SOURCE: Sony Europe
September 23, 2008 12:19 ET
100 Million People a Year Suffer Flight Related Headaches, but the World's First Digital Noise Cancelling Headphones From Sony Can Help
Digital Noise Cancelling Headphones From Sony Can Help Avoid Headaches Associated With Air Travel to Ensure Business Travellers Arrive at Their Destinations Ready to Perform at Their Best
WEYBRIDGE, UK--(Marketwire - September 23, 2008) - According to new research from Israel's Bnai
Zion Medical Center, an estimated 100 million people suffer from headaches
associated with air travel each year. Almost 20 percent of people who
reported flight related headaches said they suffer headaches every time
they fly. (1)
For business travellers, a headache means that they arrive at their
destination feeling stressed, agitated and unable to perform at their best.
By blocking out the loud engine noise experienced inside an aircraft cabin,
noise cancelling headphones can not only help travellers to sleep, they
also help to eliminate one of the key causes of flight related headaches
and ensure a more comfortable and relaxing journey.
Sony's MDR-NC500D is the world's first set of digital noise cancelling
headphones, capable of eliminating up to 99 percent of ambient noise --
the best noise cancelling performance available. Up until now, all noise
cancelling headphones have been built on analogue technology but the
MDR-NC500D headphones use digital processing and advanced artificial
intelligence to more accurately block unwanted noise in different
environments.
Vlad Levitsky, European Product Manager for Sony Headphones, said
"Our aim with the MDR-NC500D headphones was to push noise cancelling
technology into the 21st century, delivering a dramatic performance
improvement over the old analogue technologies that are still used in all
other models. Business travellers using the MDR-NC500D headphones will
experience a much more peaceful and enjoyable journey, with significantly
higher audio quality than ordinary noise cancelling
headphones. As a result, they may be less likely to suffer from
headaches and may get more rest during the flight."
Sony MDR-NC500D headphones virtually eliminate low frequency ambient noise,
whether the wearer is listening to music or just seeking some peace and
quiet, and they automatically switch between three different noise
cancelling modes to provide the best results for different environments
(aircraft, office, or bus). With large 40mm drivers and with an in-built
Digital Noise Cancelling Software Engine the headphones also deliver
excellent quality sound reproduction.
An adapter is supplied for connecting the headphones to an aircraft's
entertainment system, which allows passengers to enjoy the in-flight movie
with a far higher quality and clarity of sound than ordinary headphones,
free from the drone of the engines. The internal Lithium-ion rechargeable
battery provides 16 hours of use and can be supplemented with a pair of AA
batteries to last for the longest of journeys.
Availability
The MDR-NC500D and MDR-NC40 noise cancelling headphones are available to
order now at www.sonystyle-europe.com.
(1) Source: August 2008 edition of Cephalalgia 'An International Journal of
Headache'
NOTES TO EDITORS
Environmental Info
Sony is engaged in a constant review of its manufacturing, operational and
business practices to ensure that its products are developed in an
environmentally responsible way. This approach can broadly be divided into
three areas:
PRODUCT: Extended user documentation is provided electronically to reduce
paper use.
PROCESS: The packaging uses recyclable paper to reduce the impact on the
environment.
PLANET: Sony is determined to lead the way as a responsible manufacturer,
and as a result we are focussing on three key areas of investment:
1. Reducing CO2 gas emissions
2. Increasing the percentage of renewable energy used in manufacturing
facilities
3. Minimising the resources used by our factories in manufacturing
About Sony:
Sony manufactures audio, video, communications and information technology
products for the global consumer and professional markets. With its music,
pictures, game and online businesses, Sony is uniquely positioned to be one
of the world's leading digital entertainment brands. Sony recorded
consolidated global annual sales of EUR 55.44 billion (yen 8,871 billion)
for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2008, based on an average market
exchange rate for the same period of yen 160.0 to the EUR. It employs
approximately 180,500 people worldwide.
In Europe, the Sony Group recorded consolidated annual sales of EUR 12.73
billion (yen 2,328 billion) for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2008. Sony
Europe, headquartered at the Sony Center am Potsdamer Platz in Berlin, is
responsible for the company's European electronics business and registered
consolidated sales of EUR 9.55 billion for the same period.
For more information on Sony Europe, please visit
http://www.sony-europe.com and
http://presscentre.sony.eu/