Sony MDR-NC11 Fontopia Noise Canceling Headphones with In-line Volume Control

by Sony

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 8 x 10 x 6 inches ; 4 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B00007EDM0
• Item model number: MDRNC11
• Average Customer Review: 2.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (132 customer reviews)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: June 15, 2003

Product Description

Sony MDR-NC11 Fontopia Noise Canceling Headphones with In-line Volume Control

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

54 of 60 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great set of small NC headphones! Plays well with iPods!, August 4, 2003

By 

C. Jesse Imbach "Herr Chef-san" (Napa Valley, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

I am quite pleased with these little 'phones. I was given an iPod and since the included buds were just abysmal and since I travel a lot....well, it was a prudent purchase :-)

I have three sets of Noise Cancelling headphones (the others are sennheiser and panasonic) and these little MDRNC11's have a very similar ability to dim ambient noise in a MUCH smaller package - perfect for my dawn and midnight runs and they are great on the airplane, the bus and the office.

After a great deal of futzing with the included (and VERY comfortable) silicone ear moulds the sound is now fantastic on my iPod. I am still listenint to MP3's (or MP4's) so the sound is not audiophile quality but I am quite happy with what I hear.

In other reviews some of the folks has mentioned the bass-heavy nature of these drivers - yes, they are a tad bass heavy, but on the iPod the "acoustic" setting rounds them out very well.

The vast majoriety of music I listen to is classical and jazz. The opening track of "Jazz at the Pawnshop" is littered with lovely ambient noises that come through very well. As this is a pretty standard track for demoing audiophile sound systems, I would say that for $100 I got a heck of a bang for my buck :-)

Again, MP3's (even the ones from apple.com) still sound like MP3's, but these little buds reproduce the music with elan. If you need a personal Oasis in your daily life I can think of many worse purchases in the headphone market.

FInal tip, shop around :-)

-J

25 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My 2nd Pair, October 4, 2005

By 

N Samoht "Nollam" (Quakertown, PA USA) - See all my reviews

What a bag of mixed reviews. I couldn't help but smile at some of them. For anyone considering the purchase of a sound reduction headset you have but two choices of any real consequence: 1) The MDR-NC11A, here by Sony for $59.50 or the 2) Bose QuietComfort 2 for $298.50. There are no other serious alternatives. I've tried them all.

However, the Sony at 1/6th price of the Bose is not for everyone. If you're claustrophobic or simply can't handle something inside your ear then you have no choice but to go with the Bose QuietComfort 2. Even with the beefy price tag, the Bose is only slightly better than the Sony set. Although the Sony requires a little care massaging properly into the openings of each ear canal, it's worth it. The combined ear silence of earplug and noise canceling technology fills the ear even before the music starts. Once it does, the depth of sound with its rich bass and the crystal highs are incredible for such a tiny device.

As for the negative reviews, this is my second pair, as I'm replacing an older version of these. For those stating it doesn't work, perhaps they should put down a buck for a AAA battery before writing a review. Yes, the noise cancellation technology requires a battery to power the reverse white noise that deadens reciprocating noises (engines, vibrations, etc). For anyone who just started looking, if in-ear plugs aren't a problem, buy a set. You can't go wrong.

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Works well but don't expect magic, February 16, 2006

By 

U See B - See all my reviews

Surprisingly these earbuds work quite well. Now that the price in reduced to under $100 they are a much better deal. Don't expect pure silence. However do expect to be able to listen to your content at half the volume you are used to using.

Most of the noise reduction is passive, simply the rubber fittings on the ear buds make a seal with your ear hence blocking out a lot of sound. It is crucial that you try the different sizes to find one that gives you the best results. The active (electronic) noise cancelling works well on the low rumble on airplanes, the sound of a car heater or the sound of an air conditioner. Other than that the active noise cancelling does not do too much.

The sound quality is good provided the earbuds fit you properly.

One issue is that the sound the chord makes vibrations that travel up the chord and since you have a tight seal between the buds and your ear you will hear a lot of that. so dont use these for jogging. then again the bose quiet comfort 2 had a similar problem although nto as bad.

If you happen to travel by BART on the S.F. Peninsula then these earbuds are definately effective. You will still hear the 'sounds of hell" screeching (again dont expect magic) but it is very much subdued and you will be able to listen to your iPod at half volume.

Another point you can not compare noise cancelling headphones with regular headphones. that's an apple vs orange type comparison. For $100 you can get much better sounding headphones but they will not be noise cancelling. I would say just for sound quality alone a $40 pair of non-noise cancelling ear buds would sound about as good. so ya you do pay for the noise cancelling features.

If you do not need the noise cancelling functionality then I would say do not get these, because dollar for dollar regular earbuds will sound better and be more comfortable.