Creative Labs HN-505 Collapsible Noise-Canceling Headphones
- Compact, lightweight -- cancels distracting outside noise like airplane engines and loud conversation
- Lightweight, durable design with soft earcups
- Driver units - 30mm rare-earth magnet transducer
- Frequency response - 20Hz to 17kHz
- Impedance - 21 ohms
Product Description
The Creative HN-505 employs active noise-canceling circuitry to significantly reduce external environmental noise, such as that on an airplane to provide an uninterrupted listening experience. Designed with mobility in mind, the headphones are constructed with lightweight material, foldable mechanism, and cushioned ear-pads for a comfortable extended wear. The Creative HN-505 headphones will definitely be your great traveling companions.
Amazon.com Product Description
Creative Labs' HN-505 over-ear headphones employ active noise-canceling circuitry to significantly reduce solid-state environmental noise, such as that on an airplane, to further your uninterrupted listening. Noise reduction is rated at 15 dB of attenuation at 300 Hz, which will bring welcome clarity to voices and most instruments. Designed with mobility in mind, the headphones are constructed using lightweight material, a foldable headband, and cushioned ear-pads for comfort during extended listening. The headphones' 30 mm rare-earth magnet transducers deliver rich, full-boded sound, and the frequency response extends across the near limits of human hearing, from 20 to 17,000 Hz (no range stated). High, 121 dB sensitivity means even an airplane's headphone jack will drive them nicely, and a supplied 3.5 mm dual-plug airplane adapter makes that possibility an even greater likelihood. What's in the Box
Headset, 3.5 mm dual-plug adapter for airplane use, a user's manual, and warranty information.
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Creative Labs HN-505 Collapsible Noise-Canceling Headphones
- Electronics: 0 pages
- Publisher: Creative Labs
- Label: Creative Labs
- Studio: Creative Labs
- Average Customer Review:
 based on 28 reviews
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Avg. Customer Review:
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:
Customer Rating: 
Summary: Great Headphones for the price! 2008-10-06
Comment: The noise cancelation works great, I've used these on planes as well as in the office. They work fine as regular headphones but with the noise cancelation on the sound is richer, more full and I don't need the volume as loud. I've recommended these headphones to several people at work and they're happy with them too.
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:
Customer Rating:
Summary: Yes and No 2007-10-08
Comment: Though I would agree Erik Mann's review in that turning the power on for the headphones produces a noticeably higher volume/quality sound. I found that sound quality to be superb. I attempted to re-create Erik Mann's result of having no/bad quality bass in music to no avail. In fact, I found the quality at various ranges to be great! Perhaps indeed it WAS just that pair of headphones? because the ones I bought are damned good!
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
Customer Rating: 
Summary: OK for what they are 2007-04-08
Comment: The HN-505 is what it is: a set of $30 noise-cancelling headphones. Their performance is comparable to Maxell's for around the same price, and better than Jensen's which cost less. They don't compare to noise-cancelling phones that sell for a lot more.
For occasional use, they're OK.
For the best-performing noise-cancelling phones, you'll pay a lot more: around $300 for Bose, around $200 for Solitude, and (the bargain of the bunch) around $90 for the "John Deere" version of the Solitude (sold at Lowe's). Be aware that if you let the battery go dead on a Bose, you have an inert, dead heap of deadweight that won't do anything til you get new batteries for the Quiet Comfort 2, or in the case of the Quiet Comfort 3, either recharge that phone's special battery, or put in the extra one that you bought from Bose for several times what the HN-505 cost.
6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
Customer Rating:
Summary: Excellent Product at an Incredible Price! 2007-03-21
Comment: I've always found the cheapie little ear buds sold by the airlines in order to watch their movies utterly useless. Besides not fitting my ears (they fall out), even with the volume turned all the way up, I simply couldn't understand movie dialog in softer passages over the roar of the aircraft noise. I'd watch other passengers with envy while they relaxed comfortably using noise canceling headphones. I decided that's what I needed!
When I started shopping for a pair of noise canceling headsets for a long cross-country flight my wife and I were going to take, I decided that even though the Bose QuietComfort models were highly rated, I couldn't justify spending that much money for something we'd only use maybe 2 or 3 times per year. After a lot of research looking for less expensive alternatives, based on the features, price, and reviews I read, I settled on the Creative Labs HN-505 as the one to buy.
My wife and I recently used this model for over 10 hours each on the cross-country trip and we found they worked quiet well... but with a few minor shortcomings. Interestingly, on one leg of our trip I had the opportunity to try out the Bose QuietComfort II headset of a passenger sitting next to me and compare it side-by-side to the CL HN-505.
Here are my observations:
* The CL HN-505 is an absolutely incredible value for the money! I'd definitely buy it again.
* The fit of the earcup is sort of a hybrid between a true "over-the-ear" (like the Bose QC II) and an "on-the-ear" design (like the Bose QC III). The earcups sit part way over the ear and do not completely seal off outside noise. Presumably this design makes them more compact and less bulky for storage.
* My wife found the earcups to be a bit tight on her ears (squeezing her head). She got tired of having them on her head after 3 or 4 hours. With careful adjusting of the headset I didn't have this problem.
* While they do effectively remove the "roar" of aircraft noise, they have their limits. Since they can only mask noise within a certain frequency band and up to a certain volume level, they'll still allow some noise through at a reduced volume. If you're expecting complete silence when you turn them on, then you'll be sadly disappointed! Yes you can still hear the announcements on the aircraft PA system and still faintly hear that baby crying in the back of the plane, but they do effective reduce the overall volume of all noise to a tolerable, comfortable level. There's a very noticeable difference between being when they're turned off and on.
* A soft rushing sound (almost like white noise) can be heard in the background when turned on. This isn't noticeable in a noisy environment like an airline flight.
* When I compared the Bose QuietComfort II headset and the CL HN-505 side-by-side, I found the Bose quieter than the CL... *but* keep in mind the Bose QC II is a true "over-the-ear" design whereas that CL HN-505 is not. I can say that the performance of the Bose QC II wouldn't convince me to pay *ten* times the price of the CL HN-505
* I watched several movies on the flight and found the dialog in even the most quiet passages easy to understand.
* I like the fact the CL HN-505 only uses one AAA battery and it's conveniently hidden in the head strap (not on the cord).
* The on-off switch is located on the rear of the right earcup within easy reach while wearing, but this same location makes it way too easy to accidentally turn it on when storing it in a carry on baggage. Several times I've gone to retrieve my headset from it's storage bag, only to find it had been turned on for some unknown length of time. The good news is the battery seems to last a very long time. I've used mine for over 10 hours plus the time it was on accidentally on only one battery so far, and it's still going strong.
* I'll never again travel without them!
7 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
Customer Rating: 
Summary: Noice Cancelling ? You gotta be kidding 2007-03-02
Comment: These headphones are just plain horrible. Looks are very deceptive, they look great out of the box but peformance is horrible. When there is no audio and the switch is on, it creates humming and is really unfcomfortable.
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Creative Labs HN-505 Collapsible Noise-Canceling Headphones
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