This Post is Sony MDR-NC60 Review – Click below If you’re looking for:

My Overall Rating : ★★★½☆

Sony MDR-NC60 Noise Canceling Headphone Review

Silence the world around you with the MDR-NC60 noise canceling headphone. It provide 16.5dB noise reduction at 200Hz. This means you can shut out up to 85% of the ambient noise around you, including jet engines, office printers and subway chatter.

This headphone is perfect for work, traveling or just when you’re trying to sleep in a loud place. The ear-conscious design offers premium comfort, so you can wear them for long stretches without pinching your ears. For added convenience, the built-in monitor switch lets you hear surrounding sound without taking off the headphone.

These have a very nice feel to them. They are very sturdy. The leather on the top is very soft, but has been very durable. It still looks brand new. The finish on the cans are awesome, it is a black brushed metal on the outside with a piano black glossy finish on the sides of the cups. They are a very simple elegant design. Underneath the right earcup is a button to open the door on the battery.

Under left earcup is the headphone input jack. On the back of the right side is the power switch, and on back of left side is the monitor button wich allows you to mute the music and hear the outside environment, ie flight attendant. I really do like the look of them though.

On to the fun stuff. These are very solid sounding headphones. They perform very well from Peter Frampton live, to The Knux, to Trace Adkins and NIN. These have a very nice warmth to the sound. The base is abundant, but not overwhelming. With the heavier base tracks, it can bleed a little at the highest (unlistenable) volumes.

The mids were crisp and accurate while the highs are detailed. The headphones do a very good job with sound considering the Noice Cancelling feature.

With these heaphones, they can still play music with no battery or NC turned off. You will notice a decrease in the quality of sound. Its like the wind is taken out of them when NC is off. I do not understand that as it would be nice to have the same quality of sound when you dont need NC.
The noise cancelling does a great job though.

There is a slight background hiss at the lowest volumes and when music is not playing. While the music is on however, it is unnoticeable. You can listen to your music in very loud and noisy environments. You can hear the higher pitched noises, but talking, plane engines and extra noise is very very hushed, almost non existent. While on bus rides with 25-30 people watching movies and on planes, you can close your eyes and forget where you are. Oh, and you get about 30-40 hours of battery life with one battery.

Let’s take a look at all of the Sony MDR-NC60 features/specification:

  • Up to 85% (16.5dB at 200 Hz) ambient noise reduction
  • Built-in monitor switch to mute music to listen outside
  • Premium case
  • Lightweight 230g
  • Adjustable, foldable headband

If you want to buy Sony MDR-NC60, you can get it cheap online through Amazon.com here. They offer special discount price and reliable shipping service.

Let me show you what current owners have to say about it:

“…I’ve used Bose’s over the ear noise canceling headphones for a couple of years while traveling across country. On an overnight flight from LA with my wife along, I loaned them to her to watch the movie and never got them back. To make a long story short, I cast about and came across a review (here) that favorably compared this Sony model to Bose’s, so I ordered a pair to have for those occasions my wife is along on trips. Guess what, I’m now using the Sony headphones and the Bose’s are the ones sitting at home waiting for those occasions when she’s along for the trip.

For those new to noise reduction headphones, don’t expect miracles. They reduce noise, not eliminate it. Moreover, they react best to sound waves that are long; i.e., low tones. This means they take out a substantial portion of the noise on an airplane, which is a consistent roar, but will not remove intermittent sounds. It’s still startles me to be able to hear the conversation going on in the seat behind me since the parties are talking loudly to overcome the airplane noise. You can still communicate with the stewardess or your seat partner, although somewhat muffled since your ears are encased. There is a mic switch you can press to activate the earphone mic if you actually want to make conversation. That may be the source of some of the problems encountered by negative reviewers. Myself, I’ve found these phones to be superb, especially in contrasting them to the Bose model, which is generally acknowledged to be the top of the heap. I doubt any headphones of this sort would pass audiophile muster, but that’s not what they’re designed for. What they do is make very long flights bearable, providing much less intrusive sound levels, and permitting actually hearing the plane’s sound system effectively. The other crucial factor is comfort and these easily match the Bose’s in that regard (try my 9 hour flight to Honolulu during which they were hardly ever off of my head).

The package includes things like an airplane jack and a protective carrying case. The case may not be quite as crush resistant as Bose’s but it’s plenty tough. I strap it across my lap top handle and it has yet to show any wear and tear, even with all the shoving under airline seats or in overhead compartments…”

If you want more info on this Sony MDR-NC60, I suggest you take a look at the Sony MDR-NC60 reviews on Amazon here. A lot of consumer positive response to this Sony MDR-NC60 here.

Here is why Sony MDR-NC60 is worth buying:

Sony MDR-NC60 Noise Canceling Headphone : Pro

  • This is the most comfortable pair of cans I’ve ever tried. The overall fit is very comfortable – I was able to fall asleep on a 3 hour flight. There is absolutely no “suction” effect as I’ve experienced with another phones I’ve tried.
  • Both, the cups and the bridge are wrapped up in very fine leather. I read some reviews that some people do not like leather on the headphones as it may cause sweating – I personally never experience that, not with this pair nor with any other headphones I’ve owned. So, even though I cannot say anything negative about that aspect, I might not be the best judge in this case – some people can be more sensitive then others. As far as leather quality and feel – they are as good as they come.
  • The unique feature of this model is a “monitor” button that allows you to hear surrounding sounds without turning off the NC or taking the cans off. The only comfort comment I have about this model is that this button is hard to find for someone who’s just beginning to adjust to this set. As I’m getting used to this pair, though, I’m getting much better at it – minor problem with a design in my mind.
  • This pair runs on a regular AAA battery, illuminating the need to carry a battery charger and having to worry about how to charge it in Europe. This is a big plus in my books. 1 AAA battery gives you 30 continuous hours of NC; if you think that it is not enough – just take a couple of spare AAAs with you – it is still better then a charger, and sure will be enough for a trip to any destination.
  • Overall build is very sturdy, yet easy to adjust to whatever position is desirable. Folds neatly into a carrying case, and as far as “over-the-ear” designed go – do not take much space when folded. Again, if the portability is your main concern – you might want to check out “on-the-ear” designs.
  • Sound quality (again) is one of the best ones I’ve tried when it comes to NC headphones for travelers. BASS output is very good with NC on and just slightly worse with it being off (expect it on all NC headphones). I’m listening to all kinds of music and these NC’s perform very good for everything from Cleveland Orchestra to Jimi Hendrix. That being said, if you do not plan to use the NC feature of the headphones and just need something to listen to your stereo at home – you’ll definitely be able to find a better set for less money. Better yet – take this simple test: if speakers for your home theatre system are made by Boss, Sony, or Panasonic – this pair is going to be good for use at home, at work, or on the plane. If, on the other hand, you have Boston Acoustics hooked up to your stereo – you might want to keep MDRNC60 for travel purpose, and for home use pick up a higher end model without NC feature.
  • Noise Cancellation feature works great – definitely better then on Bose QC3 (and I’m not kidding). In my opinion it is the best NC you can get for under $300 – as simple as that.

Sony MDR-NC60 Noise Canceling Headphone : Con

  • There is only one negative comment that I have about this product. Carrying case that this model comes with is a softer kind which is a big minus in my mind. I like the hard case that comes with Bose QC3: having a harder case allows you to clip it to your laptop bag, for instance, and not to worry about smashing your headphones to pieces as you walk down the isle on the plane. This case I would not recommend to keep clipped to the outside of your luggage, as you can end up damaging your headphones. Also, as a future suggestion to a lonely Sony engineer who might read this review in his spare time – it would be nice if the inside compartment in the carrying case had enough room to accommodate iPod Video (just a suggestion)

Conclusion

These headphones provide very good noise cancelling, but at a cost – not only financial but also at a cost to sound quality.  When you activate the noise cancelling, the sound quality deteriorates.

Perhaps less sensitive listeners might not notice this, and when listening to only average or below average quality soundtracks, the deterioration is not so noticeable.

But audiophiles will be disappointed in the sound quality with the noise cancelling on, and while the quality is much better with the noise cancelling off, the whole point of these headphones is to use their noise cancelling capabilities.

This Sony MDR-NC60 can be ordered directly from Amazon.com today. CLICK HERE for the best price and get your Sony MDR-NC60 today! They are 100% secure site so you can be rest assured that your details are protected when ordering.

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