JVC HANCX78 Inner Ear Noise cancel (Silver)

by JVC

• 88% Noise Cancellation
• Detachable ear loop
• 50hr battery life
• iphone / ipod compatible slim plug
• Carry pouch included

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 4.3 x 1.1 inches ; 5.6 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B001VPN4R4
• Item model number: HANCX78
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (25 customer reviews)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: March 14, 2009

Product Description

Inner Ear Noise cancel

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 22 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Ten out of ten for these! July 9, 2009

By Izzy

Some time back, I started a quest to find the perfect noise cancelling ear-buds. I used to wear earplugs while practicing with my (loud!) band, but found that while foam earplugs do a wonderful job of cutting out the mid and high frequencies, they allow through a lot of the low frequency noise. This makes vocal work very tough, as its hard to hear the mid range frequencies. So I thought about trying some noise cancelling ear buds, with the view that I could also use them for in-ear monitoring.

I first tried the Sony active noise cancelling ear-buds type MDRNC22. They retail for about $50 on Amazon. I was delighted to find that they worked great for noise cancellation, even at the very high volumes that my band practices at. The basic ear-buds do a good job as acting like normal foam ear plugs, (there are three different size rubber inserts to chose from). But when you switch on the cancellation, the remaining muffled ambient bass noise drops dramatically. In fact, they cancel the low end so well, I actually have to add back in my bass guitar for monitoring, to hear what I'm playing. They advertize a 75% reduction at 300Hz. So from a noise cancelling perspective I give these full points. But, wait, you say, this is a review of the JVC ear-buds...

There were a few things I didn't like about the Sony ear buds, and this pertains to their more normal use as listening devices: firstly, there is a low level, but audible hiss. This is usually not a major issue under the circumstances that you usually need noise reduction. I've found that on planes, and while driving my car with the top down etc, the amount of hiss disappears into the remnants of the ambient noise, it's at such a low level.... However, if your need is, say, to play some soft soothing music while cutting out background family noise to get you to your own special quiet place, then I find the noise is at a level that its detectable and annoying - a bit like the difference between listening to a cassette tape compared to a CD. However, I have to say that overall, the sound clarity is excellent, at least to my ears. One other thing related to the sound quality of the Sony's is the acoustic properties of the (rather thick) wires that feed to the ear buds. Friction noise is quite severe, so if you're moving around (ie jogging) the noise is quite loud. The final thing I didn't like about these is the way that they stick out of your ears. The body is quite compact, and sits nicely in the ear, but the cubic bits that stick out the side firstly make you look like you're turning borg, and secondly, are very uncomfortable to lie against. On a long flight, I want to be able to make use of these ear buds to turn down the noise so that I can sleep as well as listen to the movie and my music.

Ok, so before the JVC's, the Sony's were my reference. Now onto the JVC HA NCX78 ear buds (finally! you say). Like the Sony's they come with three sizes of rubber inserts to fit all ears. They do also come with foam inserts. I haven't tried these yet, as I'm quite happy with the silicon rubber ones, but I would imagine they may be even more comfortable. Similarly, they have a small single battery control unit about 18inches down the cable, with an on/off switch and a mute button that temporarily cuts the cancellation (useful when the stewardess is mouthing something to you and you have no clue of what she is saying). The sound quality is again, excellent (to my subjective and somewhat battered ears). I notice a slight difference in the overall music response when switching between cancellation being on and off, and I have to say, I slightly prefer the sound in the on position. But the difference is very small.

They work just as well as the Sony's for noise cancellation during my band practice, and again cancel out much of the noise. As passive earplugs they are just as effective as the Sony, and the active mode cancellation is outstanding - they claim 80% cancellation. In other words, 20% less noise gets to your ears than with the Sonys. But here's the bonus: there is no detectable hiss, at least within the limits of my hearing. In the `block out the screaming kids' scenario, these are great. No hiss during the quiet passages.

I also love the shape of these buds. They are very compact - no little blocks sticking out. They sit snuggly within the bounds of your ear, so that you can reasonably rest your head up against a headrest or pillow and sleep, without feeling someone is sticking a pencil in your ear eraser first. The wires are thinner, and the friction noise seems noticeably less. Moreover, JVC has arranged the wire routing so that the normal wearing position is over the ear, rather than straight down in the case of the Sonys. That's a bonus for me as I can inconspicuously route the wires down my back so that I can actually use these on stage as in-ear monitors without everyone thinking that I'm listening to my Ipod while playing. (Now it is also possible to wear the Sony's in the wrong ears, so that the wires feed up over the ear instead of down, but the wires don't dress so well, and you still look like your CPU is spilling out the side of your head).

So, so far I haven't had a single complaint for these JVCs. They are cheaper (I paid $46plus shipping on Amazon), and they work great. Give them a try, I don't think you will be disappointed. Oh, and the single AAA battery lasts an impressive 50hours.

It's just as well that these work for me, as my wife has banned me from buying any more ear buds. I was tempted to try the Philips type, but again, they stand proud from the side of your head. I also did try a cheap $15 pair of Coby units, just for grins. Don't waste your money. They are total garbage. They don't cancel at all, not 1dB that I can tell, but as a white noise generator, they're great - they hiss louder than a hard downpour on a tin roof. Read more ›

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars A bit disappointing December 31, 2009

By Travis Morien

If you are looking for a device that will bring down a curtain of silence on the barking dog next door, the loud television while you're trying to study or the housemates who talk too loud, this won't really help much.

As other reviewers have noted, the device primarily works like an old fashioned ear plug, physically sealing the ear canal against outside noise. Under most circumstances there isn't a great deal of noticeable difference once the earphones are inserted between when the device is switched on or off. Unfortunately, therefore, this is not your answer if you're looking for something for a little peace and quiet while reading a book.

Where the effects of the electronics are noticeable is in removing constant low rumbling sounds. As a passenger in a car, flicking the device on and off made no difference to hearing the conversations going on or the radio, but it did almost completely silence the sound of the tires and had some effect on reducing the engine noise as well.

It is quite good at reducing the continuous drone of a busy street nearby and does make for a much quieter flight (but not a silent one) because it does work well on jet engines.

I am somewhat disappointed with it as I was expecting it to have at least some impact on reducing the loud TV noise coming from the next room, but I guess it was never really designed for that.

On the plus side, I do like the compact design of the earbuds which fit completely inside the ear and permit me to wear them while laying my head sideways on a pillow....

From reading reviews of rival products, it appears the capabilities of this unit are similar to those of competing products, which is to say that the technology is not yet here, at least in affordable consumer products, to give you a device that will let you listen to quiet music in a noisy environment where the offending noise is not just a constant low rumble. Read more ›

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

1.0 out of 5 stars Noise cancellation did not work May 22, 2012

By Rob Stephens

Amazon Verified Purchase

I have purchased two of these in the last week because I like the overall design. However the noise cancellation feature did not work at all on the first one and failed within a few minutes on the other. I have had other noise cancelling headphones and I know what to expect. I ended up getting a cometing product that appears to be working fine.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

1.0 out of 5 stars Dis-Ap-Pointed July 1, 2011

By Bob Weir

Amazon Verified Purchase

This is the fourth pair of active noise cancelling headphones for me. The others (over or on ear) work fine, so I wanted to try some buds. No noise cancelling at all that I can detect. Active noise cancelling works by detecting outside sound with a microphone and adding an out of phase signal to the speaker to cancel noise. Unlike the other headphones, the microphone port is on the inside surface (toward the head) of these, so they don't hear so well.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Great...with one huge flaw. May 11, 2011

By Android-7125

Amazon Verified Purchase

They work great with blocking out distracting background noises and they have several ear pieces for a perfect fit. They are comfortable, they have removable "hooks" to keep them from falling out, but they also have a bulky battery case about three fourths up on the chord. So unless you are three feet tall, there is going to be this bulky battery case hanging on the front of your chest. It is really annoying and just overall a terrible design. If you plan on using these headphones when you are not sitting or lying down then don't waste your money.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars I so wanted to like these! April 16, 2010

By Harry Jacobson

Amazon Verified Purchase

Plain and simple... thin sound!
Noise reduction was VERY minimal
My good ol' Koss spark plugs sound far better
Amazon's return procedure was stellar!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Gave me just what I needed September 7, 2012

By Caps Fan

Amazon Verified Purchase

I take walks on my lunch hour during which I like to listen to podcasts on my smartphone. The problem is that my only available walking path is alongside a busy road with lots of truck and bus traffic. To be able to appreciate the podcasts without raising the volume to unhealthy, earblasting levels, I must have noise cancelation. But noise canceling headphones, however good they might be, are just not the answer for my situation: too hot for walking in the midday sun on a 90 degree day. Fortunately, I found these JVC noise canceling earbuds. They are comfortable, they have ear loops that keep them in place as I walk, and most important, they do the job. They may not reduce the rumble of a semi-trailer truck to a mere whisper, but they certainly get it down to where I can enjoy my programs at normal volume levels. And the sound quality is fully acceptable for my purposes. I previously had tried the noise isolating Sennheiser CX 200 earbuds, and they came pretty close to solving my problem. Indeed, for someone looking to spend a bit less and not be bothered with a battery pack, they would certainly constitute a reasonable second best. But the Sennheisers tended to magnify the whoosh of any wind, whereas the JVC design minimized the effect of wind noise. Of course it'd be nice if the JVC had a mike, but to get the noise cancelation I needed I was prepared to do without. The important thing is that given my reason for buying them, these JVC's gave me just what I needed.