Great value ANR headset

I bought these headphones more in hope than expectation, having also tried the Philips SHN2500, which didn't work at all.

Initial impressions are mixed- after finally penetrating the wretched packaging, the package includes a light, drawstring carry-bag, and a two-prong airline adapter, both of which look useful. The headphones themselves look cheaply-made, and don't give the impression that they will last all that long. They are reasonably comfortable, however, although adjustment is limited by construction. Folding them up is neat and effective.

Sound quality through them from my flash MP3 player is reasonable, with no noticeable distortion. However, the real selling-point of this set is the active noise reduction (ANR). And I have to say, I am very impressed. If you haven't tried ANR before, then don't expect it to eliminate all background noise, because no headset does that. The high-end models from Bose come pretty close, but even they can't completely isolate noise. The Maxell 'phones do a good job, and significantly reduce the noise level.

I am a pilot, and daily wear a Sennheiser headset, that retails for several hundred pounds, and I would estimate that the Maxell is approximately 80% as effective at noise reduction. I think that at about £15-£20, that's very good value!

Overall, this is a great value headset, well worth £20, $40 or whatever!