maxell noise-cancellation headphones
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