Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I was an early adopter of active noise canceling technology and over the years have had many a pair of ANC headphones. They did serve their primary purpose of hearing protection and I still have them in the garage for the occasional power tool moments. For long commutes, however, these headphones are simply too bulky and heavy to be comfortable. The pressure on the ears becomes particularly unbearable with glass frames. Two years ago, I got a pair of Shure E2c Sound Isolating In-Ear Earphones Color CLEAR - E2C / E2 just for my daily rides on the rail. The Shure is light, convenient and good-sounding. It lacks the active NC circuit but the in-ear design dampens the ambient noise sufficiently on the train. Once I started flying regularly for business, however, I went looking for a stronger solution. My first try was Aiwa HP-CN6 Noise-Canceling Over-the-Ear Headphones, which is much lighter than older designs and thus gives me some hope of less crimping on the ears. Unfortunately, the Aiwa's collapsible frame is hard on the skull and won't stay in place. The noise dampening is mediocre and the pressure on the ears remains too much for me. I began looking for a pair of in-the-ear set with good active noise canceling capability. Surprisingly, there is very little choice available in the market. Although earbuds have a natural advantage in noise isolation, its small size poses difficulties for manufacturers, who need to cram microphones next to the speaker units. Panasonic's expertise in miniaturization comes in handy here, allowing the company to deliver a product of uniquely superior design. I wore the Panasonic RP-HC55 on a recent trip non-stop for eight hours straight and loved it. There is little if any discomfort at all and the noise-canceling works well. It is so light and the cord is short enough that I simply unplug the connector and put it in my shirt pocket without removing the buds during the occasional visits to the restroom. I usually had a hard time falling asleep on the plane, but this time I was able to doze off for a couple of hours. The Panasonic is no doubt the best earphones I have ever owned. Despite my high regards for this product, some nitpicking remains possible. I am used to wrapping the cords of the Shure backward around my ears and lock them in place by tightening the Y-junction against my chin. This is very difficult to do with the Panasonic because its cords are made of elastic rubber and its Y-junction is not adjustable. The range of volume control is fairly limited, particularly on the low side, so one has to look elsewhere if he wants to drop the volume temporarily without killing it altogether. But overall, this is a great product, especially for frequent fliers. ================================== Added 12/08/2009 ================================== Consumer Reports appears to agree with my assessment. The 2009 Electronics issue rates this Panasonic the Best Buy among NC headphones.