Altec Lansing AHP712 Headphones w/ Active Noise Reduction

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Bradford Day
Kurtis
Altec Lansing
Nov. 21, 2004

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First Looks

Once again I am very impressed with the overall look and design of these headphones. The black and silver color scheme is simple enough and manages not to repulse me while avoiding looking like cheap plastic. Like the AHS602 gaming headset, these earphones are a bit on the large size, but don't protrude ridiculously. The inline wired remote houses the Active Noise Reduction switch and requires a single AAA battery to operate.

As well as the headset and remote, Altec Lansing also includes a small stash of audio goodies in the green, plastic package. A nice, cushy carrying case w/ drawstring is included to protect your investment, as well as a .25" input adapter and a shorter pigtail cable for use with personal audio hardware such an a iPod or CD player. However, my favorite extra goodie is the two-pronged airline audio adapter that can be used with those damn annoying proprietary airplane armrest inputs. Hah, take that $5 service fee!!! Like I said, Altec is aiming squarely at air travelers with these headphones. So far they are on the right course. And at half the price of the Bose QuietComfort noise canceling headphones, they look that much more appealing.

Testing

Comfort

First, I'd like to briefly talk about comfort. These headphones are not the lightest set on the market, but they do house a pair of 40mm neodymium drivers so, in all fairness, they really can't be made much lighter. Luckily the padded headband can be adjusted to fit about any size noggin. Also, a new feature not included on the gaming headset, swiveling ear cups, makes the fit much more comfortable and adjustable to individual users. Unfortunately, they still suffer from the same sweat-inducing problem with prolonged usage. I found these headphones to be a bit more comfortable than the previously tested AHS602 gaming headset.

Music

Being familiar with Altec Lansing's typically high quality sound equipment, I wasn't surprised with the excellent sound that blared from these headphones...not surprised, but very impressed. I ran more music through these headphones than any other headset or speakers I have tested to date. A short list of what I used for testing includes: THX - Deepest Bass demo, Gogol Bordello vs. Tamir Muskat - J.U.F, A variety of Techno MP3s, The Beastie Boys - To The Five Boroughs album, The Pogues and The Dubliners - Whiskey in the Jar, Tupac - Thugz Mansion, Public Enemy - Can't Truss It, and uncountable other Punk MP3s, Drum and Bass, Jungle and Turn Table tracks and Disturbed - Down With the Sickness along with the rest of the MP3s Kurtis forced me to use.

Despite my initial worries about Kurtis's taste in music, the AHP712s performed to a T. The THX Deepest Bass demo probably gave these headphones more of a workout than they will ever receive in a normal day's use. The strong bass was rich and powerful without an ounce of distortion, even at full volume. Rock music sounds terrific with the previously mentioned strong bass as a backbone for distinct treble and crisp mids. Tupac sounded like he was in the next room, although I really hope he wasn't. Once again Altec's headphones really shine when used with any type of electronica. Techno tracks ring with clear highs and bellow deep bass. And in a fit of deja vu reminiscent of Altec's 2.1 FX6021 stereo speakers I tested last month, Gogol Bordello sounded as nearly close to a live performance as I've heard over a pair of headphones. And Irish folk faired just as well, sounding as though all the drinking and singing was happening right in my own bedroom...although I REALLY hope Shane McGowan wasn't in there with me.

The AHP712 headphones pushed out far more volume than their gaming counterpart. Altec Lansing must have beefed up the audio output on these babies. While listening to the THX bass demo, I thought it would be a good idea to turn the volume up all the way. The earcups were literally vibrating from the bass and the drivers were actually creating little puffs of air with each heavy bass hit. Very cool. (Editor's Note: Easy on the ol' eardrums Brad! We're counting on you to pump out at least a few more audio reviews!)

One important thing I should mention is that the Active Noise Reduction, or ANR, feature of these headphones isn't so much a feature as a requirement. With the ANR turned off all music is dull and muted. Unlike the AHS602 gaming headset, the wire remote must be turned on to fully enjoy your musical experience. I'm not very happy with this feature as it will tend to burn through batteries after a while...especially if you are like me and forget to turn the switch off.

Another odd anomaly I found while testing these headphones perplexed me. I accidentally tapped the side of the earcup while listening to Rancid and I was able to induce some static and slightly cut out the sound. Thinking this was due to a bad cable connection, I gently and repeatedly tugged on the sound connection cable...no effect. Only when I tapped either earcup could I reproduce the problem. At this point I am still not 100% sure why this occurs, but it must be related to the ANR system as I can only get the problem to repeat when the ANR is in the on position. Strange, but it was never a problem unless I ran ear first into a doorjamb or something of that nature.

Unfortunately, for all the outstanding sound quality I was able to produce while plugged into my desktop computer or tabletop stereo unit, I was unable to squeeze the same stellar performance from portable audio sources. My JetAudio iAudio 4 just couldn't pull the juice that these headphones require to sound their best and I often heard static or cutting out in several songs. I don't know if this is due, in part, to the fact that my iAudio 4 is powered by a single AAA battery and just can't produce enough juice to successfully power up the drivers. I found the same problem when using an iPod, but not to the same extent. The cut out problem didn't persist, but the bass response was nowhere near as strong, especially at full volume.

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Page 1: Introduction
Page 2: First Looks & Testing
Page 3: Testing, Cont'd...
Page 4: Conclusion

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11 User Comments

1 - Posted by valvet on December 25, 2004 - 3:41 pm

Hi guys,

First of all, great guide! I made my choice and bought these and I must say, they're excelent!

I had a problem when I first plugged them in and turned on ANR, there was a loud whining noise on the background. After playing around I found out that if I touched the metal on the side or back of my cabinet the weird sound went away.. So, I experimented some more and found out that I had no "ground" on my power box in my room, which means that the light-net will interfear with the headphones and cause the noise when ANR is turned on.

I thought you might want to know this if anyone should ask about it, get ground on your cables! Its not very common here so I dident think much of it, all good now tho, sound is perfect.. again thanks for the great review.

Regards,
Michael

2 - Posted by Weavie on January 17, 2005 - 9:54 pm

Most of the reviews indicate good sound quality.

Are the Altec Lansing headphones as effective in air travel as the Bose???

3 - Posted by Kurtis on January 17, 2005 - 10:58 pm

Brad used them when we went to Vegas for CES and he said that he was very pleased with them during the flight. He doesn't have any Bose headphones to compare to, though.

4 - Posted by handrail on January 18, 2005 - 9:58 am

yes, with just the phones themselves i noted a very remarkable decrease in the white noise in the plane. if you play music or are watching movies on a laptop (like i was doing) you can't hear a thing. they really made the flight much much easier.

and actually i did get a brief chance to try out the bose ones. the guy next to me on the plane had a set. i couldn't tell much of a difference between the two as far as the ANR goes. i didn't get much of a chance to hear the sound quality of the bose ones as i only had the airline radio playing through them.

also, i had a chance on the CES show floor to try out Sennheiser's noise canceling headsets. they worked very well too, but once again, the difference between the bose, sennheisers and the altec ones was not that great. i would say the sennheisers were the best. one other thing to consider is that the altec ones are larger and more bulky than the bose and much more than the sennheisers. the bose ones fold up a little better than the altec ones.

hope that helps. if you are a frequent airline traveler, any one of these headsets will be a tremendous help. i still can't believe the difference not hearing that jet sound makes. i slept better and was not nearly as weary when i landed.

brad.

5 - Posted by Guest on March 3, 2005 - 10:22 am

How well do these compare with the Sennheiser PXC-250?

6 - Posted by PizzaDeliveryMan on July 13, 2005 - 3:48 am

hey there
an absolutely fab review! detailed and useful!
have you tried the KOSS QZPro or the Maxell HP/NCII ?
i am about to get a set and was wondering how the AHP712i stand up against the above-mentioned. they will be mostly for use with my IPOD (plus i do air travel frequently) and was wondering what should be my choice. i dont want to spend much because eventually i want to purchase the Bose Quiteomfort (what's your view on them?). Till then, i would like a set below 100USD and effective at giving good sound and ANR. i am very tempted by your skullcrusher review but i dont think i should go for them over the other options (viz. AHP712i, KOss QZPro or Maxell HP/NCII). please revert, your expert guidance will be most useful.
cheers!

7 - Posted by tdote on November 29, 2005 - 9:27 am

Terrific review! Is there any real difference between the AHP712s and the newer AHP712i? I use an IPOD when traveling, is the sound acceptable using the AHP712i?

8 - Posted by Reggie on February 10, 2006 - 8:24 pm

Hi everybody.I do not speek english very good.So sorry.I have this headphones and i have a question.When I turn on ANR I can hear sssssssssssssssssssss.Is it normal.It is not very loud but I can hear it as long as I turn up the sound.Thank you

9 - Posted by DanDubya on March 17, 2006 - 2:16 pm

Having owned and tried several types of ANR headphones, and being familiar with the technology, I can comment on your static/clipping issue when tapping the earcups. ANR operates by sampling the ambient noise with a small microphone exposed to the outside of the earcup. When you tap the earcup, it sends a shock through the system that is relatively massive compared to the vibrations of normal external sounds. The clipping or static you hear has to do with the system briefly "amping out" for lack of a better term. You've maxed out the input capacity of the mic, and the ANR circuitry will freak out a little bit as a result.

This may not be a problem on all ANR headphones, as each has a slightly different circuitry, and some may be more resistant to large-amplitude vibrations than others. I have tried on the Bose QuietComforts and they sound great, but I never tried tapping on the chassis, so I couldn't tell you if spending $300 cures the amp-out problem.

Hope this helps!

10 - Posted by gjoyce on April 23, 2006 - 9:15 am

The AHP712 is a good quality ANR headset. I compared them with my friend's Bose and we both agree I made the best purchase. The sound quality is great with an IPOD and has more than sufficient volume. I have worn them on overseas flights and can sleep with them on for hours. I have purchased two of these headsets (the latest is the AHP712i) because the first set broke from normal handling-this is the only weakness of the product that I am familiar with. The plastic swivel broke on one earcup. Although the headset was less than a year old and within the warranty period, Altec Lansing has not honored the warranty. They have sent me a less costly gaming headset as a replacement and will no longer answer my email or return my phone calls. So beware if you need warranty service you may not get it.

11 - Posted by handrail on April 25, 2006 - 1:02 pm

good to know. thanks a lot for sharing your experience with altec-lansing.

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