Review on Philips SHN2500 Noise Canceling Discontinued Manufacturer by Sean Davis

Okay so I bought this product - I'm always looking for good headphones that aren't expensive either. In the past I've seen some great in-ear headphones sell for amazing prices in a very short space of time. I always hope I can buy it when that happens. So I casually browsed through the headphones and as soon as I saw this $11 pair, my eyes lit up. I thought about this headphone and gave it up as it was too expensive for my liking. Instead, I went ahead and bought the SHE9700. (http://www.amazon.com/review/R3KY9MRR0VLKZL/ref=cm_srch_res_rtr_alt_2) I really like these headphones. Now back to these headphones, I read many reviews many of which said they were downright bad. I think most reviewers loved it. However, if you read the reviews of most other noise-cancelling headphones, you will find very similar reviews for headphones that are not quite as expensive. Of course the more expensive ones will sound better and you don't want to write a bad review about your Bose after spending $300 on it :) just to say. However, after reading the reviews, my expectations for this device were very low. I bought it more out of curiosity, to see how the noise canceling headphones are different/better than my regular noise isolating ones. Here's what I think: 1) Most reviewers are right when they say "doesn't work", "no noise cancellation" or "not worth the money". However, I feel like a lot of people have the wrong expectations of noise-cancelling headphones. They expect it to magically transform into their personal cocoon. Well, unfortunately I don't think there is such an affordable solution right now. 2) I'm learning analog design - so I know my amp and filter design. (Well, even if I'm not that good at it.) So I know there's some kind of active circuitry here trying to do "something". However, the results are not impressive. 3) I should mention though that people shouldn't complain about "white noise" or "noise floor". It is mentioned in the product description and I know it's really difficult to get rid of noise in circuits. (I've always missed the noise spec on all my design projects!) Here's a (hopefully unbiased) review of the headphones: Cons: - They're not very good - maybe not even very good. Honestly, I prefer noise-isolating headphones. The plastic housing that houses the gears and battery is too bulky. I cannot use it with a portable device. The cable is too long. Again, I can't use it with a portable device. It feels like Philips thought only of airlines. It's not like they have to move. I would love if they had a bulky block as a separate block that I could just turn off whenever I wanted. The headphones didn't come with a case! All decent headphones should come with a case, otherwise they'll end up in a mess in your backpack! My SHE9700 sounds way better than this. Again, I've been using them for a while now. Maybe I should spend some time with these headphones too. Compared to a noise isolating earbud, I tried this and another noise isolating earbud on a music player and on my laptop. Here's what I found - The volume on these phones is lower. Pressing the "on" button it looks like the volume just turned up, and I think it does. Inside the plastic case there should be an amplifier that should be included. It's not a gimmick - boosters are needed after you've tried undoing something, but it certainly feels like a gimmick if you're not interested in what's actually going on inside. I've tried snapping my fingers (usually low frequencies) and seeing which ones cut out the noise better. My soundproofing did a great job there. At the same volume, without the NC on, these guys let some noise through, and the volume was lower. I'm not sure if the noise is from the imperfectly fitting headphones. When I turned on the NC I didn't hear any noise, the volume just got louder. At slightly lower volumes, they might have been a little better. They don't block high frequency sound well and you know that when you play a song with a lot of high frequency guitar music on your laptop and use them on your laptop. music player. Overall, I'd say Philips shouldn't have made them at all. They're a great example of how what makes sense for engineers doesn't always have to be a good product. But for $11, I'll take them. I'll probably try it on the plane next time and see if it's better. If you want to buy it for general use I would advise you to buy something else. Compared to the cheap headphones British Airways gave me these sounded like bliss. They were also very effective at blocking out all engine noise, allowing me to focus on my inflight entertainment. I didn't even have to crank the volume up that much. I also tried noise isolating headphones and they weren't as good as these. Considering most people spend over $200 on Bose headphones just to wear them on planes, I think that's a lot. From 3 to 4 stars