I wasted a lot of money buying cheaper noise cancelling headphones ...
348551
One of the nicest electronic devices I've ever used. I wasted a lot of money buying cheaper noise cancelling headphones in the past, but this one is in a different league entirely! Excellent sound quality and the noise cancelling feature is amazing! I have used it in a noisy laundromat and it makes it seem quiet as a library. It's a bit pricey, but it's worth every penny!
1089737
I bought expensive headphones so I can hear good in PUBG. This earphones works well compared to those expensive headphones I bought. I could have saved a lot of money if I only bought this first. Excellent earphones.
4646799
These headphones have been an utter disappointment all the way around.  I bought them for the noise cancelling feature since I was replacing my older Bose QC's.  The noise cancelling feature is nonexistent.  I can hear that it's trying to noise cancel, but, it's pathetic compared to the Bose.  I wish I would have spent the extra thirty dollars for those.

Secondly, I was disappointed by the Bluetooth connection itself.  I commonly use headphones with my computer and my phone.  Good luck switching back and forth.  You will need to disconnect the one device from the headphones in order to reconnect with another device.  I tried to search for an easier way to do this, but, it's actually the suggested method on the website.  So, that's also been a pain.

Lastly are the controls on the side of the headphones.  When I first got the headphones, they seemed really quiet.  Quieter than the pair of ear buds that came with my phone, even.  Then I realized there were buttons on the side of the headphones.  One of which was for the volume.  GREAT! I thought.  I started pushing where the button map indicated the "volume up" selection was...and the volume started going down.  So, it must be the other, corresponding side that puts the volume up.  Wrong.  I clicked on the other side and the volume CONTINUED going down.  Now the headphones are INAUDIBLE and I have no way of turning the volume back up.  So, I just had to plug in my phone headphones and put these $260 headphones back into their case and into my bag.  Totally worthless.  Spend the extra money and buy the Bose.  I'm serious.
3221810
I bought these to block out noise. I found that the fit was great, the sound quality was good, and I liked how they look both in my ear and out of the box. It came with some nice accessories, as well as a battery to start you off.

Unfortunately the noise cancelling feature is unimpressive. When I first tried them on, it immediately blocked the low rumble of my AC unit. These are built to block out low pitched white noise. High ptched white noise, like a blow dryer, leaks through, as well as random sounds - like conversations, footsteps, trains, etc.

I believe that one can find a much cheaper set of decent ear buds (not noise cancelling) for less. I do not think I have much faith in any ear bud labeled as noise cancelling, although these seem to get the best reviews in that category.

I can compare these to my Shure 110's and also the Bose QC3s. Both of these models blow the RP-HC55s out of the water. The Shures however are a bit cumbersome to put on, and they can be uncomfortable after just an hour of wear. The Bose headphones are bulky, ugly, and expensive, but they really do cancel a lot of noise.

If you need noise cancelling ear buds, I suggest instead taking the noise isolating route. Otherwise, try the Bose over-the ear QC3 headphones.
3080846
For the price, I am shocked that these do not include any noise-canceling technology. In fact, overall, I am somewhat disappointed in these Bose headphones.

A little back story. Two decades ago, I had purchased a very expensive pair of Bose headphones. I purchased them from a high-end stereo store, and the salesman at the time (a friend) said that they were overpriced for the audio quality. "You're buying the name" he told me. My dad, though, had a pair of Bose speakers he had picked up on his way back from Vietnam, and I LOVED the audio quality. My friend told me I could get another pair of headphones for fifty bucks cheaper that sounded a lot better. I didn't listen, purchased the Bose, and went home to enjoy my CDs. A week later, I returned the headphones, and got the less expensive pair. (KOSS) My friend was correct after all. At that point, I swore off Bose as expensive but not as good in audio quality. I took on his mantra as my own. "Your buying the name."

This brings us to these Bose headphones. They are the first Bose I have owned since the early 1990s. I didn't want to bias my opinion, so I went in with an open mind. Usually a fan nowadays of Shure and AKG, I was really interested to see (hear) if Bose had pushed past the "more money for less quality"

Sadly, no.

The first time I started to listen to them, I was happy. They sounded pretty full, bright, and clear. They do a decent job of blocking regular sounds, but are terrible on an airplane. After an hour, though, I realized that something was off. I switch over to my normal AKGs and found out that the Bose were mudding the bass. I didn't notice at first, but the more I listened, the more noticeable it became.

I REALLY wanted to like these headphones. They are very comfortable to wear, a big selling factor for me. In comfort alone, I would rank these an almost perfect score. The audio controls for your Android phone works well, but sadly does nothing in an iPhone. This is an odd choice, as I have used plenty of headphones over the last few years that control volume and pause/play just fine on both Android and iOS. Either Bose skimped on the controls, or their marketing team decided to focus on Android for... well, whatever reason.

Audio quality is good, not great, and not terrible. Comfort is amazing. At this price-point, I do expect a lot better. I have a pair of $79 Harman Kardon headphones that blow these away in audio quality. And, sadly, my friend from all those years is still correct: with Bose, you are buying the hype, not the quality.
3891867
For years, I have spent so much money buying expensive headphones and after trying these, I am asking myself why? In my opinion they outrank the most expense ones out there. I have finally learned my lesson! Expensive is not always best!
1598428
I puchased Sony MDR-NC7/BLK Noise Canceling On-Ear Headphones last month but I don't think that it is worth. Some time 1 speaker doesn't work.. I didn't feel any difference by switching on/off the  Noise Canceling On-Ear Headphones.
3324384
Yesterday I opened my headphones to try them out for the first time.  I couldn't hear anything from the left side.  I even restarted my phone.  And nothing happened.  I am very disappointed because I thought they were the real thing.  Please don't spend your money.
680174
This is the third active noise reduction (ANR) headphones that I have purchased from Phillips.  The first pair was so good I bought them again when I accidentally pulled the wires out of the lead.  This time I thought I would spend a little bit more, and was pleasantly surprised at the amenities I got for a few extra dollars.  A hard case to carry the headphones (which fold up slightly), and a removable chord that told me I was not going to be striping the wires any more.

However, one month into using them, my right ear speaker started to sound scratchy, then, out of the blue, the ANR portion of the head phones (the whole reason I bought them) stopped working all together.  Unfortunately I am in Afghanistan and am unable to send my purchase back.  I will be discussing these issues with the manufacturer.
4973232
First: These headphones do cancel a lot of noise. Sitting right next to a noisy commercial fridge, wearing these headphones turned on, the droning of the fridge is hardly noticeable, which is a market improvement from status quo!

Second: These headphones are not that great when listening to music -- certainly nowhere near a $300 set of headphones. The mids are harsh and over-pronounced, and the treble is almost entirely missing. Compared to a $79 pair of Sony "mixing desk" headphones, this is two steps down.
That's too bad, because the ability to remove background noise when not listening to music is quite neat, and something I'd like to see in a good pair of headphones. Maybe someone can build this as an add-on for something like the&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Sony-MDR7506-Professional-Large-Diaphragm-Headphone/dp/B000AJIF4E/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Sony MDR7506 Professional Large Diaphragm Headphone</a>? I'd buy that.
1483460
I recently bought these, and they certainly weren't worth the money.

Firstly, the "3 cap sizes to fit your ears" were very badly thought out - the headphones come with medium sized caps attached, and in the package mould is a single small one and a single large one. There wasn't even a space in the packaging for a second of each. I am not a mutant - I have two ears.

Secondly, the "active noise cancellation" does not work very well at all. It appears to be only an amplifier (music players have a volume limit built in to stop you damaging your hearing, and this deftly bypasses that,) and even at the most optimum background noise (according to the manual thats a continuous 300hz sound) they have no audible effect except for a quiet, constant background static.
947416
I bought this set of headphones because I needed a 2nd set of headphones for my computer and I liked to have noise canceling. In less than 6 months, the left headphone has gone out completely, and the right one works sporadically. Granted, I did travel with them a lot, but they did not live up to my expectations. In addition, the location of the battery pack, in the middle of cord is kind of awkward and adds weight to the cord that just feels weird. It also has a tendency to bump into things and make noise. Overall, I would recommend that you pass on these headphones and buy a better set
1880689
I got these earbuds hoping to have quiet airplane rides and reduce noise in the office from computers and people talking.  Unfortunately these didn't do much more then my Etymotic noise isolating earbuds at roughly the same cost.  I really wanted them to work well considering the price, but when I wasn't impressed with them at first I actually went out and bought a set of the Bose QC20i noise canceling earbuds just to see if there really was anything better.  The QC20i's were like night and day compared to the ANC33iS.  Where the Bose actually cut all engine sounds from the plane to nothing, and reduced office noise to very very minimal, the Audio-Techina's just failed at canceling anything completely, i'd say maybe reduced it by half.  Sure the Bose ones cost 300 dollars.. not saying they are cheap.  I am just saying if you want real noise canceling try the QC20's and you will be happily surprised.  If you don't want to spend that much, I advise spending your money on a better pair of noise isolating headphones that actually sound much better and do just as good of a job at cutting out some noise.
1141420
Over the past 12 years I have purchased three different noise cancelling headphones, all in the ~$100 range:
- The original Bose QuietComfort QC1 in 2002 (got it cheap when it was being discontinued for QC2),
- The&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Philips-SHN9500-Active-Noise-Canceling-Headphone/dp/B000G35S08/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Philips SHN9500 Active Noise-Canceling Headphone</a>&nbsp;in 2007, and
- The&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Able-Planet-NC500SC-Sound-Clarity-ANC-Headphone/dp/B000OQUMKI/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Able Planet NC500SC Sound Clarity ANC Headphone</a>&nbsp;in 2012
With the advance in electronics, one would expect the newest product should do better than those made 5 or 10 years earlier. Sadly, this is not the case here.

The Able Planet NC500SC works on the same Active Noise Canceling principle as the other two products. It has the same "around the ear" cup design as the other, so its effectiveness in noise cancellation is also similar. That means it does a good job in neutralizing most low-frequency ambient noises, such as humming from an air conditioner or engine rumble from a lawn mower. On the other hand, it is less effective in filtering out the sound of a coworker making a loud telephone call, for example. So in this situation you'll have to connect the headphone to a MP3 player and drown out the noise.

The problem I have with this Able Planet headphone is that it is very uncomfortable to wear. This is because:
1. The ear cups are too tightly clamped against my head. I understand a tight seal is necessary to ensure sound isolation, but the pressure is just excessive compared to my two other headphones. See the photo I uploaded to 'Customer Images' section and you'll understand what I mean.

2. The ear cups are too small and too shallow. I don't consider my ears particularly large (at least when compared to the boy on the cover of MAD magazine), and I have no problems with my two older headphones. But my ears are compressed when I wear this Able Planet headphone, and they can get really painful after a few hours.

In terms of power consumption: the Able Planet NC500SC is powered by two AAA batteries. It draws a current of 19mA when using a fresh pair of alkaline cells, or 13mA when using NiMH cells. That means a set of 800mAh&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Sanyo-eneloop-AAA/dp/B004SB1TD4/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Sanyo eneloop AAA</a>&nbsp;cells should power the headphone for 50 hours. The headphone can still work with the power off, just without noise canceling function.

Conclusion:
The Able Planet NC500SC does a reasonable job in noise cancellation, and works well as a music headphone. Unfortunately for me, it is just too painful to wear over extended period. But just to be positive, people with narrow head and small ears should find it a great product.
2536475
Nope. I won't be buying any more Audio Technica. A few days after I got them they started intermittently buzzing when a the noise canceling was on. An annoying sound and one that I'm guessing would only get worse with time. They did make big improvements in construction in the last few years, though. The first pair I got a few years ago sounded good, but the headphones were so flimsy they broke.
The sound on these is good for the price, but I'm really not going to mess with this company any more. I'll save my money and go high-end or nothing.
3386873
I am reluctant to rate these but I wanted to share my pros and cons. My sweet brother researched noise cancelling headphones and got me this pair as a gift. I am a musician and a music enthusiast. I appreciate high quality sound. I asked for this gift because I started working in the cubicle environment for the first time in my life and the slightest noise would get under my skin (maybe it's another giant red flag that this kind of job isn't my forte after going from nursing in a noisy ICU). Whatever the case, other peoples' phone conversations and coughing and talking and complaining was getting on my nerves, likely complicated by years of ADHD, and I needed to block out these petty distractions. Except, I became a distraction. The music/white noise/ambient noise/talk radio/etc that I was listening to was annoying to others. They asked me to turn my radio down. It turns out that even when properly adjusted on my head and playing at a reasonable volume, the audio could be heard quite clearly by those around me. I couldn't hear a thing! So, in that way, these headphones did the trick BUT they were very audible to people sitting near me. If that's not a problem for you, then these are great. The sound quality is full and rich. I was bummed that I had to stop using them to appease coworkers because I had become part of the noise problem! Just something to consider... otherwise very happy with them and I kept them to use outside the office :)
4973848
These were my first pair of Noise canceling headphones.  Quite honestly, I expected a lot out of there headphones and that's what I got.  Opinions may vary, but I thought that these headphones were quite ugly.  The phones themselves stuck out.  It makes one's head look quite like a football.  I actually found them uncomfortable for extended use.  I took a nine hour flight from San Francisco to London and during the flight, I had to take them off a few times because they were hurting my ear.  I'm not sure which part specifically, but my ears were just sore.

Time for some pros.  The quality is really good.  I'm not an expert at listening to music, but I can tell the difference between the free headphones that airlines provide and these.  the noise canceling works decent.  It's totally useless against voices.  All it does when someone is talking is basically turn their base down.  Everyone talking has a similar, monotonous, robotic type voice.  With that said, these headphones were not designed for that purpose.  they were designed for transportation such as airplanes.  And performance on an airbus was astounding.  It canceled out pretty much all of the noise.  When everyone else set there in flight entertainment volume to 7, mine was set to 1/2.  My ears are very good though.  It made me feel a little guilty though.  :)  The sound quality was pretty good.  I thought that the bass could be a little deeper, but that's it.

Sadly, after around a year and a half of use, they broke.  Well, not the chassis.  I'm suspecting that the wiring came loose or something.  The sounds played were distorted and odd.  When watching "Burn Notice" on my PC, I was not able to hear voices.  And yes, I did try my other pair of headphone on my PC and they worked OK, so the problem was the Headphones.  I guess it was because I dropped them too frequently.  I also stuffed them into tight backpacks, etc... So it was my fault rather than a manufacture error.

Overall, for the price, I really liked them.  I would say that my largest complaint would be the fact that it made my head look fat.  And no my head is not deformed.  I'm quite handsome actually :)