List Price: $119.99
Sale Price: $117.99
Today's Bonus: 2% Off
Want to know how these noise canceling headphones stack up against the more expensive competition? More importantly, want to know how they sound and if they're worth a shot? Check out our in-depth video review and decide for yourself! Spoiler alert: WE LOVE THEM. Watch to find out why.
Click Here to Read More Reviews >>
I compared the MEE NS63 headphones against my everyday Sennheiser HD-201's I've had for years. With the MEEE's over three times the current price of the HD-201s I hoped the difference in quality would be noticeable. Frankly I was blown away, first by the sheer difference in volume with identical settings on my fairly ordinary AIWA shelf sound system. But the spaciousness, separation, and bass clarity were simply in other league from the Sennheiser's.I used a range of reference recordings that included large ensembles such as orchestra, chamber groups, and jazz trios, rock bands, to solo instruments like cello, classical and steel string guitars, mandolin, piano and solo violin. They represent a variety of production points of view (i.e. ambient, dry, closed and distant miking acoustic, electric instruments and electronic sound.
The difference across the board was one of richness and presence. I was especially surprised at the bottom end because the MEEE write up indicated the phones were especially designed for balance rather than the bass-heavy specs other consumer brands often go for. There's clearly no shortage of bottom end here.
The NS63 includes a noise suppression function that requires two AAA batteries. You can engage the NS function with or without the audio playing. To be honest it's not a primary use for me but to check it out I took both pairs of phones on a recent trip by commuter train into and out of Grand Central in Manhattan and put them to work against the typical din of cell phones, noisy kids, and the ubiquitous excessively loud conversationalist two rows back.
I have to say the masking effect was not spectacular: I noticed it mostly in the high frequency range and, when compared to wearing the passive HD-201, yes, I could tell the difference but not overwhelmingly so.
Trying later at home upstairs behind a closed door while my wife played an acoustic piano downstairs I confirmed the effect is most noticeable in the higher frequencies. The NS63s are the only noise-cancelling phones I've ever tried; I can't really say how they compare to BOSE or other brands known for NS.
Regarding the mechanics of the phones:
I wish the battery compartment were hinged or otherwise tethered to the phones. It repeatedly slipped out of my hand onto the floor at home while opening it and I can easily imagine it doing the same on a train and bouncing away under a seat or worse. Opening and closing the lid really could be smoother, especially for someone using the NS feature on a regular basis as battery life is rated at 32 hours.
The detachable mini-plug cable is a nice idea, although the supplied cable is only about three feet long compared to at least twice that on the Sennheisers. Another practical feature the NS63 has is a large audio mute button built-into the outer left phone that's very easy to grab and press suddenly very practical.
The ear pads are slightly smaller and rounder on the MEE's than on the HD-201. I have big ears and appreciate the extra size; the MEE's fit my ears more snugly, which perhaps suits the noise suppression function better. However there's no lateral side-to-side play in the MEE phones at all, as there is in the HD-201's, and this makes them slightly less comfortable for longer listening periods.
Speaking of size, there's every bit as much adjustment `pull' in the MEE phones as the HD-201's and my big head had plenty of clearance on top.
The pillbox-style carrying case is a great idea that should fit easily in an average shoulder bag and certainly a suitcase. The MEE's phone cups are hinged and work comfortably regardless of how far they've been pulled out to adjust for head size. The hinges themselves are made from brushed metal with plastic reinforcement. Although they feel fairly solid I'd get in the habit of using two fingers thumb outside, index inside to gently open and close them, especially if you plan to store the phones frequently.
I've used my HD-201s for home recording and always regarded them as a nicely balanced, if not spectacular, pair of phones. Hearing the NS63's reminded me of the sheer joy of listening I had as a kid with my massive `water-filled' KOSS headphones. If you're looking for a similar kind of rush, I'd recommend them.Since I wear earrings, I like how these headphones fit over your ears and doesn't make it uncomfortable on your ears. I owned another pair of headphones of a different brand which would press on my earrings into my skin behind my ears which made it very uncomfortable. In addition, the MEElectronics headphones have a better value as they also have great sound quality and come with multiple cords and a sturdier carrying case compared to the other brand headphones I used to own. I highly recommend this product for anyone looking for high quality headphones without breaking your wallet.I primarily use my MEElectronics NoiseSHIELD headphones when recording MIDI loops for worship at my church. Deep, rich bass and crisp, accurate highs create an amazing listening experience. The headphone design naturally isolates the listener from most unwanted background noise. When ANC is engaged background noise is attenuated to an even greater degree. Whether I'm working with MIDI software, or listening to music, my MEElectronics NoiseSHIELD headphones do a fantastic job for a fraction of the cost of similar products. With superior comfort, sound quality, and noise-canceling ability, these headphones rock!I have only owned one other noise canceling headphones (search my reviews) and these headphones by MEElectronics are by far superior. The sound quality was on par with a $600 pair of headphones I own and use for recording voice overs. I love the sleek, fold-able design and compact carrying case. I just toss these in my Coach tote bag and am good to go. I used these on my NYC subway commute and was more than pleased with the performance over the louder than life subway and occasional subway-preacher. The only negative comment I have is with regards to the weight. I am user to lighter headphones and these felt a bit heavy on my head after a few hours of wear.
0 comments:
Post a Comment