Review on 🎧 Sony MDRNC33 Noise Canceling Earbuds (Black) (Not Produced Anymore) by Gina Estevez

This review compares Sony MDR-NC33 vs Audio Technica ATH-ANC3. Audio Technica has the best noise reduction. According to the published specifications, it is 20 dB, while the specifications published by Sony. is 10 dB, and the difference is clearly visible. The Sony does reduce noise, although this 'reduces' much more than it 'almost eliminates'. Both do a good job of reducing low-frequency rumble while ATs do, and they also reduce high-frequency noise. Those. With the heater fan on at maximum in my (cheap, noisy) car, both would equally mask the rumble of the blown air, but with AT the fan motor noise reduced more. However, the AT has a "bright" tonal balance that borders on pain to my ears. (I tend to be overly sensitive about this, though.) If you enjoy hearing every brushstroke on a drum, or a guitarist or cellist's fingers sliding up and down the strings, you'll likely enjoy the AT's tonal balance . . Sony has a "warmer" sound that I like better. Sony feels more physically comfortable. The Sony driver is oriented "sideways" - the same orientation as a small (solid) earring. This leaves a lot of space between the driver and the structure of my outer ear. The AT oriented the drivers to be "flat" - the same orientation as large (two-piece) hoop earrings. For me, this causes the front of the AT to press against the inside of my ear cup, which becomes painful after a few hours. (Although my outer ears are a little smaller than average.) Other Notes: The AT comes with a nice hard case that fits the iPodTouch/iPhone perfectly. Sony comes with a padded case. AT has a shorter cable (block to plug) but comes with an extension cord. For Sony, use the included clip to wrap the cable to shorten it. Sony also has a main headphone cable that goes to the left earbud and then to the right. So the cable goes from your left ear to the battery/processor box. Overall, both are fine, but one might be more appropriate depending on what's more important to you. Personally, I'd like something with AT noise reduction and Sony's ergonomics and tonal balance. So in summary: Best sound balance/quality: Sony MDR-NC33 Best noise cancellation: Audio Technica ATH-ANC3 Most portable: Sony MDR-NC33