Rating: 
Summary: mediocre
Review: I bought the MDR-NC5 headphones for a trip from SF to Chicago, and they were sorely disappointing.... I thought that I would get noise reduction and better sound quality. This is not the case.Sound:
- With noise-cancelling off, the headphones sound terribly weak and thin. They sound no better than my $15 Sony in-ear headphones. There is no bass response on these headphones. - With noise-cancelling on, the headphones managed to block out about 50% of the airplane noise. However, there was still a significant amount of rumble noise. Sound quality was still thin, but prevailed over the cabin noise due to the noise cancellation feature. The headphones have an on-ear design, so it lets in a lot more noise than models that cover and surround your ears completely. Comfort:
- These headphones press directly on ear. The earpads are padded, but the headband is not padded. After an hour, I started to feel a bit of soreness on my ears because they pressed a little too hard on them. The few positives:
- Compact. They fold up (which is why the headband isn't padded), and they fit easily into your carry-on luggage.
- Price. They are somewhat cheap for noise-cancelling headphones. But as my review implies, you get what you pay for.
- Circuitry: All the electronics (including the on/off switch are located on the headphones, and not on a box between the headphones and the plug. I might have been more satisfied with these headphones, except that I shared my connecting flight with my brother who has the Bose QuietComfort headphones .... I tried those headphones out, and they are absolutely amazing. They fully cover your ears, have a padded headband, sound much better, and block out substantially more noise than the Sony MDR-NC5. The trade-offs are that they have the intermediate box that houses the batteries and the noise-cancellation switch and that they are not very compact. Having tried the Bose model, I realize the full potential of noise-cancelling headphones and the cost associated with them. You definitely get what you pay for in these situations. I discourage anyone from buying these headphones. Please spend more money for better models.... I am going to try out the Sony MDR-NC20 headphones which have an over-the-ear design, so they *should* provide better blocking of external noise.
Rating: 
Summary: Disappointing Performance: Spend More For Better Headphones
Review: I bought the MDR-NC5 headphones for a trip from SF to Chicago, and they were sorely disappointing.... I thought that I would get noise reduction and better sound quality. This is not the case. Sound:
- With noise-cancelling off, the headphones sound terribly weak and thin. They sound no better than my $15 Sony in-ear headphones. There is no bass response on these headphones. - With noise-cancelling on, the headphones managed to block out about 50% of the airplane noise. However, there was still a significant amount of rumble noise. Sound quality was still thin, but prevailed over the cabin noise due to the noise cancellation feature. The headphones have an on-ear design, so it lets in a lot more noise than models that cover and surround your ears completely. Comfort:
- These headphones press directly on ear. The earpads are padded, but the headband is not padded. After an hour, I started to feel a bit of soreness on my ears because they pressed a little too hard on them. The few positives:
- Compact. They fold up (which is why the headband isn't padded), and they fit easily into your carry-on luggage.
- Price. They are somewhat cheap for noise-cancelling headphones. But as my review implies, you get what you pay for.
- Circuitry: All the electronics (including the on/off switch are located on the headphones, and not on a box between the headphones and the plug. I might have been more satisfied with these headphones, except that I shared my connecting flight with my brother who has the Bose QuietComfort headphones .... I tried those headphones out, and they are absolutely amazing. They fully cover your ears, have a padded headband, sound much better, and block out substantially more noise than the Sony MDR-NC5. The trade-offs are that they have the intermediate box that houses the batteries and the noise-cancellation switch and that they are not very compact. Having tried the Bose model, I realize the full potential of noise-cancelling headphones and the cost associated with them. You definitely get what you pay for in these situations. I discourage anyone from buying these headphones. Please spend more money for better models.... I am going to try out the Sony MDR-NC20 headphones which have an over-the-ear design, so they *should* provide better blocking of external noise.
Rating:
Summary: Decent Noise Reduction for the Money
Review: I have had these headphones for over 4 years. So you may say, heck you must like them - not really. As with most things, compared to nothing it's better. So when I originally got these headphones and took a flight to Singapore it was great. Engine noise was easily cut by a third. They fold up to the size of your hand and the AAA battery last for 6 coast to coast flight (though always bring a backup). However as I have become a more discerning listener and less willing settle, the 2/3 remaining noise has grown increasingly unbearable. So these will go to auction and I am upgrading to the Sony MDR-NC20 which I have heard great things about.
Rating:
Summary: Decent Noise Reduction for the Money
Review: I have had these headphones for over 4 years. So you may say, heck you must like them - not really. As with most things, compared to nothing it's better. So when I originally got these headphones and took a flight to Singapore it was great. Engine noise was easily cut by a third. They fold up to the size of your hand and the AAA battery last for 6 coast to coast flight (though always bring a backup). However as I have become a more discerning listener and less willing settle, the 2/3 remaining noise has grown increasingly unbearable. So these will go to auction and I am upgrading to the Sony MDR-NC20 which I have heard great things about.
Rating: 
Summary: tested in load electronic store
Review: I recently purchased these thinking i was getting a very good pair of headphones. However I was proven very wrong as i tried them on at home and found they produce poor sound quality with a very thin sound. I do not reccomend these headphones, and I would only if the price were at least 50% of what it is now .
Rating:
Summary: Very disappointing for the money
Review: I recently purchased these thinking i was getting a very good pair of headphones. However I was proven very wrong as i tried them on at home and found they produce poor sound quality with a very thin sound. I do not reccomend these headphones, and I would only if the price were at least 50% of what it is now .
Rating: 
Summary: I threw these away....
Review: I threw these headphones away and bought the Bose noise-cancelling headphones. After straining to hear my DVD player on my third plane trip, I finally got fed up with them. They where not "noise-cancelling" and sounded thin, tinny, and weak. I wish I hadn't wasted money on these but am very happy with the much better-quality (and more expensive) Bose.
Rating:
Summary: I threw these away....
Review: I threw these headphones away and bought the Bose noise-cancelling headphones. After straining to hear my DVD player on my third plane trip, I finally got fed up with them. They where not "noise-cancelling" and sounded thin, tinny, and weak. I wish I hadn't wasted money on these but am very happy with the much better-quality (and more expensive) Bose.
Rating:
Summary: A Compromise
Review: I've used these headphones for several years (several airplane trips per month) and have been satisfied with them. I've tried the Bose headphones and perhaps half a dozen others, and the Bose have been my favorite for overall comfort and sound quality. These Sony headphones do a reasonable job of cancelling low frequency sound and do a great job of making movies and audio on airplanes enjoyable vs. hard to hear. In addition, they fold into a compact package -- a plus for folks like me who try to minimize what we carry on travel. They do present a noticable high frequency hiss when you turn on noise cancelling, but after a few minutes I don't notice it. I'm hoping Sony or someone else comes up with a similar mechanical design but with better noise cancelling electronics.
Rating:
Summary: tested in load electronic store
Review: Looking for lightweight for traveling. Compared to "audio" headphones in a loud consumer store these sounded better. Better sound cancellation and sound than the Aiwa. Haven't compared to Sennheiser 451.
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