General Asylum: REVIEW: Sony MDR-NC10 Headphones by David Spear

I went to meet my sister at Narita airport last week and happened to run across the Sony MDR-NC10 noise-canceling in-the-ear headphones at the airport mall. They only cost about $100, so I picked them up as an impulse purchase and then promptly forgot about them.

Today was really windy, the kind of day when it's pretty much impossible to listen to music because the shutters are rattling, the house is creaking, and the wind is whistling around the eaves. After trying unsuccessfully to listen to some new CDs over my speakers and then with my Sennheiser HD600s, I remembered the MDR-NC10s and thought that I'd give them a shot. (I should mention that I also have a pair of Etymotic Research ER4S in-the-ear transducers, which I believe are considered the "gold standard" for such designs, as well as a pair of Sennheiser HD25s that I use with portable devices.)

Well, even though I wasn't expecting too much, these Sonys turned out to be quite a revelation. They looked pretty bulky and so I thought they might be uncomfortable, but that was not the case at all. Basically, each ear piece consists of a black rubber earplug with a rather large oval ring hanging off the end. There is also an elliptical flange that rests inside the first ridge of cartilage of the outer ear. The comfort of the Sony's will no doubt vary from person to person, but I found that they could be worn for several hours without problems. There is a triangular plastic case (about 3" x 1") on the cord that contains the noise-canceling circuitry, the single AAA battery (good for 60 hours), the on/off switch, and a large "monitor" button for muting the music and allowing you to hear external sounds. This case is also provided with a clip for fastening it to your lapel.

To my ear, these unassuming little earphones sound startlingly good -- not at all the harsh, tinny, gutless sound that I was expecting. Rather, they are quite smooth and a bit on the warm side. Bass response is really impressive. Maybe a bit wooly, but nicely extended and with good weight. Transients are clearly reproduced, and the music sounds very dynamic. The noise-canceling circuitry is quite effective, and doesn't introduce any hum, hiss, or audible artifacts into the music signal. Running the MDR-NC10s with a HeadRoom Maxed-Out Home headphone amp, I was able to listen to complex, dynamic music with real pleasure, even in a pretty noisy environment.

In many ways, I prefer the Sonys to my Etymotic Research earphones. They are much more sensitive, sound more dynamic, and seem to be more extended at both frequency extremes. Also, one problem with the ERs is that the sound of the cord rubbing against your clothes is amplified and becomes annoyingly audible. This is not a problem with the Sonys. The Sonys are also easier to put in and take out.

In summary, the Sony MDR-NC10s sound smooth, clean, and dynamic, with a warm sonic character and extended, but perhaps slightly wooly, bass. They are kind of strange looking, but are comfortable and well designed. The noise-canceling circuit is effective and doesn't introduce any nasties into the music. Sensitivity is quite high, which should permit them to be used with low-output portable devices such as MD players without problems. Overall, I feel that Sony has come up with a pretty impressive pair of noise-canceling earphones for $100. They will definitely find a place in my briefcase when I am on the road.

PS. They also come with an in-flight adaptor and a carrying case.

REVIEW: Sony MDR-NC10 Headphones Review by David Spear at Audio Asylum