Hot take: That noise-cancelling headphone test at Best Buy is worthless

I spent 20 minutes in the store trying Sony and Bose models, thought the XM5s were fine, then wore them on a 6AM bus ride through Denver last week. The low rumble of the engine and random chatter from passengers completely changed how they sounded compared to that fake store hum. Has anyone else had gear totally flip on them once you got it into a real situation instead of a demo?

2 comments

2 Comments

jakewhite8d agoMost Upvoted

I picked up a pair of the Sony XM4s last year after testing them at a Best Buy, and thought they were great. Took them on a Greyhound from Austin to Dallas though, and the whole low-end felt completely different. The bus had this constant droning vibration that the headphones couldn't quite cancel, and the soundstage got super muddy with engine noise bleeding in. Ended up returning them for the XM5s and those handled the road noise way better for me. The store test just doesn't simulate that consistent low rumble you get on actual transit, it's a totally different ballgame.

ninas708d ago

Right because nothing says "real world test" like standing next to a refrigerated shelf while trying to judge bass response. Might as well test swim goggles in a dry bathtub.