TechRadar.com - Deep into technology

These are quite weird, cumbersome headphones from Sony. We're familiar with the MDR range from years of using MDRV-700 DJ headphones for outdoor work and DJing.

So, going into this review, we hoped for the same build and had our fingers crossed for better sound. Sadly, we were disappointed.

The rubber-cup sleeves give that loose fit that Sony is keen on, and which tends to fall out with ease. The noise- cancelling feature works, but only to the extent that sound is kept out by the fit of the headset. The sound quality is good, but it's the build that lets it down. After a week of light use something broke inside - the resulting mishmash of sound was unbearable.

Noise-cancelling headphones are designed for studio use and silence during transportation. In these environments we don't predict a long lifespan for the MDR- NC50s. Sennheiser has nothing to fear from these in terms of competition. James Ellerbeck