Sony MDR-NC50
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"Bose QC2 and the Sony MDR-NC50" on by techgeek101
Pros: attachement for in-flight use, Rich sound, Great job phasing out transient noise than Bose did
Cons: Instead of a AAA battery use a Lithium-ion battery
Summary: Hi:
I was just was at my local Apple store over the weekend.
I asked the salesperson to set-up the Bose QC-2 and the Sony MDR-NC50 on a Apple Nano which I own. To test the two sets for myself.
I would highly recommend anyone buying any headset to test them; since headphone preferences are extremely personal in addtion to fit and comfort.
The Bose QC-2 is priced at $299.00 and the Sony MDR-NC50 is priced at $149.00.
I was looking for a pair of noise canceling sealed headphones for in-flight travel.
The Sony came with an in-flight adapter (two prongs), some of the airlines that I travel on use a two prong instead of one prong to listen to in-flight movies.
So the added attachment from Sony was a plus. Bose does not offer this so I would have to pick one up at a Radio Shack at an additional cost.
For me price was not an issue and I found both headset to be comfortable.
However after listening to both the Bose QC-2 and the Sony MDR-NC50. I opted for the Sony MDR-NC50.
Why?
1. Sony did a much better job phasing out transient noise than Bose did.
2. Sony fit my head better as well as provided a better seal for my ears.
3. Sony did a better job filtering out background noise, i.e. people talking and music in the background then did Bose.
4. I found that the Sony produced a better sound to my liking, a richer bass and an overall richer sound.
Conclusion:
Based on my needs and my listening taste I preferred the Sony MDR-NC50 to the Bose QC-2
In addition the volume on my 1gig Nano and my 30 gig Ipod was good enough to drive these headphones with no problem. -
"Just OK... but mainly dissapointing" on by mebby
Pros: Button on side to let outside noise in when desired
Cons: Poor performance. Had to wear them backwards to make them work
Summary: I travel internationally quite a bit and have seen an increasing amount of people wearing the Bose noise cancelling headphones but I figured I'd give a cheaper alternative a shot before droppinng $300 on a pair of Bose.
But unfortunately I was sorely disappointed. I put the headphones on shortly after takeoff and noticed an annoying hum in my left ear. Strangely enough the hum would go away by either pressing the left earphone slightly against my head or by turning my head slightly to the right (odd I know, but just trust me).
I thought perhaps this particular plane just happened to have a lot of vibration that the headphones were having difficulty dealing with and I was sitting in a window seat so I took them off and waited on my next connecting flight from Chicago to Seoul. I was flying business class and had a seat in the middle isle far away from any window so I thought for sure the hum in my left ear would go away but it did not go away at all.
Since I had left my Sony earbuds at home in anticipation of these earphones actually working as planned I was desperate for them to work so I started fiddling with them. Nothing I did short of applying pressure to the left ear or turning my head to the right (both of which are not an option for a 14 hour flight) seemed to stop the hum. I eventually tried reversing the headphones (putting the cup labeled "right" on the left ear and vice versa) and what do you know - it worked like a charm. The problem? It was uncomfortable.
Outside of the annoying hum in the left ear I was dissapointed with the sound. My $50 Sony earbuds produce a much higher quality sound than these earphones. The treble was too high and the bass was dull (sometimes it was difficult to tell the difference between two different bass sources - like a bass guitar and a bass drum for instance).
So I just ordered the Bose QC2 (they seem to be liked better than the newer QC3) in advance of my next trip to China.
Give these a shot - maybe you'll have a different experience. If not you can return them to the store like I did. It appears that the hum I was experiencing was due to the way in which the earphones fit me since I could alter the way the phones cupped my ear to resolve the problem. But even outside of that the sound quality is below average for this type of headphone. -
"A good product!" on by jesslotr
Pros: Clear sound, good cancelling, detachable cable, carry case, in-flight adapter
Cons: Akward battery insertion and removal, not particually foldable, uncomfortable with glasses
Summary: I was very please to get my new headphones today. I did a great deal of shopping around to find them, and am very pleased with their result.
The noise cancelling on this product is excellent, and I would actually put it on par with the BOSE products. I have yet had an opportunity to test them on a plane, but let me tell you they are great at cutting out background noise from my college dorm, so that is pretty impressive.
I have watched a DVD with them, and benefited from a clearer audio track than i usually experience. I have also used them on my G4Ipod, and have found them also to be excellent. Other reviews had concerns about if they were powerfull enough for portable MP3 players, howerver, as far as IPODs go, I am very pleased with the result, although some of the bassline was lost, fiddling with the EQ settings settled this. Please note if you are an music enthusiasit, you may be slightly disapointed with the performance, but I did not find the BOSE to be much better. If you are wanting crips bassy sound, then it would be best to go for one of the Sony DJ range instead.
Other reviews have also mentioned a static hum when the headphones are used without music input, but I have found this to be minimal, and not at all intrusive.
The carry case is attractive, with pouch like areas to carry the adapters, as is the finishings on the headphones. One feature that I have found to be excellent, is the monitor button. It is smartly located on the side of the headpiece, and when pressed mutes the headphones, from music and turns of noise cancelling.
The inflight adapter is also a good accessorie, especially considering that it can be folded to be used with either one or two prong points.
The cable it comes with was a good lenght (1.5m) and is detachable from the headphones if you do not want to use them for music, and this was also a good feature.
Onto the negatives.
The panel you need to open to put the batteries in and out, I found akward to use. The headphones can fold inwards, but really they are not overly compactable.
Anonther slight annoyence was that even though they are adjustable, i did find they pushed my glasses into the side of my head somewhat, and over time this got a bit uncomfortable. Maybe over time they would stretch open more and this would be reduced, but I am not certain.
Overall a very good product. They are reasonablly priced, especially if you shop around a bit first. They have good noise cancelling, and excellent accessory features, but there is a reduction in sound quality.
Hope this review helped! -
"nice for the price" on by 201181887058686217168065515476
Pros: noise cancelling device, lightweight
Cons: low volume, slight awkwardness wearing it, doesn't fold well
Summary: I bought these a few days ago and am generally happy thus far. They're certainly nothing you can use while biking or anything, but sitting on a train or bus or plane, they're fine. I like the noise-cancelling, but you have to have the player be pretty loud for them to be most effective. I got mine for $59, although I came <thisclose> to spending 3x more to get the small, collapsable Sennheisers. maybe I'll update my opinion later once I've used them more. Post a comment if you have questions for me
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"Will NOT Work For Subway Commuters" on by newyorkone
Pros: big phones are cool
Cons: noise cancelling does not work on the train
Summary: Really wanted to like these since they're $100 cheaper than the Bose. Can't compare these to the Bose because I've never tried the Bose - too 'spensive. These were within reason. When you use these on the subway you get really weird fluttering because the noise that it is trying to cancel is not consistent like on an airplane. So if you will be using these in ANY situation where the noises will be inconsistent (e.g. not a constant pattern) then I'd recommend you go with PASSIVE noise cancelling. The Shure's are great!!!
