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134 of 134 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
In this case, you get more than what you pay for..., June 16, 2006
Yeah, they feel cheap, they are cheap. But nonethless, and on the light of their price, this phones are quite good.
I've tested the Bose QC2 and owned the Sennheiser PXC300 noise-reducing headphones, both well beyond the $100 mark, and even more beyond this Sony's asking price, and that's what makes these a good offer. The Bose is tops, the Sennhaiser are just slightly behind. To tell you the truth, I like the Bose earcups quite a lot and that's what makes the difference for me between those two.
Contrary to several other opinions I've just read here, I found this unit's earpads quite comfortable, non-obtrusive and well designed. Maybe I have flat ears or something, but I don't suffer from them. Neither do I suffer from the pressure of the headphones over my head (I have a big head by the way). Granted, I struggled a little trying several adjustments before feeling really comfortable with the set on. What I find a little obtrusive however, is the location of the battery compartment, looks bad, feels bad, and makes you think they put it there as an aftertought. Construction seems adequate, for the price. Some materials seem higher quality than others though. The earpieces feel particularly fragile, but you get a set that's very light.
The sound, altough not great, is pleasantly good, specially when the NR circuit is on. I have an old pair of Sony Digital Reference headphones for this kind of tests, since they are some kind of a benchmark from the days when Sony made high quality products. So I put the NC6 through a series of good quality audio sources and the results were surprising. No audiophile, netiher digital reference studio headphones levels here, but a very good, satisfying experience. The bass is powerful but not overriding, the midrange is rich and well balanced, high frequencies just blend in.
Now on the NR feature. If you read the specs, the NR circuitry on this model works on the low part of the human hearing spectrum. They do NOT reduce high frecuency noises such as voices, TV, etc. What they do is reduce humming, vibrating, low frequency noises. And they do it well. I tested this on environments with some noisy A/C units, washing machines, seating on an airplane, and the results altough not on par with the costlier units aforementioned, are satisfactory considering what you pay. I could hear music from my iPod with a comfortable volume level on the plane, and enjoy it. This can't be said about most other alternatives in the price range.
With the NR circuit on, the source sound gets a little boost, this can hardly be annoying and otherwise can be quite positive since it allows you to lower the source volume level and in the case of battery-hungry hdd-based digital players this can give you a bit more from your battery charge.
As with others NR sets, white noise is mixed with the source to provide the "cancelling" part of the equation. Yes, this white noise can be heard on this set, and on any other NR set I've tried. A bit lower on more expensive models, but a perceptible compromise anyway. To some people, this can sound a bit artificial, and it somewhat does, but hey, consider the alternative withstanding a noisy plane cabin, A/C units, and other such environments preventing you from hearing and enjoying your music.
If you're evaluating NR for the first time, go with these. They are inexpensive, and will give you an idea of what to expect from better sets. For the price you won't regret it, since you can opt for something up on the model line later and keep these as some kind of an emergency replacement, or keep them at your office, shop, etc. Your non-audiophile kids will probably love them too and they won't be damaging their eardrums prematurely.
Accesories include an airplane adapter and a pouch, both standard quality items, no surprises there. The audio cable has what seems to me the correct length, unlike some other sets with miles of cables to worry about. Even better, the cord is single-sided so you don't get to struggle around untangling it. Battery life seems erratic, I got about 35 hrs with a mid volume level using alkalines. Rechargeables are challenging, lasting from 15 to 25 hrs, but when you are running out, the NR feature fades away fast, so keep replacements handy since it gets a bit hard to pinpoint your battery-life expectancy.
I give them four stars, they are very good for starters, and for evaluating the technology without making a big investment.
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