NAMM 2020: Korg’s NC-Q1 noise cancelling headphones offer Smart Monitoring for DJs

NAMM 2020: Korg has unveiled the NC-Q1s, a pair of noise cancelling DJ headphones that, as with so much tech these days, have a few ‘smart’ features to distinguish them from other cans.

We’re told that they use a new kind of Bluetooth technology for ear protection even in loud environments, while also delivering high-quality sound and noise-less monitoring. There are microphones on both the inside and outside of the ear cup, meaning that the NC-Q1s should be able to suppress a wide range of frequencies and auto-adjust based on the external sound environment.

The Smart Monitoring and Sound Enhancing features, meanwhile enable DJs to customise the external sounds that they hear by selecting an EQ preset, adjusting the volume balance and choosing the ear they want to monitor with (left, right, or both). The theory is that this will enable DJs to cue and monitor external sounds without having to remove their headphones. The Smart Monitoring can be activated by tapping or holding the responsive earcup.

Other features include support for Google Assistant and Siri, hands-free calling and a multi-function switch for playing, pausing, rewinding and skipping tracks. What’s more, if you remove the headphones your music will stop automatically, starting again when you put them back on.

Expect the NC-Q1s to land in February priced at $350. Find out more on the Korg website.