Sony MDR-NC11 Fontopia Noise Canceling Headphones with In-line Volume Control

Customer Reviews

I am quite pleased with these little 'phones. I was given an iPod and since the included buds were just abysmal and since I travel a lot....well, it was a prudent purchase :-)
I have three sets of Noise Cancelling headphones (the others are sennheiser and panasonic) and these little MDRNC11's have a very similar ability to dim ambient noise in a MUCH smaller package - perfect for my dawn and midnight runs and they are great on the airplane, the bus and the office.
After a great deal of futzing with the included (and VERY comfortable) silicone ear moulds the sound is now fantastic on my iPod. I am still listenint to MP3's (or MP4's) so the sound is not audiophile quality but I am quite happy with what I hear.
In other reviews some of the folks has mentioned the bass-heavy nature of these drivers - yes, they are a tad bass heavy, but on the iPod the "acoustic" setting rounds them out very well.
The vast majoriety of music I listen to is classical and jazz. The opening track of "Jazz at the Pawnshop" is littered with lovely ambient noises that come through very well. As this is a pretty standard track for demoing audiophile sound systems, I would say that for $100 I got a heck of a bang for my buck :-)
Again, MP3's (even the ones from apple.com) still sound like MP3's, but these little buds reproduce the music with elan. If you need a personal Oasis in your daily life I can think of many worse purchases in the headphone market.
FInal tip, shop around :-)
-J

Surprisingly these earbuds work quite well. Now that the price in reduced to under $100 they are a much better deal. Don't expect pure silence. However do expect to be able to listen to your content at half the volume you are used to using.
Most of the noise reduction is passive, simply the rubber fittings on the ear buds make a seal with your ear hence blocking out a lot of sound. It is crucial that you try the different sizes to find one that gives you the best results. The active (electronic) noise cancelling works well on the low rumble on airplanes, the sound of a car heater or the sound of an air conditioner. Other than that the active noise cancelling does not do too much.
The sound quality is good provided the earbuds fit you properly.
One issue is that the sound the chord makes vibrations that travel up the chord and since you have a tight seal between the buds and your ear you will hear a lot of that. so dont use these for jogging. then again the bose quiet comfort 2 had a similar problem although nto as bad.
If you happen to travel by BART on the S.F. Peninsula then these earbuds are definately effective. You will still hear the 'sounds of hell" screeching (again dont expect magic) but it is very much subdued and you will be able to listen to your iPod at half volume.
Another point you can not compare noise cancelling headphones with regular headphones. that's an apple vs orange type comparison. For $100 you can get much better sounding headphones but they will not be noise cancelling. I would say just for sound quality alone a $40 pair of non-noise cancelling ear buds would sound about as good. so ya you do pay for the noise cancelling features.
If you do not need the noise cancelling functionality then I would say do not get these, because dollar for dollar regular earbuds will sound better and be more comfortable.

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 8 x 10 x 6 inches ; 4 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B00007EDM0
• Item model number: MDRNC11
  

Price : $69.99
You Save : $80.00 (53%)

Product Description

Sony MDR-NC11 Fontopia Noise Canceling Headphones with In-line Volume Control
List Price : $149.99

Technical Details

• Reduces exterior noise by more than 70 percent (10 dB) so you can hear music against a quieter background
• Tiny size allows easy storage in a backpack, briefcase, or purse
• Extended battery life approximately 60 hours with a single AAA alkaline battery
• Noise-canceling on/off switch; headphones work with or without power
• Includes soft carrying case and airplane adapter plug