NOCS NS800-002 In-Ear Earphones with Remote and Mic Stailess White

DISCLAIMER: This unit was provided by Nocs for the purposes of this review. I am neither an affiliate nor an employee of Nocs, and have not been paid to right this review.PACKAGING/ ACCESSORIESThe NS-800 comes packaged in relatively simple cardboard box. A small window on the back showcases the NS-800’s stainless steel housing in its entirety (eartips did not come attached by default). While I’m generally not a fan of see-through packaging, I do have to say that in this case the clear window is rather well executed. The NS-800s are housed in nice precision cut foam, and the overall feel of the box inspires confidence. My only complaint is that the earphones are placed flush next to the window, meaning that they could be rather easily damaged in cases of poor shipping and handling.The included items for the NS-800 are well thought out, and each accessory serves a purpose. 2 sets of each size of eartip are included (6 total), which I think is excellent foresight on the part of Nocs. Too many earphones in this price range simply neglect to include a spare pair of mediums, which often makes it hard for the casual listener to find a replacement in the case of the inadvertent loss of one eartip. All too often, casual listeners will simply revert to using a larger or smaller size of eartip, which makes for a less than ideal seal. A soft velvet case will help to keep the NS-800 safe, and is amply sized to store the earphones. The airplane jack adaptor and the clothing clip are also great additions that should be standard on more earphones at this price point.BUILD/ DESIGNMoving on to the build quality, the NS-800 features a finely machined stainless steel housing. It’s a testament to what can be achieved for a mere 150 USD, and really puts many other less well-built earphones in the same price range to shame. The cable that comes with the NS-800 is nondetachable, but is coated with Kevlar to ensure long lasting durability. In addition, the cable features good strain relief (what a relief). My only complaint is that it does retain quite a bit of memory, and also gets tangled rather easily. The inline remote does its job, but it certainly isn’t something to write home about either.The overall design of the NS-800 is very sensible. There are no “gimmicky” features or crazy fitting gadgets to entice the average consumer. However, it is this utilitarian design philosophy behind the earphones that makes it so appealing. The NS-800 is extremely small and fits stealthily into one’s ears. Because of its diminutive size, it is also very easily transportable, and suits active listeners very well. In fact, I found myself carrying the NS-800 around with me much more often than some of my other earphones simply because of the convenience factor. Overall, props to Nocs for creating such a sensibly designed pair of earphones.SOUNDThe original NS-800 seemed to have some issues with SQ, and many users reported an overly lean sound with high levels of sibilance. However, with V2, the NS-800 got a bit of a retuning that has since restored some warmth to its SQ, making for an overall better listening experience.Starting with the bass, the NS-800 demonstrates performance that is highly commendable for a single BA-driven earphone. The quality of the bass is good, and the NS-800 is able to produce low-frequency notes with a fair amount of speed and precision. This shouldn’t be too surprising, as it does utilize a balanced armature driver. What sets the NS-800 apart from other competitors then is the quantity of bass available. There is enough impact in the bass to create an engaging low-frequency performance that all users can enjoy. Bass extension isn’t particularly good, but what notes the NS-800 can reach it renders excellently. Listening to Savanna by Tobtok, I was taken aback by how successful the NS-800 was creating a lively “party” sound that makes house music so enjoyable.The mids on the NS-800 are fairly good. They aren’t veiled, and do provide a rather competent presence. However, they lack a certain “fullness” and can sound rather flat at times. I believe that a little bit more energy would definitely have helped in this regard. The treble is crisp and clear, and adds a sparkle that might just remind longtime users of how the original NS-800 sounded like. However, it is not a disjointed sound segment, and works well with the bass/mids to help create a comfortable, warmer SQ.The soundstage leans toward the intimate side of things, and at times instrument separation is slightly compromised. While listening to L’amant by Gabriel Yared, I found that the NS-800 did have some trouble resolving between differences between the violin soloist and the rest of the ensemble.FINAL THOUGHTSThe NS-800 is a compelling product at its price point. Offering a good (if not safe) SQ and an excellent all-round package, the NS-800 performs very well for its price range, and is great for day-to-day use. Not having to fumble with hard-case containers or worry about achieving a good fit on a regular basis really helped to make the NS-800 one of my everyday carry items. In general, if you are looking for a pair of earphones that can hold its own SQ-wise while providing good aesthetics and general convenience, then the NS-800 is just the thing for you.

Excellent earphones. I know it's a cliche, but I am hearing things I didn't hear before, except with my Philips X1, which are in a totally different price range and being over ear open backs. A big improvement over the NS400 which I enjoyed very much, snd much better than the B&W C5, which after about 6 months started to have issues with the cable. Considering the price, I don't think you can get anything better.

I've now had these headphones for 3 months and they sound better and better. I've had Shure, Sennheiser, Klipsch, etc and these are a great set of headphones in the $100 range. Sound is true and clean. They have crisp highs and deep bass, but they are not bass heavy. Great purchase and extremely happy.

I'm an old audiophile who built my first hi-fi system from kits in the 60's, and pursued a career in acoustics because of my love for beautiful music. I have gone through periods in my life when I owned the finest speakers and electronics that I could afford, but the last 20 or so years have been pretty boring with regard to new equipment for me. I suppose a high end 5.1 speaker system, and a respectable $500 receiver with room equalization was good enough. I have delighted to lossless;y rip all my CD's to iTunes, but I have never been completely satisfied with any headphones I've ever owned. My latest, (before the NOCS) included a pair of QC2's and an cheap noise reducing set of canalphones. The Bose were dull but comfortable. The canalphones were not comfortable enough for a long flight. What I really wanted was a Bluetooth 4.0 set that sounded as good as my speakers. I looked pretty hard, but the BT technology seems not ready for prime time, and the fit of even the best over the ear phones was never quite right.So, after reading some good reviews on the NOCS NS800-002 elsewhere, I began to contrast them with other sub-$359 canalphones. Nothing I read persuaded me any competitor was better than the NOCS, in my price range. So, I sprung for a pair from Amazon. My first impression was quite favorable, so I looked forward to the "break-in" improvement others have reported. I never heard that improvement, but am in no way disappointed. What I experienced was just what I wanted:1 The sound was excellent. Clear, well-deftned, tight bass, and extended frequency response on both ends.2. The comfort was excellent, even for extended periods of use.3. The Kevlar-reinforced wires were a little stiff at first, but have become more supple with use.In short, I found it possible to actually forget I am wearing them. Also, the wires are long enough to wrap around my outer ears amd then run inside my shirt to my front trouser pocket, making them practically invisible to others.Minor Complaints: Some have commented on the isolation, which I find to be substantially less than for active noise cancellation. I have not taken them on a flight yet, so I cannot say how well they block cabin noise. I have used them while riding an older, noise mower, and the intelligibility is good in that environment. They have the ability to play loudly enough to overcome most outside noise. However, I don't want to play music that loudly on long trips. I'll report back after our trip to Mauai this summer. Also, the 3-button controls are quite handy, but don't have the same feel as original equipment iPhone earbuds. Other than these two insignificant observations, I really find nothing to dislike. I din't doubt that $500 will buy better canalphones. But, in my book, these are good enough, and a lot more economical. 5 Stars!.

The vocals feel a bit too compressed, but if you like Zhu, Purity Ring, Kiev... that sort of music, these are quite nice. Bass is big, but it isn't stupid big, which is good, because the bass stays super tight and accurate. I've read several reviews that claim the mids and highs will free up after a bit of break in. That would be nice, but honestly, that's asking a lot for $150 earphones. For the money, even if they stay where they are, they're the best phones I've put in my ears.

Huge fan on NOCS,My Earphones ceased working after 10months of non intense use....

Very good

I have quite a few in ear monitors, from high end to fairly basic, and these are among the best. They are small, light and very comfortable. I am surprised at how good they sound. These aren't cheap but they sound much more expensive than they are. The low end isn't boomy, but well defined. The mids are substantial while the highs are crisp but don't 'sizzle'.I have an Android phone and the in line controls are designed for Apple. Only the pause button works for me.

They are well made, they sound great, if a bit too analytical. You need good music source (flac or similar) and a good player to get their best out. Good enough for a recording engineer.If only they had made better ear fittings, I would have given them 5stars.

Poor build quality. Owned two pairs and both failed where the cable meets the jack. They sound great and I am sure if they never leave the studio or bedroom then they will last. As day to day headphones, they fall short.

Da meine (bereits sehr guten) Sennheiser CX 400II nach zwei Jahren Gebrauch nicht nur unansehnlich geworden waren sondern auch das Kabel an einer Stelle gebrochen ist habe ich mich nach Durchsicht etlicher Rezensionen für die NOCS 800 Monitor entschieden. Nach mehreren Wochen Test Zeit kann ich sagen dass ich mit meiner Wahl vollends zufrieden bin. Die Kopfhörer sind nicht nur optisch sehr schön sondern auch sehr solide und robust verarbeitet. Die Freisprecheinrichtung und Fernbedienung für Iphone, Ipod und Co. funktioniert einwandfrei und ist ein nettes Zusatzfeature. Die Kopfhörer sitzen perfekt und sind auch nach längerem Tragen nicht unangenehm oder störend bzw. kaum zu spüren. Da die Stöpsel wenig aus dem Ohr ragen kann man auch wunderbar damit einschlafen ohne nach Stunden mit Schmerzen im Ohr aufzuwachen. Was aber natürlich bei Kopfhörern essentiell ist, ist der Sound und auch hier haben die Nocs meine Erwartungen mehr als erfüllt. Die Wiedergabe ist sehr neutral und klar und ich habe in Songs Nuancen gehört die mit den Sennheisern gar nicht wahrzunehmen waren. Mich hat der warme, pure Sound überzeugt und für die Musik die ich am meisten höre (Indie, Folk, Jazz, Klassik....) finde ich die Nocs einfach perfekt. Wer Metal; Hardrock und ähnliches bevorzugt dem wird es vermutlich an Bass fehlen.

Me encanta el sonido de estos auriculares. Si tuviera que describir su repuesta de alguna manera sería equilibrada. Habitualmente los uso para monitorizacion de mis producciones y son capaces de reproducir los detalles, sobre todo en las frecuencias medias. Los agudos son justos, nada chillones o fatigantes. Los graves son precisos y en ningún momento predominan en la respuesta. En fin, de lo mas agradable para escucha prolongada pero también para escucha analítica. El aislamiento del exterior es excelente para este tipo de auriculares y el efecto micrófonico es mínimo.La construcción también me ha perecido excelente. Veremos lo que duran las partes de goma más blandas pero el cuerpo de aluminio es ligero y da robustez al conjunto. El micro suena correcto y la longitud del cable adecuada para llevarlos por la calle en cualquier bolsillo que se nos ocurra. Estéticamente son muy bonitos y discretos, perfectamente emparejados con cualquier iPhone.Si tuviera que destacar algún detalle negativo quizás sería que los botones del remoto no están marcados con ningún relieve y de esta manera es facil equivocarse de botón al tacto.En cuanto al precio he aprovechado una de las rebajas puntuales en Amazon y creo que obtienes un gran sonido por lo que pagas.