Rating: 
Summary: Nice, but disappointing
Review: Just returned the pair I bought. I'm an electronics tech, and probably should have known better. The fidelity, on or off, isn't as good as good as the inexpensive over-the-ear Philips phones I bought last year in Europe without realizing that they were open-back and didn't shut out noise. When the anti-noise cicuitry is turned on, the volume almost doubles and there was an unacceptable floor of hiss added, which may very well be intentional as noise MASKING. Hard to believe that in the year 2003, Sony couldn't build an amplifier with less added noise. Probably works pretty well on the sales floor. When I used them on the way home on the city bus, and the vehicle was moving and hitting bumps, this annoying fluttering in the hiss began. The active circuitry also distorted the highs in some music tracks. I do believe that there is some active noise cancelling going on, I'm just not impressed with the result. I suspect that this is another example of Sony tech innovation which maybe didn't work as well as the brute force alternative. I'm reminded of the Sony Biotracer turntable, which was a geek tech marvel, but in the end, didn't really produce anything that a good passive turntable wouldn't. These were reasonably comfortable, but I'm going passive, with Sennheiser HD-280, or Sony MDR-V700.
Rating: 
Summary: Almost awesome!
Review: My music is the only way I get through long flights. These headphones really work! Engine noise was cut in half, I hardly heard the crying child two seats back who follows me on every flight and the music fidelity is excelloent. Comfort was ok --better than plug-ins but a little warm over a long period of use. Overall, well worth the money!
Rating:
Summary: junk
Review: Noise-reduction is useless - in fact I found it made noise worse on a plane. Regular sound quality (e.g. listening to CDs) is ok.
Can't believe I paid so much for what I view as a pair of regular headphones...
Rating:
Summary: Buy 'em in Japan
Review: One of the best things about the original Sony Walkman was how loud it was. If you cranked it up loud enough, all noises were cancelled, even traffic. Well, several years of litigation and psychoacoustic research later, the latest generation of portable audio players are downright pansy in comparison to Sony's first little gem. To offset this MAJOR problem, you might consider a pair of NC headphones. They work best with low, steady noises, like whatever that hideous noise on airplanes is, but are not especially good at shielding you from the screaming coming from the next room. This model is not what I would call tough, as some key structural points are vulnerable, but it also isn't flimsy, and with a modicum of care, should hold up. My favorite thing to do is turn them on with no music playing, then talk, and hear how the noise cancelling circuitry changes ambient noise; It's a bit like being put in a glass jar. You wouldn't need these if you weren't such a gimmick hound who had to have the latest and most quietist portable audio gear, but had stuck with your [...] walkman, or even better, your giant ghettoblaster.
Rating: 
Summary: Not good for travel
Review: The collapsible design of these headphones is excellent. Unfortunately, the acoustic design is not up to the same standard. These headphones actually exacerbate the engine noise on some airplanes which defeats the primary use I have for them. I traded headphones with the Bose owner next to me on a flight and the difference in noise reduction was significant and decidely in favor of the Bose model. My son now uses the Sony headphones on the ground but I use Bose headphones for my airline travel.
Rating: 
Summary: Probably the best of the conventional noise cancelers...
Review: The fact that noise-canceling headphone reviews were all over the place made figuring out what to buy kind of difficult. I decided to buy the Sennheiser HDC451s ($80), the Sony MDR-NC20s ($120), and the Aiwa HP-CN5 ($50), and the Etymotic ER-6 ($130), try them all, and then return the three I liked least. Bose makes what are probably the industry standard but they weren't any better reviewed than the others and at $299, I wasn't interested. Here's what I found: Comfort: Kind of subjective, but in my opinion they rank as follows: Etymotic, Sony, Aiwa, Sennheiser. The Etymotics are basically earphones built into earplugs, so there's no bulk to worry about when moving around or trying to sleep on a plane. How comfortable they are kind of depends on how you feel about having things shoved in your ears. Of the conventional 'phones, the Sony's closed-ear design is more comfortable over long periods. The open-air design of the other two tends to squeeze your ears after a while. The Sennheiser loses because of an inexplicably uncomfortable pad in the top. Noise Canceling: Etymotic, Sony, Sennheiser, Aiwa. The Etymotics have no noise-canceling circuitry and rely purely on blocking the ear canal to reduce noise. This cuts more noise than the others and does it across the entire spectrum-making it the only one that will silence the kid screaming in the seat behind you. In the conventional 'phones, the Sony again benefits from the closed-ear design, passively blocking some high register noise that the others miss. The Sennheisers actually have the most elegant electronics, silencing low hums with less hiss than the other two. Remember that active noise canceling only works in the very low registers-like the rumble of an airplane. Sound: Etymotic, Sennheiser, Sony, Aiwa. The Etymotics live up to their reputation of being one the best sounding 'phones on the market at any price, though they can amplify body noises such as chewing. The Sennheisers sound really muddy with the canceling turned off, but with it on they give fairly crisp sound a bit lacking in bass. The other two remain kind of muddy sounding with somewhat sloppy bass which might make watching movies on a plane a little more difficult. Overall, the Sony and Aiwa don't sound any better than the cheap 'phones that came with my MD player. Convenience: Etymotic, Aiwa, Sony, Sennheiser. The Etymotics fit in your shirt pocket but are definitely harder to get in and out than the others and don't include an airline adapter. The Aiwas fold up quite flat, have the batteries in the headset and have a carrying case. The Sonys fold up (but are still bulky), include a carrying case, and have the battery in the headset. The Sennheisers don't fold, have no carrying case, and have the batteries in the cord. All three conventional units come with airline adapters. So in conclusion, the Etymotics are pretty much light years ahead of the others, but only if you are okay with having them jammed in your ears (didn't bother me, but my wife had no interest.) The conventional units all have their pluses and minuses, so you'll have to decide what features are important to you.
Rating:
Summary: Sony MDR NC-20 Headphones
Review: The headphones were shipped neatly packed with all the attachments.The headphones were used on a recent automobile trip they cancelled the road noise, and made the use of my portable dvd very enjoyable..I would recommend the Sony MDR NC-20 headphones. If there would be any cons I would recommend a volume control on the headset cord. Over all nice serviceable unit.
Rating: 
Summary: GREAT!! for the bus or plane, otherwise GOOD
Review: These invert ambient sound in lower frequencies, feeding the inverted signal into the speakers on top of the sound from your cd player, etc. The effect is that low frequency ambient sounds such as the roar of jet engines, the drone of bus tires against asphalt, traffic, loud airconditioners, etc. are cancelled. That lets you listen to music at a normal (non deafening) volume in an otherwise noisy environment. EXCELLENT for destressing a commute or plane trip. Compared to other headphones, I rate these GOOD but not the best. The Sony MDR 7506, for example, gives somewhat clearer and more accurate reproduction of classical instrumental music--piano, cello, acoustic guitar... but the 7506 lacks the noise cancelling feature you need to listen to such music in a noisy environment. FYI I tried the Bose and didn't think they worked any better than these, though they were $100 more expensive.
Rating:
Summary: Good... when they aren't broken
Review: They worked great for a couple of months, but now I can only hear music through one ear and the noise canceling won't even turn on. The warranty isn't good, so I'm out of luck there. If I wanted a paperweight, I would've dug up a rock. These are worthless and a waste of money.
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