Sony MDR-NC6 Noise Canceling Headphones

Features:

Reduces exterior noise by more than 70 percent (10 dB at 300 Hz) so you can hear music against a quieter background

Active noise reduction from 40 to 1,500 Hz using 1 AAA battery (not included); extended battery life approximately 30 hours

Compact size and folding design allows easy storage in a backpack, briefcase, or purse

Noise-canceling on/off switch; headphones work with or without power

Includes soft carrying case and airplane adapter plug

Small enough to keep with you at all times and ideal for achieving peace and quiet in planes, trains, buses, and cars, Sony's MDR-NC6 noise-canceling over-ear headphones reduce perceived outside noise by more than 70 percent (up to 10 dB at 300 Hz) so you can hear musical nuances against a quieter background.

The headphones' noise-canceling circuit senses outside noise using tiny, built-in microphones and sends an equal-but-opposite canceling signal to the headphone drivers, effectively blocking solid-state (continuous) noise from 40 to 1,500 Hz. It's especially effective on noises like air-conditioning systems, freeway rumble, and airplane engines (from a passenger's perspective).

The switchable noise-canceling circuitry runs for approximately 30 hours on a single AAA alkaline battery. When noise canceling is off, the headphones continue to function for standard music listening (and with slightly better sound quality). The headphones' neodymium-magnet diaphragms deliver powerful sound.

The headphones and their swiveling earcups fold for easy storage, and a special supplied adapter facilitates use of the headphones with an airplane's audio system.

What's in the Box
Headphones, a carry pouch, an in-flight adapter, and a user's manual.

Shut off the outside world with MDR-NC6 noise canceling headphones. Ambient sound can be reduced over 10dB at 300Hz, which means you'll hear more music, and less plane/train/bus noise. Noise canceling headphones are great for work, traveling, or even when you're trying to sleep in a loud place. The MDR-NC6 have a slim swivel folding design, making them more compact for storage. Includes plug adapter to connect directly to a stereo or dual jack of in-flight music services.

Customer Reviews:

not very comfortable, hissy
these headphones play music well, but they are very tight on my head and i can only wear them for 20 minutes or so at a clip. the nise cancelling produces an extremely noisy hiss. they're pretty good on airplanes, not really anywhere less noisy.
--2006-12-21

Good headphones
Good sound quality; tend to get a little tight/heavy on your years after some time of use. Noise cancellation works only environments like trains and airplanes (places with constant background noise).
--2006-12-18

Good Value
i've had a pair for about a year and always take them on flights, which is the only time I use them. As with all noise cancelling headphones, they remove only the low whoosh of the airplain noise, but this makes a huge difference. When I first used them, my ears got sore after about an hour, but now I can wear them for five hours without any discomfort. They have been very durable and the battery seems to last forever, or at least longer than I expected.
--2006-12-11

Very good for plane rides
I really like these headphones. Traveling in the car or on the plane, I use them with my laptop for watching movies and they work wonderfully. I can actually hear with them so much better than the other cheap headphones I was using.
The reason I gave them a 4 was because I managed to trip over the cord while listening to my iPod and the cord ripped out of the headphones. Being an engineer I just took them apart and soldered the wires back together, so if you are clumsy you might want to look into something more sturdy or just be careful. However the break was really easy to fix, so for the price I'd say they were worth it. I just got another pair as a gift.
--2006-12-09

Noise Cancelling not very effective
I brought these to replace another pair of inexpensive (<$50.) headphones, in this case Earhugger EC-1420NC. The noise cancelling was not as good and the headphones not as comfortable to wear. The pressure on the ears becomes uncomfortable after about one to one and a half hours. Not good enough for a long flight. I returned after one use.
--2006-12-06

- Sony