Home > Consumer Reviews > Sony MDR-NC5 Noise Canceling Headphones with Airline Adaptor

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.

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.

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.

I threw these headphones away and bought the Bose noise-cancelling headphones.

After straining to hear my DVD player on my third plane trip, I finally got fed up with them. They where not "noise-cancelling" and sounded thin, tinny, and weak.

I wish I hadn't wasted money on these but am very happy with the much better-quality (and more expensive) Bose.

These are the first pair of noise cancelling headphones I've ever bought/used, so I have nothing to compare them to except my previous regular headphones.

First of all, I love the fact that it folds away into a nice compact size, which fits into the nice leather-looking pouch provided with it. They are powered by a single AAA battery.

The headphones rest on the ears (not over), and are rather comfortable. I bought mine just a day before a 10 hour flight, so I really got to test them. I fell asleep with them on with no discomfort or damage to the headphones. It also comes with a 2 pin adaptor for use on some aircraft in-flight entertainment (such as the 767 flight I took).

Sound quality to me is great, it brings out the bass, and the sound is crisp and clear, when noise cancelling is on, mind you. With it off, the volume is rather low. As for the noise cancelling itself, I would say it cuts off about 75% of the rumble of the jet engine, as well as most or all conversations going on around you (depending on the volume of the conversation). I was glad that most of the sound from a shrieking baby sitting in the row in front of me was mercifully cut off allowing me to listen to my music in bliss...