[Jota.Ce]

I'm thinking in buying a Sony NWZ-S739F (with 007 promotion for 120€, it's a very nice price and i don't mind the 007 logo).

But i'm always wondering what's the real difference between S639 and S739. Many pages tell the only difference is noise cancelling. But i saw included accesories and checked that S639 and S739 had different headphones:
Sony NWZ-S639F -> MDR-EX082
Sony NWZ-S739F -> MDR-NC020

Then i tried to see why, cause one person told me that EX model's SQ is much better than that NC model. I didn't believe that (S739 is around 200€ usually).

Then i wonder... Noise cancelling function is done ONLY by headphones ? I mean can any model have noise cancelling if you buy a NC model ? I mean NWZ-S639F + MDR-NC020 = NWZ-S739F ???

If so, i don't understand why S739 is so expensive, if its SQ in quiet ambient is worse than S639 with its EX headphones. And i think you could find a S639+better NC model for less amount of money than regular S739. And in that case you'd get a pair of headphones, one for quiet ambient, one for noisy ambient.

IF
(noise cancelling is done through that S739 model)
OR
(that's the only S model in which you can activate Noise Cancelling (and NC is finally done by headphones))
THEN
I'm very interested in S739
ELSE
I'd prefer S639+NC headphones if that offer i told at the beginning wouldn't exist.

What do you think ? Can anyone enlighten me ?
Thanks in advance.

 

[Jota.Ce]

Please, any help? I'm afraid that 120€ offer could finish soon.

 

[james444]

AFAIK noise cancelling is done by the main unit. The phones of the S739 are different because they have built-in microphones. These pick up the surrounding noise and pass the information to the main unit, where the "antinoise" is calculated and mixed into the music stream. Read here for details.

 

[qusp]

IMO you are much better off spending your money on some well isolating IEMs which use passive NC, it doesnt degrade the SQ and you get better sound from them too. i'm yet to year a noise canceling 'feature' that I like

 

[Gbjerke]

You could have my Sennheiser PXC450(flagship NC) for a bit more dough.

 

[Jota.Ce]

Thank you all

I'd like to know if some one has it to tell me if NC is useful in train (i read not much)...

And which headphones are compatible with that model to support full functionality (i guess only NC series, but i'm not sure of that, since connector minijack is slightly different in this model's headphones).

I've seen a S639F for 100€, but i think buying a decent passive NC headphones would reach the 180-200€ barrier.

 

[david1978jp]

There was one review said, it really reduced train, air-conditioner, truck engine noise. It was similar to famous Bose, and it hisses less. The problem is, you have to use the included earphones (because the earphones has mic in it.)
E-mail, or post a comment to this guy, he has first hand knowledge, and he is very nice and quick to help.
jon's weblog: Sony Walkman NWZ-S739 16GB review