Behold II Smartphone with AndroidJVC HA-NC250 Noise Canceling Headphones
Manufacturer: JVC Part number: HA-NC250
- More product information:
- Editors' review
- User reviews
- Specifications
- Manufacturer info
- Bottom Line:
- The JVC HA-NC250 Noise Canceling Headphones make a great travel companion for those who demand quality sound. And they may not be cheap, but they seem that way next to the Bose QuietComfort 3.
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CNET editors' review
JVC HA-NC250 Noise Canceling Headphones price range: $104.11 - $119.99
- Reviewed by: Jasmine France
- Reviewed on: 07/18/2007
- Released on: 07/13/2007
The good: The JVC HA-NC250 Noise Canceling Headphones are comfortable and offer good sound quality, including tight bass response. The headphones work with or without the noise-cancellation feature activated. JVC includes handy accessories such as a compact, hard-shell carrying case, an airplane adapter, and a quarter-inch plug.
The bad: The cable that comes with the JVC HA-NC250 is too short for nonportable use.
The bottom line: The JVC HA-NC250 Noise Canceling Headphones make a great travel companion for those who demand quality sound. And they may not be cheap, but they seem that way next to the Bose QuietComfort 3.
JVC has built a reasonable reputation for producing inexpensive noise-canceling headphones, and those 'phones have done well in terms of sound quality. Still, there's nothing wrong with taking a step up in the world, which is exactly what JVC is doing with the HA-NC250 Noise Canceling Headphones. Compared to previous models, the HA-NC250 doesn't come cheap, sporting a price tag of $199.99, but those willing to drop the extra dough will be rewarded with a comfy set of headphones with nice, balanced sound. Plus, compared to the competing Bose QuietComfort 3 ($350), the HA-NC250 seems downright affordable.
Right off the bat, I was pleased to note that the HA-NC250s are noticeably more comfortable than their low-end sibling, the HA-NC60. The ear cups of the HA-NC250 are oblong--more true to ear shape than circular--and padded with a cushy leatherette material. They also don't put much pressure on the ears, making them pleasant to wear for extended periods of time (I had them on for more than two hours with no discomfort). Plus, the headband is padded to keep the top of your head happy.
Most users should have no trouble finding a good fit with the HA-NC250, as the arms are adjustable and the ear cups swivel several degrees forward (about 15) and 180 degrees back. This latter feature is important in any travel-friendly pair, as it allows the headphones to lie flat for storage. To this end, JVC includes a nicely slender, hard-shelled carrying case, which has a built-in zipper pouch for stowing the battery (one AAA), an airplane adapter, a 1/4-inch adapter, and the removable cable (all included). If there's one design gripe I have, it's with that cable. It's 43 inches long, which is plenty for portable applications, but not nearly long enough for home use (I couldn't even have them connected to the computer and sit comfortably at my desk.) You can find a headphone extender online for less than five bucks, but it would have been nice for JVC to just throw one in considering the price of the HA-NC250.
In the area of noise cancellation, the JVC HA-NC250 works as advertised. Due to the design of the ear cups, the headphones even manage to block out some higher-frequency sounds, such as the tappity-tap of the keyboard--but only when music is playing as well. Even with music off, flipping on the active noise-cancellation feature eliminates low-frequency noises, such as the hum of an air conditioner, meaning the HA-NC250s are perfectly suited to air travel. However, during testing I did notice a faint, cyclical static sound in the right ear cup, which is where the noise-cancellation circuitry is located. For the most part, it's not noticeable when music is playing, but it could irritate some users.
Sound quality in general proved quite good in testing, and I like that you can listen to music with or without the noise-cancellation feature engaged. In general, music sounds a bit clearer, more open, and considerably amplified with the noise-cancellation feature on, but sound quality overall was great. Bass response in particular was impressively tight, yet it didn't overshadow other ranges of sound. Audio response was pleasantly even, with rich mids, sparkly highs, and nice undertones. For 200 bucks, the JVC HA-NC250 makes an acceptable alternative to the Bose QuietComfort 3.
User reviews
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Outstanding Compromise to the Bose Q3's
by psmilnes on December 7, 2007
Pros: Delivers sound quality and noise reduction comparable to the industry standard Bose Quiet-Comfort Series but at a considerably more reasonable price.
Cons: I'd agree with CNET about the cord but hey, you can always buy a longer one. Besides, I'm only using these for flights so the cord length is fine.
Summary: I was going to purchase the Bose Q-3's until I discovered that they too were manufactured in China. Call me a sentimental fool but I still think that it ...
Summary: I was going to purchase the Bose Q-3's until I discovered that they too were manufactured in China. Call me a sentimental fool but I still think that it is important to purchase goods made in the U.S. I then read CNET's review of the JVC's and had the opportunity to A/B the Q-3's and the NC250's. I really couldn't hear much of a difference between the two although the Q-3's did have a tiny bit tighter mid-range than the 250's. However, for $97.00 delivered (Quack Quack Distributors) vs. $350.00, I'll take them over the Bose anyday.
15 out of 15 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Great investment for frequent traveller
by smclarino on April 2, 2008
Pros: Lightweight, good sound, strong comparison to Bose QC
Cons: Nothing serious enough to note.
Summary: By way of preface, I have been a professional classical musician, as well as student sound engineer and would love to be an audiophile but can simply not afford it. ...
Summary: By way of preface, I have been a professional classical musician, as well as student sound engineer and would love to be an audiophile but can simply not afford it. I am pretty picky about the quality of my sound. I tried many different sound canceling headphones in this price range before buying these ones. Previously I owned a set of Sony 'in ear' sound canceling headphones which I used for about a year before they broke down.
I have owned these for about 2 weeks, and 10 hours of use in travel environments. I paid about $125 US for them including shipping from an ebay retailer.
Overall impression: Good sound, pretty comfortable to wear, good build quality and feel, and the noise canceling works as well or better than others I have tried, with the right expectations for what it can and can not do.
I have seen reviews of these headphones on other sites that bash the sound quality, and I just don't get it. Granted they are not studio quality reference headphones, but if you need studio quality sound, you probably won't be wearing them on an airplane. The whole point of the noise canceling headphones is that you are using them in a noisy environment where sound quality will be poor in the first place.
In the two weeks since I bought these I have tried them on inter-city bus service and on several 4 hour+ flights. They are great. The noise canceling is great at cutting out the mid-low frequency rumbles, and the sound quality is just fine... admittedly when you use them in a silent environment there is a (very) slight bit of induced hiss when you power on the sound canceling, but in an aircraft or bus that artifact fades in comparison to all the background noise. Keep in mind that the noise canceling works best if the cups are sealed well to your ears.
I found I could cut the volume of the aircraft entertainment system in half with the noise canceling on, compared to listening with it off, and checked several times during the flights to compare my listening experience with the headphones powered on or off. It is actually surprising how quickly you get used to the sound suppression... it is shocking to turn it off and hear how loud a commercial airliner is. I find I am less stressed at the end of a flight with noise canceling headphones on, and this purchase was spurred on by the demise of my last pair of Sonys.
I did have the opportunity to try these against my Dad's three year old Bose QCs. We just ducked into the furnace room to get a feel for them in a moderately loud environment, and then tried them side by side in a quiet place for sound quality. Both of us came to the conclusion that there was nothing to choose between them, both in sound quality (from my basic MP3 player) and in the noise reduction... nothing but the price, as I paid less than 1/3 of what he did.
Overall great purchase for me, and I would recommend them to any frequent traveller or someone who has a cubicle next to the server room or air conditioner compressor.7 out of 7 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Peace Among The Bustle
by waldodio on December 27, 2007
Pros: Great noise reduction. Comfortable to wear
Cons: Careful ear placement required
Summary: I requested these headphones for Christmas to help alleviate the slurping, loud talking, and general obnoxiousness of a cubicle neighbor at work. After trying them the first time, I discovered ...
Summary: I requested these headphones for Christmas to help alleviate the slurping, loud talking, and general obnoxiousness of a cubicle neighbor at work. After trying them the first time, I discovered they did something even better: they completely eliminated the loud hum of my building's A/C system, leaving me able to hear myself think and actually enjoy my music.
With a flick of the switch all low frequency ambient noise disappeared. I was truly left in a quiet environment. Of course, high-frequency sounds are not eliminated, so you'll still hear voices (though muffled) or equipment beeps, etc., but since I use them at work I still need to hear my phone ring!
Not only does the noise-canceling feature work well, but the quality of the signal coming through is very high quality as well. The mids and highs are clear and crisp, and the bass is solid without being overpowering.
The headphones are very comfortable. I wear mine the entire 7-9 hours I'm working and barely know they're on. The only thing to be careful of, though, is that you place them directly on the ear, without any of the cup extending beyond the back of the ear's outside 'lip'. If you do, you'll get a slight cycling hiss, which I presume is from the noise-canceling mechanism. But place them carefully and correctly directly on the ear and you'll get high quality sound in a silent environment you only dreamt was possible.5 out of 6 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Great Value! Very Comfortable! Really Good Sound!
by danielarchibald on September 13, 2009
Pros: Inexpensive relative to comparable models. Really good sound quality for listening to music, especially with noise cancelling on. Noise cancelling effective. Very comfortable to wear over long periods. Can still listen to music when batteries dead.
Cons: Lets in some noise when wearing glasses. Annoying crackling sound when using noise cancelling and batteries are running down.
Summary: As I was traveling every week for work, I began looking at noise cancelling headphones to wear on my 4 flights per week. I compared these to the Bose QC-3 ...
Summary: As I was traveling every week for work, I began looking at noise cancelling headphones to wear on my 4 flights per week. I compared these to the Bose QC-3 which a fellow traveler let me try and found these JVC HA NC-250 headphones to be a much better value. I found very little difference in performance between the two but at more than $200 less than the QC3 these wer hard to pass up. I found the noise cancelling ability of the QC3 to be somewhat better but the sound quality of HA NC-250 to be notieably better.
The HA NC-250s are a quality product and come with some nice accessories. They come with enough connection accessories to allow connection with most any type of source device. The hard hard sided case protects the headphones, has a pocket for other accessories and extra batteries, room for SD cards or small MP3 players, and fits nicely in an external pocket of my laptop bag.
The HA NC-250s noise cancelling feature requires 2 AAA batteries, as opposed to the QC3's unique proprietary battery ($50 for a spare), and you can still listen to source sound even when the batteries are dead (a la sans noise cancelling).
I found the HA NC-250s to be very comfortable but most of my flights were less than 2 hours. On a recent trip to Hawaii I was able to confirm that they are comfortably for longer use periods too. In fact, they were comfortable enough for me to sleep with them on while listening to music...with the noise canceling, I almost forgot I was 34,000 feet in the air.
I also appreciate the dynamic range and realistic (as realistic as MP3 can be) sound reproduction these headphones provide. They delivered solid bass when I was expecting bass, accurate reproduction of voices in the mid-range, and crisp highs with no hissing or buzzing.
I am very pleased with my purchase and highly recommend the HA NC-250 noise cancelling heaphones especially for folks who spend a lot of time in airplanes. I suggest anyone considering the Bose QC3 or QC2, do a side by side comparison with the JVC HA NC-250s. I think you will be pleasntly surprised.1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Noise canceling is good, but other sounds penetrate
by Franko234 on June 29, 2009
Pros: Comfortable. Comes with a case and airplane attachments. Noise canceling is good. Good sound quality
Cons: Other sounds, like conversations around me are able to penetrate rather easily.
Summary: For the price, these are an okay pair of headphones. I'm a little disappointed that the padding of the headphones, while comfortable, does not block out more sound. I ...
Summary: For the price, these are an okay pair of headphones. I'm a little disappointed that the padding of the headphones, while comfortable, does not block out more sound. I tried on a pair of Boss headphones in-store once, and the padding blocked out almost all sound... and they weren't even noise canceling headphones! I will try them on my trip this summer and maybe revise my review.
1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Fantastic headphones!
by gosugo on October 9, 2008
Pros: comfortable, crisp clear sound. cool hard case.
Cons: the battery location. Slightly clunky.
Summary: These headphones are better than I expected. My music sounded crisp and clear. With the noise cancelling feature turned off, I had to turn the volume up significantly. I couldn'...
Summary: These headphones are better than I expected. My music sounded crisp and clear. With the noise cancelling feature turned off, I had to turn the volume up significantly. I couldn't her a train in the background that I usually hear at nighttime. Can't wait to use them on my next long airplane flight.
1 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Great fit, very comfy but sound quality is lacking
by Kev50027 on July 16, 2008
Pros: Included case, very stylish and small, extremely comfortable for long periods, noiaw cancelling works great
Cons: Sound is extremely muffled compared to in-ear headphones or Sony's MDR-V600 over the ear headphones, noise cancelling changes EQ
Summary: I was so hopeful that these would be the headphones I've been looking for, but they are not. They are very small, light, and stylish, and quite comfortable. However, ...
Summary: I was so hopeful that these would be the headphones I've been looking for, but they are not. They are very small, light, and stylish, and quite comfortable. However, there are some design flaws that keep these headphones from getting a much better score. First, there is a block of plastic between the speaker and your ear. I have no idea why they would put solid plastic in front of the speaker, they could have put holes in it or used mesh. This causes the sound to be very muffled. It's like listening to nice headphones over ear muffs, the high frequencies are hushed while the bass and lower frequencies come through alright. Also, these headphones are the least sensitive headphones I know of. In order to hear music, you have to turn the volume way up on most devices, far beyond normal headphone range. Finally, they make you rip off the ear pad to replace the battery, which they put directly above the speaker. It would be much easier to make a section of the outer headset removable and place the battery there.
In the end, I give the design a 7, and the sound quality a 3, which leaves me with a 5/10.
The Creative EP-630 cost about 1/3rd as much, and sound far, far better, with crisper highs and tight bass. I will probably return these to Amazon.
Specifications
- Manufacturer: JVC
- Part number: HA-NC250
- Description: The HA-NC250's noise cancellation circuitry includes feedback technology that constantly monitors the noise cancellation process. As a result, the headphones eliminate up to 85 percent of extraneous background noise. To further block noise, the HA-NC250 offers two JVC innovations that help isolate the listener from outside sounds. First, each earpiece employs a double housing structure for an extra sound insulation layer. Second, JVC developed a technique for attaching the headphone's smooth memory foam cushioned ear pads to the housing that helps isolate background noise. The smooth pads also enhance comfort. These sound isolation features, for which patents have been applied, are especially important since the HA-NC250 can be used with the active noise cancellation switched off. For the best possible sound quality, the headphone uses a 40mm neodymium driver in each earpiece. For comfort and portability, the JVC HA-NC250 is one of the lightest headphones in its class, weighing just 5.3 ounces. It folds flat, and when folded is slimmer than most competing models. Included with the HA-NC250 are a slim carrying case, a four-foot detachable cord, airline dual plug adapter, and 0.25 inch plug adapter for use with many home audio and video components. The headphones use a single 1.5-volt AAA battery for powering the noise cancellation circuitry.
General
- Recommended Use The noise canceling feature keeps out ambient sounds on buses and airplanes. Plus, they are portable for easy transport. Active noise canceling technology makes these circumaural headphones ideal for commuting and air travel.
- Product Type Headphones
- Weight 5.3 oz
- Additional Features Foldable, Noise canceling circuit, Noise-Cancelling Switch
Headphones
- Headphones Type Headphones - Binaural
- Headphones Form Factor Ear-cup
- Connectivity Technology Wired
- Sound Output Mode Stereo
- Active Noise Canceling Yes
- Diaphragm 1.6 in
- Magnet Material Neodymium
Remote Control
- Type None
Connections
- Connector Type 1 x Headphones ( Mini-phone stereo 3.5 mm )
Miscellaneous
- Cables Included 1 x Headphones cable - Detachable - 4 ft
- Included Accessories Carrying case, Airplane adapter, 6.3 mm (1/4") stereo adapter
Power
- Power Device None
- Battery 1 x Standard battery - AAA type
Manufacturer info
- JVC
- Manufacturer profile
- Browse JVC products on Shopper.com
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- Website: http://www.jvc.com/
- Address:
1700 Valley Road, Wayne, NJ 07470 - Phone: 1-800-252-5722
