Gadget review: Sony h.ear on Wireless NC

Sony’s latest noise-cancelling headphones have decent sound, but the bulky design can be a pain in the neck

Sony h.ear on Wireless headphones offer up to 20 hours of battery life

Quick specs: Up to 20 hours battery life, active noise cancellation

Best buy: ₹21,990 on sony.co.in

USP: Easy to set up, good battery life

Rating: 2/5

Sony is known for making reliable headphones with decent sound. It delivers on that aspect when it comes to its latest noise-cancelling headphone: the Sony h.ear on Wireless NC. But it falls short on the overall experience as the device is weighed down by bulky design.

Read: Gadget review: The Sound Blaster Roar 2 is a winner

What's good: We spent over 48 hours burning in the headphones to ensure the sound rang true. The headphones are easy to set up. We used it with a variety of gadgets, including an iPhone, a MacBook, and a Bluetooth-enabled fitness watch. The noise-cancelling function was effective. It negated ambient noise, such as honking of horns and loud conversations in a closed room. The h.ear on uses microphones to detect ambient noise, and cancels it with earphone speakers.For music that offers a heavy bass, the headphone didn't sound flat. The bass didn't overpower the overall audio either.

The noise-cancelling function of the device was effective ( )

The noise-cancelling function of the device was effective ( )

What's not: We had to keep removing the device at intervals, since it's bulky. We tried taking a few calls while wearing the headphones only to realise that the quality of audio suffered slightly.

Verdict: For the price, it's an expensive device compared to competitors such as Bose and Sennheiser that offer better sound quality with similar features at a lower price point.