Sony MDR-NC300D Headphones

 (27 customer reviews)

I purchased the Sony MDR NC300D about a month ago. I recently flew to London on an American Airlines Boeing 767 and had a chance to try them out. I also was offered a Bose Quiet Comfort 15 headset as I was sitting in business class.

I compared the Sony headphones to the Bose several times. For the most part, I thought the noise canceling was about equal. If I put the Sony ear buds into my ear loosely, the Bose might seem slightly quieter. If I put the ear buds in snugly, the Sony headphones seemed a bit quieter. The quality of the sound from the movie was watching seemed pretty close. One nice feature with the Sony, is you can calibrate the noise canceling though an adjustment system.

The only complaint I have with the Sony headphones is they are very prone to tangling. Also, the Sony has 3 different mode of noise canceling, depending on what type of noise environment you are in. Occasionally, it seemed to get confused, switching from Mode A to B or C. I was able...Read more

I love the less expensiveSony MDRNC33 Noise Canceling Earbuds so I thought I would try the upgrade. Big mistake. The sound isn't THAT much better when considered against the drawbacks:

1) Seems to go through a AA battery about every 8 hours of listening (2 or 3 plane rides). The MDRNC33 uses an AAA battery and goes forever.

2) Sends no sound through when off, whereas the MDRNC33 sends unmodified sound through and the tight-fitting ear-canal pad provides substantial noise blocking.

3) The User Interface (the buttons) are complex for a new user.

4) The physical size and extra weight associated with an AA battery make it less attractive than the MDRNC33 for room in your pocket. When you have it on the extra weight makes it harder to keep on and the bigger box is easier to catch on stuff and pull...Read more

I wanted a new pair of in ear phones to replace an older Sony Fontipia noise canceling set I have. I use these for flights primarily and didn't want a set of over ear cans, which I find too big and restrictive for long flights.
After reading a few reviews, I decided to try these. They are superb and not only do they work better than any others I have tried on aircraft, they also work in just generally noisy environments. There are auto settings for the environment and a fine tune level to maximize the effect of noise reduction. There are also three sound settings, incluing a bass level. The drivers are 16mm, so that bass is nice but does not compromise the upper frequencies. I've had these a few weeks now and been on several flights and did not experience the battery life issues of the other reviewer. I would highly recommend these.