SGNL HB-N50 Wireless Earbuds - in Ear Bluetooth Headphones - Noise Cancelling and Open Ear Control Switch Options Earphones, Up to 13 Hours Playback, Rich Bass, Best HD Stereo Sound

I love these headphones but I did return them.My requirements:* In-ear Noise Cancellation: I fly a lot and I wanted in-ear noise canceling headphones. I did not want over the ear because I didn't want the indentation in my hair that comes with extended wear of over-the-ear phones - I know it's vain but it's the truth.* Neckband: completely wireless ear buds are awesome but they don't compare to the wireless corded models. For corded wireless headphones, you have to choose where the electronics and battery go: either on your ears or on your neck. I chose the neckband because there is more room for the battery and there is less hanging out of my ear.* Great sound - especially base* Stable and waterproof for running: the headphones can't slip or fall out while I'm running and they have to withstand considerable amounts of sweat.* Good voice quality for phone calls* Long battery life: I use my headphones as much as 8 hours a day between phone calls and music.TestI bought 6 pairs of noise cancelling headphones and compared them head-to-head. 4 pairs in the $40-$60 range, these headphones, and a pair of Bose QC 30 headphones. The cheaper pairs were as expected. The audio was good but the noise cancellation was weak. I'm going to focus on the head-to-head comparison between the Bose QC 30 and the SGNL HB-N50. For the noise cancellation, I used a vacuum cleaner and a bathroom fan for testing. For testing the call quality, I left voice messages using the headphones and then listed to the voice message.Comparison* In-ear Noise Cancellation: The SGNL HB-N50 were really good but the Bose QC 30 were slightly better. The difference was slight. I had to switch back and forth multiple times but in the end, the Bose were better.* Neckband: I liked the neckband on the SGNL HB-N50 better. It is lighter, more flexible, and longer battery life.* Great sound: The sound on the SGNL HB-N50 was better. It's hard to describe but the base was warmer and deeper than the Bose. The Bose are still good but SGNL was better.* Stable and waterproof for running: I ran with both and the earbuds were stable and didn't have a problem with my sweat. The Bose were better. The Bose lock in so tight it takes effort to pull them out. I didn't have a problem with the SGNL, but I felt more secure with the Bose.* Good voice quality for phone calls: I recorded voice messages to my phone and both seemed to have good call quality.* Long battery life: The SGNL has substantially longer battery life. I wish I had better metrics on battery life but I can confidently say the SGNL had a significant edge. Over multiple days of testing, the SGNL still had 50% or better. The Bose were consistently drained or nearly drained.Conclusion:I bought the Bose QC 30's refurbished on Amazon for $170, the SGNL HB-N50 were $140. If I had to pay full price for the QC 30's, the decision would have been a no-brainer. However, given there was only a $30 difference in price, it came down to Noise Canceling. The Bose satisfactorily met all my requirements and were slightly better on the most important criteria, noise canceling.

11 months since my review and the left channel half-died. I did not abuse these in any way whatsoever. I expect devices to last a few years. Really a shame because I was very fond of this product and it is well priced.My original review — December, 2018This product gets five stars for superb sound and highly effective noise cancellation. This replaced mid-priced over-the-ear headphones with ineffective ANC. (Those went back from whence they came).The sound is flat (as it should be) allowing my equalizer to do what it is supposed to do on both my tablet and phone. Some headphones emphasize bass and create distortion. The microphones (there are two) work very well.QUIRKS:At this point I expect devices to charge via USB-C. This has not adapted causing me to fiddle with which side is up.This is a behind the head proposition. It cannot be used any other way. There are two separate, in-line control pods on the right side. One controls power and ANC. The other controls volume, track, pause, play. These sit just below my shoulder. Given that my neck does not have a right-angle adaptor these are out of view. In time it will be second nature. At the moment, however, figuring out which control to use and what button to push is a pain in the …The ANC has three modes; on, off, on-but-off. The third is gratuitous. The “on-but-off” makes no sense at all. There is a voice prompt when the ANC is turned off. There are no prompts to tell you when the ANC is on and which mode is activated.When powered on the ANC is off. There is a red light (which of course I cannot see). One click on the button — that I cannot find — turns the ANC on in the effective mode.———Again, the sound quality and effectiveness of the ANC warrant five stars. This is particularly true because the quirkiness will disappear as I become more accustomed to using them.

I got tired of lugging my awesome Bose QC 15's with me on my frequent plane trips. So I ordered this BT set and hoped for the best. To be clear, I have not been using this set for music, videos or anything other than noise cancellation and talking on the phone. But for anyone looking for a little quiet in a noisy place like a plane, this set does work and you need not even have it actively paired to your smartphone. The only caveat is that it wants to shut off after some time of inactivity. So you may have to push a button or two to keep it working.It, like any in-the-ear set, is not going to work as well as a higher-end over-the-ear set, but it works good enough for me. For the price-point, I recommend it.

I really like the sound of these earbuds, but there are some nagging problems that bother me every time I use them. First, it would be nice to have some audible feedback when switching noise reduction on and off since the light that is supposed to signal the state of the noise cancelling isn't visible when you wear the earbuds. Similarly, I wish the controls for volume and pause were a bit larger and more tactilely distinguishable. Eventually, I will learn which control is which, but I'm still at the bottom of that learning curve. I also had a bit of trouble getting them deep enough in my small ear canals until I got some replacement tips (SpinFit CP240-L – Patented Silicone Eartips), but that problem might be peculiar to me.So, I know that sounds like a lot of negatives for a 4-star review, but the sound is so good, and now that I have the proper tips, the fit is also good. In the end, these have become my go-to earbuds for exercise on my elliptical machine and power walks in hot weather. For listening when relaxing at home, on walks when it isn't hot, or especially on planes, I have the Sony WH1000XM3, which are fantastic but not water-resistant.These earbuds are not inexpensive, and there are some flaws in design, but, overall, I think they are good value for the money.