The UltraSone HFI-550There are three basic types of headphones that can provide isolation from disturbing external ambient sounds: Ear canal headphones [ECHs], closed-back (sealed) headphones, and noise-canceling headsets. Noise-canceling units use a tiny built-in microphone housed inside the earpieces to pick up external noises and then produce an electronic sound-canceling signal at the ear to block out ambient sounds. These "active-electronics" noise-cancelling designs typically provide around 10dB of isolation over a quite limited frequency spectrum.

Sealed headphones also provide around 10db of isolation, but over a significantly wider frequency range (better upper frequency attenuation), thus offering a more complete sense of overall isolation.

Ear canal headphones (ECH) earphones completely seal the ear canal, which delivers far better isolation / noise-blocking than either type of headphones listed above. ECHs commonly achieve well over 20dB of isolation throughout the ENTIRE frequency range!

For more information about sealed/noise cancelling headphones visit our sealed/noise cancelling headphone selection guide.

 

Sealed/Noise Canceling


Photo Product Value Rating List Price Our Price
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Koss UR 20

Decent Sealed Headphones on a Budget for iPods, Portables, and PC/Laptops.

3.5 out of 5

$24.99

$19.99

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Sennheiser HD 201

NICE! Cheap, sealed, full-sized headphones that sound very good. Perfect gift 'phones (Get one for yourself first!)

4.0 out of 5

$34.95

$28.95

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Koss UR 29

Similar to UR-20 but With 'Built-in' Volume Control Cord!

3.5 out of 5

$29.99

$29.99

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iHarmonix iHX Pro ev-Series

Smooth Looks, Serious Bass, and Budget-Friendly Price.

4.0 out of 5

$34.95

$34.95

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Sennheiser HD 202

Excellent value with solid sound quality & isolation. Good sealed headphone for the price.

4.0 out of 5

$39.95

$39.99

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Sennheiser HD 205

Great step-up from the HD201… Sealed-design & ultra-punchy sound.

4.0 out of 5

$69.95

$48.95

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AKG K 27i

Deluxe iPod-Style Looks, In-Line Volume Control, Good Mobile Sound!

3.5 out of 5

$54.95

$49.95
On Sale!

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Sennheiser CX300-B

Black Ear Canal Headphones from Sennheiser. Inexpensive but good.

4.0 out of 5

$49.95

$49.95

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DENON AH-D301K

Inexpensive But Strong Entry-Level Sealed/Closed Earcup Headphone

3.5 out of 5

$49.99

$49.99

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DENON AH-C351K

Impressive-sounding ear canal /earbud hybrids at an incredible price

4.0 out of 5

$49.99

$49.99

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Sennheiser PMX 200

Hip street styling & ambient noise blocking in a 'neckband' headphone.

4.0 out of 5

$69.95

$51.49

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Sennheiser HD 218

Killer Entry-Level Portable Sealed Headphone. Amazing Price & Sound. iPhone Compatible.

4.0 out of 5

$79.95

$59.95

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iHarmonix iHX Platinum i-Series

Excellent Inexpensive Upgrade to iPhone & BlackBerry Earbuds. Great Mic Feature!

4.0 out of 5

$59.95

$59.95

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iHarmonix iHX Platinum ev-Series

Amazing Audio Performance, Killer Price, Great Fit. Perfect Entry-Level Earphones

4.5 out of 5

$59.95

$59.95

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Sennheiser HD 212 Pro

A Top Value in Sealed-Earcup Portable-Use Headphones.

4.0 out of 5

$89.95

$59.99

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DENON AH-C452k

Quality Earphones Delivering Terrific Bass, Very Easy Fit, GREAT price!

4.5 out of 5

$59.99

$59.99

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beyerdynamic DT 235 Black

Clean-Toned Sealed-Back Portable-Use Headphone. Great Looks, Great Price.

4.0 out of 5

$79.00

$64.90

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DENON AH-D501K

Excellent sealed headphone for the deep bargain hunter

3.5 out of 5

$69.99

$69.99

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Sennheiser HD 228

Excellent Audio Performance from Lightweight Portable Sealed Headphone. iPhone Ready!

4.0 out of 5

$99.95

$79.95

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Etymotic ER-6i White

Etymotic's cure for sickly stock iPod earbuds; Great audio performance from any portable player! IN-STOCK!

4.5 out of 5

$149.99

$149.99
Add to Cart

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Etymotic ER-6i Black

Same exact earphone as the ER-6i but in a groovy black color scheme.

4.5 out of 5

$149.99

$149.99
Add to Cart

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Sennheiser PXC 150

Great Low-Cost Noise Cancelling Headphones for Isolation-Seeking Commuters.

4.0 out of 5

$129.95

$89.00

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AKG K 81 DJ

Strong Performance from Well-Priced Portable-Use Sealed Headphone.

4.0 out of 5

$109.00

$89.99

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Audio-Technica ATH-FC700A

Superb-Sounding Portable Sealed Headphones AND Nicely Inexpensive!

4.5 out of 5

$119.95

$99.95

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Sennheiser MM50IP Headset for iPhone

100% iPhone-Ready Earphones with Microphone & Push-to-Talk Feature!

4.0 out of 5

$99.95

$99.95

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Sennheiser HD 280 Pro

High Marks for This Workhorse Sealed Headphone. Solid Performance, Great Value.

4.0 out of 5

$199.95

$99.99

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DENON AH-C551K

Very Respectable Well-Priced Earphone Within Increasingly Crowded Category.

4.0 out of 5

$99.99

$99.99

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DENON AH-C751K

High-end ECHs with DENON's Acoustic Optimizer system

3.5 out of 5

$199.99

$199.99
Add to Cart

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Sennheiser HDR 140

Get an extra headphone for your wireless sytem. Why? Because sharing your wireless experience with others is fun!

4.0 out of 5

$159.95

$129.95

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Audio-Technica ATH-M50 w/ coil cable

Versatile Great-Sounding, Great-Sealing Closed Headphones w/ Coiled Cable.

4.5 out of 5

$159.00

$149.00
On Sale!

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Audio-Technica ATH-M50S w/ straight cable

Versatile Great-Sounding, Great-Sealing Closed Headphones w/ Straight Cable.

4.5 out of 5

$159.00

$149.00
On Sale!

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Shure SE210 Black

Serious ear-canal headphone at a not-too-serious price. Perfect for iPhones, Mp3 players, PDAs, & iPods. ON SALE!

4.0 out of 5

$179.99

$179.99
Call for Price

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Sennheiser PXC 300

Upgraded noise-canceling and a schwingy carry-bag for travelers seeking superb isolation.

3.5 out of 5

$179.95

$149.99

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DENON AH-D1001K

Small-Sized High Caliber Sealed Headphone. Incredible Price-to-Audio Performance Ratio. IN-STOCK!

5.0 out of 5

$149.99

$149.99
Add to Cart

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Etymotic hf2

Hands-Free Hi-Fi ECHs with In-Line Microphone for Cell Phones, BlackBerry, iPhone, Mp3 players.

3.5 out of 5

$199.00

$179.00

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Etymotic ER-4S

Top ECH providing -23dB of isolation. Air travel never sounded so good! Requires head-amp to be properly driven.

4.5 out of 5

$299.99

$181.99

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Etymotic ER-4P

Low-impedance version of ER-4S; Audiophile-grade sound directly out of any portable player.

4.5 out of 5

$299.99

$299.99
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AKG K 271 MK II

Refined Sealed-Earcup Sound from Superb Austrian-made Headphone.

4.0 out of 5

$299.00

$299.00
Add to Cart

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Sennheiser RS 140

Wireless SEALED HeadPhones With Volume & Balance Control

5.0 out of 5

$239.95

$199.99
On Sale!

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Etymotic Ety 8 Blue Tooth Wireless

Enjoy Listening to Your iPod with Wireless Bluetooth Convenience.

3.5 out of 5

$249.99

$199.99

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Sennheiser HD 25-1-II

SENN's Best Sealed Headphone. Punchy Clarity & Secure Fit for Mobile Listeners, DJs, & Studio Work.

4.0 out of 5

$350.00

$199.99

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Sleek Audio SA6 In Ear Earphones

Fully Tuneable In-Ear Headphones Adjust to Your Precise Listening Tastes.

4.5 out of 5

$249.99

$199.99
On Sale!

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Audio-Technica ATH-A700

Full-Size Closed-Back Comfortable Audiophile Headphone ON SALE!

3.5 out of 5

$299.00

$164.99
On Sale!

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DENON AH-NC732K

Perhaps The Best-Sounding Noise-Canceling Headphones. 100% iPhone Compatible!

4.0 out of 5

$299.99

$249.99

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DENON AH-D2000

Accurate, lively presentation and true reference sound rarely found in sealed headphones. ON-SALE. IN-STOCK!

5.0 out of 5

$349.00

$349.00
Add to Cart

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Shure SE310 Black

Solid step into high-performance earphones, and a new world of music in your noggin. ON SALE!

5.0 out of 5

$299.99

$299.99
Call for Price

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Audio-Technica ATH-ESW9A

Looks AND Sound to Swoon Over from Top Portable Sealed Headphone. ON SALE!

4.5 out of 5

$549.99

$299.99

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Shure SE420 Black

Dual-microdriver audiophilic pleasure for your deserving head

4.0 out of 5

$349.99

$349.99
Call for Price

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Sennheiser PXC 450

Full-Size Noise Canceling Headphones With 'Talk-Thru' Feature. iPhone Compatible!

4.0 out of 5

$399.95

$399.95
Add to Cart

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Sennheiser IE-8 ECH

High-End Audiophile ECH with Adjustable Bass Tuning.

4.0 out of 5

$449.95

$449.95

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Shure SE530

Outstanding Audiophile Performance From Category-Leading Ear-Canal Headphone. ON SALE!

5.0 out of 5

$449.99

$449.99
Call for Price

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DENON AH-D5000

Amongst the top sealed headphones and as good as the best open cans. Yep, you read that right! IN-STOCK!

5.0 out of 5

$699.00

$699.00

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Ultrasone PRO 900

High-End Professional Sealed Headphones. Studio-Quality Performance and Isolation.

4.0 out of 5

$849.00

$599.00
On Sale!

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DENON AH-D5000 Balanced w/ 10ft Cardas 'Fat Pipe' XLR Cable

DENON AH-D5000 Recabled at HeadRoom with Cardas 'Fat-Pipe' Balanced/XLR 10ft Cord.

5.0 out of 5

$999.00

$899.00

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Audio Technica ATH-W5000

Rare Uber High-End Sealed Headphone. ON-SALE!

4.0 out of 5

$1,669.99

$949.00

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Ultimate Ears UE-10 Pro

The perfect ear canal headphone.

5.0 out of 5

$950.00

$950.00

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DENON AH-D7000

Stratospheric High-End Performance from DENON. A Grand Grand Headphone! IN-STOCK!

5.0 out of 5

$999.99

$749.00
On Sale!

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DENON AH-D7000 Balanced w/ 10ft Cardas 'Fat Pipe' XLR Cable

DENON AH-D7000 Recabled at HeadRoom with Cardas 'Fat-Pipe' Balanced/XLR 10ft Cord.

5.0 out of 5

$1,299.00

$1,099.00

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Ultimate Ears UE-11 Pro

Lush, yummy sound you can stick in your head.

5.0 out of 5

$1,150.00

$1,150.00