Our Verdict
The Sony MDR-NC8 mediocre and cheap everyday headphones that do not excel in a particular use case. Their isolation is not efficient enough for traveling or the office and their sound is an average at best.
- Decent audio reproduction.
- Earcups don't leak much sound.
- Very poor noise cancelling.
- Flimsy, weak build.
- Lack in bass is noticeable.
Not intended for pure critical listening. The closed back design and small earcups limit the soundstage these headphones can create. Their audio reproduction is decent with instruments and vocals but lacks bass and detail.
Poor for commuting. They don't block or cancel enough noise for loud environments.
Mediocre for sports. These headphones are lightweight and not too bulky. However, their not tight enough to stay put during physical activity and the non-detachable audio cable gets tangled a lot.
Mediocre for office use. They have low leakage and won't distract your colleagues. But they also won't block the office chatter because of the weak noise isolation.
Mediocre for home theater use. They're lightweight and decently comfortable. They're also wired, so they have negligible latency when watching movies. However, their relatively short audio cable may be an issue depending on your home theater set up.
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Our How We Test Headphones article takes you behind the scenes in our lab. You'll learn how we choose and purchase products and dive into the details of our review philosophy, from testing and scoring to writing and editing.
You can also discover how we produce recommendations like this one so that you can find the best headphones (or earbuds!) for your needs.
Test Results
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