These are great if you want good noise cancelling without spending a lot on your headphones. The noise cancelling feature can filter out a good amount of mid to high frequency noise. Minimal levels of low-pitched noise or sudden bursts of volume like laughter may still mix in with your music though.
You can get great passive noise isolation with these headphones. You get a pair of Comply foam ear tips which are very comfortable in the ear and passively block noise well. This complements active noise cancelling well, and helps to minimize the noise that you hear.
With the ATH-ANC33is, you’ll be able to get a lot of detail from your music. The sound signature is focused on the highs so cymbal crashes, high pitched strings and female vocals will sound clean and detailed, yet do not get harsh.
The noise cancelling can make using these headphones a hassle. The module is bulky and quite heavy, so it can be distracting, especially if you are using the ANC33is while on the move.
You won’t be able to get a lot of thump and warmth from these headphones. While the highs sound great, the bass and mids are quite recessed, which can give the sound a thin feel.
You may get the impression that these headphones won’t last long. The plastics feel cheap and flimsy, the cable is quite thin, and you’ll hear rattles from the noise cancelling module.
You’ll have minimal issues with headphone wires. While there is a cable connecting the earpieces to the active noise cancelling module, you can eliminate the need for a cable from the module to your source device if the source is Bluetooth capable.
These headphones can block out a decent amount of ambient noise. The active noise cancelling filters out most high and mid frequency noise. To further reduce low frequency noise, you’ll want to switch the eartips to the Comply foam ones.
Should the battery run out, you can still use these headphones in wired mode. There is a micro-USB to 3.5mm cable included so you can connect the ANC module to your source device. You won’t get active noise cancelling in this mode though.
The ANC module doubles as a remote, and gives you a lot of control over phone and music functions. There is a dedicated button for answering calls, a switch to turn ANC on or off, as well as buttons for volume adjustment and play/pause.
If you’re a bass-head, then these headphones may not be for you. While the low-end is present, it is not very powerful. Bass hits do not have a lot of punch and rumble.
You can charge the headphones off of micro-USB devices like your smartphone or tablet. The charging cable terminates in an USB A connector, but there is an integrated micro-USB tip that you can push out for easy, on-the-go charging.
The active noise cancellation module isn’t likely to get in your way. While most quality active noise cancelling in-ears have large control modules, the HE8D’s is much more compact by comparison so there won’t be a lot of weight pulling down on the earpieces. Also, the module has a magnetic base which clips onto the charging dock. This ensures that there is a proper connection between the module and charger when charging the headphones.
The highs and lows are boosted, so you get detailed highs and powerful, punchy bass, and can result in a fun listening experience. Inside each earpiece is a dynamic driver that handles the mids and lows, along with a balanced armature driver that produces the high frequencies, resulting in clear sound with good instrument separation.
You’ll need to charge the headphones if they run out of power before you can use them. You don’t have the option to use these as wired headphone should they run out of charge.