Sharp Tech: Black Box M14 Noise Cancellation Headphones

Blackbox has released an update to their line of noise cancellation headphones, and these new cans are no slouches. The headphones are quite compact for around-the-ear models, contained within a small black carrying case, but their small size certainly doesn’t mean Blackbox has compromised sound quality. With noise cancellation activated, most background noise is completely eliminated, and you’re left with a crisp response, soothing high ends and booming bass.One perk worth mentioning is the use of a detachable cord. How many pairs of headphones have been rendered mute on one side by a sketchy connection inside the cord? Blackbox have chosen to include a replacement, so if your connection goes wonky you can replace the cheap cord rather than the expensive headphones.However, these headphones are marred by a somewhat serious problem. When you have noise cancellation activated, but aren’t playing any audio, a small buzz is sometimes audible in the right speaker, sounding as if the headphones are channeling a local radio station. Kind of Twilight Zone-ish, but maybe some of you are into that. Or maybe it was just our testers that decided to act up. Either way, the M14s look and sound exceptional, but be sure to test a pair before you invest. $250 blackboxonline.com