SONY - H900N Hi-Res Noise Cancelling Wireless Headphone Grayish Black Renewed

I bought these headphones at the recommendation of an (older) article by Wirecutter, and I am completely satisfied after over a month and a half of regular use. First, the product itself: I will say upfront that the active noise-cancellation isn't as strong as Sony's WH1000XM3 model (or the comparable versions from Bose). For me, this is actually a benefit. I have discovered that I'm one of the rare music lovers who suffers from the "eardrum suck" effect caused by overzealous active noise-cancellation technology. After trying that model for a half hour, I started to feel headaches and dizziness. For what it's worth, I also felt it with the Jabra Elite 85h headphones and Apple's new AirPods Pro wireless earbuds. But these H900N headphones have NOT had that effect on me.While the active noise-cancellation on these H900Ns isn't as aggressive as some other popular (and often more expensive) models, I have found it to be more than enough for my needs. I recently flew on an international trip, and I found that the headphones substantially reduced the sound from the airplane's engines and also the passengers nearby. I listened to mostly classical music and watched a few movies, and I hardly noticed any noise around me.The sound quality on these headphones is top notch. The bass is firm without muddying the rest of the musical waters. The mids and trebles are clear without sounding unpleasantly harsh. I also own Sony's popular MDR-7506 model, and I found the sound from this H900N to be quite similar (which is to pay it the highest of compliments). You can also adjust the equalization to your liking with Sony's free "Connect" app.The battery life for these headphones is nothing short of astounding. I am told it will go over 24 hours before needing to be recharged. I've never had to push them that far. (And if it helps at all, it charges via the included microUSB cable. The USB wall charger isn't included, but I have so many on hand from my other devices so that's not an issue for me.)The headphones are made mostly of plastic, but they feel solid and durable. I've also found them to be very comfortable, and I've had no problem wearing them for hours at a time. (The plastic build also makes them lighter, which is a huge plus.) There's no hard case included. That's kind of a bummer, but I've made do with the included soft drawstring pouch. It has been more than adequate for my needs (not be mention quite portable).Bottom line: if you care about sound quality and battery life, and you don't need (or can't handle) the most aggressive noise-cancellation technology, then you can't go wrong with this model. And at this price for a "renewed" version, it's a no-brainer. This has turned out to be one of my best buys from 2019, and I'm planning on using these headphones for a long time.Finally, a word about Chubbiestech, the seller of these "renewed" headphones: I can only give them the highest marks. The headphones were delivered on schedule. The outer box showed considerable wear. But when I opened it up, the headphones and packaging looked brand new. I couldn't be happier. I also contacted them twice because I noticed that they had lowered their price a couple of times while I was still within my return period. Not only did they respond quickly, they accommodated my modest price adjustment request both times. I couldn't be more pleased!I've had only positive experiences so far when buying Amazon "Renewed" products, and the same goes for my experience with Chubbiestech.

...I had a set of Audio-Technica corded Active Noise Cancelling (ANC) headphones and they sounded terrible when noise cancellation was off, and only passable when on. A real disappointment from a top manufacturer. So after one too many flights where they caused me ear fatigue, I tried my friend's Sony pair. They were amazing, and I ended up finding this previous-generation pair at a good price. Lo and behold my world changed. While the ANC was far superior, the fact that these things sounded excellent whether on or off was incredible. It was nice to have an Ambient Sound setting so I could use them at the office. The mic really works great on phone calls, and the Bluetooth is remarkably good. The battery seems to last near forever. The fit is a little weird at first because the earcups hiss a little when you put them on or move them because of escaping air. But did I mention the sound? For a long time I have been running some real nice corded headphones with a headphone amp so I could get good sound out of my phone. But these are so good, they pretty much eliminated that complexity. Why did I wait so long to get these? Simply because I didn't know about them. I had planned to use them for travel only but they have become my everyday set for the office and conference calls. While this pair is not as good at ANC as the newer pair, they have been rated higher for sound quality. At any rate, I look forward to my next trip and the peace that these bring. Oh, and you gotta love the fact that the software is updatable and the touch controls are very good.

2024 UPDATE:ive had these for 4 years now and theyre still working well. i do have the airpods pro and ive noticed that the noise cancelling on these headphones is not as strong as the airpods pro. the ear pads and head cushion that came with these headphones were very worn to begin with so i had to buy replacement ear pads and head cushions in 2023, which only cost me about $20, not a bad investment overall.4 years ago, this was definitely the best choice for me, but being that it is 2024 now, i'd probably go with the WH-CH720N if i were looking for new headphones. overall 8/10 recommend.----------2022:As a college student, I have to say that buying such a quality product for the low price of $95 is incredible. I’ve been using these for 2 years and I have no regrets. The noise canceling is great for online classes and self studying. The touch controls are also a plus as compared to button controls in my opinion. If you have no need for noise cancelling in the moment, and wish to conserve battery, it comes with an attachable headphone jack cord so that you can use these as wired headphones.Another reviewer mentioned that the material covering the on-ear foam starts to deteriorate after awhile but in my opinion, sticking a little tape on it solves the issue without any detriment to your listening experience.A con i have is not with the product, but the bag that comes with it. It’s not flimsy, but it doesn’t provide much cushioning/protection when carrying around the headphones, so if that’s something you need, you should probably buy a protective carrying case for your headphones as well.