Product Description

At Maxell, the priority is delivering the highest quality products available in consumer and professional audio and video tapes, computer media, batteries and accessories. To achieve this goal, Maxell has spent the last 30 years focusing all its research and development strengths on creating a long list of innovative solutions for its customers. Today, consumers and professionals all over the world reach for the Maxell name when they want a quality product they can trust.

Product Details

• Brand: Maxell
• Model: HP/NC II
• Dimensions: 10.25" h x 6.25" w x 3.00" l, .45 pounds

Features

• Noise cancellation headphones help reduce ambient noise and the stress levels caused by noise
• Over 50 hours of use with 2 AAA batteries(not included)
• Dual Prong adapter for airline use included
• Folding for easy storage and portabililty
• Includes a travel pouch

Amazon.com Review
Maxell's HP-NC1 portable headphones are equipped with Noisebuster, a patented noise-reduction technology that really works, making the HP-NC1 an ideal companion for in-flight (or even on-bus) music lovers.

The Noisebuster technology works via the following process: tiny microphones within each earpiece "listen" for any pervasive environmental noise and send this information to a device called an in-line audio-enhancer pack. This device reads and analyzes the information and then generates a noise-cancellation wave that's out of phase with the noise itself. The audio-enhancer pack feeds this wave back into the headset--when the noise wave goes up, a corresponding cancellation wave goes down, causing the two signals to cancel each other out. This eliminates a good deal of unwanted sonic junk, from airplane engine noise to distant freeway traffic seeping into your living room.

We evaluated our HP-NC1s as a utility crew used jackhammers on the street outside our listening room. Because you can bypass the Noisebuster technology with a switch, it was easy for us to compare the noise-canceled signal to the standard sound. While Noisebuster didn't entirely eliminate the jackhammer's rat-a-tat-tat, it did significantly reduce the sound so that we could listen to quiet music, such as soft jazz and classical.

As for the sound of the headphones themselves, the midrange is clear, but the HP-NC1s are a little sluggish overall, with no deep bass or extended high frequencies. In fairness to the HP-NC1s, noise-canceling headsets often sound restricted in the frequency extremes, as it can be tricky for the noise-canceling devices to differentiate between noise and music. The fit of these headphones is also a little snug for our taste, but you can loosen them a bit by gently bending the headset.

We have heard comparably priced, non-noise-canceling headphones that sound better than Maxell's HP-NC1. However, better sound doesn't matter much if you're having a hard time hearing the music in a noisy environment. At this price, these headphones are a bargain.

Pros:

• Noisebuster technology works well
• In-flight dual-jack adapter included
• In-line volume control

Cons:

• Snug fit may be uncomfortable
• Average sound quality

Customer Reviews

Good price.. Not for long
I paid $35 for these headphones, I saw that they were noise cancellation. It did do the job and did cancel alot of noises. It has it's advantages of only having one cord hooked to just one headphone instead of two like other headphones. They are a 'on ear' headphone and after alot of use of wearing them my ears started to hurt around the outside cartlidge area of the ear, and turned red. They apply a good amount of pressure to your ears. They didn't even last a year and the right headphone starting going out. If I wiggled the wire a certain way it would come back on, and then when I moved again it would go back off.

Nice for price
I bought these to use on a LONG flight from LAX to Fiji. They worked great. I bought a pair for me and both of my two children, 7 and 6 years old. We also used them during the trip to help the kids slow down at night when it was time to sleep by listening to stories on their MP3 players. The kids prefer them to the smaller earbuds that came with the MP3 player. They fit comfortably and did a good job reducing the noise on the airplane. I won't give it five stars because there was still a noticeable amount of background noise, but for the price, I think they are great!

Great Head set for the money
these head phones are superb and very comfortable to wear and for the price you can't beat it either.