VMK15 Noise Cancelling Headphones

Got a small head, ridiculously big ears, or some other lumpy situation going on that means over-ear headphones just don't sit right? Over the years we've had plenty of feedback, mostly from small-headed people, that the VMK20 and VMK25 are too big for them.

So we decided to do something about it and designed a brand new model that sits neatly on top of the ears. Valco-style, they come with nice fabric covers, though in this case fixed in place. As our own little innovation, we tucked the buttons underneath the fabric cover, which made the headphones smaller and sleeker. No annoying touch controls, just proper buttons, hidden away but easy to find by feel.

Naturally, on this model too all the LEDs are on the inside, so you don't have to walk around looking like a Christmas tree while you wear them.

The lightweight VMK15 headphones are made especially for people who want comfort without the bulk of over-ear headphones. They weigh just 200 grams, so you can wear them all day without ending up with a stiff neck. These ergonomically shaped on-ear headphones let you enjoy your favourite music, podcasts and calls without anything pressing heavily around your ears. There's enough adjustment range to fit anyone from a hobbit to the Elephant Man, whether your skull is dainty and elegant or shaped like a potato sack.

Since VMK stands for noise cancelling headphones, we obviously had to put some ANC in here too. In the interest of honesty though, ANC works best when the cups seal around your ears, so for the most silence you still want the VMK25. That said, in our tests this one is still plenty good at ignoring your family, makes an old diesel Merc feel like a brand-new S-Class, and turns snow-blower duty into something almost pleasant (or lawn-mower duty, if you don't happen to live in Finland). ANC dampens the noise around you and makes working, travelling and just listening for fun considerably more enjoyable.

Our audio guru, Uncle Jasse, has tuned these to sound as good as anything possibly can at this price. The sound is carefully dialled in for full bass, natural mids and crisp highs, so every listening session is as enjoyable as we can make it. Our working assumption is that people are willing to pay less for smaller headphones, so we squeezed the price all the way down to the floor. You won't find noise cancelling headphones this good for less. Not new, anyway. Not from us.

The VMK15's battery life is a ridiculous 55 hours, which means you can listen to your favourite music or sit through endless work meetings without constantly charging. One charge lasts several days, no battery anxiety required. They also support fast charging, so if the battery does happen to die on you, a few minutes plugged in will get you back up and running.

In the box, along with the headphones, you get a charging cable, a 3.5 mm AUX cable, an airplane adapter and a handy travel case, so you can take them anywhere.

If you've been looking for lightweight, comfortable, affordable noise cancelling headphones with sound that punches above its weight, the VMK15 is for you. Small head, big sound. Now also available in a depressingly drab shade of grey...