Sony MDR-NC60 Noise Canceling Headphone Review

My wife and I purchased two pairs of these headphones as our anniversary gifts to each other prior to our recent trip to Europe. We are 100% pleased with our purchases. The headphones are extremely comfortable to wear for long periods, and they eliminate considerable noise without even turning on the active noise cancellation electronics. During our overnight flight, they completely eliminated the engine noise, plus they reduced the levels of the constant talker behind us and the baby a few seats away, allowing us to sleep peacefully. 

The audio quality is superb, and the padding on the earphones and headband is very generous, allowing use in full comfort. 

We especially like the compact case, which includes pockets for the detachable cable, adapters, and spare battery. We also like the Mute button, which allows hearing someone speak while the music is muted. 

We had read many reviews comparing these Sony headphones to the more heavily advertised Bose QuietComfort headphones, and we are very happy to have saved considerable cash buying these instead.

By S. Cottingham (see original review here)

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Sennheiser PXC 450 Noise-Canceling Headphones Review

I Just took delivery of a new set of Sennie PXC 450's, and was surprised by several things. 

First, these headphones are made in Germany. They hark back to an era when that fact alone meant something, and are as solidly made as a pre-1990's Mercedes. Those of you who were fortunate enough to own one of these automobiles will know what I mean. By comparision, my heretofore much appreciated Bose Quietcomfort II headphones seem lightweight and downright flimsy. Compare the weight and heft of the Sennheiser connection cable to the miniature diameter of the Bose Cable. And compare the way the Earcups are mounted to the headband (a standard complaint on the Bose's is that these have a tendency to snap and break, although in fairness, mine did not do so over many years of use). 

Then there is convenience. These headphones have an independent volume control, and a shutoff feature that disables the noise-canceling feature. Handy. And finally, a large round button on the right earcup will mute the music you are listening to, and allow you to converse normally without removing the headphones. Awesome! Have you ever had to take off your headphones when the flight attendant comes 'round to offer you your peanuts? Well, all that is over now. 

Next, the noise-canceling feature works wonderfully. Extraneous noises simply disappear, that's all there's to it. The Bose circuitry works well too, but has a most annoying characteristic, of picking up extraneous interference, i.e. someone else's Ipod or cell phone, and delivers it in the form of an annoying intermittent buzz.... 

Finally, you've got that amazing, clear Sennheiser sound, which allows you to hear details previously un-noticed. The QC2's simply cannot match the Sennies for clean, detailed sound. Sensitive sounds that are often lost in lesser quality reproduction (mid range oboes, and background vocals are good examples) spring to vibrant life. You'll hear details you never even suspected were there in your recordings..... 

All in all, I'm sold. The QC2's are going on Ebay this afternoon....

By T. V. Zabern (see original review here)

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Audio Technica ATH-ANC7B Noise-Cancelling Headphones Review

I recently took a trip to India and a friend recommended that I buy noise cancelling headphones to make the trip more pleasurable. What smart advice!

Based on reviews and Audio Technica's reputation I decided to give these a shot. The reviews were decent and the price was right. 

The biggest piece of feedback I can provide is that they work! And work well. I like music, but I'm not an afficinado and did not have any bad sound experiences. Bass was nice, but not overwhelming. Mids and treble were about as good as it gets without a built in equalizer. 

When you turn these things on, the roar of the jet engine all but disappears. Listening to music and onboard movies is now a pleasure. I have a smidgen of hearing loss and these headphones made that all go away. 

Importantly, I had these headphones on my ears for almost 40 hours of flying time. I didn't experience any discomfort and occasionally had to take them off the scratch my ear. While they are slight bulky - my wife said I looked like an alien with them on - they were quite comfortable. 

The small zippered pouch on the inside of the case was handy for carrying a couple of extra batteries and the cables. I used the AAA that came with the phones and never replaced it for the duration of the to and from flying. But I did bring along an extra AAA just in case. The phones do not work all that great when turned off so having the AAAs available I think is important. The case is a bit on the bulky side, but very nicely made. Durable sides keep the headphones from getting crushed inside cramped bags. 

Overall, really, really happy. I honestly believe these phones made the long trip much more pleasurable and I felt more refreshed than expected. Listening to the constant roar of the engines takes its toll for sure. 

You won't be disappointed.

By M. Bishoff  (see original review here)

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JVC HANC250 Noise Cancelling Headphones Customer Review

These really are a great pair of headphones.

I got them for work since I recently took a job that involved a cube farm. Putting these headphones on and turning on the noise canceling instantly makes me breathe a sigh of relief. It's like having my own little haven to go to in order to get away from the noise of the cube farm. 

They block all lower frequency sounds (low voices, air condition, computer fans, etc.) and muffle higher frequency sounds (women's voices, etc.). Combined with some music I can't even tell I'm in a cube anymore. 

Speaking of music, I have found the sound from these headphones to be superb! Sure, it doesn't have huge amounts of bass, but what is there is clean and pure. Also, the detail in the mid and high range is exceptional.... I find myself hearing lyrics and background music details that I never heard before. 

Finally: comfort. I was really looking for a pair of over the ear headphones because I knew I would be wearing these all day long. But after reading the positive reviews (and looking at the price) I went with this... and I'm glad I did. Firstly, they are _very_ light. I couldn't believe how light they were the first time I picked them up. Secondly, the cushions are very high quality, mating well with your ears, sealing out sound while not making your ears hot. Finally, the headband is of similar good quality, never bothering the top of my head (although it does put a crease in my hair!). 

I have worn these headphones for about 5 hours a day for the past month and can't come up with anything bad to say about them.... 

Friedmud

By D. Gaston (see Original Review Here)

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