Rating: 
Summary: The (Almost) Perfect Pair of Headphones
Review: I love these headphones!! I got these in Narita Airport and obsessed over them the whole airplane ride from Tokyo to Bangkok...for a very valid reason. These headphones are great. Travelling a lot, I usually have to jack up the volume to nearly full blast and then get a ear-ache after listening for only a short while. But not with these. They cancel most of the noise in the airplane, no more droning sounds! I can now listen to music on the airplane and other noisy places using reasonable volume. I think ths product does what it's supposed to do, cancels most of the noise. It never promised silence, so if that's what you are expecting from these, then don't waste your money. What it does when you turn the noise-cancelling circuit on, however, is cut off most of the very low sounds, so that when you're in places with loud engines sounds (e.g. on an airplane)you won't be able to hear a lot of the grumbles. Plus, this model is an over-the-ear design, so even it cuts off some noise even without the noise-cancelling circuit on. Some people complain about hissing sounds and I would like to clarify that. These headphones have got 2 systems: 1)normal headphones and 2) noise-cancelling headphones. There are situations where you do not need the noise-cancelling function and you'd be better off turning the circuit system off. When you turn in on in an environment where it is not needed, you will be able to hear a hissing sound that can become annoying. Just turn it off and they'd be fine. As I've mentioned before, these don't promise silence. (Neither do any other headphones.) When you are in a very noisy place, you will not hear the hissing; instead, most of the low grumbling noise will disappear, allowing you to enjoy your music a great deal more.
Also, these have got to be one of the most comfortable earphones you can ever find! If you've done the research on noise-cancelling headphones (like I have), you will find out that a lot of people complain about how a lot of noise-cancelling headphones are very uncomfortable to wear for a long time. Well, good news! These are very comfortable and you can wear them for a long period of time! These headphones do exactly what they're supposed to do. I just wish they were a tad smaller. That would have been brilliant! I mean, these take up more space than my iPod! Another downside, you wouldn't want to use these for exercising because they are pretty bulky. However, they are not meant to be for use in the gym, so I shouldn't complain. Overall, great noise-cancelling. Get these and hear the difference!!!
Rating: 
Summary: Comfortable and better than most competing models
Review: I read and heard the hype of noise-cancelling headphones and how they will make my life much better. So, i went out and bought/researched most of the top selling headphones. The Aiwa model (HP-CN5) is the most value priced. But, it has a buzz when you turn on the noise-cancellation, and i certainly think that most of the noise-cancellation is being achieved by increasing the volume than anything else. Also, the battery slot is awkwardly placed above the left earpiece, and it thus constantly budges against my head.
The Sony MDR-NC11's are quite uncomfortable, and cost nearly 3 times as much as the Aiwa model. The manual said that the noise-cancellation will work only if the earbuds are fitting "snugly," and from my experience it seems that the snugly fit of the earbuds is what cancels more noise than the noise cancellation technology. I must say, however, that these are the most stylish, sleek and portable headphones of the lot. Sadly, their noise cancellation is nominal, and not worth it for the pain of "snugly" fitting earbuds for extended periods of time. The third model i tried was the Sony MDR-NC20, which is the most expensive of the lot. It is definitely more comfortable than the previous models, and also has passive noise cancellation due to the closed loop cushion design around the ear. However, it will get uncomfortable when worn for long durations due to the small earcup design. In Summary, all three of these headphones cancel noise by adding a "buzzing" sound when noise-cancellation is turned on, and by increasing the volume of the music if plugged to a CD player. I would suggest using your money on a better CD player, and get comfortable headphones without the noise cancellation feature. Let me suggest Koss UR-20 or Koss UR-30 for beautiful sound quality and comfort, and the Koss THE-Plug or Sony Fontopia for ear bud type models. All cost less than 50 bucks! Enjoy, and i'll head to the stores to make all the returns! :(
Rating: 
Summary: Sony Noise Cancelling Headphones are GREAT!
Review: I travel a LOT. Fly on everything from TurboProps to Airbus A-320's and 757's. I've never been able to sleep on aircraft and lately, my tolerance for noise and screaming kids has gone to near zero. Well, that's what the Sony MDRNC-20 noise cancelling headphones have given me, ..... nearly zero noise on flights. My last two flights (this week) were on two SAAB TurboProp commuter aircraft and two A-320's and I could not hear the engines with these headphones on. I also use a Sony R70 MiniDisk Recorder / Player that was useless, due to in cabin noise, until I bought these headsets. I've tried the Bose (overpriced and cumbersome), Sennheiser and Toshiba units and the Sony's are the best. I highly recommend them for frequent fliers if you want to be able to function at the destination end of the flight. OH! Did I mention that we also use them while cutting grass on our diesel Kubota tractor with 60 inch mower deck and can't hear the tractor noise, but Bon Jovi comes through lound and clear from the Sony CD Walkman. The audio connection cord also has a convenient connector in it so your can disconnect the main lead and just use the headphones for noise reduction. I thought this a very convenient feature for those who want to block out TV noise, kids, neighbors, etc and not listen to music at the same time.
It might sound like I'm a Sony fan (which I am) but I'm also an audio engineer and my motto is "Specs first, price second". I was pleased to find a product that cost over $120 less than Bose and worked every bit as well, .... maybe better.
You need a pair of these if you fly a lot or just want some peace and quiet.
Rating:
Summary: Nice product for the price
Review: I use this set of headphones almost every week on flights. I have found that the noise cancelling is excellent for plane travel, and in fact reduces the ambient roar by orders of magnitude. In comparison to the Bose comparable, these do not do as good a job, and there is a hiss as pointed out by others, but this is completely unnoticable on a plane. In addition, I have worn continuously on >13 hour flights and have not had any discomfort in the fit, which is a great plus compared to other headphones I have owned. Battery life is excellent, and they can't really be accidentally switched on while in your luggage. I was hoping that they would fold up smaller, but I guess this is about as good as you get for over the ear types. The only real drawback to these is if you cover the ear can in any way (hand, leaning against headrest, etc.), these things can start to flutter or amplify the background noise. I haven't noticed this with other products, but it is likely that they are the same.
Rating:
Summary: Best Noise Cancelling Headphones
Review: I will admit that I recently gave up my Sony Headphones for the Bang and Olufsen A8's ----- however, that was more for portabilities sake, than sound
with regards to sound, this is the BEST pair of headphones that I have used
The noise cancelling features are excellent! -- putting these things on, along with the noise cancellers, allows you to hear sounds that you never knew existed within many of your favorite songs
I compared these headphones, head to head, on an airplane, against the Bose Quiet Comfort 2, and there was no difference in sound - both performed excellently, and equally, within the airplane environment ---- however, the Sony ones were more comfortable and MUCH cheaper
Don't even waster your time with the Bose Quite Comfort ---- grab a pair of these and you'll fall in love quick!
Rating: 
Summary: Uncomfortable But Works A Little....
Review: I wore these for about an hour while riding the bus and couldn't wait to take them off. Maybe if I could find a way to replace the minimal amount of padding around the ears they would be better, but I doubt if I can. The headband felt fine.
They did reduce the background noise to some extent, but it was still noticeable on the bus. Actually, my ipod headphones were louder than the Sonys with the ipod set at the same volume, but the sonys seem to be a little easier on my eardrums due to the fact that their not jammed in my ear canal.
I'm considering returning these and getting the Bose QuietComfort 2. Although $300 for a pair of headphones is obscene, I need something good for long flights and I'm not sure that these will do the trick.
These headphones suck without the noise reduction turned on. With it on the sound is better, although somewhat muddy compared to the headphones that came with my ipod. I suppose I would rather wear these on a plane, bus, or train than my ipod headphones because they are easier on my eardrums, while still allowing me to hear the words of the music I'm listening to.
As you can see they look great and they fold up nicely too. I wish they would just make them more comfortable.
Rating:
Summary: Good sound, Good Noise Cancelling, Good for airplanes.
Review: I've been using these for over a year now. Basically, in a quiet environment these sound pretty good. They aren't as good as similarly-priced studio-class headsets, but you're paying for the noise cancelling. The raw capability is pretty decent, and has acceptable detail in treble, vocal, and bass ranges.
The noise cancelling works pretty well. I've taken these on several intercontinental flights and they do a decent job of blocking out engine rumble and screaming kids. They also do a decent job of blocking out adult human voices, which is nice in the office.
However, I must have pretty big ears, and I've found that the foam cups aren't quite thick enough to adequately push the driver away from my outer ear. After 2 or 3 hours of use my ears start to ache a bit.
The cord is plenty long, and can be disconnected in the middle to link to an optional Sony wired remote control. An adapter to convert the standard 1/8th inch stereo jack to the dual 1/8th inch jacks in many airplane seats is included.
The thing that I don't like about this is that I find these uncomfortable when I try to lean my head against the window in an airplane and sleep. I think that the MDR-NC11's might have been a better choice in that regard.
They're also kind of bulky unless you have a large carry-on to keep them in. I'm paranoid about putting these in the seat pocket in front of me, since the MDR-NC20's come with a soft bag instead of a rigid clamshell like the Bose headsets. I haven't had any spills yet, but active travellers may wish to find a case that's more rigid.
All in all, I'm pretty happy with these. The natural audio sound and the noise cancelling are plenty sufficient for the price... I couldn't justify the $300 for Bose unless I needed the protective clamshell and had ears that fit perfectly into their earcups.
Rating:
Summary: Decent sound and noise reduction
Review: I've been using these headphones in a noisy office area for about 4 months. The noise reduction is significant, better than I had expected. Repetitive mechanical noise is nearly eliminated, and conversations seem further away - far enough away that they are no longer a distraction.
The sound quality is good enough. I normally listen to CDs played on my laptop PC, so the source sound quality is not the greatest.
I've not found them to be 'painful' as described by another reviewer. But there is a significant whine, at about 7kHz I think, while the active noise reduction is on. It is just loud enough to be noticeable to my aging eardrums, and causes fatigue after extended periods.
They've been worth the price. Maybe Bose would be better, but there's no way I could justify spending $300 for headphones.
Rating:
Summary: Noise cancelling excellent; sound OK
Review: I've owned a pair of these for four years now. They have taken a considerable amount of abuse (I'm a working DJ) and still look great and function perfectly. I bought these headphones for two reasons: First, as a mobile DJ, I wanted to save my hearing. With the noise-cancelling switch on, I can monitor my upcoming track and not blow out my eardrums while doing it. My second reason? I was about to take a ten-hour flight from Calgary, Canada to Paris, France and I've never been able to sleep on a plane because of the engine noise. These were PERFECT in that environment. What little engine noise still leaked through was completely gone with the volume on my CD player turned to even minimal levels. However, like a previous reviewer, I also own a pair of MDR-7506 headphones. While the NCs sound great compared to your standard $15 cheap headphones, they are not nearly as nice as the 7506s, especially for extended listening. Still, if you DJ or fly a lot, by all means look into these. They will save your sanity on a long flight, and your hearing in front of a noisy crowd.
Rating:
Summary: The "Get Smart" Cone of Silence has finally been perfected.
Review: I've owned these for years. I used to fly two round trips a week, and I wore these constantly, whether or not there was any reason to (in flight entertainment, a CD player).
The first benefit is that the noise reduction made speech more audible. I could hear the person in the next seat better, and, in fact, I found that I could eavesdrop on people a row or two away, since the noise that would normally have masked their conversation was masked, but the speech came through.
The loud, constant background sound in airplanes is very draining. I was more likely to be able to nap with these on, and I was more likely to be able to concentrate on reading with less background noise.
Don't get a unit that simply insulates the sound - you might as well use earplugs or sealing earbuds. There is nothing wrong with that solution, it is just that the solution of generated countersound (exactly out of phase, exactly the right amount and frequency for the sound that is incoming), especially when the countersound is based on microphones that are right at the earphones - as far as I am concerned, nothing works as well.
Microphones that are placed in an off-headphone device can't tell where the headphones are direction, or what in the environment might be changing the sound at the headphones. This effect is not as important at low frequencies, but it becomes more important at higher frequencies, so this unit can provide more coverage. The design is simply the best possible - microphones as close to the ear as possible is a huge design benefit.
Well, being in a quiet environment works better, but that is not always available.
When you are flying, especially if you fly a lot, small incremental increases in comfort really are worth it. These cost me less than a quarter per flight, have lasted years and are still going strong.
Sound quality was fine. I could head spoken voice programming just fine, and, far as I was concerned, music was enjoyable. Airline provided programming was much better than the provided headphones.
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