Blackbox C18-RB Active Noise Cancelling Earphones: Sound quality vs comfort

In these times of ever-improving sound and visual quality, the market is being flooded with gadgets to provide the best listening experience.

The latest to hit the shelves is the Blackbox C18-RB Active Noise Cancelling Earphones.

Enabled with world-leading ANR technology, the C18-RB earphones 'provide an ability to enjoy high fidelity sound from your music player without the disturbing influence of loud background noise'.

Cumbersome: The Blackbox C18-RB Active Noise Cancelling Earphones

According to the accompanying manual, Phitek Active Noise Rejection technology processes the ambient noise signal measured at your ear to generate an 'anti-noise' response.

Then it gets complicated: this anti-noise signal, which is almost an inverted replica of the noise itself, is then reintroduced back into the sound field in combination with your music. In effect, purifying your sound with the addition of white noise and feeding it back into the music you're listening to.

This should result in the two signals combining giving the almost complete cancellation of noise 'leaving your music to be enjoyed with improved fidelity and comfort'.

On the point of comfort, however, I beg to differ.

The inline controller, a small box attached half way along the wire between the jack and the earphones, uses a AAA battery which makes it feel heavy. Consequently, the ear attachments feel like they may be pulled out through the weight despite a neck lanyard designed to take some of the strain.

Furthermore, if you happen to be walking along a street and decide to listen to your MP3 player, it's not the easiest accessory to assemble. You find you have to hold the inline controller in your hand otherwise the neck lanyard can pop out of one of the plastic connectors near the earphone.

The 'ergonomically moulded' ear pieces themselves are cumbersome, sometimes requiring substantial manipulation to fit them comfortably in the ear.

So comfort may be a stretch - but what about sound quality?

There's no doubt that the sound is more robust and it certainly eradicates outside noise better than, say, Sony's earbuds. However, one or two tracks did distort when at full volume. Or perhaps that particular Chemical Brothers composition was of questionable quality...

The inline controller has two switches, one to turn it on and one to adjust volume - very handy when you don't want to have to dig around in your bag for your MP3 for this function.

With 50 hours use from a single battery you can get a fair amount of listening time under your belt - that is if you remember to switch the inline controller off when you're done. Forget this function and you'll be left very disappointed the next time you decide to tune in on your way home from the office because the C18s simply won't work without it.

That said, a green LED indicator shows when the device is on and it flashes when the battery is getting low.

The C18-RBs come with a velvet carry couch, spare earbuds, two airline jacks - a 6.5mm for your home stereo system and a double 3.5mm - a neck lanyard and a AAA battery.

Overall, the C18-RB earphones do what they say on the box: they actively reduce background noise.

So if you can get used to the fiddly assembly and weight of the inline controller, they're a good buy.