Sony MDR-NC5 Noise Canceling Headphones with Airline Adaptor

I bought the MDR-NC5 headphones for a trip from SF to Chicago, and they were sorely disappointing.... I thought that I would get noise reduction and better sound quality. This is not the case.

Sound:
- With noise-cancelling off, the headphones sound terribly weak and thin. They sound no better than my $15 Sony in-ear headphones. There is no bass response on these headphones.

- With noise-cancelling on, the headphones managed to block out about 50% of the airplane noise. However, there was still a significant amount of rumble noise. Sound quality was still thin, but prevailed over the cabin noise due to the noise cancellation feature. The headphones have an on-ear design, so it lets in a lot more noise than models that cover and surround your ears completely.

Comfort:
- These headphones press directly on ear. The earpads are padded, but the headband is not padded. After an hour, I started to feel a bit of soreness on my ears because they pressed a little too...Read more

I have had these headphones for over 4 years. So you may say, heck you must like them - not really. As with most things, compared to nothing it's better. So when I originally got these headphones and took a flight to Singapore it was great. Engine noise was easily cut by a third. They fold up to the size of your hand and the AAA battery last for 6 coast to coast flight (though always bring a backup). However as I have become a more discerning listener and less willing settle, the 2/3 remaining noise has grown increasingly unbearable. So these will go to auction and I am upgrading to the Sony MDR-NC20 which I have heard great things about.

I've used these headphones for several years (several airplane trips per month) and have been satisfied with them. I've tried the Bose headphones and perhaps half a dozen others, and the Bose have been my favorite for overall comfort and sound quality. These Sony headphones do a reasonable job of cancelling low frequency sound and do a great job of making movies and audio on airplanes enjoyable vs. hard to hear. In addition, they fold into a compact package -- a plus for folks like me who try to minimize what we carry on travel. They do present a noticable high frequency hiss when you turn on noise cancelling, but after a few minutes I don't notice it. I'm hoping Sony or someone else comes up with a similar mechanical design but with better noise cancelling electronics.