Sony MDR-NC500D

232 reviews

Apr, 2024

Positive
sound (131)
noise isolation (124)
comfort (83)
portability (59)
price (43)

Negative
size (24)

General overview
Price comparison

alaTest has collected and analyzed 232 reviews of Sony MDR-NC500D. The average rating for this product is 3.7/5, compared to an average rating of 4.0/5 for other Headphones for all reviews. Reviewers really like the durability and portability. The comfort and noise isolation also get good feedback. There are some negative reviews about the size, and the usability and price get mixed opinions.

sound, noise isolation, comfort, portability, durability

size

We analyzed user and expert ratings, product age and more factors. Compared to other Headphones the Sony MDR-NC500D is awarded an overall alaScore™ of 84/100 = Very good quality.

Review analysis

(Based on 232 reviews)

Expert Reviews

User Reviews

Review Ratings

(40% of reviews)
Show all 5 star reviews (24% of reviews)
Show all 4 star reviews (12% of reviews)
Show all 3 star reviews (11% of reviews)
Show all 2 star reviews (13% of reviews)
Show all 1 star reviews

Features

sound
Show positive (79%)Show negative (21%)(Show all)

noise isolation
Show positive (91%)Show negative (9%)(Show all)

comfort
Show positive (75%)Show negative (25%)(Show all)

portability
Show positive (57%)Show negative (43%)(Show all)

price
Show positive (54%)Show negative (46%)(Show all)

Show more features

Showing 218 review(s)

Expert Reviews User Reviews

Disclaimer:

Below is a list of reviews for this or similar products. If you think this grouping is wrong please click here to flag.
Read more on our FAQ’s page.

Showing 1 - 113 of 218 Show Reviews: in English | in other languages (14)

Consumer review (amazon.com)

Amazon.com review summary for Sony MDR-NC500D

alaTest has collected and analyzed 103 user reviews of Sony MDR-NC500D from Amazon.com. The average user rating for this product is 3.3/5, compared to an average user rating of 3.9/5 for other Headphones on Amazon.com. People are impressed by the durability and price. The comfort and sound are also mentioned favorably. There are mixed opinions on the size and usability. There are some negative opinions about the reliability and portability.

noise isolation, sound, comfort, price, durability

portability, reliability

62% of the reviews on Amazon.com give this product a positive rating.

Apr, 2024

Expert review by : PC Plus (techradar.com)

Sony MDR-NC500D review

Sony's MDR-NC500D headphones use clever techniques to cut out background noise

Excellent noise cancelling ; Good sound reproduction

Expensive

Great noise-cancelling headphones, but are they the best value for you?

Jun, 2009

Partner Source

Read the full review

Expert review by : Jasmine France (cnet.co.uk)

Sony MDR-NC500D Digital Noise Canceling review

Sony is certainly no stranger to the headphone market. The company's portable line may very well be the most popular aftermarket earphones. It has quite an array of full-size "cans" as well as a decent selection of noise-canceling models. The latest...

The Sony MDR-NC500D headphones offer superior noise cancellation, solid sound quality, and a plethora of useful extras, including a battery pack for extended use.

The Sony MDR-NC500 headphones cannot be used without the noise cancellation activated; the tight fit may be uncomfortable for some users; and they're expensive.

The Sony MDR-NC500D Digital Noise Canceling Headphones may lighten the wallet, but they are a great option for frequent fliers and tetchy commuters who need superior noise cancellation.

Apr, 2008

Read the full review

Expert review by (channel5.com)

Sony MDR-NC500D

These industry-first digital noise canceling headphones from Sony promise to cut surrounding noise by up to 99%. They use nifty artificial intelligence to determine the best noise profile for your surroundings to deliver quality sound with almost no...

Apr, 2010

Read the full review

Expert review by : Cliff Joseph (avreview.co.uk)

Sony MDR-NC500D

However, we can't deny that the noise-cancelling features do work very well and damp down background noise quite effectively. We also like the fact that there are three different noise-cancelling modes available, designed to cope with the different...

Effective noise-cancelling features, good sound quality, rechargeable battery

Bass is a bit weak

Nov, 2008

Read the full review

Expert review by : Russell (tracyandmatt.co.uk)

Sony MDR-NC500D Digital Noise Cancelling Headphones Review

Would I buy a pair? Unfortunately not, to me the £200 price tag is to expensive for a pair of headphones, even if they are as good as the MDR-NC500D. If you do a lot of travelling and money isn't so much of a decision maker then you've got to have to...

Aug, 2008

Read the full review

Expert review by : Campbell Simpson (goodgearguide.com.au)

Sony MDR-NC500D

The Sony MDR-NC500D headphones are suitable for music listening or movie watching, and they pack in some high quality noise-cancelling technology whic...

Stylish and scratch-resistant exterior, comfortable padding, battery pack for extended use, good sound quality, noise cancelling works exceptionally well

Tight fit may annoy some, must be powered to work

The Sony MDR-NC500D noise-cancelling headphones do a fantastic job of blocking out repetitive ambient noise. When listening to music they also acquit themselves well, with clear sound and a pleasant character.

Feb, 2009

Partner Source

Read the full review

Expert review by : Michael S. Lasky (wired.com)

Sony Noise-Canceling Headphones Sound Like Silence

Record labels, hammered by ever plummeting CD sales, see a ray of sunshine in the recent minor renaissance in vinyl records, whose sales and production continue

Noise-cancellation is adjustable to your environment and a monitor switch is handy for temporarily hearing external sound. And external battery box is handy when the built-in batteries wear out, but they work nonstop for half a day without a recharge

Handy external battery box adds to the weight and bulk of the protective carrying case as does the power brick also enclosed. Some bass sounds played at high volume cause ear splitting distortion

Oct, 2008

Read the full review

Expert review by : Jasmine France (cnet.com)

Sony MDR-NC500D Digital Noise Canceling review

The Sony MDR-NC500D headphones offer superior noise cancellation, solid sound quality, and a plethora of useful extras, including a battery pack for extended use.

The Sony MDR-NC500 headphones cannot be used without the noise cancellation activated; the tight fit may be uncomfortable for some users; and they're expensive.

The Sony MDR-NC500D Digital Noise Canceling Headphones may lighten the wallet, but they are a great option for frequent fliers and tetchy commuters who need superior noise cancellation.

Apr, 2008

Read the full review

Expert review by : Campbell Simpson (pcworld.idg.com.au)

Sony MDR-NC500D

Comfortable and stylish noise-cancelling headphones

Stylish and scratch-resistant exterior, comfortable padding, battery pack for extended use, good sound quality, noise cancelling works exceptionally well

Tight fit may annoy some, must be powered to work

Feb, 2009

Partner Source

Read the full review

Expert review by : Jasmine France (cnet.com.au)

Sony MDR-NC500D Digital Noise Cancelling Headphones

The Sony MDR-NC500D Digital Noise Cancelling Headphones may lighten the wallet, but they are a great option for frequent fliers and tetchy commuters who need superior noise cancellation.

Superior noise cancellation ; Solid sound quality ; A plethora of useful extras ; Including a battery pack for extended use

Cannot be used without noise-cancellation activated ; Tight fit may be uncomfortable for some users ; Expensive

All this technical stuff is great, but it's really for naught if it doesn't work in practice. Fortunately, we found that the MDR-NC500D headphones offered superior noise cancellation during testing in the office and on the bus. We were also not...

Oct, 2008

Partner Source

Read the full review