Extensive noise-cancelling headphones test

Our ambitious project naturally began with a grandiose plan. The idea is to comb through all the world's noise-cancelling headphones, evaluate them thoroughly, and compare them to each other like an acoustic gladiator battle in the spirit of the "Those About to Die" TV series (by the way, it's a good show, worth watching). 

We spent nights pondering where to start: should we test the headphones first in the forest, where the fundamental question is "if a tree falls in the forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?" Or on an airplane, where the effectiveness of noise-cancelling is measured against the consumption of Dom Perignon?

The vision was clear, but as often happens, reality (i.e., our investor Markus) stepped in with his tie askew and reminded us that the budget is a bit different from our megalomaniac visions. So, we had to save somewhere, and we decided to save where it's easiest for us. In other words, we skipped buying all other headphones. No point in using our small budget to benefit the competition.

Since there are hundreds of different headphones on the market, ditching all the others left us with a pretty decent testing budget. So our extensive comparison turned into "we're comparing these two," but that's okay, because we think these are the only headphones that actually matter.

VMK25 – The Luxury Choice from Snowdrifts to the Sahara

The first test was conducted where few noise-cancelling headphones have dared to venture: in a snowdrift. We left the headphones hanging on a tree branch and went inside to drink mint cocoa.

About two glasses later, we concluded that the VMK25 could withstand at least a couple of mint cocoa's worth of frost and still felt as comfy on the ears as wool socks in the middle of a winter storm, as long as they were warmed up inside first.

The sound quality stayed so steady that even a lonely polar bear might have stopped to listen, if we weren't in Puolanka, where only regular brown bears live. And they usually sleep in the winter.

The battery life probably weakened in the snow, although we didn't get to test it because the cold started to annoy the testers about a day before the battery ran out.

Since we decided to test the headphones in extreme conditions, it was only natural to move next to the scorching heat of the Sahara Desert. The VMK25 handled this challenge with flying colors. Surrounded by sand and the relentless sun, the VMK25 performed flawlessly. The sound quality was so clear that it even drowned out the mating calls of camels, which is also a bit of a risk, because getting trampled by a randy camel while listening to music seems like a pretty realistic scenario.

The only downside was that even though the headphones still worked perfectly, everything was full of sand. Not just the headphones, but my own underwear too. So, it was time to head home.

Headphones on a private jet - heading towards luxury

After our trip to the Sahara desert, we still had a bit of testing budget left. We figured that the VMK25 model is the pricier of our two headphones, so naturally, we had to test its suitability for high-flying life—not in economy class, but in a private jet, where champagne flows and the environment buzzes just right. 

Just hop on a Scanwings Praetor 600 and head from Oulu to the Croatian coast. On the same trip, we also got to visit a partner's yacht, which of course means travel expenses can be deducted from taxes. Assuming a loss-making company even pays taxes. We included the new Megadeth model in this test, because it's the most expensive version of the VMK25 after all.

The memories of the trip are pretty hazy, and there are definitely no photos from the yacht, but it was fun. It's proven that the VMK25 works excellently even on a private jet (and a luxury yacht), although the champagne glass almost tipped over in the turbulence.

VMK20 – Mandatory Animal Testing

Since the previous test was in extreme conditions and the VMK20 is the more affordable model, we decided to test it in more ordinary environments.

We started with traditional, yet highly scientific animal testing, which had been forgotten while traveling with the VMK25. The headphones looked bewilderingly stylish on a dog's head, but usability left something to be desired, especially since their ears are in a completely different place than a human's. Cats were not willing to participate in the test, and Jani's cat slipped into the bushes like it had seen a tax auditor.

After testing on furry animals, we also tried them on hairless creatures, aka kids.

The result of the testing is that while the headphones looked cute on kids' heads, they were unnecessarily large for 0-3 year olds.

Testing among kids revealed an interesting observation: noise-cancelling causes anti-noise-cancelling – the headphones' dampening makes the child create a racket that surpasses the normal decibel level. So, if the headphone user is under school age, brace yourself for a noise level that rivals a rock concert.

The test was enlightening, but we quickly realized we wanted something more chill.

The Commoner's Travel Test

Tired of the cacophony caused by kids, we decided to move the test to a more adult environment: Spain, the place where Finnish retirees and financial criminals migrate when the homeland starts feeling too small and cold. To ensure a perfect test, we deviated from our usual standards and flew in economy class. Even though COVID restrictions haven't been a hassle for a while, I still wore a mask so no one I know would recognize me in economy.

The cramped airplane vibe, the armrest battle with neighboring passengers, and the shrieking sounds of children provided the perfect conditions for a real test of the VMK20. While the economy class refreshments mostly induced secondhand embarrassment, the VMK20 did its job with honor. The noise-cancelling silenced most of the racket, and the headphones stayed comfortable throughout the flight.

In Spain, where the sun scorches the pale Finnish skin in the blink of an eye and the guitarist at the nearby restaurant thinks he's a big star, we conducted the ultimate relaxation test for headphones: lounging in a sun chair.

At a hotel pool full of tourists, the White VMK20 was the perfect choice. The white model didn't absorb heat or become scorching on my ears. Plus, the white model matches the pale Finnish skin tone perfectly. Most importantly, I could listen to my audiobook in peace, even though the hotel had all sorts of distractions, like my own wife.

Pasi Test

Finally, the VMK20 ended up as the victim of the Pasi test. In this test, the headphones were given to Pasi without instructions, and his task was to try them out freely. The result was—let's say—tragic. Pasi put the headphones on the wrong way and wondered why the sound was so poor. This confirmed that even though the VMK20 is user-friendly, maybe a little guidance is needed if Pasi is doing the testing.

Summary

Our tests showed that both the VMK25 and VMK20 are excellent noise-cancelling headphones in their respective categories. The VMK25 shone in extreme conditions, from snowdrifts to the scorching heat of the Sahara and the luxury of private jets, offering top-notch sound quality and noise-cancelling features. The VMK20, on the other hand, was the hero of everyday life, handling everything from the chaos of economy class to relaxation tests under the Spanish sun.

Both headphones are the best you can afford, but if you're Pasi, we recommend contacting our customer service for some clarification on the user manual.