MDR-NC6 Noise Canceling Headphones

• Average user rating: 3.0 stars out of 54 reviews
• My rating: 0 stars

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• 8 stars

  Amazing performance, especially considering cost.

  by baldwinl on July 22, 2005

  Pros: High fidelity, effective noise reduction (within limits).

  Cons: Some hiss audible at low ambient noise levels.

  Summary: Some of the other reveiwers seem confused about these headphones. These are noise cancelling headphones - of a certain capability. And although there is some hiss audible in the active ...

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  Summary: Some of the other reveiwers seem confused about these headphones. These are noise cancelling headphones - of a certain capability. And although there is some hiss audible in the active mode, they are not just pink-noise generators. These headphones do not cancel random noises or sounds like bangs, talking or babies crying. What they do cancell is repetive noise like roars, rumbles and droning sounds: just the sounds you get on an airplane or in some industrial environments. When I first got these, even though it was not hot outside, I turned on my air conditioner just so I could stand beside it and turn the noice cancellation feature on and off. The difference was dramatic, and I expect it will be so on an airplane (the reason I bought these). In my office, there is an HVAC rumble. I don't notice it much, but if I put on these headphones, I can eleminate it; but I will hear a hiss that is inadvertent noise from the headphone system. Also, because the noise is sensed with microphones on the outside of the earcups, running or cycling with these headphones is not onlyl dangerous, but not very satisfactory because the microphones pick up air-turbulence and they try to cancel that noise and that produces an odd sound (because the wind noise is not repetitive enough for the cirucit to deal with).
  
  One more point: when you put the headphones into active mode with a source, the source gets about 3dB louder (like one "step" on a volume control) vs. the inactive (off) mode. I find this helpful, as I use these to watch movies on my laptop on planes, and my laptop headphone output is not very loud even all the way up. These headphones give it that needed extra boost.
  
  So, in summary, for reptitive noise like you get on an airplane, these units do work and cannot be beat for the price. If it were not for the hiss, these things would score a 10.

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  10 out of 10 users found this user opinion helpful.

• 8 stars

  Very good for portable MP3 when travelling

  by ALEX.RA on September 4, 2005

  Pros: Great sound, nice bass and treble, power amplification, one small AAA battery, low-frequency noise cancelling works well

  Cons: I didn't find anything I don't like. Noise-cancelling could be better, but still it rocks, and it's good for money and portability.

  Summary: I bought these in Europe, for whopping 89 EUR, but still I think it's nice package for money. Noise-cancelling, other reviews underrated works well, but it is stated in ...

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  Summary: I bought these in Europe, for whopping 89 EUR, but still I think it's nice package for money. Noise-cancelling, other reviews underrated works well, but it is stated in specs it works only between 20 and 1500 Hz. I.e. it does not cancell voice or music, but does cancell well noise of transport, cars, plane engines, and even computer fan noise! Sound is very well. They are very comroftable and light, cord is long enough to make to belt or backpack where they player is. Another great feature - they use only one small AAA battery that lasts for about 30 hours in my case, just don't buy cheapy ones! Nice feature is power amplification, they adjust level of sound to the level of surrounding sound, so is noisy environment they sounds lauder. Great thing! And you can turn it off whenever you need - they will play as usual passive phones. And no additional module for NC-feature and batteries!
  
  I use they with my notebook and also with my Sony Ericsson P910i smartphone, which I use as mp3 player too. Just get a 2.5mm to 3.5mm converter! Great phones, great deal! I would recommend it to anyone who are travelling a lot and work in no very quiet envoronment and loves to walk too, but not to listen street noise.

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  3 out of 3 users found this user opinion helpful.

• 6 stars

  Cancels most noise, not sound

  by on January 24, 2005

  Pros: Comfortable, compact and great sounding headset. Active Noise Cancellation (ANR) is good for the money. Don't expect caviar for beer money...this headset blocks out most noises, enabling you to hear sounds you might not have noticed otherwise(i.e. hum of

  Cons: When ANR circuit is on, a hiss is added that can be annoying..sort of a white noise . Not noticed as much when music is played.

  3 out of 4 users found this user opinion helpful.

• 5 stars

  Average At Best

  by lleong322 on January 8, 2007

  Pros: Design, Inexpensive for noise canceling headphones

  Cons: Weak noise cancelling circiutry, average audio quality, background hiss when noise cancellation circuit is activated

  Summary: Sony MDR-NC6 Noise Canceling Headphones Review
  
  By Lewis Leong
  
  Written in memory of James Kim
  
  
  Introduction
  
  In the continuing quest for a world without external aural distractions, I picked up
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
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  Summary: Sony MDR-NC6 Noise Canceling Headphones Review
  
  By Lewis Leong
  
  Written in memory of James Kim
  
  
  Introduction
  
  In the continuing quest for a world without external aural distractions, I picked up the Sony MDR-NC6 noise canceling headphones to experiment how well noise cancellation technology actually works. I already have a pair of Sennheiser CX300 noise canceling ear buds which still impress me to this day with clear audio quality and superb passive noise canceling. I was curious to see the difference in performance between the passive noise cancellation of the Sennheisers and the active noise cancellation of the Sonys. While the Sennheisers rely solely on a silicone plug to isolate outside noise, the Sony?s active noise cancellation technology relies on microphones located on the headphones to pick up ambient noise and cancels it by producing a counter wave.
  
  Packaging
  
  These headphones, along with many other headphones, are packed in the dreaded blister pack where you get severe lacerations just trying to unbox it. After the brawl with the packaging, you will find the headphones, airplane adaptor, ?leather? pouch, and instructions/warranty information. The pouch is made of a synthetic plastic which feels soft and flexible with a velvet-like finish on the inside. I would have preferred a sold case for travel and storage but the pouch will do for keeping the headphones clean and dust free.
  
  
  
  
  Design
  
  The design of the headphones is contemporary and quite pleasing to the eye with its silver body and chrome accents. I especially enjoy the tasteful plastic on the outside of the ear cups that accent the Sony logo and advertises its noise canceling abilities. As with many noise canceling headphones, there is a need for an external power source to power the microphones which, in this case, comes from a single AAA battery. The battery compartment is located on top of the right ear cup and the on/off switch is located on the right ear cup as well. The switch is easily accessible by using your thumb even though it is located behind the headphones. Initially I was worried that the battery being on one side would throw off the balance of the headphones but they did not, since the headphones as a whole are so light. The headphones use a single wire design which reduces the chance of tangling and helps to balance the headphones by being on the left, acting as a counterweight for the battery.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Performance
  
  If I had to sum up the Sony MDR- NC6s in one word, it would have to be average. The sound quality is average at best, providing better clarity and bass, than stock headphones but not enough to truly satisfy and audiophile. High frequencies are reproduced without any distortion or discomfort but lack clarity. Low frequencies are also reproduced without any distortion but lack the punch that you would get with higher quality headphones. Even with the equalizer adjusted for maximum bass, I was craving more. One major criticism I have about these headphones is that in certain songs, the drums and cymbals sound very distant, as if the drummer were sitting a different room.
  I was anxious and curious to see how well active noise cancellation worked but was severely disappointed. There is minimal difference between having the noise cancellation circuit turned on or off. The only difference can only be detected when there is very low frequency ambient noise and of very low decibel. It will get rid of wind and tire roar if you are listening to your music in a car, hopefully not while driving. The thing I find counter-intuitive about the NC6s is that when you switch on the noise cancellation circuit, the volume increases noticeably. Isn?t the whole point of noise canceling headphones to listen to your music at a lower volume without having to blow your ear drums out from cranking up the music to overcome ambient noise? It even advertises this fact on the box.
  
  Conclusion
  
  I would not recommend these headphones for sound quality or noise cancellation but if you are fashion conscious, they might be for you. Everything about these headphones is average and I was not impressed by them at all. The sound quality is similar to that of Sony?s less expensive, passive headphones and the noise cancellation circuitry is rubbish. If Sony designed these headphones to passively and actively block out ambient noise, NC6s would have been a much better pair of headphones. If you paid more than $30 for Sony?s MDR-NC6s, you horribly overpaid. For those who are serious about getting rid of ambient noise, I would recommend ear buds that plug your ear canal such as the Shure E4Cs, Etymotic ER-6i?s, etc.

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  1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.

• 7 stars

  For less than $69 these are GREAT!

  by on February 12, 2005

  Pros: Sure not as great as the $300 Bose but not far off. Many people think these things are supposed to BLOCK all noise, that's what earplugs are for. These reduce the low end noise produced by something like a jet engine. I used them in the back of an MD80, o

  Cons: None

  1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.

• 8 stars

  Solid sound when compared to iPod's standard buds

  by on January 12, 2005

  Pros: Comfortable, good sound quality, low priced.

  Cons: They are loud headphones to anyone sitting near you.

  1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.

• 5 stars

  Noise canceling....ummm...not.

  by on February 14, 2005

  Pros: Nice design...relatively comfortable. Sound w/o noise canceling was OK but not great...with n/c it got better, but still average overall.

  Cons: Noise canceling feature barely noticable in the most annoying frequencies on a plane. Appears to eliminate sound at a specific frequency but lower frequencies (e.g. - jet engines) still very apparent. Better at reducing computer noise, but that's not wh

  2 out of 4 users found this user opinion helpful.

• 8 stars

  Nice price, but not noise cancelling

  by iconnian on May 12, 2005

  Pros: Nice price

  Cons: Could hear someone snoring

  Summary: Not a bad price for $60, but noise cancelling, not.

  Summary: Not a bad price for $60, but noise cancelling, not.

  1 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.

• 3 stars

  What noise reduction?

  by on January 12, 2005

  Pros: Comfortable, attractive

  Cons: Very poor noise reduction. It just sounds like it raises the volume. Background noise continues.

  1 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.

• 6 stars

  Average to decent sound, Annoyances outweigh the pros.

  by J Rankin on September 28, 2009

  Pros: Pretty good sound, I thought the highs were a little harsh when I first started using them, though they aren't bad now.

  Cons: Pretty much unusable with noise cancelling when you're outdoors.
  Ears get pretty hot after just a few minutes of use, even in normal climates.
  After more than 30 minutes of use they hurt your ears pretty bad because of the on-ear design.

  Summary: I started using these after my Zune premium headphones broke. The Zune phones outshine these by a longshot. I'm glad I only paid half price for these because if ...

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  Summary: I started using these after my Zune premium headphones broke. The Zune phones outshine these by a longshot. I'm glad I only paid half price for these because if I had paid full price I would have been seriously disappointed.
  
  I'm a college student who likes to listen to music when I walk to class. The noise cancelling feature on these headphones not only cancels out low rumbles, but is sort of like a sound boost on all levels. It ups the bass and volume by a notch. Naturally I would have liked to use the noise cancelling feature on the way to class, but when you turn it on outside the slightest of winds will create a loud ruffling noise. I find it ironic that wind noises are actually *magnified* when these "noise-cancelling" headphones are ON. Turning off the noise cancelling feature causes me to hear pretty much every detail of people talking and buses driving by, so I'm stuck with listening to mediocre sound and a bunch of background noise.
  
  I work part time in an office environment and wear these a lot while I'm at work. They hurt my ears and make them really hot so I have to take them off from time to time. I have normal, average ears so I would expect this, and the wind problem would definitely be noticeable to the average joe. It is annoying to me that listening to these for a prolonged period (more than 30 minutes) is pretty much unbearable, seeing as that's what headphones are for. I would say few people put on headphones to listen to one song, or only use their headphones for 5 or 10 minutes.
  
  The Zune phones cancelled noise naturally with the seal it creates, and are virtually unnoticeable when they're in. It took me a while but I've ordered another pair to replace these. In ear buds are hard to get used to, and just aren't right for some people (don't like the feel of it being in your ear, just physically don't have the right ear shape to create a seal). But if you want portability with excellent sound, go with any set of in ear buds, you can't really go wrong. If you want flawless sound and comfort and aren't really concerned with portability AND you've got a pretty penny to spend, get a set of *over-ear* studio-style phones. I'm currently drooling over beats by dre...

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