JVC HANC250 High-Grade Noise Cancelling Headphones Reviews

• Excellent performance, comfortable, great value for money

  
  By A1VGE0R670H9XK on 2007-11-07
  I travel fairly frequently on work and the long international flights were getting to me. I'd originally bought a Solitude Plane Quiet II headset which I was fairly happy with except for:
  1. Quite tight around the head, difficult to wear for long periods of time.
  2. Good sound quality, particularly bass, but an annoying hiss and missing treble and highs during audio playback.
  3. Fairly heavy owing to needing 2 AAA batteries.
  
  A colleague at work bought the JVCs and we did a comparison. Initially I was skeptical because my Solitudes were around the ear vs the JVCs which are over the ear. We went into a very noisy server room to do the test and I have to say the performance of the JVCs was astoundingly good.
  All three issues that I had with the Solitudes were absent.
  1. Extremely comfortable and light. Great build quality.
  2. Even better noise canceling performance despite the over the ear design. Even with the active noise cancellation off, merely wearing the headset provides good sound insulation.
  3. Great sound quality, very balanced bass and treble, zero hiss.
  4. Better battery life than the Solitudes despite needing only one battery.
  
  In addition, the JVCs have some of the benefits of the Solitudes over the industry's most famous headset (Bose).
  1. Conventional cable (not proprietary like Bose).
  2. Audio passthrough even when the battery dies.
  3. Single AAA battery, non-proprietary (if you forget to charge your proprietary Bose battery, your headphones are dead).
  4. Great price/value tradeoff compared to the Bose QCII or III.
  
  The only negatives of the JVCs I could perceive are:
  1. No volume dial control on the headset itself which is less of a convenience as you now have to turn down the volume from your ipod or computer rather than just reaching up and dialing down.
  2. Headphone cable is fairly short (43in) so its difficult (not impossible) to use it with home stereo equipment.
  3. Replacing the battery is a bit difficult and involves popping the right earpiece out.
  
  Update (Jan 2008): I was able to compare these against the Bose QC3s. The Bose sound quality (you will not believe this) is really bad compared to the JVCs. Specifically the sound of the QC3s is muddy with extremely muffled treble. I am even happier now that I bought these instead of the Bose.
  
  

• Excellent for long plane flights

  
  By A2ON6YWND1NJH4 on 2008-02-22
  I recently purchased the JVC HANC250 headphones after researching the options on the internet. The Bose were an obvious option, but the price could not be justified.
  
  I have always been thinking about buying noise cancelling headphones, and with a pending trip to Australia (from New York) I decided that now was the time.
  
  Pros:
  Great sound quality
  Excellent Noise Cancelling
  Very comfortable
  Long battery life (changed the batter 2X over a 48hr use period)
  Nice looking
  Excellent value
  
  Cons:
  Changing the battery under the ear cup is not the best design, but not that hard to do either
  
  Tips:
  1. Keep a couple extra batteries in the accessory pouch inside the headphone case
  2. Put a business card in the same pouch in case of loss
  
  
  

• Great quality, great sound, great price

  
  By A3JMOPS2QSEAZP on 2008-01-08
  I ordered these JVC headphones after testing the Bose and discovering they only work when the noise reduction is switched on. The JVC build quality is great, fit comfortably on the ears and work well with or without the noise reduction. My iPod music/movies sound great and the noise reduction is perfect for air/train travel. No sound leakage. Everything (including the iPod) packs into the carry case which is not too large for travel. No regrets and much cheaper than the Bose. J&R delivered in 2 days (within the USA) with the express delivery.
  
  

• Get the cheaper over ear model

  
  By A36QXIHUFSSJDH on 2008-06-20
  We tried several models of noise cancelling headphones including Bose, Creative Aurvana X-FI, and two models of JVC (this one and the HANC80 model). The Bose and Aurvana X-FI both do an excellent job of noise cancelling and are comfortable. But they are also $300. We just wanted something that did a good job for a few airplane flights a year. We found the HANC250 model on sale for $100 rather than the $200 normal price. We tried them side-by-side with the HANC80 and decided that the over ear model 80's did a better job of noise cancelling. We sent the 250's back and used the 80's on a flight from Seattle to Hawaii. They made it very enjoyable to watch the movie and listen to the audio programs. They didn't eliminate all of the other sounds but it was completely adequate. They were also very comfortable for the entire flight. If you don't want to spend the $300 on Bose or Creative models, I recommend the JVC HANC80 model.
  
  

• Outperforms Bose QC3 at a fraction of the cost

  
  By A3TSEGWPVAT3AP on 2008-02-23
  First all noise canceling headphones will produce some audio pressure in the ears and this is simply to do with way noise canceling works. Neither the Bose nor the JVC produce any annoying amplification hum found in many noise canceling headphones. The Bose QC2 are over the ear and just the physical design cuts out a large amount of ambient noise, the active noise canceling takes care of the rest. The audio reproduction is like most Bose products excellent, good bass and sparkly highs and missing in the middle. But you live with the discomfort of over the ear design (my ears lobes get hot) and relatively large bulk
  With the Noise canceling standard set by the QC2 Bose had to take a much more aggressive approach for the active part of Noise Canceling for its over the year QC3. The QC3 do an excellent job (actually better then the QC2) of canceling noise. The downside for me is the extreme audio pressure exerted by the noise canceling on my ears and I can't keep them on for more then 15 minutes (I feel the discomfort in 15 seconds) but every one is different in their tolerance.
  Now to the JVC HA-NC250 with an over the ear design but slightly larger then the QC3 the JVC ear pads do a very good job of dimming the sounds. But with noise canceling off you can hear most common sounds (kids, TV, fridge, furnace). Switch on the noise canceling and something strange happens all the low frequency sounds just vanish fridge, furnace or in a plane the jet engines you can still hear the kids and TV (till you switch on the music). The other big difference for me is I feel no audio pressure and I have kept them on for hours. Bose with the QC3 eliminates a much wider frequency range then the JVC but introduce much greater audio pressure in the process. The JVC are more targeted for the low frequency hence cause less discomfort. If you are looking to use the headphones in a noisy environment and can bear the audio pressure the QC3 have a slight edge but for plane travel the JVC win hands down. My wife just took them on a 16-hour flight (that's in the air 16 hours non stop) and never took them off and felt no discomfort.
  With noise canceling on the JVC are better then the QC3 with good tight bass, clear mid range and crisp high end not as sparkly as the QC but more similar to the Bose non noise canceling over the ear headphones. The JVC will work with the noise canceling off (in case you run out of batteries) the Bose will not but the sound quality will suffer. Buy a 15 minute quick charger and a bunch of AAA rechargeable batteries.
  Though you won't get the envious looks from other passengers that you would with the Bose but for about the cost of one QC3 a family of four can have the same comfort and sound quality as you get with the Bose. At the same price I would take the JVC NC250 over the QC3 but at a fraction of the cost this is not even a contest the JVC wins.
  
  
  
• Quality product and a great value
  By A1A993AA3BKTOP on 2008-03-01
  I have been looking for a pair of well-performing and well-priced noise-cancelling headphones for a while now. After looking through a bunch of reviews, both professional and user, I settled on these JVC NC-250s.
  
  The first test took place on a window seat of a 757 right by the engines. What I found is that these headphones successfully cancelled out the low- and low-mid frequency noise of the engine. It does not mean you hear nothing altogether - there is a "white noise"-like background - but the 85% figure in JVC specs seems to be about right. Once the music is on, you barely notice that. My previous headphones were in-ear Shure e2c, which blocked out the sound pretty well (I used foam heads). In comparison, JVCs are a very nice improvement. The sound quality is quite good - nice and clean across the range, for various types of sound - music and movies.
  
  I am normally quite sensitive to wearing on- and over-ear headphones, so I was pleased to find that these cans are light and comfortable over time - I tried them on 2 and 3 hour flights and my ears were just as comfortable at the end of use as they were at the beginning. Considering its on-ear design, that is remarkable in my opinion. At the same time, they do reach a nice seal on the ear. The padding on the earpieces and the headband help that a lot. Plus, I believe these are the lightest headphones in the class (vs. QC2-3s, AudioTech). So that helps too.
  
  My only real complaint, and the reason for 4 instead of 5 stars is the design of battery placement. To replace the battery you have to take off the ear pad from the right earpiece. I can foresee that being a prime opportunity for something to break, thus creating doubts about the durability over long-term.
  
  To summarize: this is very good pair of noise-cancelling headphones that do the job at least as well as any other headphone out there (particularly Bose QCs which I had a chance to try in the past), but a half or third of the cost of the more expensive ones. My research before buying suggests that $100-150 is the actual reasonable price range to get good NC headphones today. Anything over that makes very little sense and is a waste of money. My only concern is the placement of the battery, where replacement may result in your breaking something off - you have to be careful.
  
  One note: In some reviews there was a mention of an air-popping sensation when NC is on. Amazingly enough, I got to experience that the first time I wore the headphones, but it turned out to be strictly a matter of headphone placement on the ear, the fit. I moved the earpiece a smidgeon back and the effect was gone.
  
  Updated on 11/28/2008: 9 months later, I am still very happy about my purchase. I have had flights where I wore them for more than 3 hours and still no significant discomfort. Which is a first with any of the over-the-ear headphones I have ever had. I am also less concerned about the placement of the battery - I have changed it a few times now, and it appears to be much sturdier than I thought originally.
  
  
• Amazing noise blocking, but lots of small problems
  By A1K7Q5W7RBR47F on 2008-10-11
  I work in a noisy lab, so I wanted noise canceling headphones that could reduce the distraction of nearby chatter as well as the usual airplane engine sounds. After a bit of searching, it seemed like these JVCs and the Panasonic RP-HC500 were the best all around choices. So I bought both pairs and borrowed a friend's Bose QC2's to do a comparison.
  
  *Noise Cancelling:
  Although I did not have as much time with the Bose, I was able to use all three pairs to listen to city street noise outside my building as well as co-worker chatter in my office.
  Although all three pairs did a fantastic job of removing the low frequencies (the ventilation system hum, etc.), the Bose really excelled here. It's really true that speaking while wearing them let's you hear your voice absent its lowest octave! The JVC and Panasonic pairs could not quite compete in that sense.
  But for blocking higher frequency sounds, the JVCs were the winners. With the noise cancellation turned on, but without any sound playing, the voices of my office mates were muffled to the point where I could hear that they were speaking, but often could not make out what they were saying. The others muffle the chatter as well, but to a lesser extent.
  Interestingly, it was sometimes hard to compare the Panasonics, as they produced audible hiss when the noise cancelling was turned on. The hiss was low, and wasn't distracting with even soft music, but the JVC's near-complete lack of hiss sometimes made me question whether the Panasonics were blocking as much sound as I thought, or just masking it.
  But overall, the Panasonics and the JVCs were very comparable. There was a noticeable difference for office chatter, running a dishwasher, and air blowing, but the difference was always subtle--even factoring in the hiss issue. I was only able to try the QC2's in a couple of situations, but on the whole, they were not sufficiently better than even the Panasonics to justify their price tag.
  -The Winner for Noise Canceling: JVC.
  
  *Comfort:
  Since I only had 20 or 30 minutes with the Bose, I can't say too much about them, except that they seemed typical for circumaural headphones. But I was able to try out the Panasonic and JVC pairs for several hours each.
  The JVCs are incredibly comfortable at first; they're small, light, and even look decent. But I wear glasses, and after a while the pressure they were applying to my ears against my glasses' frame started to hurt.
  The Panasonics, by contrast, apply far too much pressure to my head at first, and seem big and heavy. But after gently stretching them apart, they actually feel alright. They won't win any awards, but I could wear them--with my glasses--for probably at least an hour without them hurting. Although I may still need to stretch them out again, every so often.
  In terms of strange sucking feelings that some people describe with noise cancellers, I did not experience anything like that with any of these headphones. But of the three people who also tried them out, one said that the Panasonic pair made an unpleasant sensation in her ear and she did not even want to try them out again. The others did not seem to notice any problems, though.
  It's also worth noting that the Panasonics and Bose are circumaural (they go around the ear, and rest against the head directly), and the JVC's are supraaural (they rest right on the ear). So after a lot of use, I imagine the JVC's would be least likely to make your ear feel hot or sweaty, since they cover the least amount of your head. But also, if you have large ears, the fairly small space that the Panasonics expect your ears to fit into may be too small and therefore uncomfortable as well.
  -The Winner for Comfort: a tie between JVC and Panasonic, but it depends on your ear size and whether you wear glasses.
  
  *Sound:
  I didn't really listen to music with the Bose, so I'll keep this section only to the Panasonics and JVC's.
  I listened to a handful of styles on both pairs of headphones; mostly rock, folk, and even some an capella solo. Consistently, the Panasonics sounded better. As one friend described it, the JVC's didn't have tight bass. I would add the highs weren't that great either. They're fine for occasional use on a plane, but were surprisingly poor compared to the Panasonics.
  The Panasonics aren't a panacea either for sound quality. No one will confuse them with high end headphones (say, Sennheiser HD-590's); particularly, they have a fairly narrow sound stage.
  -The Winner for Sound Quality: Panasonic
  
  *Other Issues:
  In spite of the poorer sound quality, I was still going to keep the JVCs, until I discovered that I could not use them with my laptop! For some reason, as soon as I plug the JVC's into my laptop (with the noise canceling on), they make a strange hiss, and I also hear a 60 Hz hum from the electrical outlet. I have a Dell Latitude D820 (not exactly known for its sound card), so I figured it was the computer. But I experienced the same problem with other people's laptops as well. And none of my other headphones (even with comparable or lower impedance) make any audible hiss or buzz at all. I exchanged the JVC's, but the replacement was the same. For what it's worth, there was no hiss or hum with my friend's mac, or with any of my portable music players.
  Some reviewers also mentioned the poorly designed battery replacement scheme on the JVC's. I agree that it's an odd design, but I personally didn't find it a problem at all. But speaking of batteries...
  The battery life on the JVCs was significantly worse than Panasonic. I don't recall just how long it went, but it was probably about 15 hours or less. The Panasonics, by contrast, were used many hours more, and still haven't used up a battery. Both headphones use a single AAA.
  -The Winner for Other Issues: Panasonic
  
  *Conclusion:
  The JVC HANC-250 headphones are very, very nice and have really remarkable noise reduction. If the Panasonics weren't available, I'd have gladly kept the JVCs. But not being able to use them with my laptop, a well as the mediocre sound quality, pushed me to Panasonic instead.
  
  
• Fantastic Noice Cancelling
  By A19LJ2LR6OHY4D on 2007-12-25
  Just received this headphones as an x-mas gift. Overall fantastic size/weight, I will easily carry these in my backpack, especially in the nice hard case included. I'm a big fan of the over the ear design, but for the majority of consumers this may be an issue. The noise-canceling function works beautifully, as the product info states only 1 AAA battery needed, none required for regular headphone usage. I consider this a major selling point as I do not want a non-functional set of headphones in the event of a dead battery. Altogether I would recommend this pair to anyone looking for a quality set of portable noise canceling headphones.
  
  
• good product for price
  By A1GH4I7BWZDOK8 on 2008-04-06
  i am a platinum continental and american airlines frequent flyer ... so i put on a good 150,000 miles a yr ... with that said,
  i was a bit scared to purchase this after reading some of the negative reviews; however, most of the issues people had seem exaggerated and i found work arounds for them.
  the whole no noise on the computer for itunes happened to me too, but if you reverse the cord (so there is one side with an 'L' and a straight side) the 'L' shaped side must be put into the computer and the straight side into the headset ... if you do this, the problem goes away.
  and as far as the static in the left ear ... i heard it too, but it was not nearly as bad as someone stated ... the work around here is you have to put the ear cup just on the right spot (closer to the back) and the noise is almost un-noticed.
  after wearing these for long international flights for 4-6 hours (even 14) i would agree that your ears will hurt (i was wearing glasses which didnt help any) ... the battery did not last the 50 hrs as advertized; only about half that (25 hrs), but it is a good product ... i would recommend the purchase.
  
  
• Cheaper on other sites
  By A3FXS1JX59WN5X on 2008-01-16
  Do a careful review of prices. When you google a product, do it over different days and you will get different results. I found these headpones for $15 less on other sites with FREE SHIPPING.
  
  
• Great Headphones so far!
  By A2DP5479Q5BRJN on 2008-01-27
  I have only had theses for a couple of weeks, but so far they have been fantastic. The sound quality is fantastic and the noise cancelation worked great on my two plane trips since I bought them.
  
  The case seems to protect them pretty well, and I had no problems using the headphones with my computer, ipod, or my PSP.
  
  
• Not Impressed
  By A1DX5A1X6T09N0 on 2008-03-28
  When I first got these headphones I was pleased. I had been using Sennheiser CX300 ear buds and found the JVC HA-NC250's to be very light and extremely comfortable compared to the ear buds. Around the house they do a very good job of blocking outside noise, especially low frequency. As soon as I plug them in to my Zune 80GB I felt that they were weaker in the bass response and overall fidelity compared to the Sennheiser ear buds. But with the comfort trade off and anticipated performance of the noise cancellation on airplane it was worth it. However, my first trip on a plane is when my good feelings turned to complete buyers' remorse.
  
  For starters the lack of dynamic sound in these headphones became very evident on the plane. I had to turn the volume way up to hear the dialogue on video and music was just very thin and weak. I quickly plug them into my I-pod to be sure it was not the Zune and still was not satisfied. In addition to the poor sound performance with the noise canceling switched on they quickly started to make my ears ache. Not my ear lobes but my inner ear. It was a strange feeling as if something was putting pressure directly on my eardrums. I never felt this with a couple hours of use at home but it happened rather quickly on the plane. Not sure if it was because I had to turn the volume up but whatever the reason I didn't feel good about it so I pulled the Sennheiser's out and was able to listen to music and video at a much more reasonable volume level.
  
  Let me say I am a huge fan of JVC products. I have bought two JVC LCD televisions over the last two years and have had a JVC all in one home theater system for 5 years and would recommend any of those products. I think JVC provides excellent value, quality and style. However, I would not recommend the HA-NC250's. If you decide to purchase and travel regularly, be sure to evaluate on a plane during the time allotted to return. I wish I would have.
  
  Disappointed in Atlanta
  
  
  
• Great value, better price
  By A13KZRMP4NWIVI on 2008-08-08
  Setup:
  
  I was reluctant to spend too much money on noise cancelling headphones because my family was air travelling, and I wanted to purchase two (2) headsets so I was looking for headphones well rated and reasonably priced and a brand name I've had previous experience. Bose (Cadillac of noise cancelling headphones/sets) was way too much to spend and I felt that I could get a better value perhaps compromising quality only a bit.
  
  Expectation:
  
  That being said, I have never bought noise cancelling headphones so have no idea what to expect, (what's good and bad). I relied heavily on reviews from others here and would say most reviews seem pretty accurate.
  
  The JVC is "open air" and Bose is "closed air" headphones. Excluding the electronics, I would imagine that this design difference may be the biggest factor of sound quality in using the noise cancelling and I guess for sound afficiandos, may be the biggest differential in a head to head comparison.
  
  My experience:
  
  I didn't use the headphones on the plane for but a brief moment, and I can only say that when the noise cancelling was turned on (with no music), I heard bearly any perceptable noise from the aircraft or extraneous noise. Any abrupt noise one could hear but deadened. The only way I can describe it was this strangely vapid dead drawing/attracting/sucking feeling in my ears. Being a child of the 70's and listening to my music very loudly, I've lost a bit of hearing so take this evaluation less seriously. However both my children and wife were extremely happy. Mom could sleep and watch in-flight video and kids too as well as vidgames. So much so that I thought two (2) were enough, but by the return flight, the three (3) were fighting over the two(2) headphones.
  
  As far as sound quality, I listened to music on my ipod w/o noise cancellation and the sound quality was equivalent to my other medium priced head phones of around the same price point, (who can tell after so many years listening to Led Zeppelin, Rolling Stones, etc.)
  
  As a product endorsement, I would say for the price of normally good non-noise cancelling headphones, this is an excellent value, even compared to other brands I guess....(see other reviews) I can basically buy three (3) JVC for the price of one (1) Bose. Volume control not on headset was not a factor for me, but then again, I have worn them but a couple of times. The case was great, no messiness putting the headphones away and easily fits into almost any bag. Another plus: the attachments to the plugs for ipod, plane, etc.
  
  I hope this review helps you in your decision making process. Thanks for looking.
  
  
• Great product for the price
  By A4C7KVQCYSH5J on 2008-01-07
  I am very happy with this product. I read some reviews on Cnet and then made the purchase and I have no regrets.
  
  
• Very good Headphone
  By A3TOT7PX4RLF36 on 2008-01-12
  I always looking for a headphone with noise cancelling. But as many people know the BOSE product(which I think the Best) is very expensive. so I decided to buy this JVC head phone.
  The sound is almost similar to BOSE headphone(I've tested with my friend's BOSE headphone). The base sound is really deep and clear. It's also very comfortable and light weight. The noise canceling works well but you have to put extra battery for this function. and only cons for this headphone is the battery life. I didn't compare the other product battry life but I "feel" it dies fast. you have to change the battary once a week (if you turn on noise canceling less than one hour per a day) so I recommend you to buy rechargeable for this battery.
  
  
• good noise cancellation headphone
  By A4O8QQQLY7E1S on 2008-01-26
  It is a good noise cancellation phone, especially it does not generate hiss between track as most of other noise cancellation headphones have. Also it works without battery, a nice feature Bose does not have. It is comfortable, maybe not as comfortable as Bose, but still good. Good sound when NC is on, even though it may not be as good as some of non-noise cancellation headphones like Grados. After a few weeks, I still like this device. Even in non-noisy environment I sometimes turn NC on just to enjoy different characteristics of the headphone. For some musics, I turn NC on, it seems the high is crisp and the sound stage is also better for me. I also had opportunity to compare it to Bose on ear triport headphone. Bose has better bass, but JVC's high is better.
  
  
• Disappointed
  By ARM01YIPJSWHQ on 2008-02-10
  After reading the rave reviews I ordered the JVC HA-NC250. The good: I liked the weight, very light, I like the fit. The bad: with the noise canceling on, I kept hearing a faint pulsing, almost like a rush of air, puff, puff, puff. I found it annoying. As headphones they worked better with the noise canceling on I supposed because of the power boost. With the noise canceling off, the volume needed to be turned up. I took them back today, I had high hopes for them. I would say they would be ok for a $69 price. Eventually I could see the tabs that hold the ear piece on over the battery will be prone to breaking off. Needs work to justify the retail list price.
  
  
• Good Headphones
  By A9JHAI2Y9IKUQ on 2008-04-08
  I've used these on 4 flights now and they actually work really really well to cancel out the noise of the engine. They do not block out all sound, so you can still hear someone talking directly to you. The audio sounds great, as long as the power is on. My only gripe is that my ears do start to hurt a bit on a very long flight. If you are sensitive to that, I would recommend a true over the ear model. There is no leakage with this device
  
  
• Excellent Value for your dollar
  By A17JD7SN12U0RX on 2008-05-27
  A co worker of mine has the Bose Quiet Comfort 3 and another one has the Altec Lansing FJ454. So like another person who reviewed these headphones, I took my JVC and other two models into a network closet to test and compare. The Altec Lansing are definitely not as good as the JVC and Bose. Those are only like 40 bucks so you get what you pay for I guess. There is just more background noise. The Bose Quiet Comfort is slightly quieter than the JVC. It's slightly noticeable at best and I did a closed eyes test to validate. The JVC does work almost as well as the Bose. The Bose has more of suction cup feel when you turn on the noise canceling. My coworkers felt pretty much the same. If you're looking for the best, then get the Bose. I don't think the sound is that much better that justifies a 250% increase in price. I am going on a 14 hour Europe plane ride from California so I'll update this review after the trip to see how it fairs on a plane. I am new to noise canceling headphones and they sound great. The majority of reviewers gave this product a 4 or 5 star and obviously, I agree.
  
  
• Not good for bumpy rides
  By A3DJDBV31L48LE on 2008-06-12
  While these headphones are the right price, the noise cancellation feature is unbearable if you are wearing these in a car or bus. For commuters looking for a set of headphones to use during a bumpy ride, you will want to turn off the noise cancellation feature. The sound and pressure sounds like something is loose in the headphones and you literally hear every bump. I did not experience this annoyance with the Bose headphones that none of us seem to want to pay for. So, the trade-off is that at least with the JVC headphones, you do have the option to turn off the noise cancellation feature and the sound quality without it is still great.
  
  Also, since I wear glasses and I do not find this design to be as comfortable as over-the-ear headpones. When wearing for more than an hour at a time, I find that the top of my ears need a break and I have to take the headpones off.
  
  Considering how long a set of headphones can last, I am planning to go back to the Bose for travel and leave the JVC's at the office.
  
  
• FINALLY!
  By A1IVF4N8GJY96Y on 2008-06-27
  I just received my JVC HANC250 headphones and I have to say AMEN! I had previously ordered the Sony MDR-NC60 headphones and sent them back within 10 minutes due to a very annoying humming/vibration in the right ear cup. Booo!
  
  The JVC headphones are super comfortable (I'm about to take a 14 hour flight next week and I'll update after that) and the sound is amazing. My partner has the Bose QC3 headphones and I have to say these sound just as good if not better and they are less than half the price; the QC3 sound a little "muddy" on the lows.
  
  The other great feature is the AAA battery used to power them and the hard case that comes for storage (great for packing in luggage). No need to worry about having a plug on the airplane when your battery dies (just be sure to pack an extra AAA).
  
  If you are in the market for noise cancelling headphones, do yourself a favor and give these a listen. I don't think you will be disappointed.
  
  
• Great Headphones!
  By A2E6MYGGQE22K4 on 2008-07-08
  These really are a great pair of headphones.
  
  I got them for work since I recently took a job that involved a cube farm. Putting these headphones on and turning on the noise canceling instantly makes me breathe a sigh of relief. It's like having my own little haven to go to in order to get away from the noise of the cube farm.
  
  They block all lower frequency sounds (low voices, air condition, computer fans, etc.) and muffle higher frequency sounds (women's voices, etc.). Combined with some music I can't even tell I'm in a cube anymore.
  
  Speaking of music, I have found the sound from these headphones to be superb! Sure, it doesn't have huge amounts of bass, but what is there is clean and pure. Also, the detail in the mid and high range is exceptional.... I find myself hearing lyrics and background music details that I never heard before.
  
  Finally: comfort. I was really looking for a pair of over the ear headphones because I knew I would be wearing these all day long. But after reading the positive reviews (and looking at the price) I went with this... and I'm glad I did. Firstly, they are _very_ light. I couldn't believe how light they were the first time I picked them up. Secondly, the cushions are very high quality, mating well with your ears, sealing out sound while not making your ears hot. Finally, the headband is of similar good quality, never bothering the top of my head (although it does put a crease in my hair!).
  
  I have worn these headphones for about 5 hours a day for the past month and can't come up with anything bad to say about them....
  
  Friedmud
  
  
• Great product for the money.
  By A2SOGZ8E2GJJHW on 2008-10-07
  i just got these in the mail today. they work great and the noise cancelling is great. they are on the ear, not AROUND ear. keep that in mind. they are pretty small and not very bulky. the case and the extra adapters for the airplane are a great added bonus. they do cover my ears, but they dont fit around them, but no worries. overall, for the price, these are great. i first purchased the Panasonic RP-HC500 Noise-Canceling Headphones that are the around the ear headphones, but they leaked wayy too much sound. these dont leak much sound. that is a major plus when on a flight.
  
  
• Not what i expected
  By AC4Q5S3TAGBIQ on 2008-01-28
  I got these for work where it is a noisy, shared environment. Unfortunately, the only sound it seemed to cancel was the noise caused by having my ears covered. I was also hoping to be able to get great sound while I used them. Unfortunately, you either get noise AND your music or you get silence. And no matter what i did, my Mac didn't recognize the headphones and so whether on or off i got no sound from my audio device.
  
  
• Great product!
  By AKKLRG5ALWCS4 on 2008-02-11
  I like everything about this product. The cord is detachable from the headset with a standard connector, you can use the headphones without a battery, the noise cancellation does a great job at greatly reducing the lower frequencies (less so at higher frequencies, but I think that is common), the case is very nice, and the included connectors (airplane and 1/4") make it a complete solution. Great product at a great price! I've been enjoying it for about a month now.
  
  
• Excellent value
  By A1CV6GLAPUIP80 on 2008-03-06
  I purchased these headphones in anticipation of a a trip to Bhutan, almost 24 hours actual flying time each way. They did a great job of lowering (although not eliminating) the awful engine drone of the jets. I was disappointed that this new model doesn't have the retractable cord that made the previous version so convenient, but the technology is great. The earphones eventually grew painful to wear after several hours, but careful adjustment seemed to alleviate the pressure on the ears. Note: keep a spare battery in the case. When it dies, it dies.
  
  
• Excellent Headphones
  By A1AL73ZFHX0TZ1 on 2008-04-11
  I took these headphones on my last trip, and I sat behind the airplanes engine.Very good noise cancellation, engine noise was cut by more than 80%.The music sounded very nice,good bass and you can still hear people talking around you.
  
  
• Awesome!!!!
  By A26CPLVWOO0QTG on 2008-05-06
  Bought this for my trip down under. It was a 15 hour flight. Was about to buy a Bose but decided to buy this one due to the reviews on the internet. The quality of the music and videos when I plugged it into My ipod video was awesome. The noise canceling feature was even better. I had a snoring dude next to me on the way from Dallas to LA..(not happy).. Not to worry I pulled out my JVC earphones and switched to noise canceling feature and AAAHHHHHH!!!!!! No more snoring dude. On the way back on the 15 hour flight (Aussie Land) was crying baby. No worries mate !Once again I pulled out my JVC earphones and AAAAHHHHHH!!!!!! No more baby. Highly recommend this product !!! I can afford the Bose,but why? The JVC was great and a nice price!!! I'm going to purchase another one for my Hubby for our Toronto trip in June. If a 15 hour flight is not a good enough then I don't know what is!!!!
  
  
• Great headphones--depending on how you use them
  By AM8X6JQ2C8Y7H on 2008-05-22
  I initially bought these for the noise-canceling feature since my work sometimes requires intense concentration and I am easily distracted by my officemates.
  
  I was disappointed to learn that they only canceled low frequency noise (printer fans, AC, etc...) and that high frequency noise (talking, tapping, radio, etc ...) is sometimes even enhanced using the noise cancel and nothing else. But rather than immediately return them I decided to try them out a bit more.
  
  Using them as music headphones, I find them quite good. The noise canceling compliments this use nicely and I plan to use them on the next airplane trip I take as I'm confident they will work very well there.
  
  So, I was able to 'drown out' my surroundings with music or white noise (rain, etc...) but that didn't help my original problem since that in itself was a distraction. But I recently stumbled on a solution.
  
  I took some foam earplugs (the kind you roll and stick in your ears) and put them in. (Those just muffle noise as you probably know.) Then I placed the headphones on and turned on noise cancel. There was even less ambient noise now. Finally, I played a continuous loop of white noise (rain). That practically drowns out any remaining ambient noise but is also muffled so it doesn't become an annoyance or distraction. If I find any ambient noise still getting through, I just turn up the rain.
  
  If you find yourself in a similar situation of needing to tune others out, try this method. It may work for you too.
  
  
  
• Poor Choice
  By A349Y52AV2SY2R on 2008-05-27
  I was extremely disappointed to find these were not sized to fit over the ear, but are approximately the same size as one's ear, so it effectively squashes you entire ear when worn, but does not cover or enclose the ear. I shopped very carefully and I know I read several reviews that said this unit covered the entire ear and there was nothing in any of the material I read to indicate that they were smaller. Further, the photos of the unit are deceiving.
  
  Of course, this smaller size limits the potential noise elimination simply because it doesn't cover the entire ear. A stupid design in my opinion.
  
  Without the noise cancelling turned on the sound through the earphones is barely audible even at high volume levels from the sound source. So low is the volume that this alternative is not viable for any purpose.
  
  When the noise cancelling is turned on the volume increases greatly but there doesn't seem to be any noise cancelling other than from just higher volume. I'm sorry but simple amplification is not true noise cancelling.
  
  The unit cannot handle much bass input at all. When a song with any noticable bass begins the unit distorts, rattles and buzzes instead of playing bass. About the only thing that comes across clearly is spoken voice.
  
  Finally, the headphones came with a cheap, lightweight, straight cord that is about 3 feet long. In other words you will need to buy a cable to use the phones.
  
  Overall this $120 set of earphones performs like a $3 set of earbuds; stay away. I have a small set of earphones that came with a $10 portable radio that are far better.
  
  
  
  
  

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