|
| 
 enlarge | Brand: Philips
Category: CE
List Price: $59.99
Buy New: $32.99
You Save: $27.00 (45%)
New (21) from $20.94
Avg. Customer Rating:  155 reviews
Color: silver
Media: Electronics
Autographed: No
Memorabilia: No
Batteries: 1
Batteries Included: Yes
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1
Dimensions (in): 8.8 x 4.6 x 2
Legal Disclaimer: Warranty does not cover misuse of product.
MPN: HN060
Model: HN060
UPC: 026616738380
EAN: 0266000000000
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
|
| Customer Reviews:
 Noise altering, not noise cancelling February 4, 2005
11 out of 12 found this review helpful
I tried using the headphones in the presence of machines that make a continuous backgroung humming noise. The noise level and character was similar to what you experience in an airplane. The headphones diminished the noise somewhat, but very little. It also creates its own (annoying to me) white noise and the sound quality was significantly poorer than that of a $10 pair of sony earbud headphones. In my opinion these Philips "noise cancelling" headphones are little more than a gimmick.
 motorcycle rider March 11, 2005
10 out of 11 found this review helpful
In the saddle of a sportbike, I have very little between myself and 80mph of wind, 4 headers, and two very loud exhaust pipes, all of which are never more than about 4 feet from my head. It's really stinkin loud. Most of us have to either give up the idea of any music in favor of earplugs, or we have to overpower the ambient noise with extreme volumes.
I found these in a local store for $50. Best $50 I ever spent.
When the music is off, you can actually hear everything around you perfectly, nothing is muffled, and conversations are at comfortable volumes.
There are two different "On" settings. One is simply plugged in, without the noise cancelling. Then they are regular earphones, though admittedly, it seems like the througput is reduced. On a scale to 25, If you normally listen at an 8, you'll now need to listen at a 12. You can still hear some background noise.
For noisy environments (on a bike, at an airport, in a crowd) you can turn on the "noise reduction" unit on the cord. Good lord. Suddenly, everything else gets at least 50% quieter. If you're paying attention to someone, you will be able to tell that they're talking, but you wont know what they're saying. If you're not paying attention, everything is ignorable, you wont be distracted. IDEAL for office situations with phones and conversations and microwaves/drink machines.
There are other pros and cons. On its attributes, the cord is very very well designed. Wrapped in a cloth cord a-la-nylon-shoelace, the strength of the cord is greatly increased, and you dont have to worry about damaging it at all. The noise cancellation unit is on the cord, lightweight, easily accessable without being in the way. The cord splits in such a way that you can actually wear it like a necklace, and the slack virtually vanishes, removing fear of snagging it on levers, drawers, arms, or anything carried. the sound quality is excellent. Bass is lacking, but 1/4 inch from your eardrum, you dont want that much bass.
Cons: Plugs hurt. large, small, foam, rubber, it doesn't matter. All Earplugs hurt, and these are no exception. They are much more forgiving than most, however, and dont cut off circulation to anything. They are also difficult to position correctly, though once you get it right, you'll forget they're there. You momentarily turn off the music if you yawn. If you have a small head, small ears, or if they are for a child, these are not right for you...the ear canal MUST be large enough to accomodate the plug and music chamber. The sound will be reduced if you use them with anything other than a phillips product, but only slightly.
You can spend $200 and get something better, but unless a little comfort is worth it, Save your money, these are great.
Geez, people, get realistic! July 16, 2005
9 out of 10 found this review helpful
Like several of the others who commented earlier, I got these headphones at Target on sale for $30. I can understand both the negative and positive comments of other folks, and some of the negatives for one person can be positives for another.
-- The noise canceling DOES indeed work. Up to a point. I bought these just before taking a flight, and it's clear, even without listening to music that if you turn them on, it "addresses" the ambient noise. I'm using the term "addresses" because if you think these headphones will eliminate every sound around you, especially given the price, you're being unrealistic. (Do the Bose ones even totally do that?)
The loud low-pitched hums of the plane were definitely REDUCED. Perhaps the term "noise canceling" is what the naysayers object to; "reduction" would be better. I also use the headphones walking around a busy downtown traffic area, and it does help. But I do still hear the trucks and jackhammers. There definitely is less reduction effect for higher pitches like sirens and such. When you turn the noise reduction on, ALL mid-high frequencies seem boosted upwards. No thumping bass with these, which for me is fine.
I don't consider myself an audiophile, but I will even admit that the sound from these headphones (even without the noise cancellation) is adequate but not remarkable, but I paid $30 for these things and I think audiophile sound is an unreasonable expectation at this price. The lows do sound a bit distorted.
-- Yes, the earbuds go IN the ear canal. Look at the larger picture to see that these are unlike most other earbuds, which don't go in as far. The pros of this setup-- it provides what's called "passive" noise reduction in addition to the "active" electronic noise cancellation by sealing off outside sounds. The cons-- Yes, they get kind of dirty inside the ear, and I do find them slipping out over time, so every so often I have to push them back in. Sometimes my ears feel a bit itchy.
-- There is a lanyard-type cord that goes around your neck, supporting the weight of the unit where the battery goes (has inline volume control and on-off for noise reduction). I like this setup in some ways, because you don't have to worry as much about the weight of the unit pulling the headphones out of your ears, as others have noted, your neck supports the weight of the unit. You can pull the two headphones out of your ears if you go into a store and the whole thing is still hanging around your neck-- that's nice (though geeky looking). The only thing I find objectionable about it all is that there is a tangle of cords-- it's hard to easily bundle it all up and shove it in a pocket (or the case they give you) without tangling it all up. Most of the cords (except for the two segments going from your neck to the headphones)is in a braided nylon cord, which does reduce the tangling somewhat.
I hope this helps others who are uncertain if they want them...
Do not buy! August 6, 2005
9 out of 10 found this review helpful
I have owned a wide range of headphones, from cheap to pricey, and I am in the market to replace my last set of good headphones (Shure e3c). I bought the Audio-Technical "EarSuit" but found that the ear pressure just wasnt comfortable or compatible with sunglasses. So I bought a pair of these, and the best way to describe them is "crap".
I wore them for a day and a half, and got so fed up with having to put them back in, their complete lack of noise cancelling, and the terrible sound quality that I couldnt try them out any longer.
I will continue my search, and consider this a lesson learned, I hope you will to.
Good choice for the frequent flier February 9, 2007
9 out of 10 found this review helpful
For the last couple of years I've carried around a pair of Bose QC2 noise cancelling headphones. They've gone all over the world with me, and have made long-haul air travel a much less stressful experience. The only flaw in the design is that if you turn off the noise cancelling system, the headphones don't work. No battery, no audio. That's dumb - and most of the competition figured that out.
Last Sunday, while on a trip to Silicon Valley, I started to get an annoying buzz in the right earpiece. I changed batteries, but it got steadily worse. Out of warranty. Time to replace.
I mostly use my headphones for two purposes: to listen to my iPod while walking or travelling in a bus or plane, and to listen to channel 9 on United flights. No jogging or energetic exercising.
I picked up a pair of these Philips earbuds at Fry's in Palo Alto (and paid much more than Amazon - sigh!). They worked flawlessly in my hotel room, listening to a movie on my laptop, and on the flight back from SFO to SEA. Ignore the negative reviews above: the noise cancelling circuitry does an excellent job at attenuating aircraft noise, especially the lower frequencies. With noise cancellation turned off, the in-ear design certainly reduces the high frequencies but does nothing for the roar of an aircraft engine just outside the window. It feels like a nicely balanced design.
As for audio quality, I'm no audiophile, but it sounded about the same as my iPod's factory-supplied earbuds. Not outstanding, but perfectly acceptable.
|
|
|
2005-2007 Zone1electronics All rights reserved.
| |
