Sony MDR NC11A (headphones)

Summary: I got these as an ear bud alternative to a pair of Sennheiser PXC-250's. Fromthe reviews I was prepared to be impressed.

The problems are this:
1) It is very difficult to get the proper fit for the best possible sound and noise cancellation. The ear units are heavy, if you put them in your ears and get as snug a fit as possible, they easily come loose.

Additionally to really get he best sound, and noise cancellation you really need to push these into the inside of your ear canals. This is no easy task, and as funny as it sounds, the only way to do it, is to turn the ear pieces upside down so the actual buds fit snugly into your ear canal.

This looks really weird, you look like you have rabbitt ears sticking out of your head.

I can't believe they were deisgned to use like that.

If you don't do that and just push the buds into your ears , no matter what kind of snug fit you get, the noise cancelling, and isolation are just not that good. Bass is diminshed, and the music sounds tinny.

Plus they keep getting loose and coming out of the ears, unless of course you are lying down, or sitting.

I was very disappointed in the design of these.

Has anyone had any similiar experiences?

Summary: For the money I would highly recommend this headphone set. The ear buds are comfortable with a pocket clip for the battery pack. 1 AAA battery is reguired and if it goes dead the sound quality is still acceptable. The noise reduction is good with about a 40% reduction by my quess. These work well on an aircraft with little disturbance from outside noise. However, someone can still get your attention if they are next to you and talk directly at you. I am not a sound engineer nor a connoisseur of music. I play the music I like and if it sounds good it is good. These are a set of light weight portable headphones that travel well and sound good for the money. I bought mine as a factory refurb for $35. Check around for the best price, you will not be disappointed.