[BIGHMW]

I was just wondering if any of our fellow Head-Fi'ers out there own a pair of the Sony MDR-NC300D Noise Canceling Eaphones? I actually ordered, received and tested them, and I know how the majority of you thought the MDR-EX700SL/LP sounded kind of flat (I did too, find them a bit flat), even with the EQ boosting the bass, but I have a bit of surprise for those that thought that these NC-based IEMs, (which incorporate the same 16mm driver the 700's do) would be the same SQ-wise....

IT ISN'T.


Now let's go on to the review:

The Package And What Came With It:

The box it came in (straight from Japan, shipped EMS) presents these matte black and chrome-like IEM's throught the plastic window on the box. it also came with a Sony AA battery (I myself use Energizer Ultimate Lithium), as well as the same 7 sets of silicone-hybrid eartips as did the EX700, and also an airline plug adapter, 1.0m extension cord, a velvet pouch, a cord wrap, and a beautiful leather (or leatherette) case to hold them in (minus the spare tips). Also included was the paperwork (all in Japanese at that) involving the warranty and user instructions.

Sound Quality:

I actually found the 300D's to be a bit better than the 700's, as far as SQ and controllability were concerned. the noise canceling, (which BTW is digitally self-adjusting for changing environments) within certain frequencies, has the ability to cancel a whopping 98.4% of all noise at a rate of 18 dB of noise canceling power surrounding the user.

The stats show that this has a really good 103 dB SPL at only 16 ohms, compared to the MDR-NC60 Headphones 100 dB at 100 ohms (with NC off) and also only 102 dB at 40 ohms (with NC on)... Hence me having to use a FiiO E5 with my measly 5 mW NW-HD5 (or any other Walkman for that matter) for that extra volume boost whenever I use the NC60s.

Using With Line-Out:

As for using it with a line-level output as an external amp, I tried it with NW-HD5 set at line out, and got nothing more than distortion. The NC300D was not designed to be used this way despite the fact you would think so because it has its own onboard volume control.

Extra Features:

Obviously as mentioned earlier in this review, this set of IEM's uses a digital processor with 3 different versions of noise canceling, which changes automatically as you travel from one environment to another, and also features the previously-mentioned onboard volume control, as well as buttons for optimizing the NC capability, as well as a monitor button which mutes the audio so you can pick up a conversation, and also a sound switch (user-adjustable) that has a bass boost function, as well as a movie mode, and also a flat mode (EQ-dependant on only that of the player being used).

Build Quality:

It also has the convenience of a much shorter plug (compared to the MDR-NC22) from the main NC controller (more on that in a moment) to a (perhaps) remote-control jack, and since I use a remote-controlled unit (like my NW-HD5), I found it very convenient for me as opposed to the NC22.

As for the famous (or infamous to most of you) J-cord, I have had no problems with them over the years, and as for the lead from the phones where the cords themselves meet to the battery box, yes, I did find it to be somewhat over-excessive, but it also came with a Sony cord wrap to somewhat shorten the cord a bit.

As for the main unit itself, it is well constructed (I believe it's made out of aluminum) it is a bit heavier build than that of the all-plastic NC22, but this mainly is because this unit takes a (the NC22 takes AAA) AA battery, but this also makes the box heavier, and even with the included (and detachable) lapel clip on it, it still weighs a bit heavier than any of my remotes that I use.

Overall:

Well worth the $300 USD I paid for it, but, you can only get them from Japanese retailers (you'll find most of them on eBay or perhaps through Bluetin.com), as this is (so far) a Japan-only model.

As for the fate of my MDR-EX700SL IEM's and my MDR-D777SL and NC60 cans, I have thought about putting them on the market, if you guys have any ideas otherwise, please mention them on this thread.

(Pics coming soon)

Thanks,

Ray Jackson

 

[joe75]

Hi,
thank you for your early review.
I like the design of this model and the idea of active noise cancellation.
Could you comment on how good they sound and how effective they are at blocking sound?
I read in the forums that EX700 can compete with the Shure SE500!!!
First they advertise 99% sound reduction but if am correct it is "only" -18db whereas
I own a pair of ER4-pro IME and they supposedly get -36db noise reduction.
Finally at that price-around $300-do they sound much better than the included earphones in the X-1000 series (which have also active noise cancellation)?

In short is it worth changing from ER4-pro to the MDR-NC300D earphones?
I also have in my gear an old JVC-NCX77(worthless in my opinion) and Seinnheiser PXC300.
Thank you

 

[ClieOS]

NC600 and EX700 might not sound the same (which of course is not surprising given all the NC circuit NC600 has), but it still doesn't dismiss whether they are using the same transducer. If the SQ isn't vastly better/worst, there is also the possibility that Sony engineers have done their job well on fine tuning the NC circuit to give the same transducer a more refined sound, which could be why NC600 sounds better than EX700.

Of course, whether it is the same transducer or not isn't really a big deal. As long as it is better, that is all that matters.

 

[eron]

Kinda interested in this because of the ability of the earphone to isolate and noise cancel? Does it give a quieter listening in all sort of environments than say a Westone UM3x, with a similar SQ?


Can this setup work:
ipod>lod>amp>mdr-nc300d?

Of course, it doesn't matter if the Westone blocks out more noise.

 

[joe75]

I can only tell you that they are very very good at cancelling any recurring sound
like ventilation fan, pc noise,machine engine like the tube..but they do not cancel conversation that well which might be good or bad it depends.Anyway you are not cut from the rest of the world like you would be with etymotics ER4-pro, but buzzing sound almost disappear completely.
I ll be having them for my next airplane trip and i expect them to be incredible...

Two major disappointment : Battery life is on the weak side and you can not use them without working batteries.

 

[arsalanihsan]

Dear BIGHMW,
 
I am new to this community, and to the world of headphones for audiophiles. Could you please advise me on sound quality from among Sony's MDR-NC300D and MDR-EX700? Since both have been reduced to a 100 pounds here in the UK, I was considering purchasing a pair for myself. My main priority would be sound quality form among the two, and the feature of active-noise cancellation would be an additional bonus for me. Also, if you think there are even better ear-buds available for less than $200, kindly do advise me on that as well (I have been hearing quite a lot about the Etymotic ER-4Ps).
 
Thank you for your time.
 
Regards,
Arsalan Ihsan

 

[VictorGost]

It was strange! I bought SONY MDR-300D, It was sent to me to Russia from US (Qweens Springs), opposite side of the Globe. And I found no noise cancelling. I have a cheap NC headphones from KOSS, it reduces the mostly low frequency fan noise in my office by half. I hoped SONY device will help me to reduce it considerably. Alas, I see the device operating, it shows NC C program working, it changes program to A or B programs when in a car or in a truck. So, the device is operating. When turning on the device I feel a very small reduction of the fan's noice, hardly recognizable reduction, and that's all. When pressing MONITOR I can hear some additional high frequency noices from around me. But the fan's noise is present, it covers the music coming from my player, and music sounds very poor.  By pressing NC Optimize I cannot notice any changes, by longer pressing it I (hope) get the initial position of the device. But the fan's noise still is present. Alas. I asked SONY support by e-mail, but they want me to call them by phone. I tried, but, being a foreigner, I can't understand fluent automatic unswer from phone.
Should I sent the device back to the seller?