OVC Active Noise Cancelling Earphones Headphones Wired Earbuds - 60 Hours ANC Playtime, Dual Driver, Bass Enhancement, Volume Control with Microphone, 3.5mm Plug for Android (Blue)

Interestingly diverse set of reviews on this headphone. Total 45 so far, with most of the first 40 being 5-star and the recent ones around a couple of stars.I have had several pairs of noise cancelling headphone in the past. First was a set of Sony MDR NC5 (2005, cost £80 - very good. Lent to someone who lost them). A set of Phillips SNH9500 in 2006, cost £130, over-the-ear, NC - good, but died after about a year of light use. A cheap set from Maplin in 2008 - only £35, but a waste of time. A set of Sennheiser PXC310BT in 2012 - on-ear, wireless, NC. Excellent, as they should be a cost of £190. Unfortunately I lost them a couple of years later. So overall, not a happy tale. The nearest equivalent to the lost Sennheisers seems to be the very covetable MM-450X - on-ear, NC, wireless and wired, but they cost about £250 which is pretty expensive, especially considering that their life is potentially quite short due to accidental loss or limited durability. I also have some non-NC headphones, eg Sennheiser PX-100 II and PX-200 II for home use. I am not an audiophile and listen to music only for a total of about 30 mins per week, so I am definitely not a audiophile.So a few months ago I decided to dip a toe back into the NC headphone market. My requirements were light weight, compact, reasonably robust, reasonably effective NC capability, at a moderate price - up to say £100. Purposes: occasional use, say once per week, listening to podcasts on the noisy London underground, and occasional use, a few times per year, listening to movies on long-haul flights. Both generally quite challenging environments. My ideal is really wireless, on-ear, and NC, but that was outside my price range. So after looking around on Amazon I purchased the OVC H15 in-ear NC phones in Oct.2017, cost £45. Unit has quite a good quality feel, and is supplied with a comprehensive set of accessories/spares.Due to limited recent travel on the underground, I have used these phones only once in that environment. The result was fair, with background noise levels being reduced from what I would call 'unacceptable for listening purposes' to what I would describe as 'OK'. I have also used them on two long-haul flights, each about 12 hours. The aircraft was the A380, which, along with the A350 and B787 is probably the quietest commercial aircraft in operation, so less challenging than most. I could not objectively measure the actual level of noise reduction, but it was significant. As an indication, listening to the movie was changed from 'a struggle at the margins of acceptability' to a fair, possibly even reasonably good, experience. So although not in the same class as a high-end set of 'phones costing 4 or 5 times as much, the NC was definitely worthwhile, and for me the purchase cost was justified in just a single long haul journey. The overall comfort level was good enough and although wired certainly does not provide the freedom of wired, the cables gave an average experience in that regard.In a non-noisy environment, engaging the bass button makes a very big difference to sound quality, but in a noisy environment the difference is much harder to detect, and I found the audio quality very similar.The significant design flaw relates the on/off button on the small NC box nearest to the input source. The button needs only a light touch, and although there is a faintly audible click and a pair of small green indicators are illuminated, unless you are using a hard case (as opposed to the small drawstring bag provided) there is nothing to prevent the unit from being accidentally switched on while inside the case, and all of the power being drained from the unit. Which leaves it useless when actually needed, unless there is immediate access to a portable battery or power source such as a USB socket on a plane. What's annoying is that the bass on/off switch, which is much less critical, is actually a slider, which is what the NC on/off should really be.For me, the OVC is a convenient-in-some-circumstance device but not really a pleasure to use. If I needed to use NC headphones more often I would actively consider stretching out for a high-end unit on-ear NC unit - probably the MM-450X rather than Bose, due to the latter's reported fragility.So overall I would give this OVC H15 set a rating of 3 stars, which may even be a touch generous. 1 star lost because the NC capability is the region of fair/acceptable at this price point, and 1 star lost because of the on/off button design flaw.

Packaging & ContentsThe item came packaged in a stylish box, the headphones being located just underneath the lid of the box. In the pouch (located underneath the plastic compartment) you will find a charging cable, manuals, magnetic cable tie, spare rubber earbuds and an audio splitter.In ActionThe headphones are very comfortable to wear despite the weird shape of the earbuds, offering a good fit for noise cancellation. You don’t even have to plug in the headphones in a device because as soon as you press the power button, you will see the instant effect. Just by pressing the noise cancelling button you will not be able to hear the person speaking next to you. When plugged in a device and listening to music, you will not hear anything happening next to you.I really like the bass enhancer button that you find on the side of the remote. When activated, the bass is at least 30% more powerful than before.The remote itself it’s very easy to use and works flawlessly with any Android device.The prosThe headphones are sturdy, and good quality materials have been used to manufacture this product.The consI wish they would offer more spare earbuds. I can imagine this product not being available in the next 3-4 years and if I ever need any earbuds, their irregular shape will make finding replacements an impossible task.ConclusionThese headphones are incredibly good if you want to immerse yourself into a different world while listening to your favourite music. They are really good for long travels, city commute or regular daily use. Due to their powerful noise cancellation features I would highly recommend extra precaution when walking on street/ crossing roads.

I paid full whack for the headphones, i'm nothing to do with OVC, this review is all my own work, I'm no shill reviewer!I've used the headphones for 6 weeks or so now, under a range of conditions - in the car, in the office, out and about, I've used the headphones with a Blackberry (I know, old skool!), a oneplus 3T, a google pixel and a laptop.Overall i'm disappointed.The good.The cabling is braided so doesn't tangle easily, the ear buds are comfortable and come with a wide range of ear adapters, they look pretty decent & the built in battery lasts for a long time (40+ hours). The sound from the headphones is nicely rounded, not to much bass and not to tinny.The bad.The noise cancellation is very basic. It cancels noise in quite a limited range, and with limited success. I have no oscilloscope screenshots to back this up, but they are not in the same league as the premium devices (Jabra & Bose) I also use. The microphone is very noisy, it picks up background noise as much as voice & the two wires the go to the ear buds is 50mm too short. The battery box, activation button & charge port is very close to the 3.5mm jack, its inconveniently close. The cableI really wanted to enjoy these headphones, but unfortunately because of the noisy microphone and meh noise cancelling they are just not good enough. There is a balancing act between price & performance and often a low price justifies slightly less performance, however in this case the performance is too far away from what it should be to get anything other than 2/5. How everyone else thinks they are amazing is confusing.