Since it is pretty much the biggest booth at IFA 2009, Sony's expo space contains just about every interesting product the company might have come up with lately, from 3D displays to digital cameras and from eBook readers to complete home-entertainment systems. And amid all of this technology produced by the Japanese company, we've also come across these little babies, namely the MDR-NC300D noise-canceling headphones.

As Sony's reps informed us, the MDR-NC300D from Sony is the world’s first in-ear headphone that uses digital noise cancelling to cut distracting noise. The technology is called Advanced Artificial Intelligent Noise Cancelling (AINC) and it continuously monitors and analyses ambient noise around the user. The MDR-NC300D uses this information to select the optimal anti-noise profile at every instant, the totally automatic process leading to a 98.4% reduction in ambient noise.

From this point of view, I can say that Sony's really got a winner here, since, after inserting the earphones in my ears and switching on the audio player connected to them, I was instantly transported out of Sony's noisy booth and into a world of music and sound. So, all thumbs up for this feature.

The device also incorporates S-Master Digital Amplifer technology that assures a detail-packed soundstage with any music source and users can benefit from the 3 selectable sound modes (Movie, Bass, Normal) that fine-tune frequency response to suit your personal listening preference. Audiophile sound quality is further enhanced by the super-size 16mm Neodymium driver for rich, smooth sound and powerful, extended bass.

The headphone’s vertical in-ear design is designed for maximum comfort during extended listening sessions and the device is also supplied with 7 sizes of soft silicone earbuds. Plus, there’s also a convenient monitor switch that switches off digital noise canceling, while the whole thing is powered by a single AA battery that provides power for up to 20 hours of uninterrupted listening.


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