Monoprice Enhanced Active Noise Canceling Headphone with Active Noise Reduction Overview

Hello!
We continue to acquaint you with the gadgets of the American company Monoprice, the distributor of which is our company SOUND4YOU in Russia.
And today I want to present you the most top-end headphones of the plug-in type from the Monoprice line. We will talk about Monoprice Enhanced Active Noise Canceling headphones with ANR active noise cancellation, which allows you to cut off up to 99% of extraneous noise. The ANR technology was developed for professional use of headphones in aviation (helicopters, airplanes with propeller engines).
These headphones are in the same lineup with such well-known models in the Russian market as the Sennheiser CXC 700 and Bose QuietComfort 20i in terms of sound quality, but they are two times lower.
It seems that the developers have collected all their achievements in these headphones, because in addition to the amazingly high-quality surround and clear sound, we get high comfort due to the ergonomic shape, as well as high-class headset.
So let's get everything in order.


Packaging:
Monoprice Enhanced Active Noise Canceling headphones are shipped in a small cardboard box with dimensions of 15x6x10 cm and a total weight of 200 g. As usual, the manufacturer does not put the quality of packaging in the first place, therefore, it is not worth judging the product by the wrapper in this case features of the company Monoprice.

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Contents of delivery:
Given that the headphones do not exactly belong to the budget, the manufacturer tried to staff it with all the most necessary. First, I was pleased that there is a case for transportation. In addition to the standard set of ear cushions (ear cushions), I found in the box a very useful TRRS adapter and a stereo adapter that you will need when traveling by plane. There is also a clip (clothespin) and an AAA battery for the module of the ANR system. All these little things always add positive emotions, as these are all really useful things.


Appearance, ergonomics and materials:
The developers have made the shape of the headphone case Monoprice Enhanced Active Noise Canceling, given the ergonomics of the auricle. If we compare them with ordinary medium-sized headphones, the case of Monoprice Enhanced Active Noise Canceling is slightly more due to the presence of a noise reduction system and a 9 mm driver with a neodymium magnet. Because of this, manufacturers of such a series of headphones are forced to make either additional attachments, or to increase the stability of fit in the ear due to the shape. Monoprice went the second way and I can confidently say that the headphones sit like a glove.
Precisely because of the increased stability of landing? The case is completely made of plastic, so the headphones weigh only 28 g. (without battery). Steel elements would increase the weight at least twice. The nozzle has a protective grid.


Sound
Finally, go to the sound. Monoprice Enhanced Active Noise Canceling headsets are equipped with dynamic 9 mm neodymium drivers. These are not reinforcement headphones, as many mistakenly position them. The dynamic transducer is known for its ability to create more powerful bass, because during the reproduction of sound, more air moves in it due to the available free space (than the “reinforcement” headphones with several transducers cannot boast), which is felt by the human ear.
It is very difficult to describe the sound with words, but I will try. When I connected them for the first time, I didn’t intentionally activate Active Noise Canceling. Tested in the office, the windows overlook a noisy roadway. Anyone who has had experience with in-ear headphones knows that it is simply impossible to remove extraneous sounds, especially with regard to low-frequency noise. So, even without the inclusion of noise reduction, it should be noted that the sound is not bad, but in terms of noise isolation it provides up to 35 dB of noise reduction, which is approximately the same as with most ordinary earphone plugs. But when I activate the noise reduction mode, I can’t say that the noise disappears by 99% (this is what the manufacturer indicates), but, firstly, the sound itself becomes more volumetric and juicy, and the noise by my feelings is exactly 90% removed. Active Noise Canceling technology of active noise cancellation, the essence of which is that microphone capsules built into the housing generate similar noise in frequency and amplitude, which is radiated in antiphase of external noise, as a result they cancel each other, i.e. an invisible shield is created between the listener and the outside noise. The figure below shows how the ANR technology works:


frequency range
The frequency range is probably the most meaningless parameter in the characteristic and more used by marketers. A person hears in the range of 20 Hz - 20 kHz, at the beginning of this range there are low-frequency sounds (bass), at the top - high-frequency sounds. The task of any headphones is to correctly reproduce this range, without failures, without wheezing and a bass hum, without hissing and rattling on HF. This ability reflects the amplitude-frequency characteristic (AFC) and is usually represented as a graph of the dependence of volume on frequency. Therefore, the smoother and smoother the curve, the more accurate and clear the sound. Unfortunately, I did not manage to find the frequency response graph from the manufacturer, but the 20Hz-20kHz range is indicated on the headphone box.

Sensitivity (sound pressure)
Sensitivity is the headphone efficiency: the larger it is, the louder the headphones sound, regardless of the source. Monoprice Enhanced Active Noise Canceling is powerful, the manufacturer indicates 94 ± 3 dB.

Load impedance
For Monoprice Enhanced Active Noise Canceling, the manufacturer has set the resistance to 32 ohms. If you do not go into radio engineering, you can say the following: the greater the resistance, the more powerful source is needed for headphones and the less influence the source itself has on the sound.

Cable and control units:
The wire length of the headphones with noise reduction Monoprice Enhanced Active Noise Canceling is 154 cm, which is more than the standard. The cord consists of three parts: from the case to the separator 31 cm round shape; from the separator to the unit with a 54 cm battery, where the wire is already reinforced and strong; from block to plug 57 cm, rounded, as in the first section. The cable has a fully rubberized braid.
Due to the fact that in the middle section of the wire differs in shape, it prevents tangling.

The ANR module with battery is probably the heaviest element in headphones. It has a clip on the back, for fixing on a belt or pocket. A typical AAA alkaline battery will last for 50 hours of noise cancellation. But do not forget that the headphones will work fine without a battery.
On the side of the module is a magic button, which actually turns a good sound into a great one. Nearby is the LED-indicator, with a low charge lights up red.


The control panel with a microphone is located very close to the body, just 12 cm, which increases the sensitivity efficiency of the microphone, so you do not need to constantly hold the microphone with your hand close to your mouth. When testing as a headset, my interlocutor heard my speech clearly, without rattle and blockages. I did not have to raise my voice to hear better, as is often the case with an ordinary headset.

The panel is flat and does not have separate buttons, which is very convenient for quick finding and control. When you press the extreme parts of the remote control volume is adjusted. When pressed in the center - switching tracks forward and backward (double and triple pressing, respectively), and also serves to receive and reject calls.


Standard 3.5 mm plug, gold plated for anti-corrosion resistance. The plug is straight, and for me it is very convenient to pull a phone or a smartphone out of my pocket. L-shaped plugs from me constantly cling.

Price and warranty period:
You can always find out about the availability and buy Monoprice Enhanced Active Noise Canceling headphones from us on the website of the Mobile Sound Store “SOUND4YOU” or from our partners on Yandex.Market .
On all Monoprice models, we provide a manufacturer's warranty of 12 months.

Findings:


Cool headphones, when you hold them in your hands, you know that they cost money. The ergonomic shape of the case makes them very comfortable. By the sound, I already wrote above my enthusiastic emotions. Although Monoprice Enhanced Active Noise Canceling headphones can be heard with the absence of a battery in the ANR module, but you get used to the good quickly. After the active mode of noise cancellation, I went through all the “plugs” from my collection, but did not find comparable ones.
If we compare Monoprice Enhanced Active Noise Canceling headphones with such trendsetters as Sennheiser CXC 700 and Bose QuietComfort 20i, then I cannot say that Monoprices are better or worse. By the sound they are in the same range. But it should be noted that Bose has three noise reduction modes (low frequency, mid-range noise and mixed mode). Monopraisov has only one - mixed (and against the sound of the engine of the aircraft or the train, and the noise of the air conditioner).
But at the same time the price of Monoprice Enhanced Active Noise Canceling is almost two times lower.
Of the shortcomings, or better said from the wishes for the manufacturer, I would prefer that the module has a battery that can be charged without removing the battery from the module. This would greatly simplify my life, although the usual Alkaline batteries last for 50 hours of operation - this is a lot, since I listen to music no more than 3 hours a day.