The art of cancellation
Noise-cancelling (NC) and Bluetooth together of course deliver the ultimate in convenience — hands-free without cables, noise-free by cunning cancellation of lower frequencies.
Yet it’s notoriously hard to achieve with distinction. As we’ve seen on many wireless NC designs, problems come when deciding how to ‘voice’ the headphones. Do you create the best possible cabled sound and then hope Bluetooth won’t muck it up too much? Or do you assume most people will use Bluetooth, voice it for that and let the cabled performance suffer? Or a compromise? Noise-cancelling adds a third effect on the sound, either cabled or wireless, so the designers are left seeking a solution between four separate set of sonics.
Audio-Technica certainly has a headstart in delivering cabled headphone sound, having done so reliably for decades. The NC700BT feels as solid as the
