I really love my
Philips HDD6330 30GB MP3 player . And I listen to it all the time, just about every day actually. Most of the time, I'm using my
Philips HE-592 headphones with them because of the absolutely amazing 3-D sound they provide. But the way in which they deliver that wonderful sound can also be a weakness in high-sound environments, because the ports on each earphone allow extraneous noise to get in.
Like when I'm riding the train home from work, for example, or when my Beloved Barbara(TM) has the TV on too loud. And that's a problem, because it causes me to do something that we all do in such situations: turn up the volume. And while that may be fine now and again, over time prolonged exposure can cause hearing loss. The occasional ringing in my ears after listening sessions was not a good sign. So, I decided to look into a set of noise canceling headphones.
For some time, noise-canceling phones have been expensive. You could spend (and still can actually) upwards of $100 on them. That always seemed a bit much to me for a portable set for my MP3 player, especially considering the punishment they end up taking. So, when I saw the
Philips SHN2500 Noise Canceling Headphones available for just $27, I decided to give them a try. I'm glad I did.
The Basics These are ear bud type headphones that rest snugly inside the ears. The "speaker" portions are fitted with small rubber covers for comfort and to allow them to grip the ears and stay in place. The headphones come with three sets of covers, all different in size. One is sure to fit your ears quite nicely.
How They Work There are two ways in which the SHN2500 reduces background noise (by up to 70% according to the manufacturer). The first is the design of the phones themselves, which are basically earplugs with speakers. As soon as you pop them in you will definitely notice less extraneous sound. In addition, the SHN2500 phones also have an active noise canceling circuit built into them which you can turn on and off via a small hand control.
How Well Do They Work? Pretty good actually. Beyond the earplug design, the noise canceling circuit does seem to filter out additional unwanted sound. It is noticeable with music playing when you kick the noise canceling circuit into gear (the volume increases for one thing). But the true test of this feature can only be done without music playing.
This is just what I did at a busy MARTA station here in Atlanta. With buses and trains going this way and that on their busy way, I inserted the headphones into my ears. With no music playing, I noticed an immediate decrease in the noise level from the earplug effect. I had not yet engaged the noise-canceling feature. When I did, a faint hum was detectable (it's not with music playing), and my world became a little quieter.
How Do They Sound? This is all well and good, of course, only if the headphones
sound good. And they do. Not quite as good as my preferred HE-592 set, but good. Bass and treble are both well represented, and my music is clear and distortion free. Volume is lower than with other sets I have tried, but with the noise canceling you can listen at a lower volume anyway and achieve the same net effect. It did take a bit of time at first to get used to the absence of outside sound, which imparts a sort of "tunnel vision" (tunnel hearing?) effect. But I am very happy with the SHN2500 headphones sound overall.
What I Don't Like The only qualms I have with the SHN2500 headphones arise from the sound canceling control that is in-line with the main wire. About half the size of a deck of playing cards, it's just one more thing I have to hold onto along with my player itself. This is a bit of a hassle when I'm out walking, though not so much so on the train, for example, when I'm seated.
The control requires one "AAA" battery, too. The set comes with one, though I quickly drained it. Unfortunately, it was entirely not in use that I did this. Although I am used to turning off my MP3 player when I am finished using it, I have never had to turn my headphones off. It took me a while to get used to this, and I still leave them on occasionally. This will drain battery power and reduce battery life.
Durability As good as they sound, these headphones lasted for just a few months, then the right channel gave out on them. They were subjected to average use and were not abused. The problem seems to be in the extra "joints" in the cord, which is usually where a headset will fail. Besides the usual joint at the connector, these headphones have two more at each end of the equalizer box. This is exactly here my set went bad, when one of the connecting wires gave way and the right channel was lost. Given the decent sound they provided, this is a shame, but means I cannot in good faith recommend them.
Overall All in all, however, I can't recommend the SHN2500 headphones. They sound great, and they definitely reduce the level of outside sound I must endure during my commute. But that does little good if they don't last.
