Customer Reviews

Maxell Noise-Cancellation Headphones

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(33)
3 star:		(14)
2 star:		(15)
1 star:		(23)

 

 

These headphones were disappointing. I bought them to use in a computer room that has a refrigerator size disk drive and an even bigger AC unit. These headphones do a good job of reducing the low-frequency noise but most of the high frequency stuff comes right through. As a result the noise reduction for me was about 20 - 30% of the total. I also tried them with a leaf blower and had the same results. They do seem to work well at taking out low rumbling humming noises like you would find in air travel but not for anything that has high pitched fan noise like AC units or vacuums.

I had been considering purchasing noise-cancelling headphones for some time. When I saw these for such a low price, I decided to order. I'm glad I did.

The headphones are permanently attached to a small belt-clip unit about the size of a pack of baseball cards. The unit has an on-off switch (for the cancelling part) and a volume control. A 3' cord ending in a standard 1/8" stereo plug comes out the bottom of the pack.

The phones have great (but not excellent) response. They are designed as part of the N/C system and so have their best output at about 150Hz--which is great not only for rock and pop but classical as well. When you turn on the N/C, the sound is damped in the higher frequencies, which actually makes everything much clearer. Just don't use "Super Bass" on your CD player because the sound will get muddy. Without it, though, I was able to enjoy classicalon a recent plane flight without any distractions--which brings me to the N/C aspect of these headphones.

The noise cancelling is centered around 150Hz, which is the pitch of most plane engines but works quite well for cars and buses too. On my last plane flight, I turned the noise cancelling on as soon as we took off. It removed the engine noise so well that I started to get annoyed by the half-volume air-conditioning noise that it let through. By the time I turned them off, I really had forgotten how much they were blocking the engine noise and was surprised how loud it was.

The box says that it will run for about 22 hours on a pair of AAs, but I've had it running for over 30 hours without problems. It *will* run on rechargeables, but I strongly recommend NiMH if you choose to do so.

Overall recommendation: A high-quality set of phones, especially considering the price for N/C headphones. I recommend them for any frequent traveler.

We bought these to soothe our nerves during flying. I found that they function very well as headphones. The noise cancellation circuitry adds a very low level white noise that can only be heard in quiet passages in quiet environments, but the circuit can be switched off and the headphones function as any unpowered phones do. Sound reproduction is good, the noise cancellation works mainly in the lower octaves (rumble and roaring noises) which is where you need the help when traveling. Higher frequency noises like voices are only slightly attenuated. This may be a design strategy which makes sense, but is also likely much easier (cheaper) to execute than full-bandwidth attenuation. Very helpful for our intended purpose.

I have enjoyed the noise reduction and sound quality of these headphones with portable devices.

When using them on anything connected to mains power (read: home AV units, a laptop on AC power, portable music players plugged into AC power... pretty much anything not running on batteries) there is a very distinct electrical buzzing/humming when the NC is engaged.

If I remove the device from mains power - for example, pull the AC cord for the laptop - the buzz ceases. Also, touching any exposed metal of the frame of any of these devices causes it to cease as well, making me wonder if it is some sort of grounding problem. Happens in buildings all over town, so it isn't just faulty wiring in the house...

No buzz if the NC circuit is off. Volume control has no effect on it.

It's an annoying problem, but since I use these headphones mainly on-the-go, it doesn't affect me as much as it might some people.

I bought these in the second week of February. Today is April 3 and the right headphone is already on its death-bed. If I fiddle with the cord, I can get it to work, at least until it dies out again. It's an endless cycle of fiddling with the cord over and over again, only to have the right speaker die out again and again. I finally give up. I've read other reviews where the same thing happened, so it's not like it was an isolated incident.

Any headphones that can't even last 2 months are not worth your money. Needless to say, I will not buy any Maxell headphones ever again and I suggest you don't either.

I have now used these headphones on a few flights and have found the following:

1. They help versus not using them, i.e. they make a difference
2. Battery life is very good
3. Price is great!
4. They are *not* very comfortable. My ears hurt after wearing them for the whole flight (longer than 5 hours)

Overall, if you don't want to spend a lot of money on such gadgets, get this one. If you want the best, get the Bose one!

These relatively inexpensive noice-cancelling headphones really does its job well, remarkable how it reduces the cabin noice on a Boing 747 by at least 50%. It's actually possible with these to follow a movie being shown and understand all that's being said without too much concentration. As for the sound quality, they're probable nothing fancy but they produce a good deal more bass than your standard in-flight headset. My only problem with these is the comfort issue. After 1-2 hour of wearing my ears gets red/annoyed. This is because they rest on the ear itself where I would've preferred an over-the-ear solution. I am happy I got them however, great value for the money, the Sony solution is way WAY more expensive and I just need them for an occational movie in flight.

The noise reduction works as advertized. Low frequency sounds are _greatly_ reduced. Higher frequencies -- human voices, in particular -- are less damped. But if you spend time around machines (airplanes, air conditioners, etc.) they make your life a lot more peaceful. As headphones (for example, for a stereo) they are OK but not great.

I purchased these on a recommendation from a friend, who also had a pair. Plus, for the price, it seemed like a good deal.

They sounded great and the noise cancellation really does work (especially the low groan of a plane engine).

But...I've had these now for about 9 months and one of the earphones has already given out! Not sure why or what caused it, but I'm very disappointed with the quality.

After talking with my friend, I have come to find out one of his earphones gave out as well.

So, buyer beware, when they work, they work well, but as far as I'm concerned, they're now worthless after only 9 months.

About two months ago, I went on a long trip with a friend of mine, and he told me to try out his Maxell NC-II Noise Cancellation Headphones so I did, and I was really impressed. I heard high quality sound, and really excellent noise cancellation. After listening to them for about 20 minutes riding down the Interstate, in a Honda CRV that had a LOT of road noise, I really wanted a pair of these. So I asked how much they cost, expecting him to say around $150 or so. He told me "I got them for about 40 bucks." A week or so before, I had tried out a couple pairs of Bose Noise Canceling headphones, and the cheapest of the two, were about $200 and it wasn't very comfortable for that price. Nowhere near as comfortable as the $40-50 Maxell NC-II.

So today I bought the Maxell NC-II's and I'm jamming out to various rock songs as I'm typing this, and I have a very loud Microsoft Natural Keyboard, and can't even hear myself type. I've noticed also, that I just using these for a little bit, I can hear more of the background instruments, like they are clearer and stand out. Good for playing games like Far Cry, where you use audio to tell exactly where the enemy is. Plus the ambient jungle sound effects in it sound awesome!! These have to be about the best headphones you can get for the money.