.5mm jack (with adaptor) and extra long cable are fitted as standard and bass response whilst not the best is well balanced and tonally pleasing, neither booming nor really missing out on lower frequencies. Despite a closed back design, there is a lot of noise leakage of whatever you're listening to so your fellow commuters won't be happy if you stick 'em on and crank up the volume.
The AKG K44's are comfortable enough to wear however the oversized pads take some getting used to as they envelop the ear completely with lots of space for movement rather than just covering them or fitting snugly like the Numark HF125's. After an hour or so of wearing them, you do start to feel a bit of pressure on the old King Lears and thus these are not cans that can be worn for prolonged use. I have the K44's connected to my PC or laptop where they're just perfect for MP3's.
Numark HF125 Headphones
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These closed back cans were a pair of freebie headphones that came with the Numark CD Mix 2. Being the entry-level model in the Numark range, they produce a very flat, neutral, almost subdued sound that lends itself more to the midrange rather than the top or lower frequencies. Whilst they're no match for the Sennheiser HD470's for sound quality, the Numark's are far sturdier with a thicker cable, wider padded headband and a larger moulded 6.2mm jack that can take a fair amount of bashing.
They do a decent job of isolating outside sources making them fine for occasions where you're not too bothered about the quality of monitoring and noise leakage is minimal so they'd be good for travelling with too. The pancake test is passed with flying colours and you'll get a fair bit of mileage out of constantly plugging and unplugging these cans as they have a reassuringly solid feel making them a good choice for everyday use where sound quality is secondary to build quality.
Goldring NS1000
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There are 2 basic types of noise cancelling headphones; passive ones that block out background noise through a closed back design or by filling the ear canal with a fitted piece and active headphones which use electronics to cancel out any ambient noise and frequencies. The Goldrings are the latter type of active noise cancelling headphone and an absolute must for frequent travellers. Although the RRP is £150, you can pick these up online for the bargain price of £50 brand new and honestly, I doubt you'll find anything better, even at the higher price.
Upon opening the box, it's immediately apparent that the Goldring's are something special. They come in a sturdy carry case finished in matt black and with a smart "Goldring" badge on the front. The inside is velvet lined with a support to hold the cans whilst a zip pocket stores the battery, gold plated 6.35mm stereo adaptor, gold plated airline adaptor and premium quality 3.5mm stereo Ixos cable which plugs into a socket on the left cup (this can be upgraded to a longer cable if required).
A padded headband can be adjusted for a more secure fit and the Goldring's are very comfortable to wear for extended periods as they fit around the ear enveloping it completely rather than sitting on the ear. The AAA battery fits into a sliding compartment housed inside the right cup and the first thing you notice upon wearing the headphones is that they do a damn good job of cancelling out any background noise without actually switching on the circuitry.
Connect a music or other AV source and the headphones still impress. Noise cancelling cans usually have to compromise on music quality because of the electronics used to cancel out frequencies but the Goldring's have excellent bass response and a very articulate mid range that doesn't sound subdued or dampened. Best of all though, switch on the headphones and the roar of an airplane jet engine just melts away. It's the same case whether you're travelling by Tube or car or just want to block out traffic noise, inane chatter or any other annoying ambient sound, the NS1000's will take pretty much whatever din you throw at them and effortlessly take you to a level of blissful tranquillity.
I always use the Goldring's when flying and a standard alkaline battery is good for about 50 hours use. Unlike other similar headphones, you can still use the NS1000's when the battery expires (the blue light on the left cup starts blinking when the battery is low) and attenuation is superb even without the noise reduction circuits switched on. With regular cheap earphones that airlines hand out, I usually have to have the in-flight entertainment volume at around the 8/10 mark. Using my own closed back cans such as the Numark HF125 allows me to turn down the volume a notch or two but with the Goldrings, having the volume on 3/10 is more than enough to hear everything including dialogue or narrative, traditionally the bits in a movie where it's only too easy to miss what's being said.
The Goldring NS1000's really are that good and comparable to noise cancelling cans costing double or even more (you know which ones I mean!). Highly recommended then and essential for travellers, frequent or otherwise, and anyone else who wants a pair of quality cans that sound as good with the noise cancellation off as they do when it's switched on.