Noise-reducing headphones can be the best of products and the worst of products. The good ones really do reduce most outside noise, but when you put them on, it feels like plungers are attached to your ears and your brains are being slowly sucked out. Since JVC (under its Victor brand) mentions nothing about brain sucking or lack thereof, my guess is nothing is being done to correct this horrifying issue with the new HP-NC80 headphones.

They may not help your brains, but JVC claims the headphones definitely help you reduce ambient noise, by as much as 75 percent. The headset comes in two modes, wide and low, and you should make your decision on which to use based on the noise level surrounding you.  The headset ranges from a conservative 10 Hz to a nice 22 kHz, and loaded with AAA batteries, will give you a cool 50 hours of operation. The HP-NC80 also offers a maximum output of 105 dB per mW, but all of this mumbo-jumbo doesn't really answer the questions I know you are asking: How much do they cost?  Will they work?  When can I get them? 

JVC has been tight-lipped, but from what I could gather, the price will be in the same range as other JVC noise-canceling headsets ($70 to $100) and will be released in Japan first. But if history can predict the future, it might be best to throw down a few extra bucks and buy the Bose Quiet Comfort 2.

Post by Don Reisinger

Via Akihabara News