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Aiwa HP-CN5 Noise Canceling Headphone

Aiwa HP-CN5 Noise Canceling Headphone

List Price: $49.99
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Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Not worth the money at all.
Review: not only did these headphones not block any sound, and broke after 1 month of use. The left ear piece crackles and makes a high pitched ringing sound. (even with the noise cancelation off).

I am not satisfied with my purchase. I have not as of yet contacted the company concerning warranty information/replacement.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Good price, works well, uncomfortable
Review: Yes, it is priced right. Yes, it does work. But, it is uncomfortable. Even [for the money paid for the] headset, it can still be comfortable, i.e. Jensen JNC50.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: It hurts...it works...
Review: Yes, these hurt my ears, too, but if you're into that sort of thing, a whole new realm of discomfort can be experienced while wearing these headphones with sunglasses. My brother has cauliflower ears, I should have him try these on and write a review.

Now the good news: they work...they work well. I got them to listen to my audiobooks while doing work around the house. It typically takes me three hours to mow my yard with the obnoxiously loud 20 hp lawn tractor. That's a LONG time to be with my dark thoughts, so I needed a distraction. Of course, I tried to make myself deaf by using the earbuds and the over-the-ear models, but the Briggs & Stratton still prevented me from listening to Robert Ludlum.

Enter Aiwa. They're cheap, so I got 'em. As soon as I flipped the switch, the roar of the tractor's engine diminished. When I started the cassette player, I could clearly hear the narrator describing a character being eviscerated...just in time for the good part!

Try this. I've always thought that kitchen stove hoods running on HIGH sounded like the inside of an airliner. Fire up the hood and wear the headphones with them OFF. Then flip them ON. What a difference, huh?

Perhaps Aiwa will read these reviews and come up with a better design that will afford comfort to its wearers. If you're Ross Perot or Andy Griffith, don't get these headphones.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Good deal, but eventually uncomfortable
Review: I echo (no pun intended) the comments of many in that these are an exceptional value in noise-cancelling headphones. It was readily apparent that wearing them on an airplane eliminated much of the engine noise while still allowing me to hear the flight attendants. Additionally, I arrived at my destination much less fatigued and definitely more alert. They come with many adapters and fold up easily, so are quite practical for travel. My biggest complaint and reason for less than five stars: if I wear them a couple of hours, my ears become quite tender and sore, making further wearing difficult. I bear the pain anyway, since their noise reducing effect is so wonderful. If you elect to purchase them, you will enjoy flying more fully, as long as they are comfortable!!!

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: There is nothing good about these headphones.
Review: Aiwa is usually a good brand but for some reason this pair of headphones is really terrible.
1.I tried to listen to music on the train with these and the noise cancelation didn't do anything to quiet the surroundings.
2.It is probably the most uncomfortable pair of headphones I have owned.
3.My hair kept on getting caught in folding joint at the top.
4.The amplifier that it comes with makes the music sound terrible.
5.There is a battery case that sticks into the side of your head.
6.They look ugly. Trust me.
7.They keep sliding off.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Good on the plane; good deal for the $$$$
Review: The Aiwa reduced much of that annoying and tiring ambient airplane noise. I could read comfortably on the plane but still hear still hear the flight attendant when she came by. I arrived fresher than I would have without the Aiwa.

The Aiwa were comfortable for me, although I could see that others might have problem with them.

I also own the expensive ear bud Sony MDR-NC10. I bought the Aiwa because I had lost one of the bud coverings on the Sony and didn't have time to order the replacement.

The Sony is superior in eliminating noise at all frequencies, but I didn't find it as comfortable as the Aiwa. In addition, the Sony's 'white noise' or whatever it is can be a bit tiring itself, (but HUGELY better than not wearing them at all).

However, I've worn the Sony on transcontinental non-stop flights and transoceanic flights as well as shorter legs, whereas the Aiwa were only across the country (US) roundtrip but with a stopover each way, so not subject to the same and more difficult conditions of the Sony.

For the $$$$, though, the Aiwa is hard to beat (as long as you find it comfortable).

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: good sound, but too big
Review: These are good, solid headphones, however:
I dont understand the reviewer who said that they were "tight". He must have a basketball for a head. I have a big head - if I ever buy a hat, I always buy the biggest one in the store. When I wear these headphones, they are loose on me. If I tilt my head, they fall off. Check out the picture - see the top band? You can't make it bigger or smaller. Only the side bands are adjustable. I used these every day on the train, and I got a neck ache from them - I inadvertantly tightened my neck muscles in an attempt to keep my head straight so the headphones would stay on. I had to stop using them.
In addition to this, when you wear them, you have hard plastic sitting on top of your head. Tolerable, but not very comfortable.
So my "3" rating is a "5" for electronics and overall quality, and a "1" for comfort and ergonomics. I'm shopping around for something better, and this time maybe I'll try them on before I buy them.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Open air Means OPEN AIR!!! see also NCT "noise busters"....
Review: WHY PAY MORE FOR A NAME?!?!

these are great headphones for the price. I've been shopping for some NC headphones for my occasional trip, and finally decided on these. Price was the most important issue, practicallity next, and style obviously came last.

When I walked in the apartment wearing these babies my roommate kept looking at me saying "NOT THE EARS... DON'T TOUCH THE EARS!!". and granted, they are ugly, (silver and teal to be exact) and the only way they could have made them look worse would have been if you spray painted the word "[goofy]" across the square head band. But to be really honest with you, I could care less about how they look because... THEY WORK.. and well worth the price...I'd definitely look into the latter of the three. I've tried them all and finally decided on these.

REASONS WHY:

the battery pack is on headphones not on a separate "BOX" with extra cords and odd sized batteries. Just one cord and one AA battery. I went to [retail store], bought a ...battery charger w/4 AA batteries. I use two in my cd player ONE in my headphone, and have an extra set on standby.

OPEN AIR: my ears tend to sweat alot in closed headphones like the bose, and I hate the feel of the pseudo leather they use on the pads. Also if you're a guy with longer hair, you don't have to worry about your hair getting pressed down from the shear pressure of the earpads.

that sexy sqware head band!! They fold flatter, than most which makes packing a breeze. plus it fits over my cowboy hat alot better than any standard headphone. BEWARE there is NO padding on the head band, and for an optimum fit they may need to be tilted back a bit which leaves the edge of the band gouging into your head.

BOY do I have a big head! they feel a bit tight, but i'm sure with some wear they'll feel alot better. That or they'll break.

The sound:

They sound fine. a bit low on the high side, but excellent bass. The midranges are fine too... and unless you're a REAL audophile, you're really not going to notice a difference. THEY BOTH hiss when the NC is active. The only NC headset i've tried without hissing are the noise busters.
If i had it to do over. I would have gone to the sharper image, but you know Best Buy and it Krazy "no receipt, no return policy"

ohh and another piece of advice, "keep all your receipts"

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Better than expected!
Review: I bought these headphones just before a long flight to Germany. When I received them, I was concerned over their design and possible discomfort of the plastic headband.

I was pleasantly surprised at their comfort on that 10 hour flight. While not truly silent, the ambient noise was reduced to a quite tolerable level.

These worked well with the on-board sound system of a Boeing 777, and my portable CD player and laptop. Battery life has far outlasted the 10 hours listed in the manual.

For the price, they can't be beat. The little carry bag was very convenient for holding the headset and adapters.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: A pain in the head
Review: Wearing noise cancelling headphones on long flights leaves me more rested, even if I'm not listening to music. It's surprising how nice an effect this is, and the Aiwa CN5 performs will in this regard. I do have to adjust where the earpiece sits on my ear for the noise cancelling to kick in. Not a big deal, though it requires some attention. I suspect this is a side effect of the CN5 being an "on the ear" style of headphone. The audio fidelity is quite adequate for my ear.

What is not adequate is the comfort. Unlike some reveiwers, my head doesn't hit the battery if I adjust the extensions properly, but the the headband has no padding and is angled in such a way that there is no way to get it to sit flat on my head. Instead, the sharp edge of the plastic band digs into the top of my head. I can't wear them very long without having to get something out of my bag to put under the band on my head, which gives me a lovely visual aspect and entertains my neighbors.

Not recommended. I'm about to try another brand.


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