Sony makes the best noise-canceling headphones, the WH-1000XM6, and starting this year it will also make the headsets that NFL coaches wear along the sidelines and in booths above the field. And I got to try them on for the second time.
The new headset was first announced at CES in Las Vegas this January, in the midst of the NFL playoffs, at a Sony press conference that saw NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell take the stage. Afterward I interviewed Sony and NFL executives about the then-prototype, and was the first member of the press to try on the headset.
I'm no NFL coach, unfortunately, so I can't say how much better Sony's new headsets is compared to the previous model. But after trying on the final version again at NFL headquarters in New York a couple weeks ago, I can confirm that they're built like an offensive lineman.
"This product has been designed with coaches by gathering their feedback," said Rama Ravindranathan, VP of football technology for the NFL, in an interview with CNET. "It's a custom-built design to isolate any of the background noise and ensure the coach's voice gets reflected in any kind of environmental conditions."
Calling an audible against noise
The previous coach's headset didn't offer active noise canceling technology, but Sony's new headset does. It's always on, and tuned to the specific audio conditions unique to NFL stadiums and tested up to 100 decibels. For reference, a jet engine produces between 110 and 140 decibels. There's a large mic attached to the headset, and swinging it up automatically mutes the mic input.
Sony spent more than a year developing the new cans, focusing on durability to resist breakage when coaches inevitably throw them to the turf in frustration (or joy). "We truly believe that these headsets will outlast the usage," said Tracie Rodburg, SVP of global partnerships at the NFL.Â
As part of the development process, Sony engineers worked with NFL coaches to gather feedback.
Other challenges take the form of rain, sweat, heat and cold. "A normal consumer won't stand outside in January in Buffalo for three hours, right?" said Shunsuke Nakahashi, a product manager for audio at Sony. "So how to build noise canceling is slightly different." He explained that testing occasionally involved engineers standing inside a "freezer-ish facility" and that "some may take a shower" to simulate game conditions.
The developers had to address both active (electronic) noise canceling, making sure the performance was effective and consistent over a three-plus hour game, and passive noise canceling. Passive noise canceling can be addressed by choosing the best ear pads.
The new headset comes with either a single earcup or a two-cup design. Sony says the single earcup design is much more popular with coaches.
I wasn't able to turn on the headphones to test sound quality or active noise cancellation, but when I put them on I could immediately tell how effective they were at passively shutting out noise. I was in a relatively quiet conference room, but even so the sound was muffled significantly, going almost completely silent.
Option play: One or both ears covered
I was interested to learn that Sony is shipping two different versions of the headset to NFL teams, one with the classic single cup that leaves one ear exposed -- teams could choose either a right- or left-ear configuration -- and one with dual earcups. Sony and NFL representatives told me the single-ear version was more popular by far, but that some coaches, particularly in booths above the field, occasionally opt for the dual earcup version.
So what was it like to wear? In a word: solid. They were comfortable on my head and didn't feel too heavy, although they definitely had a bit more weight than the Sony WH-XM10004 headphones I own and wear frequently. They're not completely wireless. A thick umbilical connects the coach's headset to a module with a belt clip that communicates wirelessly with other headsets in the system.
"It's a private wireless LTE system that we've developed with Verizon, and it's in every single stadium we go to, even international games," said Rodburg. "Verizon created that for us so that it's clear, and there's no issues with the communication between the coaches."Â
Seen from the side, the headset's fatter top band and large mic set it apart from standard Sony headphones.
I asked Sony how much each of its headsets cost, but company reps declined to answer. It's safe to assume each of these tanklike devices is quite a bit more than the $500 or so you'd pay for the WH-10000XM6. The headsets have already been delivered to NFL teams for use during the upcoming preseason and leading up to kickoff on Thursday, Sept. 4. No matter how well your team is expected to play this year, at least the coaches' ears can expect an upgrade.