The Japanese professional audio firm is already highly respected for its precise delivery of music. Its noise-cancelling headphones do not disappoint either.
Said to cut 85 per cent of external noise, these QuietPoint earmuffs do a decent job of filtering out humming noises like those you hear on a flight.
To test the claim, I put my head near a noisy fan as I listened to tracks from Sergio Mendes' Timeless album.
It was immediately clear that the headphones work as advertised. While they do not block out the noise of doors banging, they certainly do keep the background hum of fans - and likely aeroplane or train engines - low.
This means there is less noise to intrude on that favourite jazz album or Linkin Park concert on your travels.
For audio enjoyment, fans also have high expectations of Audio Technica (A-T). Again, the QuietPoint pair do not disappoint.
Whether it was 1980s metal from Skid Row or bossa nova from Myrra, the highs and mids are pretty precise for headphones that are small enough to be easily packed away for a trip.
Vocals and most string instruments sound detailed and warm. The bass is also quite tight, given that these are not full-size studio monitors.
Besides sound, A-T wins with well-thought-out features like the use of a single AAA battery, one of which was running for more than 10 hours in my tests (it is said to go up to 40 - enough to fly to the United States and back).
And even if the power goes out, the headphones still work - just without the noise cancellation.
FINAL SAY: A classy and surprisingly well-priced package.
