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Products in this category are scored under Frontum Headphones Methodology v1.0: technical specifications plus authentic consumer ratings, with 0% commercial bias.
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Philips Fidelio NC1 Review | 93 Data compared

Avg. price:~£220Form factor:on-earConnectivity:wiredBattery life:N/A hoursActive noise cancellation (ANC):yes

Philips Fidelio NC1 Review: Compare 93 technical specifications and user reviews to see how this product ranks in the Headphones category and whether it is worth buying.

7.4/10

Overall score

Score
7.4/ 10
✕
What it is
An overall evaluation of the headphones' quality, based on technical analyses and user reviews.
When it matters
When you need a quick reference to identify the best headphones on the market.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–² Better than 81% of models
Score components

80%

7.4

Technical score

20%

?

User score

â–²Better than 81% of headphones
8.0

Value for money

Value for money
8.0/ 10
✕
What it is
An indicator that combines the headphones' overall rating with their cost.
When it matters
When you are looking for headphones that offer a strong balance of performance, features, and price.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–² Better than 78% of models
Score components

70%

7.4

Overall score

30%

9.4

Price

â–²Better than 78%
7.4

Technical score

Technical score
7.4/ 10
✕
What it is
An assessment of technical performance for products in the Headphones category across these key areas: Sound, Calls & Controls, Connectivity, Features, Battery, Design.
When it matters
When you want to compare headphones based on technical performance and available features.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–² Better than 82% of models
Score components

52%

9.3

Sound

20%

4.0

Features

10%

7.8

Design

8%

4.0

Connectivity

6%

5.4

Battery

4%

8.3

Calls & Controls

â–²Better than 82%
?

User score

User score
8.0/ 10
✕
What it is
A rating that combines user reviews and the total number of reviews received by the headphones.
When it matters
When you want to understand how headphones perform in real listening and how reliable they are in terms of comfort, audio quality, battery life, and long-term use.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–¼ Worse than 58% of models
Score components

70%

?

User ratings

30%

?

Number of reviews

  • No image
No image
Where to buy
    N/A~ £220
Best rankings
Available: ranking among products currently available (including other versions of this product).All: ranking among all products in the database.
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Technical Specifications of pair of headphones Philips Fidelio NC1

Technical score
Technical score
7.4/ 10
✕
What it is
An assessment of technical performance for products in the Headphones category across these key areas: Sound, Calls & Controls, Connectivity, Features, Battery, Design.
When it matters
When you want to compare headphones based on technical performance and available features.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–² Better than 82% of models
Score components:

52%

9.3

Sound

20%

4.0

Features

10%

7.8

Design

8%

4.0

Connectivity

6%

5.4

Battery

4%

8.3

Calls & Controls

7.4
User score
User score
8.0/ 10
✕
What it is
A rating that combines user reviews and the total number of reviews received by the headphones.
When it matters
When you want to understand how headphones perform in real listening and how reliable they are in terms of comfort, audio quality, battery life, and long-term use.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–¼ Worse than 58% of models
Score components

70%

?

User ratings

30%

?

Number of reviews

?
Popularity
Popularity
1.0/ 10
✕
What it is
An indicator based on the number of reviews received by the headphones.
When it matters
When you prefer headphones that have already been chosen and reviewed by many other users.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–¼ Worse than 99% of models
Popularity:
Philips Fidelio NC1 has a popularity score of 1 point, which is lower than that of 73.4% of products in this category.
1.0
Value for money
Value for money
8.0/ 10
✕
What it is
An indicator that combines the headphones' overall rating with their cost.
When it matters
When you are looking for headphones that offer a strong balance of performance, features, and price.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–² Better than 78% of models
Score components:

70%

7.4

Overall score

30%

9.4

Price

8.0
Active noise cancellation (ANC)
yes
This pair of headphones supports active noise cancellation. 72.6% of headphones support active noise cancellation.
Driver type
dynamic
Driver size
40 mm
Market range: <10 mm – >50 mm
This pair of headphones uses a driver size of 40 mm, larger driver size than 28.6% of headphones and equal to 53.3% of headphones.
Number of drivers
1
Market range: <1 – >4
This pair of headphones uses 1 drivers, fewer drivers than 4% of headphones and equal to 96% of headphones.
Lowest frequency
7 Hz
Market range: <5 Hz – >20 Hz
This pair of headphones reaches a lowest frequency of 7 Hz, lower lowest frequency than 83.2% of headphones and equal to 1.3% of headphones.
Show more
Noise-canceling microphone
yes
This pair of headphones supports a noise-canceling microphone. 61.1% of headphones support noise-canceling microphones.
Can be used as a headset
yes
This pair of headphones is headset-ready, 84.8% is not. 15.2% of headphones can be used as headsets.
Number of microphones
4
Market range: <0 – >4
This pair of headphones has 4 microphones, more microphones than 88% of headphones and equal to 5.1% of headphones.
Boom microphone
no
This pair of headphones does not include a boom microphone. 13.5% of headphones have a boom microphone.
Microphone SNR
?
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Connectivity
wired
This pair of headphones supports wired connectivity, less flexible connectivity than 49.2% of headphones and equal to 50.8% of headphones.
Bluetooth version
N/A
Maximum Bluetooth range
N/A
Audio latency
N/A
Multipoint support
no
This pair of headphones does not support multipoint. 30.6% of headphones support multipoint.
Show more
Ambient sound mode
no
This pair of headphones does not offer ambient sound mode. 24.9% of headphones support ambient sound mode.
EQ support
no
This pair of headphones does not support EQ customization. 23.2% of headphones support EQ.
Companion app
no
This pair of headphones does not work with a companion app. 21.6% of headphones support companion apps.
Adjustable ANC levels
N/A
Voice assistant support
no
This pair of headphones does not support voice assistants. 60.9% of headphones support voice assistants.
Show more
Battery life
N/A
Battery life with ANC
30 hours
Market range: <15 hours – >55 hours
This pair of headphones offers battery life with ANC of 30 hours, higher battery life with ANC than 43.1% of headphones and equal to 9.1% of headphones.
Charging time
N/A
Quick charge
no
This pair of headphones does not support quick charging. 33.1% of headphones support quick charge.
Battery capacity
N/A
Show more
Brand name
Philips
Form factor
on-ear
Weight
191 g
Market range: <14 g – >340 g
This pair of headphones weighs 191 g, lighter than 58.8% of headphones and equal to 0.2% of headphones.
Acoustic design
closed-back
Clamp force
3.6
Market range: <2.5 – >6.1
This pair of headphones has a clamp force of 3.6, lower clamp force than 60.4% of headphones and equal to 7.6% of headphones.
Show more

Philips Fidelio NC1 vs the average pair of headphones

246810TotalDesignSoundBatteryConnectivityCalls & ControlsFeatures
  • Active noise cancellation
    This pair of headphones supports active noise cancellation, the average pair of headphones does not. 27.5% of headphones support active noise cancellation.
  • Hi-Res Audio certification
    This pair of headphones has Hi-Res Audio certification, the average pair of headphones does not. 23.1% of headphones are Hi-Res Audio certified.
  • 11 Hz lower bass extension
    This pair of headphones has a lower lowest frequency than the average pair of headphones (7 Hz vs 18 Hz). The average headphones reach a lowest frequency of 18 Hz.
    7 Hz vs 18 Hz
  • 20,000 Hz higher treble extension
    This pair of headphones has a higher highest frequency than the average pair of headphones (40,000 Hz vs 20,000 Hz). The average headphones reach a highest frequency of 20,000 Hz.
    40,000 Hz vs 20,000 Hz
  • Clear call microphone
    This pair of headphones offers a clear call microphone, while the average pair of headphones does not. 39% of headphones support noise-canceling microphones.
  • In-line controls
    This pair of headphones includes in-line controls, the average pair of headphones does not. 36.6% of headphones support in-line controls.
  • 5 dB/mW higher sensitivity
    This pair of headphones has a higher sensitivity than the average pair of headphones (107 dB/mW vs 102 dB/mW). The average headphones have sensitivity of 102 dB/mW.
    107 dB/mW vs 102 dB/mW
  • 3 more microphones
    This pair of headphones has more microphones than the average pair of headphones (4 vs 1). The average headphones have 1 microphones.
    4 vs 1
  • Foldable design
    This pair of headphones has a foldable design, the average pair of headphones does not. 48.3% of headphones are foldable.
  • 12.4% lower weight
    This pair of headphones is lighter than the average pair of headphones (191 g vs 218 g). The average pair of headphones weighs 218 g.
    191 g vs 218 g
  • Active noise cancellation
    This pair of headphones supports active noise cancellation, the average pair of headphones does not. 27.5% of headphones support active noise cancellation.
  • Hi-Res Audio certification
    This pair of headphones has Hi-Res Audio certification, the average pair of headphones does not. 23.1% of headphones are Hi-Res Audio certified.
  • 11 Hz lower bass extension
    This pair of headphones has a lower lowest frequency than the average pair of headphones (7 Hz vs 18 Hz). The average headphones reach a lowest frequency of 18 Hz.
    7 Hz vs 18 Hz
  • 20,000 Hz higher treble extension
    This pair of headphones has a higher highest frequency than the average pair of headphones (40,000 Hz vs 20,000 Hz). The average headphones reach a highest frequency of 20,000 Hz.
    40,000 Hz vs 20,000 Hz
  • 5 dB/mW higher sensitivity
    This pair of headphones has a higher sensitivity than the average pair of headphones (107 dB/mW vs 102 dB/mW). The average headphones have sensitivity of 102 dB/mW.
    107 dB/mW vs 102 dB/mW
  • 18 dB higher max SPL
    This pair of headphones has a higher max SPL than the average pair of headphones (128 dB vs 110 dB). The average headphones reach a max SPL of 110 dB.
    128 dB vs 110 dB
  • Play while charging
    This pair of headphones can play while charging, the average pair of headphones cannot. 29.1% of headphones support play while charging.
  • Rechargeable battery
    This pair of headphones has a rechargeable battery, the average pair of headphones does not. 47.9% of headphones have a rechargeable battery.
  • Clear call microphone
    This pair of headphones offers a clear call microphone, while the average pair of headphones does not. 39% of headphones support noise-canceling microphones.
  • In-line controls
    This pair of headphones includes in-line controls, the average pair of headphones does not. 36.6% of headphones support in-line controls.
  • 3 more microphones
    This pair of headphones has more microphones than the average pair of headphones (4 vs 1). The average headphones have 1 microphones.
    4 vs 1
  • Wind noise reduction
    This pair of headphones reduces wind noise, the average pair of headphones does not. 34.3% of headphones support wind noise reduction.
  • No voice assistant support
    This pair of headphones does not support voice assistants, the average pair of headphones does. 60.8% of headphones support voice assistants.
  • 5.87x less popular
    Philips Fidelio NC1 is less popular than the average pair of headphones (1 vs 5.9).
    1 vs 5.87
  • 0.2 % higher distortion
    This pair of headphones has a higher total harmonic distortion than the average pair of headphones (0.5 % vs 0.3 %). The average headphones have total harmonic distortion of 0.3 %.
    0.5 % vs 0.3 %
  • Tangle-prone cable
    This pair of headphones uses a tangle-prone cable, while the average pair of headphones is easier to manage. 64.2% of headphones use a tangle-free cable.
  • 2.44x more expensive
    Philips Fidelio NC1 is more expensive than the average pair of headphones (£220 vs £90).
    £220 vs £90
  • 5.87x less popular
    Philips Fidelio NC1 is less popular than the average pair of headphones (1 vs 5.9).
    1 vs 5.87
  • 2.44x more expensive
    Philips Fidelio NC1 is more expensive than the average pair of headphones (£220 vs £90).
    £220 vs £90
  • Tangle-prone cable
    This pair of headphones uses a tangle-prone cable, while the average pair of headphones is easier to manage. 64.2% of headphones use a tangle-free cable.
  • 0.2 % higher distortion
    This pair of headphones has a higher total harmonic distortion than the average pair of headphones (0.5 % vs 0.3 %). The average headphones have total harmonic distortion of 0.3 %.
    0.5 % vs 0.3 %
  • No voice assistant support
    This pair of headphones does not support voice assistants, the average pair of headphones does. 60.8% of headphones support voice assistants.

Video reviews

Hands-on testing, unboxing, and real-world video evaluations

9.0
WORLDTRAVLR
≈ estimated
04/05/2015
Hands-on review · flights, trains and sound tests
Verdict
The Philips Fidelio NC1 is recommended overall for travel: it is comfortable, sounds good and cancels noise effectively, though the bag is weak.

Expert reviews

In-depth analysis and verdict from leading tech publications

techradar.com
01/04/2020
Hands-on test · Travel on-ear
Verdict
The Philips Fidelio NC1 is a light, comfortable on-ear pair that suits frequent flyers who want warm sound and easy packing.
R
rtings.com
26/02/2016
Summary of the review
Philips Fidelio NC1 Headphones Review - RTINGS.com
cnet.com
01/06/2015
Hands-on test · Compact on-ear
Verdict
The Philips Fidelio NC1 is a neat, comfortable on-ear pair with 30 hours of battery, but its bright sound can cause listening fatigue.
techlicious.com
24/06/2015
Comparison test · Flight headphones
Verdict
The Philips Fidelio NC1 is lighter and more comfortable than the Bose QC25 on long flights, with fuller sound and nearly matching noise cancelling.
whathifi.com
06/04/2015
Hands-on test · Portable ANC
Verdict
The Philips Fidelio NC1 is light, portable and decent at blocking noise, but its weak bass and small sound trail the Bose QC25.
Q
qobuz.com
01/04/2015
Summary of the review
Philips' NC1 and M2L headphone sets (Apple Lightning)
hifitest.de
28/01/2016
Review · Noise-cancelling headphones
Verdict
The Philips Fidelio NC1 is a sturdy on-ear with warm, punchy sound and noise cancelling that doesn't cause ear pressure, but it fits a little tight.
worldtravlr.net
21/04/2015
Long-term test · Travel noise-cancelling headphones
Verdict
The Philips Fidelio NC1 blocks plane and train drone very well, so it suits frequent travellers, but voices and crying babies still get through.
W
weltenbummlermag.de
20/05/2015
Summary of the review
My 15 Practical Long-Haul Flight Tips (Product Mention/Review)
(Translated)Show original
on-mag.fr
18/11/2014
Listening test · Travel headphones
Verdict
The Philips Fidelio NC1 is a light, compact travel pair with effective noise cancelling for an on-ear design, but it needs more volume to sound lively.
C
cnetfrance.fr
17/06/2015
Summary of the review
Philips Fidelio NC1 - CNET France
(Translated)Show original
audiocasque.fr
14/08/2015
Long-term test · Travel headphones
Verdict
The Philips Fidelio NC1 is a compact, long-lasting travel pair, but its noise cancelling is only average and well short of the Bose QC25.
lesnumeriques.com
11/12/2014
Hands-on test · Noise-cancelling on-ear
Verdict
The Philips Fidelio NC1 has strong battery life and comfortable passive listening, but its weak, distorting noise cancelling makes passive listening the better option on the move.
01net.com
25/02/2015
Hands-on test · Noise-cancelling on-ear
Verdict
The Philips Fidelio NC1 is solidly built and still plays music with a dead battery, but its flat sound and hot earpads fall short of the price.

Third-party reviews

What customers like about Philips Fidelio NC1

  • Compact and lightweight on-ear design, highly portable for travel
  • Excellent build quality with premium materials like aluminum and leather
  • Balanced and detailed sound signature, performing well with jazz and classical music
  • Impressive 30-hour rechargeable battery life for active noise cancellation
  • Capable of passive playback even when the battery is depleted
  • Comfortable fit featuring memory foam earpads and breathable covering
  • Includes a high-quality cloth-covered detachable cable and a protective hard case

What customers don't like about Philips Fidelio NC1

  • Active noise cancellation (ANC) is decent but less effective than top-tier competitors
  • On-ear fit may be unstable and slip during vigorous head movement
  • Sound can be overly bright or forward, potentially leading to listening fatigue
  • Bass response lacks deep punch and warmth, especially compared to over-ear models
  • Lack of integrated volume controls on the inline remote
  • Susceptible to some sound leakage at higher volumes
  • Several user reports of poor cable durability and potential long-term hardware failure

Verdict

The Philips Fidelio NC1 is a premium on-ear, closed-back headphone featuring 40mm high-definition neodymium drivers and hybrid active noise cancellation (ANC) powered by four internal and external microphones. It offers high-resolution audio certification with a frequency response of 7–40,000 Hz, an impedance of 16 ohms, and a sensitivity of 107 dB. Key characteristics include a lightweight 191g foldable design with aluminum accents and ergonomic memory foam cushions for long-haul comfort. Main pros include a robust 30-hour ANC battery life with a zero-hiss experience, the ability to play music in passive mode without power, and a highly portable, slim architecture suitable for travel. However, cons include a sound signature that can be overly bright or forward for some listeners, potentially leading to ear fatigue, and an on-ear fit that may feel less stable during vigorous movement or lack the expansive soundstage of over-ear designs.

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