I recently got a chance to test Sony’s new noise canceling-earbuds, the MDR-NC22. I also asked my brother to give them a try as he’s a frequent flyer and has been using Sony’s first-generation MDR-NC10’s since 1999. They’ve held up pretty well for eight years and 1.2 million miles. So the bar was set high for these newbies. The verdict? Great! But with one serious deal-breaker. Read on to find out what.
Fit/Finish
These Sony’s play in the relatively small space of earbud noise cancelling headphones. Unlike the big, over-the-head style noise cancelers from Bose, Able Planet, and JVC, these are super compact and fit inside your outer ear canal. I like to travel light, so these are my travel ‘phones of choice. They consist of two earbuds that are only slightly larger than regular earbuds (pretty good considering each ear bud has a microphone built-in), and a battery-powered control unit that does the active noise cancellation processing. These are different from the passive Etymotics and Shures which rely solely on a tight seal to shut out ambient noise.
The first thing I noticed is that these headphones are very nicely finished. They come in 3 colors, black, white, and pink. The review unit I received was white and had a nice opalescent and matte finish to the noise canceling unit. The control unit was pleasantly small with a good on/off switch, shirt clip, and “monitor” button. The monitor button allows you to listen to what the tiny microphones hear (it mutes the iPod or whatever you’re plugged into), in case you want to, say, hear what the dinner choices are from the stewardess.
Functionality
OK, let’s get to how they perform. The first time I flipped these on, I was sitting in an airport lounge with a lot of ambient noise and chatter. I was instantly impressed. The earbuds did not seal as nicely as the NC10’s so I didn’t think they would work that well. I realized though that the noise canceling was so much more aggressive than the old ones that the overall effect was much better. The hum that was in the air instantly disappeared and the chatter from the TV and the other drunk business travelers was reduced nicely. I couldn’t wait to try them in the air.
An hour later, I flipped them on inside the cabin and I was instantly disappointed. There was such a loud hissing I thought they might have been defective. I couldn’t believe I didn’t notice this before. Sure, the noise canceling works better than the NC10’s, but the poor seal and loud hiss are enough to make me buy another set of NC11’s (the updated NC10’s) before they disappear forever. Maybe I can get used to the hissing over time, but I doubt it. What a disappointment compared to the ultra-quiet older style buds.
On the upside, the sound quality seems to be as good as the NC10’s (which have amazing sound quality, BTW. On par with my old MDR-V6 studio monitors). And the monitor button works better in that the sound better simulates what you would hear without any headphones in, and there is no longer any sound “bleed” from the iPod (you could faintly hear the iPod play with monitor button depressed on the NC10’s). I really appreciate the smaller buds and control box. And good on Sony for including a AAA battery in the box. (Also included are a carrying pouch, 3 different sized earbuds, and airline seat dual 3.5mm plug adapter.)
What I haven’t been able to test is the battery life but I’m pretty sure from the specs they’ll last as long as the NC10’s, which have amazing longevity. Also, I think the white cord will get very dirty over time and would prefer the black unit. They’re available now for only $99.99.
Hello! I was wondering if you still felt that the older Sony MDR-NC11 would be better than the newer MDR-NC22?
I was thinking of getting a set of noise-cancelling earbuds in the next couple of days. I have to say that I’m not too keen on the aesthetics of the NC11 but if it does perform so much better than the NC22 then I guess that will have to decide it… *sigh*
I have just bought and flown 20 hours with these. They are outstanding. The hiss was only noticeable on the ground, and at no time whilst flying did I feel the sound quality was being affected.
I have a pair of these and there is a hiss, but it is part of the hum that is not cancelled. All of the low notes are gone and you can listen to music at a volume level at least 30 to 40% lower that if you had the noice cancelling turned off. Flying with them is great as the his is from the low level noises.
All in all they are a great buy at that price. Compared to anything else on the mkt that is in the ear. They come up very high on the value for money factor.
So, you pay for what you get and in this case, it is great value for money.
I had NC11s and within less than a year one of the earphone’s went dead, the same happened to the replacement. I wonder do the NC22 suffer from the same problem? Also on the NC11 it was very easy to lose the ear plug part since they fell off now and again. The solution was to super glue them to the earphones, otherwise it would cost you around £7 to replace them.
I am right on the verge of trying a pair of these so I really hope they are OK…
Sony is good brand but y’all gotta try searching for skullcandy. Their nice too. Sony is cool also. but i recommend skullcandy too.:)
The frequency range of Skullcandy headphones tends to be poor enough that I wouldn’t consider them for any serious listening.
I recently bought them and just finished completing a couple hours on an MD-80 (Row 12). I didn’t notice the hiss and the ear pieces fit fine. They were very confortable and sounded much better than the ear pieces that came with the iPod. They absolutely diminished the jet noise and made the trip much nicer. As far as fit and finish, it’s a Sony and that says it all.
Bought these 2 weeks ago for £20 ish
The summary is they are the best headphones I ve ever had.
Using them with no battery as normally earphones the sound is superb in fact this is the only phones I ve owned where I don’t like to go to the top end of the sound level from a laptop source.
They work fine without a battery. Inserting an AAA and there is some hiss in a quiet room but when using them in an environment to cancel unwatned noise they work superbly for the money. I tested about 5-10 sets of noise cancelling phones before buying these. The best were clearly the Bose at £200-£300 but they were quite bulky and I would have felt quite conscience wearing them outside home. JVC did an impressive set but I foget the model number. However in terms of “bang for you buck” sony NC22’s are unbeatable. Just dont pay more than £30 for them.
James
Could you let me know where you got them for that price?
Cheers
Don
i have both the sony mdr-nc22 and the bose inear. i recently buy the bose inear. earlier i was completely satisfy with the sony but after listening to the sony in ear i`m reluctant to listening to the sony.conclusion: i enjoy the noice cancelling option but the sound of sony is shit compared to the bose inear
Wish Bose in-ear had NC option. Their QC3’s are unbeatable…however they are what they are… an over the ear type piece. A bit bulky for work and everyday situations.
Recently purchased Sony MDR-NC22’s at Frye’s for $99.99 and I’ll be taking them back. Noise cancellation is nothing to write home about and sound, with or without the NC, is tinny. I have old Sony earbuds in a dial-type storage case which sound much richer even with background noise. Earbuds on NC22 are extremely flimsy – should last about a week. I’ll pass on these.
If you think the NC22 sounds tinny, you don’t know what tinny is. And if the earbuds are flimsy, you didn’t buy what you think you bought, since Sony stuff is never, ever flimsy or flex-y.
You only hear the hissing in a quiet room after which it would seem to diminish over time, but I’ve never noticed it in an atmosphere with ambient sound. But it case the hiss bothers you in your quiet room, you can always turn it off and that’s the beauty of it, I’m pretty sure that’s how it’s supposed to work anyway.