Phone-Accessories Reviews

Pros:
-Good sound quality. Good clear treble and good bass for headphones
-Coiled cord which can stretch a good distance when needed
-Volume control
-Sturdy construction

Cons:
-Uncomfortable on ears after 15-20 mins
-Seperate knobs for volume make it hard to keep the volumes equal in the two channels
-Earphones have very limited range of motion
-Sound bleeds out when earphones are covered
-Sound bleeds through when volume knobs are turned completely off

Bottom Line:
I really don't think they're worth the $$$. Comfort is a high priority of mine and these rank pretty low. My old Aiwa headphones were way better.

I've been in love with the Koss TD-80s since the early to mid nineties as an adolescent entering the likes of Nirvana and Bush. At that time, I only had enough money to purchase the TD60s, which were a fine introduction to the Koss line that I grew to love.

Today, sadly, I can't commend Koss for their product changes--the introduction of the UR series, which I ridicule, "U-R stupid for buying them", and their incessant failure at making good earbuds beyond the delicate "Plug"...

However, I still hold true to their classic products, and this model is one of them. During those adolescent years, my only ability to listen to these headphones were by way of visiting downtown music stores whom displayed their latest releases at listening stations complemented by the Koss TD-80s. If there was something to be heard, the Koss TD-80s gave it. Whenever I wanted to buy a CD, if it were not on the TD-80s, I would think before buying it in fear of poor production, for if it were poor production, the '80s would let you know...

I recommend these headphones as a household reference for anyone moderately serious about their music. Yes, Sennheiser may be for the purist, and Sony may be for the everyday-er whom works out and advances in their professions or schoolings, but the classic Koss is simply for anyone who wants to hear and feel their music. In addition, given the age of this model, the bargains of today on this headphone is ridiculous and should make anyone in the market for closed headphones consider them.

Gen

Closed-earpiece headphones no matter the brand are not comfy for extended wear! The reason for purchasing these headphones is the 60 Ohm impedance. The higher the impedance rating allows you to listen to your home stereo, boombox, mp3 player, etc. at higher volumes without any distortion so you get great clarity and definiton from the bass, mids and highs. Also, you can plug this set of headphones into a stage monitoring system or instrument amplifier with the same great results. The Koss line of headphones are an exceptional value. Notice the cost of other manufactures' headphones that are rated at 60 ohms and above and you will see what I mean. No! I do not work for Koss, just an informed shopper!

When I first researched this product, I was impressed by the positive reviews. There were, of course, a few negative reviews which focused on interfearance, etc. I decided to take a chance and buy this product.

Overall? I'm satisfied. The sound quality is excellent. Top knotch. I've placed the base in my basement, next to two CRT monitors and a whole lot of transformers, and I recieve little to no interfearance. If I walk around upstairs, they will occationally pop or crackle, but never for long. My only real complaint is that they seem to get suddenly softer for a few seconds, and then increase in volume. I'm sure it's not the signal strength, because it happens even when my head is perfectly still sitting next to the trasnmitter. But i'm now noticing it less and less.

Bottom line, if you're looking for a great pair of wireless headphones, and are willing to accept the fact that "wireless" will never work perfectly, by all means, buy this product. Dont buy this product expecting them to behave as though they have an invisible wire of infinite length connecting them to your stereo.

I have a 2.4 GHz Wireless phone system, 2 pairs of baby monitors, a 802.11b network, and a 900MHz portable phone and the headphones work really well anyway. There is little buzz on the baby monitor, but I turn the volume down on the baby monitor and it works fine. The sound quality isn't quite as good as a wired headset, but it is much, much better than Infrared.

These are the best headphones I've bought since I started using them 12 years ago. After trying RF and infrarred headphones, with manual tuning, I decided to spend more money and get these auto-tuning ones. They work really well, and the battery life is good. The extra battery is also handy. Sound quality is pretty good. Finally, the range is good enough for our small house, so I can hear up to about 35 feet away through walls. I highly recommend these for Unwired home use.

These are the wireless headphones to buy. If you buy something else you will be sorry. I've tried them all. I orginally bought the lower Sennheiser model I think, the RS-65. They worked alright, with a little noise, but the earcup broke and dangled after six months or so. Then I went on a wireless phone Odyssey and tried every kind out there except the Sennheisers and it was all static. I even tried the only 2.4 Ghz phones out there and there's a reason they're the only one. (The sound is fine as long as you're in the same room and don't run the microwave ouch!) So buy this one and be very careful with the earcups. Mine haven't broken again so far, I think the construction is possibly a little better than the cheaper model. But if they break after a year, at least you'll have had a year of enjoyment instead of a year of aggravation!

They look neat, sound fair, and tangle quite easily. Despite their appearance, they really are not well designed for active people. While running, sweat somehow manages to run down the plastic clips and "flood" the ear buds. It did not long before they started to sound weak, and lose bass response. Finally my right side blew, even though my MP3 player has a pretty mild sound output.

I got a few months of use out of them, and am debating getting a new pair. I don't like the idea of disposable hardware; I expected much better from Sony.

I love sony, however these headphones are barely above par. I wear glasses so they don't fit correctly and consequently don't feel comfortable at first. I'm use to them now but they are very sleek and I barely notice them now. I like them because they're not in my hair. I like the tangle free design though it's much better than finding knots in the after taking them out of my bag.

The sound quality is fairly good. However along with all the rest of the reviews, the bass is not very strong. I am also not really into pumping the bass up, but I like a little in my electronica/dance music. It is adequate but I'd like more. Considering that they have only 13.5 mm drivers, it's to be expected. I would advise at least 30mm drivers for you bass people which you won't find in these "in-ear" headphones.

So if you looking for an inexpensive headphones and you don't wear glasses or want big bass, then these are great. Otherwise Sony has tons of other headphones that could fit your needs.

A LITTLE BACKGROUND:
These are the third set of headphones that I have purchased in 4 years. I also have earbuds from Sony with "mega Bass" capability, and another pair of ear-huggers from Sharp. I use my Sony MDR-J10s for the gym and when I go jogging. I use an RCA MP3 player with DSP capability (bass inducer)

PROS:
-Cheaper than other versions of ear-huggers
-Variable colors allow personalization
-Sound quality is not as 'tinny' (compared to my pair by Sharp), but this might be dependent on the device you use. Not as good as 'megaBass', but if you're outdoors it's good enough.
-The ear 'hooks' are strong/durable enough to withstand small tugs to the headset.

CONS:
-Like most ear-huggers they constantly get tangled. I've yet to see a set withi a good storage case.
-Non-gripping, smooth plastic of the 'huggers' don't always cling to your ear.
-For people with small ears, there is no guarantee they will fit.

OVERALL:
Don't expect superb sound since Sony doesn't claim any 'megaBass' improvement. Ear huggers are designed for active people, but don't think they'll stay in your ears if you pull really hard! They're cheap, and work for my activities. If they break, just buy another (or the better ones that come out in the future).

They look neat, sound fair, and tangle quite easily. Despite their appearance, they really are not well designed for active people. While running, sweat somehow manages to run down the plastic clips and "flood" the ear buds. It did not long before they started to sound weak, and lose bass response. Finally my right side blew, even though my MP3 player has a pretty mild sound output.

I got a few months of use out of them, and am debating getting a new pair. I don't like the idea of disposable hardware; I expected much better from Sony.

I love sony, however these headphones are barely above par. I wear glasses so they don't fit correctly and consequently don't feel comfortable at first. I'm use to them now but they are very sleek and I barely notice them now. I like them because they're not in my hair. I like the tangle free design though it's much better than finding knots in the after taking them out of my bag.

The sound quality is fairly good. However along with all the rest of the reviews, the bass is not very strong. I am also not really into pumping the bass up, but I like a little in my electronica/dance music. It is adequate but I'd like more. Considering that they have only 13.5 mm drivers, it's to be expected. I would advise at least 30mm drivers for you bass people which you won't find in these "in-ear" headphones.

So if you looking for an inexpensive headphones and you don't wear glasses or want big bass, then these are great. Otherwise Sony has tons of other headphones that could fit your needs.

A LITTLE BACKGROUND:
These are the third set of headphones that I have purchased in 4 years. I also have earbuds from Sony with "mega Bass" capability, and another pair of ear-huggers from Sharp. I use my Sony MDR-J10s for the gym and when I go jogging. I use an RCA MP3 player with DSP capability (bass inducer)

PROS:
-Cheaper than other versions of ear-huggers
-Variable colors allow personalization
-Sound quality is not as 'tinny' (compared to my pair by Sharp), but this might be dependent on the device you use. Not as good as 'megaBass', but if you're outdoors it's good enough.
-The ear 'hooks' are strong/durable enough to withstand small tugs to the headset.

CONS:
-Like most ear-huggers they constantly get tangled. I've yet to see a set withi a good storage case.
-Non-gripping, smooth plastic of the 'huggers' don't always cling to your ear.
-For people with small ears, there is no guarantee they will fit.

OVERALL:
Don't expect superb sound since Sony doesn't claim any 'megaBass' improvement. Ear huggers are designed for active people, but don't think they'll stay in your ears if you pull really hard! They're cheap, and work for my activities. If they break, just buy another (or the better ones that come out in the future).

They look neat, sound fair, and tangle quite easily. Despite their appearance, they really are not well designed for active people. While running, sweat somehow manages to run down the plastic clips and "flood" the ear buds. It did not long before they started to sound weak, and lose bass response. Finally my right side blew, even though my MP3 player has a pretty mild sound output.

I got a few months of use out of them, and am debating getting a new pair. I don't like the idea of disposable hardware; I expected much better from Sony.

I love sony, however these headphones are barely above par. I wear glasses so they don't fit correctly and consequently don't feel comfortable at first. I'm use to them now but they are very sleek and I barely notice them now. I like them because they're not in my hair. I like the tangle free design though it's much better than finding knots in the after taking them out of my bag.

The sound quality is fairly good. However along with all the rest of the reviews, the bass is not very strong. I am also not really into pumping the bass up, but I like a little in my electronica/dance music. It is adequate but I'd like more. Considering that they have only 13.5 mm drivers, it's to be expected. I would advise at least 30mm drivers for you bass people which you won't find in these "in-ear" headphones.

So if you looking for an inexpensive headphones and you don't wear glasses or want big bass, then these are great. Otherwise Sony has tons of other headphones that could fit your needs.

A LITTLE BACKGROUND:
These are the third set of headphones that I have purchased in 4 years. I also have earbuds from Sony with "mega Bass" capability, and another pair of ear-huggers from Sharp. I use my Sony MDR-J10s for the gym and when I go jogging. I use an RCA MP3 player with DSP capability (bass inducer)

PROS:
-Cheaper than other versions of ear-huggers
-Variable colors allow personalization
-Sound quality is not as 'tinny' (compared to my pair by Sharp), but this might be dependent on the device you use. Not as good as 'megaBass', but if you're outdoors it's good enough.
-The ear 'hooks' are strong/durable enough to withstand small tugs to the headset.

CONS:
-Like most ear-huggers they constantly get tangled. I've yet to see a set withi a good storage case.
-Non-gripping, smooth plastic of the 'huggers' don't always cling to your ear.
-For people with small ears, there is no guarantee they will fit.

OVERALL:
Don't expect superb sound since Sony doesn't claim any 'megaBass' improvement. Ear huggers are designed for active people, but don't think they'll stay in your ears if you pull really hard! They're cheap, and work for my activities. If they break, just buy another (or the better ones that come out in the future).

They look neat, sound fair, and tangle quite easily. Despite their appearance, they really are not well designed for active people. While running, sweat somehow manages to run down the plastic clips and "flood" the ear buds. It did not long before they started to sound weak, and lose bass response. Finally my right side blew, even though my MP3 player has a pretty mild sound output.

I got a few months of use out of them, and am debating getting a new pair. I don't like the idea of disposable hardware; I expected much better from Sony.

I love sony, however these headphones are barely above par. I wear glasses so they don't fit correctly and consequently don't feel comfortable at first. I'm use to them now but they are very sleek and I barely notice them now. I like them because they're not in my hair. I like the tangle free design though it's much better than finding knots in the after taking them out of my bag.

The sound quality is fairly good. However along with all the rest of the reviews, the bass is not very strong. I am also not really into pumping the bass up, but I like a little in my electronica/dance music. It is adequate but I'd like more. Considering that they have only 13.5 mm drivers, it's to be expected. I would advise at least 30mm drivers for you bass people which you won't find in these "in-ear" headphones.

So if you looking for an inexpensive headphones and you don't wear glasses or want big bass, then these are great. Otherwise Sony has tons of other headphones that could fit your needs.

A LITTLE BACKGROUND:
These are the third set of headphones that I have purchased in 4 years. I also have earbuds from Sony with "mega Bass" capability, and another pair of ear-huggers from Sharp. I use my Sony MDR-J10s for the gym and when I go jogging. I use an RCA MP3 player with DSP capability (bass inducer)

PROS:
-Cheaper than other versions of ear-huggers
-Variable colors allow personalization
-Sound quality is not as 'tinny' (compared to my pair by Sharp), but this might be dependent on the device you use. Not as good as 'megaBass', but if you're outdoors it's good enough.
-The ear 'hooks' are strong/durable enough to withstand small tugs to the headset.

CONS:
-Like most ear-huggers they constantly get tangled. I've yet to see a set withi a good storage case.
-Non-gripping, smooth plastic of the 'huggers' don't always cling to your ear.
-For people with small ears, there is no guarantee they will fit.

OVERALL:
Don't expect superb sound since Sony doesn't claim any 'megaBass' improvement. Ear huggers are designed for active people, but don't think they'll stay in your ears if you pull really hard! They're cheap, and work for my activities. If they break, just buy another (or the better ones that come out in the future).

The fact that noise-canceling headphone reviews were all over the place made figuring out what to buy kind of difficult. I decided to buy the Sennheiser HDC451s ($80), the Sony MDR-NC20s ($120), and the Aiwa HP-CN5 ($50), and the Etymotic ER-6 ($130), try them all, and then return the three I liked least. Bose makes what are probably the industry standard but they weren't any better reviewed than the others and at $299, I wasn't interested.

Here's what I found:

Comfort: Kind of subjective, but in my opinion they rank as follows: Etymotic, Sony, Aiwa, Sennheiser. The Etymotics are basically earphones built into earplugs, so there's no bulk to worry about when moving around or trying to sleep on a plane. How comfortable they are kind of depends on how you feel about having things shoved in your ears. Of the conventional 'phones, the Sony's closed-ear design is more comfortable over long periods. The open-air design of the other two tends to squeeze your ears after a while. The Sennheiser loses because of an inexplicably uncomfortable pad in the top.

Noise Canceling: Etymotic, Sony, Sennheiser, Aiwa. The Etymotics have no noise-canceling circuitry and rely purely on blocking the ear canal to reduce noise. This cuts more noise than the others and does it across the entire spectrum-making it the only one that will silence the kid screaming in the seat behind you. In the conventional 'phones, the Sony again benefits from the closed-ear design, passively blocking some high register noise that the others miss. The Sennheisers actually have the most elegant electronics, silencing low hums with less hiss than the other two. Remember that active noise canceling only works in the very low registers-like the rumble of an airplane.

Sound: Etymotic, Sennheiser, Sony, Aiwa. The Etymotics live up to their reputation of being one the best sounding 'phones on the market at any price, though they can amplify body noises such as chewing. The Sennheisers sound really muddy with the canceling turned off, but with it on they give fairly crisp sound a bit lacking in bass. The other two remain kind of muddy sounding with somewhat sloppy bass which might make watching movies on a plane a little more difficult. Overall, the Sony and Aiwa don't sound any better than the cheap 'phones that came with my MD player.

Convenience: Etymotic, Aiwa, Sony, Sennheiser. The Etymotics fit in your shirt pocket but are definitely harder to get in and out than the others and don't include an airline adapter. The Aiwas fold up quite flat, have the batteries in the headset and have a carrying case. The Sonys fold up (but are still bulky), include a carrying case, and have the battery in the headset. The Sennheisers don't fold, have no carrying case, and have the batteries in the cord. All three conventional units come with airline adapters.

So in conclusion, the Etymotics are pretty much light years ahead of the others, but only if you are okay with having them jammed in your ears (didn't bother me, but my wife had no interest.) The conventional units all have their pluses and minuses, so you'll have to decide what features are important to you.

I love these headphones!! I got these in Narita Airport and obsessed over them the whole airplane ride from Tokyo to Bangkok...for a very valid reason. These headphones are great. Travelling a lot, I usually have to jack up the volume to nearly full blast and then get a ear-ache after listening for only a short while. But not with these. They cancel most of the noise in the airplane, no more droning sounds! I can now listen to music on the airplane and other noisy places using reasonable volume. I think ths product does what it's supposed to do, cancels most of the noise. It never promised silence, so if that's what you are expecting from these, then don't waste your money. What it does when you turn the noise-cancelling circuit on, however, is cut off most of the very low sounds, so that when you're in places with loud engines sounds (e.g. on an airplane)you won't be able to hear a lot of the grumbles. Plus, this model is an over-the-ear design, so even it cuts off some noise even without the noise-cancelling circuit on.

Some people complain about hissing sounds and I would like to clarify that. These headphones have got 2 systems: 1)normal headphones and 2) noise-cancelling headphones. There are situations where you do not need the noise-cancelling function and you'd be better off turning the circuit system off. When you turn in on in an environment where it is not needed, you will be able to hear a hissing sound that can become annoying. Just turn it off and they'd be fine. As I've mentioned before, these don't promise silence. (Neither do any other headphones.) When you are in a very noisy place, you will not hear the hissing; instead, most of the low grumbling noise will disappear, allowing you to enjoy your music a great deal more.

Also, these have got to be one of the most comfortable earphones you can ever find! If you've done the research on noise-cancelling headphones (like I have), you will find out that a lot of people complain about how a lot of noise-cancelling headphones are very uncomfortable to wear for a long time. Well, good news! These are very comfortable and you can wear them for a long period of time!

These headphones do exactly what they're supposed to do. I just wish they were a tad smaller. That would have been brilliant! I mean, these take up more space than my iPod! Another downside, you wouldn't want to use these for exercising because they are pretty bulky. However, they are not meant to be for use in the gym, so I shouldn't complain.

Overall, great noise-cancelling. Get these and hear the difference!!!

I travel a LOT. Fly on everything from TurboProps to Airbus A-320's and 757's. I've never been able to sleep on aircraft and lately, my tolerance for noise and screaming kids has gone to near zero. Well, that's what the Sony MDRNC-20 noise cancelling headphones have given me, ..... nearly zero noise on flights. My last two flights (this week) were on two SAAB TurboProp commuter aircraft and two A-320's and I could not hear the engines with these headphones on. I also use a Sony R70 MiniDisk Recorder / Player that was useless, due to in cabin noise, until I bought these headsets. I've tried the Bose (overpriced and cumbersome), Sennheiser and Toshiba units and the Sony's are the best. I highly recommend them for frequent fliers if you want to be able to function at the destination end of the flight. OH! Did I mention that we also use them while cutting grass on our diesel Kubota tractor with 60 inch mower deck and can't hear the tractor noise, but Bon Jovi comes through lound and clear from the Sony CD Walkman. The audio connection cord also has a convenient connector in it so your can disconnect the main lead and just use the headphones for noise reduction. I thought this a very convenient feature for those who want to block out TV noise, kids, neighbors, etc and not listen to music at the same time.
It might sound like I'm a Sony fan (which I am) but I'm also an audio engineer and my motto is "Specs first, price second". I was pleased to find a product that cost over $120 less than Bose and worked every bit as well, .... maybe better.
You need a pair of these if you fly a lot or just want some peace and quiet.

Be careful with this product! The headphones are not bad quality, and though these headphones do provide some degree of noise reduction, there are some serious drawbacks -- at least for me. These include: (1) When you engage the noise reduction, noise is reduced, but so is the frequency range of your recording! (2) Either the headphones are relatively insensitive or there is an insertion loss even with noise reduction switched out. I assume the manufacturer assumes you'll be listening to heavy metal from a powerful amplifier. Well, I'm listening to classical through a flea-power anplifier. With ordinary headphones/earbuds, things are "adequate". With the Maxell, the volume is inadequate. And (3), with noise reduction switched in, the volume is even more inadequate. For my use, unusable. I wouldn't buy these again.

I have now used these headphones on a few flights and have found the following:

1. They help versus not using them, i.e. they make a difference
2. Battery life is very good
3. Price is great!
4. They are *not* very comfortable. My ears hurt after wearing them for the whole flight (longer than 5 hours)

Overall, if you don't want to spend a lot of money on such gadgets, get this one. If you want the best, get the Bose one!

These relatively inexpensive noice-cancelling headphones really does its job well, remarkable how it reduces the cabin noice on a Boing 747 by at least 50%. It's actually possible with these to follow a movie being shown and understand all that's being said without too much concentration. As for the sound quality, they're probable nothing fancy but they produce a good deal more bass than your standard in-flight headset. My only problem with these is the comfort issue. After 1-2 hour of wearing my ears gets red/annoyed. This is because they rest on the ear itself where I would've preferred an over-the-ear solution. I am happy I got them however, great value for the money, the Sony solution is way WAY more expensive and I just need them for an occational movie in flight.

We have the base + two hand sets.

The good:
I love it. It also works great with the phone-company voicemail system, because it has a BRIGHT indicator which blinks in the handset and on the base unit when there are new messages. Intercom is a cool feature, I will buy additional sets for around the house because we are no longer limited to jack locations: Garage, spare bdrm, etc. Speaker setting sounds clear to us and our callers. It has a headset jack. Redial & caller id return call menu give option to dial 7, 10, or 11 digit number.

The Bad:
The range is shorter than my old ATT 2.4Mhz system, > 200 ft. The speed-dial list has to be programmed on EACH handset separately.

We bought the base and 3 extra handsets. The phones work great inside around the yard and even in the adjacent houses around us. They do not however have the range we expected. The reception is clear, the intercom and call transfer are great as is the vmail indicator. We have never had battery issues or interference with our wireless network or other appliances as some people have complained. For the price they are an EXCELLENT buy.

I was very happy with the 2.4 GHz expandable VTech phone, except for the interference between it and the 802.11b (Wi-Fi) wireless computer network on the same cluttered 2.4 GHz band.

This phone is everything the 2.4 GHz model was, plus a more slightly larger and more comfortable handset, better sound quality (both normal and handsfree/handset-speakerphone modes) -- and, of course, no more interference with the 2.4 GHz 802.11b wireless LAN (I understand it receives on 5.8 GHz but still transmits on 2.4 GHz, but we haven't encountered any problems).

The only downside we encountered is that the intercom function is now on a softkey menu instead of a hard button (as it was on the 2.4 GHz model) so it is less convenient to use and almost impossible with one hand. It does now allow you to intercom-ring all handsets at once, which the 2.4 GHz model didn't.

Consider getting an extra battery for the base unit -- the base keeps the battery charged for operation during a power outage, or as a spare for a handset.

First of all, there is a hiss when the noise-cancellation feature is turned on in a quiet room.

2. It only reduces, and not cancels, external sounds in the lower mid-range. Bass sounds get through.

3. The noise reduction seems to work on the music being listened too; when it is on, the bass and the mid-lower range sounds "mushy," and there's a reduction in volume.

4. Headphone quality is not really that great.

5. The volume/AAA battery holder has an on-off switch, a volume control, a small indicator light and a max/normal noise cancellation switch. The noise-cancellation has no discernable function. I don't think it's even connected to anything!

6. It is comfortable and the "foldableness" of the headphones is good.

I plan to return these headphones and will go shopping for something maybe a little more expensive, but would actually reduce the noise without reducing the music quality.

These were pretty much the lowest priced "noise-cancelling" or "noise-reduction" headphones (with active circuitry) I could find for my trans-pacific flights. I didn't expect much out of them, but now feel I got well worth what I paid.

Noise reduction:

This is the first and only pair of noise-cancelling headphones I've ever used. I'm sure they don't even come close to the "legendary" Bose. Nevertheless, it still helps substantially when riding a jet. I can finally hear the in-flight movie dialogue comfortably without cranking up the volume all the way. Classical and jazz music becomes listenable, too. They also makes it much easier for me to relax or nap, even when not listening to anything. I ended up having them on all the time.

They do introduce some white noise (mid-to-high-range hiss) when noise cancelling is on. The over-the-ear design and noise-cancelling circuit combined is effective only to certain frequency range (Panasonic admits so on the package), meaning a crying baby will still be a crying baby. Jet engines, on the other hand, will be much more tolerable.

Comfortness:

I was able to wear them on trans-pacific flights all the time (except when dining, of course.) That was up to 14 hours non-stop! They sure feel nice to me. Nevertheless, no two persons' ears are of the same shape. Your mileage may vary. I wonder if they let you try headphones on in brick-and-mortar stores.

Conclusion:

If you pay five bucks on your flights for the crappy headphones that used to be free, think again. A very little investment may make your flights much enjoyable. As for hi-fi listening at home/work, better look elsewhere.

I flew 14hrs from Chicago to Hong Kong with them, I flew regional propeller planes with them, I rode subway and bus with them, and I worked in a computer lab (with nowadays 3 whirling fans per computer) with them. They perform superbly at cancelling noise with a recurring pattern, such as jet engines, car engines, etc.

Please don't expect them to be studio monitor handphones, just look at the price. Sound quality is not very good, especially with the Noise-Reduction on, but it's sufficient for casual listening. They are quite comfortable even in long duration (the 14hrs flight). However, the hinge for collapsing the headphone might caught hair (not fun if you try the take off the headphone quickly) but with proper practice hair-pulling will becomes rare occurance.

To let other not to have false hope about noise cancelling system, I must spend some time to explain how they work. These headphone works by listen to the noise, find its pattern, then generate that pattern at a +or-180 deg. or +or- 1Pi radian phase angle. Therefore, the noise from the background and the "noise" generated by the headphone's will add up to zero, thus the noise is cancelled, or reduced in the least. Also you would be dreaming to have a headphone that cancels human noise because human don't talk with a recurring pattern. Only way for cancalling human voice is to predict what he/she going to say and I don't think any headphones can do that.

The white noise (the hiss) is noticible but tolerable. I know higher end headphones (like Bose QuietComfort II) has managed to pretty much eliminate that but they cost few times as much.

One complain is the control box and all the wirings. It's very awkward wearing it while your iPod or Discman is in a backpack. I ended up "dreadlock" the wires couple of times in one day of subway commute. It would be real nice if there's a belt clip at the back of the control box because I don't know where to place it so I can have easy access to the volume control.