Sony MDR-NC5 Noise Canceling Headphones with Airline Adaptor

by Sony

Product Details

• Item Weight: 4.5 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B00005I9QO
• Item model number: MDRNC5
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: June 15, 2003

Product Description

2/8/200615-19-32...

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

92 of 94 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing Performance: Spend More For Better Headphones, November 30, 2002

By 

dartnok (San Francisco, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sony MDR-NC5 Noise Canceling Headphones with Airline Adaptor (Electronics)

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.

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Decent Noise Reduction for the Money, October 12, 2001

By 

D. Wooten "Real Shaka Zulu" (NorCal, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Sony MDR-NC5 Noise Canceling Headphones with Airline Adaptor (Electronics)

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.

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A Compromise, August 1, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Sony MDR-NC5 Noise Canceling Headphones with Airline Adaptor (Electronics)

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.