Between 30 and almost 60 euros, depending on the source and discount situation, you have to look for the NC25. From time to time you get it, like me, on Amazon for just under 30 euros with discount code. And since I'm not very vain (at least not with something like that), the NC25 was allowed to replace the permanently oppressive Samsung Level On Pro on my last trip to Canada.
The reason was simple, because the Samsung headphones remind my ears on long distances at the latest from the second or third hour with vehemence that some fresh air without permanent clutching would finally be appropriate.
For this price, one should not have a quality appearance and such a perfectly functioning ANC (active noise cancellation) as e.g. expect Bose's QuietComfort series, but the construct still needs to work a little bit. And that's exactly what the NC25 has done, even if there are smaller quirks and drawbacks that the expensive products can simply do better. Avoid. But there are also positive things to report, so I want to take this part with me in the review.
The headphones come to the customer in a hard box, in addition there is a USB charging cable, a 3.5mm jack cable, as well as an airplane adapter for the very old mills a la United Airlines, where you always wonder who is actually older – the stewardess, which looks like Grandma Hilde or the drained 747, which still survived the cold war. For the latter, ANC is a must if you want to sleep for at least a few hours.
The manual should always be kept with you or at least internalized in a quiet minute. The multifunction buttons have it all and you should already know which of the buttons with which function is multiple times occupied. If you have this soft at some point, then three of these pressure points are loose enough to control the portable media center at least as safely as Capt'n Hook in the front cockpit of the museum steamer.
Optics, haptics and functionality
Rubbercoating, chrome and soft PU leather imitation – for this price it is also much worse. Haptically and visually, this package is definitely fine and the appearance is at least not that of an Asian cheap bomber. But you have to let the part evaporate in the fresh air for a few hours after unpacking, before you put the hardcase in your hand luggage. Otherwise, the later general anesthesia is pre-programmed for a certain period of time. Helpful for toddlers in the front row, but bad for their own senses and seat neighbours.
If you follow all the advice, nothing stands in the way of an operation. The ironing mechanism is limited to the 90° hinges and the headband, which is sufficient. Designed as an over-ear, this also works with the seat, which is also not too tight. Careful bending then creates total freedom if you come with hat size 60+. The ear pads are just large enough and are very good. Almost too good, because there is no pressure equalization.
After all, this acoustic hermit feeling is already half the price for the ANC, which also works quite well with limitations. Voices are only poorly filtered, so that such an NC25 can almost be used as a spy headphones. The rather broadband turbine noises are well filtered, so that the voices and short impulses in turn are abundantly clear. But you don't want to hear some conversations at all.
If the battery is empty and Bluetooth acknowledges the service, you can still listen to the smartphone with the supplied jack cable – only that with the talk is then no longer possible. Because the part is actually a headset, whose microphone can fulfill two functions. By the way, an NC25 is only charged via USB charging cable, the connection is interrupted during the charging process. The chrome ring also shows very nicely on the picture the fingerprints, which stick on such a journey next to the other impressions.
Speaking of running time, I wouldn't want to sign the manufacturer's data of 16 hours of music now, but a total of 12 hours of travel time has such a Srhythm NC25 to offer. Leipzig-Vancouver over Frankfurt with a longer stop were in any case loose. Charging is not really fixed, here you should plan up to four hours.
The operation via the three buttons is safe and trouble-free once you have internalized them. It's even much safer than the Samsung headset's annoying touch panel with swipe gestures that only work when you don't intend to. Then i'd rather be old-school. as here. Fits. The function LED provides information about charging status and operating modes. Reading the manual is also here.
Sound check and measurement
Since I can also connect the headset via jack cable, I also measured it, which was unfortunately not possible with the somewhat dull sounding microphone (Bluetooth only) in the measuring room. Below the lower middles, the curve breaks on average by approx. 10 dB, but you can hurt it quite well. The extreme dent at approx. 225 Hz can also be tolerated, but here with many voices and instruments somewhat the basic tones are missing. This makes much of it look rather undercooled to really cold.
The peak at 5.4 KHz lets the Sibilants step forward a bit, which sounds a bit metallic and should not be everyone's taste. So such an NC25 is certainly still quite good for on the go and all possible music, as long as you are not audiophile. But the ability to suffer is tested much harder in the economy anyway than the ears of the NC25. If sitting in the back and muzzles sticky pasta, then at least with style.
The CSD waterfall curve then also shows the usual afterswing, which can be observed again and again with favorable drivers. By the way, the response is quite neat, even more severe resonances are hardly noticeable. The performance can be classified as audible overall, but I don't really want to hear a chamber concert with it. But the part is extremely level-proof, which surprised me very positively. Gershwin's piano concerto in F was press-stable to the limit of pain. At least something.
Summary and conclusion
For 30 euros with discount code a real bargain, for 50 to 60 euros you have to think longer. For casual travellers with 2-4 hours of flight windows in the wood class, such a Srhythm NC25 is quite ok, if you want to hide the environment and its noise waste with some confidence. But if you want to and need to access such a device more often, you should really buy something more expensive. Compromises are all well and good, but we must consider whether they are also to be made.
I did not regret the purchase directly, because it is not Nullinger who deliver nothing at all. But on the next flight I take something different with me in my hand luggage. Not that such an NC25 would be bad for the image, because they are quite chic. But my ears would like to have a little less voice-catching with the neighbor and a more solid sound foundation with more depth instead of finish. But well, you can't have everything. But you could at least, assuming a thick war chest.
NC25InstructionSheet_Srhythm
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