Customer Reviews

Sony MDR-NC11 Noise Canceling Headphones

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(10)

 

 

This headset from Sony is a piece of garbage! They work great, when they work, but therein lies the problem. I bought my original set in March and by June the left earphone quit working. The unit was still under warranty and Sony was "gracious" enough to send a refurbished unit back to me. What a deal, pay for a new unit and get a refurb within 3 months! Now the left side has gone out on the refurb! Since the earphones are now out of full warranty, Sony will replace, for $24, the unit with another refurb! WOW, what a deal, I suppose I get to send Sony $24 every 3 or 4 months to keep replacing what should have worked in the first place. I don't think so. Sony used to make a great product, but apparently not any more. DO NOT BUY! Get the Shure E3c instead; you won't be sorry. Goodbye and good riddance Sony!

I got my headphones the other day. I had read some reviews that didn't like this product so I was apprehensive. I had some Maxell noise caneling headphones that covered my ears. I used them on flights but mostly when I was mowing the lawn. They were OK. The first time I used the Sony earphone plugs I couldn't believe it. It was so much better than the enclosed headphones. Note, that the sound it was blocking was mostly low frequencies. It wasn't doing much with higher frequencies but that was OK with me. Someone had reviewed that these earphones quieted the music volume... No way. They were so loud that I had to turn them down. That was made easy by the battery unit having a volume control on it so I didn't have to dig for the MP3 player in my pocket. I think the spring latch on that control could be made stronger (tighter clamp), but because it has shark-like teeth it held OK. The silicone plugs are so comfortable and help to block out the noise. The cord is quite different. One short plug cord and one long one. I found I had no problem with them after I figured that all I needed to do was have the battery control unit on the same side as the short earplug. I did a lot a research to choose this one in the first place and I'm very happy with the results. They are also much smaller to carry on a plane than the headphones I was using. (Don't expect Bose full headphone quality but still very good)

First of all, the actual product number is MDR-NC11A (white)-the picture does in fact show the model you will get. I'm very pleased with the fit (three sizes silicon ear-buds to try), the sound quality, and the noise cancelling ability of these headphones. I work in a lab with multiple mechanical pumps running all day, and these headphones do the trick to block the majority of that noise. Not great for active use (jogging, etc) but on a plane or other loud environment they're great! The other added bonus is that they store in a tiny space (unlike the bulky carrying cases of the ear and wallet-squashing Bose or Koss models. Don't be fooled by other earbuds that claim to be noise-cancelling just because they act like earplugs (shure and others) These have a quality active noise cancelling that runs on 1 AAA battery. Great sony styling and crystal clear sound is perfect with my treo when playing mp3s. I highly recommend them, especially at the current sale prices! If you don't like how earbuds feel in your ears, or don't understand that noise canceling technology generates some white noise of its own, do your homework before buying or at least stop complaining.

I bought these on a trip to Japan 3 years ago, and have taken them with me on various trans-continental/trans-oceanic flights, and they really help to take the edge off the jet hum which makes the trip far more tolerable. I use regulat MDR-E828s regularly, but save these for when I need them.

I and my co-workers have been using these non-stop for years after purchasing them in Japan. They do the job and they're in my bag right now as a matter of fact. I have yet to have the problems the other reviewer speaks of and I am not gentle with my gear.

However: They could have benefitted from some better ergonomics. They are a bit large for in-ear headphones and they have a clip on the main housing for the battery that went in the first couple of months I had them. Also, after using the non-cancelling behind-the-neck headphones Sony produces, I loathe having to deal with the four feet of cables this product has.

If they went toes-up tomorrow, I would probably buy these again.

I've been using these ear buds and I like them both at home and at work. They work well to reduce the constant hum of nearby computers, distant conversations etc.

They help me keep my train of thought. I also like the fact that I can save my ears because I don't have to turn up music as high. Chatter beyond 10ft away mostly disappears.

I was surprised by the static buzz they produce, but the noise cancelling outweighs that.

Typing seems to stand out as the most audible noise. It seems to work best on constant rumble or hum noise. It seems as if everything noisy around you gets pushed back 20 feet.

UPDATE: The left earbud stopped working. Sony will gladly replace the set for a processing fee of $46.

I'm downgrading this product from 4 stars to 1 star.

I bought this product in Singapore International Airport and have been using it interchangeably with my 5 gb. Mini Ipod and after purchasing my Sony NW-HD5 and experiencing the superior sound, I never did go back to my Ipod. In all fairness, the sound of the original headphones that come with the NW-HD5 sounds better than the NC11 only if you install the Griffin Ear Jams as an accessory to make the headphones a true In-ear unit. As for the NC11, it lacked the responsiveness of the above but worked fairly good especially because it eliminated the ambient noise that one encounters when you go distance walking. The weight of the single battery did become annoying (not burdensome) especially after going the distance. The way it moves and sways when it is clipped to your shirt makes you wish that Sony used lighter cells to power the circuitry. But overall, they have met the criteria for it's design purpose which is to minimize noise which will interfere with your music enjoyment.

I bought these at full retail price ($99.99) in February 2007. They worked well for a little over three months, and then all of a sudden, from normal everyday use, the left earbud just stopped working. UGH!

The noise cancellation worked well enough, particularly during my daily NYC subway commute. However, it was too easy to get the cords tangled. Plus, the triangular on-off switch/clip-on was at an awkward length for use with an iPod, on a treadmill or elliptical machine. (Also, it was easy to forget that noise cancellation was on, so I would wear down the battery frequently. It should have an auto shut-off feature.)

In short, it does what it's supposed to do, but for the price, it should last a good couple of years. I do NOT recommend this product. Do a search for "earbuds" or "headphones" here on Amazon, sort by "Bestselling," and choose something else.

Yes, these headphones block noise quite well. Due to the closed design (the plugs make an airtight seal in your ears) wearing them is like wearing earplugs. The problem is, it's also like wearing a stethoscope: touching or jostling the cords produces thumps that have your eardrums crackling under the pressure. Also, turning on the electronics seems to have little further noise-reducing effect: it merely introduces a hiss and cranks the sound volume up a notch. The manual says the noise cancellation works for low-frequency noise only; possibly on an airplane you might notice a difference, but it seems you'd get very much the same effect from any pair of passive closed-design earbud phones for a lot less money.

I fly twice a week so items like this are important to me. I had a Philips SBC HN050 headset and was pleased with the noise cancelling but it does not have a volume control and its ear covering earphones make my ears hot. Anyway I bought the Sony on Amazon and although I like the sound quality, the noise cancellation is not all that great. The Philips I would rate as a four/five for cancellation the Sony I would rate as a three. Pretty good product though. Hope that helps!