Audio-Technica offers you the sweet sound of silence

Subject: General Tech | October 18, 2012 - 02:32 PM |
Tagged: audio, audio-technica, ATH-ANC9 QuietPoint, noise cancellation

Audio-Technica's ATH-ANC9 QuietPoint headphones are definitely priced for audiophiles, most casual listeners are not willing to spend ~$300 on headphones whether they have active noise cancellation or not.  40mm drivers and a frequency response range of 10 - 25,000Hz give a hint towards the audio quality and there are three different noise cancellation settings for those who might sometimes want to be able to hear environmental sounds.  When [H]ard|OCP first looked at the headphones they were not sure as to how comfortable they would be after extended periods of time wearing them and were quite surprised that they were not bothered by extended usage at all.  Audio quality was superb, though [H] does point out that this might not be the best gaming headset, for that use you might be better looking to a headset which provides surround sound.  Those looking to enjoy audio without interruption from the outside world will like this product, if they are willing to pay the price.

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"Noise-cancelling headphones are very popular with frequent travelers and those who live or work in noisy environments. Audio-Technica's new ATH-ANC9 QuietPoint headphones supply you with three modes of operation that have impressed us to say the least. Now you can get on with grinding in peace."

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Audio Corner

Source: [H]ard|OCP

Play with ASUS' Vulcan ANC headset and you'll never hear the neighbours complain

Subject: General Tech | September 18, 2012 - 06:27 PM |
Tagged: audio, gaming headset, noise cancellation, asus, Vulcan ANC

No matter how loud you have the ASUS Vulcan ANC headset you will never hear anyone around you complain thanks to the active noise cancellation feature.  While it does mean you will occasionally need to feed the headset some batteries as well as keep them plugged into the 3.5mm audio out on your computer.  However doing so will mean you can game in peace without worrying about background noise disturbing your concentration.  At $120 they are not inexpensive, however Neoseeker found the sound quality more than acceptable and were even happier with the noise cancellation performance.

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"As you may have already guessed, the ANC stands for Active Noise Cancelling. That's correct, the ASUS Vulcan ANC is the first active noise cancelling headphones made specifically for gamers. If you've got a loud computer, or a roommate that won't stop talking, simply put on your Vulcan ANC headset and turn the noise cancelling on! The removable mic adds versatility and does let the pro gamer headset come across as a headphone more geared toward audiophiles."

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Source: Neoseeker

Noctua Announcing PC Fans With Active Noise Cancellation

Subject: General Tech | May 30, 2012 - 09:58 PM |
Tagged: quiet, pc case, noise cancellation, noctua, fans, air cooling

Enthusiast PC fan manufacturer Noctua has announced a partnership with RotoSub to produce fans with active noise cancellation technology. They two companies have already developed a prototype chassis fan that uses fan blade modulation and a series of stationary blades in addition to the moving fan blades to improve performance while keeping the noise down. The noise canceling fan prototype will be shown off at Computex 2012 in Taipei next month (booth J1312 in Exhibition Hall 1F).

In a recent press release, RotoSub and Noctua have announced a “strategic partnership” to develop and market a line of Noctua fans with a new noise cancellation technology from RotoSub. The technology in particular is called the RotoSub Acive Noice Control (R-ANC). It uses phase cancellation principles to cancel out the annoying hum (or whine in those smaller server fans that sound like jet engines) given off by the fans. The fans do this by slightly modifying how the blades spin using proprietary algorithms (hopefully they will release more information on exactly what is going on there), and by including physical features like the stationary set of fan blades behind the moving set of blades.

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The prototype Noctua NF-F12 fan that will be on display at Computex 2012.

Mårten Oretorp, RotoSub CTO stated that the company is aiming to achieve 80% more airflow and 120% greater static pressure than the Noctua NF-F12 fan by incorporating the company’s ANC technology. Noctua is licensing the RotoSub technology, which is claimed to deliver better noise-per-performance ratios than can be accomplished by physical aerodynamic improvements alone.

Further, Noctua CEO Roland Mossig stated “it has always been our goal to push the boundaries of acoustic optimisation and this partnership will allow us to reinforce our technology leadership in the field of premium grade PC cooling equipment.”

RotoSub hasn’t detailed the algorithms but they do have hints of information on their page including a video demonstration of the fan and an animation that shows the “anti-sound” being generated by the fan itself to cancel out the annoying fan noises that it produces. The video can be seen below.

It is an interesting concept, and I hope that it works. While moving to watercooling has cut down on the number of fans I’m using in my desktop, it is still not anywhere near what I would call quiet. Stay tuned for more information once the prototype is shown off at Computex 2012.

Source: Rotosub