The Active Noise Cancelling Problem
As you can see from the user reviews, some users are reporting they are working perfectly while others are reporting the active noise cancelling is not working at all.
Peter Walker (CEO of Gadget Heaven) decided to investigate this issue, as he too had problems getting them to work. Here is his story:
I had the opportunity to test 5 pairs of the QuietOn Sleep. The first test was when I met the QuietOn team at a trade fair and recorded an interview with them. When I put them on, I couldn't determine a difference in noise levels at the very noisy trade fair. As they were prototypes, I did not say anything apart from a minor comment asking if they were functioning prototypes.
When I finally received the two units I had ordered, I fully charged them and tried them out. This is what I wrote to QuietOn support:
I received two sets of your QuietOn units on 26.08.19 from Poland and they both appear to be non-functional.
I have had several sets of noise-cancelling headphones, so I am familiar with how the noise reduction should sound like.
I have tried numerous frequencies and sounds through both pairs and notice no difference in the volume of sounds with them inserted or not. The units were fully charged (blue lights had switched off).
I tried pushing the buttons to switch modes and the difference was barely perceivable.
Their response was quick and excellent. They asked me to test some things and when that did not work, they arranged for the free return of the units I had and sent me two new ones from Finland.
The new ones arrived here and my old ones were delivered to Finland. This is where it gets confusing. This is what I wrote after testing the replacements:
I received the two units from Finland, today and after fully charging them, I have tested them both.
Unfortunately, they have the same problem – I am not noticing any noise reduction with these units. Either I am doing something wrong, or there is a major quality control issue with your units.
The new ones I received from you were sealed with a QuiteOn sticker, the ones from Poland were not so sealed, but that is not important. I was expecting these units to be working properly, at least one of them.
Let me explain how I am testing these:
- http://onlinetonegenerator.com/ setting frequencies claimed to be effective on your noise mountain: 400, 1000, 2000 and 4000 Hz. I play the frequencies over headphones and speakers and compare the volume levels between wearing the earpads and not.
- I have an electric fan in my office. I would expect its noise level to reduce noticeably.
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=co7KgV2edvI gives a simulation of aircraft cabin noise. I compare it with wearing the ear pads and not.
There are other tests I do as well like listening to engine noise from my diesel car, for example. I also compare the effect to the noise reduction from my noise cancelling headphones that do work. I have done all these tests with both new sets of earbuds – There is no noise reduction.
Please test the units I have already sent back so that you can confirm the issues, yourselves.
Before sending me a new set of earpads, please test that they actually work before posting them. I will not complain about the broken seal on the box.
And this was their reply:
Thanks for your feedback. We are sorry that you couldn't find those devices work. However, this week we indeed tested these before we sent out to you and the devices work totally fine. Meanwhile, we got the return from you. We tested them and surprisingly we found out they work perfectly to us.
I don't know how possible you find them not working. This device performs especially well with low frequency noise. So I tested with the background sound from dish washer or the same noise from Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QLvUVfBUQqE When the silence mode is activated, immediately I can feel the difference. I am sure with the simulation of aircraft cabin noise and electric fan, our device should be able to reduce the noise pretty well. I personally also tested the product with the engine and airplane noise, and I have to say the device works extremely well.
Therefore, I still have to stress on the instruction for the earplugs. Please make sure you use the right size of the eartips and make sure the earplug is airtight in your ears. To find the right angle of earplug inserted to the ears is also a key point for the device to function properly. Please check all these perspectives and the update we just published in Indiegogo concerning ANC technology. Hope you can find the reason or tip to make the device function in your ears.
Concerning unsealed product you got from Poland, it is because the factory hasn't got the right stickers from our side at the time they sent the package to you and other backers. That's why there wasn't sticker on the product box.
PS: Thanks for the usb cable, it works really well, but it is quite long in my opinion, so not very handy for the small package. Perhaps we are not going to use it currently. Thanks anyway.
I was very surprised that according to them, both my original two units and the replacements were working perfectly for them - but not for me. I expressed that in my response:
Thanks for your response and for working with me to resolve this issue. I have read your email and am also very surprised by your answer.
I am very used to noise cancelling headphones (I have about 5 different pairs in my household from cheap to high-end) and can certainly recognize when noise levels are reduced. As I have beta-tested many different products over the years, I am also used to working with products and identifying and resolving technical issues.
I had a very good look at the chart that was released with update #32 and noticed the effective range appears to be limited to 50 – 400 Hz so I am taking that into consideration. I will try some suitable small magnets in order to test switching the units on and off in situ.
I have created a video to simulate the noise levels depicted in that chart. Sine waves are played from 50 – 400 Hz in 10 Hz steps whereby the sound is played for 5 seconds at full volume and then reduced by the number of dB defined on your chart. I used Premiere Pro to create the video that allows me to reduce the volume in dB.
For example, 50 Hz is played at 0 dB and then -10 dB, 60 Hz at 0 dB and -16 dB, 70 Hz at 0 dB and -30 dB, etc. The numbers are displayed on screen. As can be heard on the soundtrack, the volume reduction is very noticeable and that is what I was expecting your QuietOn units to do.
At 6 minutes, you can then hear aircraft cabin noise first at 0 dB then every minute reduces to -10, -20 and -30dB
Again, I have no problem hearing the changes in volume levels in that video.
I played back the video over speakers and headphones with the QOS inserted with full batteries and am still not hearing respective noise reductions.
I will keep testing and obtain suitable magnets to test this further. I am using the medium foam pads that have a tight fit in my ear. I am trying hard to replicate conditions where I can discern a difference in volume of the respective tones.
Can you listen to my video and confirm you are hearing respective volume drops when listening with the QOS.
As others are reporting the same issue on the comments page on Indiegogo, there must be some explanation as to why we perceive the unit is not working, yet you report the same units are working extremely well.
If I can find the solution to this issue, I can create a video explaining it for your users. I love the concept of your earphones, I just want to hear them working as expected.
I have taken your comments and the public comments into consideration and performed a new test of the ear pads. Although a slight effect is discernible, it is nowhere near the results stated on the chart released on update #23.
I have filmed a test report and see this as a first draft. I ask you to look at it and give me more input as to what else I can do to improve results. I am not planning to release this version publicly, as I want to explore every means of improving the results and still hope to find a solution to this issue which would be the much preferred result.
Looking at the comments on Indiegogo, there are some like me not hearing a difference and others who state it is working. There must be a reason for this, particularly as you have told me that the units I have were working correctly, yet whatever I do, the active noise reduction is not working for me with the QOS although the headphones work for me every time. That is why I have the opinion the active noise reduction was not working and find your comments that they are, most confusing.
Now, I do have slight tinnitus where I constantly hear a low volume tone of about 7000 Hz, this does not however effect my ability to hear low frequency noises and I can clearly hear the differences in volume with my noise reducing headphones. It does make me wonder if other people who do not hear the difference have tinnitus as well.
Either way, it is important to investigate why it is working for some people and not others – there must be a reason for this.
I will write again when I have done some more testing and have an update.
One of their engineers then wrote me a longer email and told me to test some additional things. I will discuss that on the next page.
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