Noise Cancelling Headphones

[Lynx206]

After years of drifting in and out of sleep with standard airline headsets I tried the noise cancelling sets offered by Emirates recently. They seem to work surprisingly well. As a result I may buy a set for use when travelling with other airlines.

Any advice on which brands/models are best?

[multi_engined]

The $1500 Bose ones, you can't go past them for either pilots or passengers.

Lightweight, comfortable and worth every cent.

That is my two cents anyway.

[PAXboy]

This topic has been discussed in here a number of times and you may well find an archive thread.

Of the ones priced lower down the scale ... I bought a Sony set some six years ago and they still work OK. They were about GBP100 and are 'over ear'. They now make a smaller pair of 'in ear'. Bear in mind that if you see a photo advert of small 'in ear' it means that there will be a small box electronics that is then 'in line' between the jack plug and the ear phones. With the 'over ear' type, the elctronics are grouped around the phones, which means that they are heavier on the head.

I would advice personal inspection of the goods before purchase as they all (Sony, Panasonic, Bose) are not cheap. But they are worth it. I also use mine on trains and sometimes simply as noise-neutralisers, that is, I switch them on but do not play any music, just to dampen down surrounding noise. This works well if I am working on a project on the train and do not want music but do want to lower the background noise.

All the sets work with airline seat sockets. For those that have the double plug in the arm rest, there is an adapter included.

[wub]

I use Sennheiser PXC-300. The down side to these is that the electonics are in a separate module, about the size of a fountain pen, but it has a clip on it so it can be anchored to a convenient spot. The phones fold up into a neat case and come with adapters for aircraft and home. I find they work really well on aircraft and are much better than my previous Sony pair.

[hpcock]

Anything by Sennheiser or Bose. You really can't go wrong - both last a lifetime and usually come with pretty good warranties.

[gdiphil]

I use a Creative pair, by no means the best but I have found I can hear the sound tracks to movies much better as a consequence. They were Aus$60 on Qantas last Easter. When they pack up (a big assumption that) I will move to one of the big boys such as Bose.

[The late XV105]

I use the Sony in-ear jobbies which work fine. Sat in A1 with FR NYO-STN they reduced a howling door seal to a muted shhhhh and since I started wearing them long haul they actually help me get some kip (Not when in Y though: the seats ensure no such luck)

The only drawback is being tuned for lower frequencies they still let howling babies through loud & clear.

[Edit] Make that two drawbacks; the other is nine miles of cable thanks to the sound processor gubbins necessarily being a separate box as indicated above.

I still wear them and still like them though.

[daedalus]

I got 4 pairs from the US gadget shop "The sharper image". They were normally $67, down to half price.

Find them more than adequate. Even when there is little or no external noise they improve the sound quality of the music enormously.

:)

[Wot No Engines]

Got the Bose ones a couple of years ago.

Now don't travel without at all !

Most important is feature is being able to remove the cable from the headset - which makes sleeping much easier

[bealine]

I wish I could afford the Bose ones as undoubtedly they are the best, but I'd have to get a decent job our of the aviation industry first!

I bought Sony in-ear ones for about £45 and, while they worked fine, they hurt my ears after about 2 hours or so. After about three months, an intermittent fault developed in the cable causing one speaker to keep cutting in and out! Secretly, I was glad because it meant I could justify replacing them.

So, I now have a Philips neck-band over-ear set purchased from Dixons at LGW North Terminal tax-free for £45 and they do the job very well - the Noise REduction circuit claims tto eliminate over 80% of background noise.

[Crepello]

I'm a convert to the Creative Labs headphones, which can be found online for around US$50. As gdiphil states they're not perfect, but they sound good, are very comfortable and IMHO, are superb value for money.

Unlike gdiphil, I won't be trading up to the Bose, as I refuse to pay that kind of money for something that doesn't have an engine in it... ;)

[UniFoxOs]

I don't fly as much as most posters on this forum (maybe 5/6 trips a year) so find it difficult to justify the cost of the Bose sets (tried them in the shop though, very impressed). Having just been unable to watch the movie on a flight to Egypt due to the noise, I was thinking about getting us a set each of the cheaper style. My supplier has offerred me the Maxell NC-III at a reasonable price (about USD 35). Anybody tried these or heard any comments?

TIA
UFO

[MrSoft]

Try Ebay, you might pick up a Bose mk 11 set for maybe £100. Still a lot of money but really worth it. I can't speak for the Maxell, but I used to have a JVC at that kind of price level. It did an OK job but generated a lot of white noise (hiss). It sounded great in the shop but couldn't cope with a plane.

[obgraham]

I think you have to try several and see what fits you most comfortably. For me, the earbud style are very uncomfortable and won't stay it. The on-ear types hurt my juggy ears after a while also. So I like my Bose over-the-ear type. In my noisy little cockpit I like the Lightspeeds.

[Rush2112]

I cast another vote for the Sennheiser PXC-300s. First thing that goes in the outside pocket of my travel bag! Occasionally I use them just to damp out the noise and they work quite well at that too.

[IainB]

QC2 over ear jobs. Absolutely brilliant. If you call them or order online in the UK, then you get ten months interest free, or 4 payments of about 50quid - which makes it more affordable.

I had a pair of Phillips "noise cancelling" headphones, but they just boosted the bass.

Once had some Sennheiser headphones which gave the best sound ever until I got my Bose...

:)

[Tolsti]

I bought some Logitech headphones and have been very pleased with them. Comfortable, affordable (I paid 60 Euros) and with a good battery life. Good noise reduction effect (even with screaming babies) and a handy carryon case.

http://reviews.cnet.com/headphones/logitech-noise-canceling-headphones/4505-7877_7-31797806.html

[NZScion]

IMHO if its that loud, stick in some standard earplugs from a hardware store. I do whenever I'm in a loud light aircraft...

[419]

I also highly recommend the Bose QC2.

If you know anyone going to the states, they are much cheaper there. (then again, what isn't?)

In the UK they are £225 and in the USA $299. (about £152)

[VS-LHRCSA]

Do any of these come with a mic that others can talk into?

There's nothing worse than trying to serve someone wearing headphones and having to shout 'chicken' or 'beef'. A mic would be a good idea. It would also make talking to your partner a bit easier, especially if you both have them.

[MrSoft]

:D VS I just love that idea about a two way mic. Better still, a yoghurt carton and string "DO YOU WANT YOUR DINNER"

[Momo]

I have been looking at noise-cancelling headphones. I tried the fancy Bose on-ear ones a colleague in a seat beside me was wearing, connected to his iPod. They work perfectly. However, they are bulkier and more expensive ($300+) than I want. Sony have some $100 in-ear ones which were out of stock at Media Markt here in Geneva, and out of stock at Fry's in Palo Alto last week. So I bought some $29 Philips ones, which advertise themselves as providing 70% noise cancellation, and do about that. So my question is, does anyone have experience with effective in-ear noise cancelling? The reviews on Amazon of the Sony are mixed at best.
http://www.amazon.com/review/product/B00006JILM

Indeed, reading lots of reviews suggests that there is no real solution other than the over-ear Bose headphones which are much more bulky than what I want. I use Sennheiser CX300 in-ear buds normally. The objective is airplane noise reduction only. Replacing airline headsets is not really what I am looking for as I mainly fly LH when going longhaul and their headsets are fine for films and hard-wired the seats. I fly every week. Ideas?

[chrisr150]

Sony MDR-EX71 are superb for me. Great noise reduction and extremely good sound quality and happen to be the longest lasting set of in-ear 'phones I've owned (2yrs + now). Would thoroughly recommend them as they are relatively inexpensive (about 50 euro) but be patient in getting the bud size right (several sizes are supplied) and dont be tempted to push them tooooo far into your ears as that causes the end of the bud to be squeezed shut and spoils the sound rather a lot!

Hope that helps :ok:

PS. They are also supplied with a 50cm extension cable which is very handy, and if you like your ipod stuff, they do them in white too...

[SXB]

Momo
I think it's accepted that the high end Bose headphones are the most effective and give the best sound quality but as you say, they are bulky and when you've got a bag full of other stuff to carry around it's yet more lost space.

As for in-ear headphones a good deal of their perfromence is lost because they never fit in the way that over-ear headphones fit. Generally speaking in-ear headphones are a compromise to size and weight and they will never match the sound quality generated by over-ear.

Sennheiser's PXC range is a good compromise, they are over-ear but they are lightweight and fold up into a small package. I have a pair of PXC300's and they seem to do an effective job, I can't remember how much I paid for them, maybe €180.

[Miraz]

I've got a little box of several different types including the Sony and Bose that I've tried over the years - but the ones I keep coming back to are a set of Koss ear buds designed for stage musicians.

They don't have any ANR but the passive noise reduction is fantastic, and they are small enough (entirely within the ear) that they don't get in the way while sleeping.

[Mark in CA]

If the goal of your noise reduction is to reduce fatigue (noise such as that inside an aircraft can be very fatiguing), then a good set of earplugs will do the job and are quite compact. If, on the other hand, your real interest is entertainment, then just about any good headphone, over the ear or in the ear, will do, but then you're just replacing one noise with another.

[UniFoxOs]

More discussion on this here (http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthread.php?t=245754). I gave the Maxell a try as they were easy to get hold of. Only used them once so far, on an EZY flight a couple of hours and they seemed to cut down the a/c noise by around 50% subjectively.

UFO

[Mr Quite Happy]

I gotta say the N.R.Earphones I've used on SG airliners have been very unsatisfactory, is it me with too high expectations or is it SG?

[ankh]

I've only tried the cheap Maxell brand. They're cushion on-the-ear type.

They do cut the noise somewhat if used simply as silencers.

They do NOT cut the noise enough to actually listen to anything using them as headphones during flight --- checking the level of the volume setting, to be able to hear music through them, the amplifier has to be set well up into the dangerously loud range just to overcome the cabin noise level.

I just use earplugs nowadays.

[Eboy]

I end up hauling my bulky Bose headsets (old original version). I tried some Shure in ear phones but they do not stay in that well plus it gets irritating after a few hours. (I may have to spend more time playing with the different earpieces.) I tried the Bose Quiet Comfort 2 and 3 and did not like them and sent them back. The Quiet Comfort 2 sounds beautiful but irritates my earlobes after a couple of hours of pushing on them in a way the old Bose phones do not (and my ears are not THAT big!). Just did not like the sound of the Quiet Comfort 3. Whatever you buy, try to get return privileges and wear it for the duration of the longest flight you will be on to make sure you are happy with it. What feels fine at first can get uncomfortable after a few hours.

[fatmaninspecs]

I bought some headphones from Bookstone (www.brookstone.com). When I bought them in early 2000 they were $100 and they worked a treat. They were light and easy to use and reduced the background noise to a minimum. They enabled me to listen to in flight entertainment including my CD player at low volumes.

[onboard]

I used to always have a set of Sennheisers with me, which worked quite well, but I've since changed to a pair of Etymotic ER 4 in-ear. They come with foam eartips, which make them very comfortable to wear, and the sound is way beyond great.

[10secondsurvey]

It depends what you want to achieve. If, as someone else said, you just want to prevent noise fatigue, then good ear plugs do the trick. Some people find them to be uncomfortable for long periods, in which case I'd suggest something like the smaller of the two types of bose headphones, as they are very good, but not too bulky. The bigger over ear ones probably work better, but I find the smaller bose's do the trick. The Bose's come with a two plug/one plug adptor for different airlines - which is actually more important than people realise, as the second pin controls volume (I think).

For short haul flights, I carry some in-ear bud style SHURE headphones, which are pretty high end, give good sound, and have many different types of ear buds to suite different ears. In my experience, on short haul, they do the trick, although its a hassle taking them in and out to talk. I think SHURE now do a better set, with a button on the cord, which allows you to switch to hear people speaking to you, so saving you have to take them out.

For long haul flights, I definitely prefer to use the Bose's. On one very long flight, for the ultimate in isolation, I used, ear plugs, with the bose's on top, and a very high quality light mask (which blocks 100% of light). Total isolation. Pure Bliss.

[bsmasher]

Another regular Sennheiser PXC250 user here. I find the over the ear more comfortable for long periods than the in-ear type.
My only complaint is the increased sensitivity of the headphones compared with the normal airline ones. I've had to make a attenuator to cut the volume somewhat so that I can set the volume on the in-seat control above the bare minimum.

D.

[Morsel99]

PXC 250's for me as well, tried the Bose and the Sennheiser (Mxc 300's ) in-ear buds but found they were very uncomfortable.

I actually lost my first set and my Ipod :uhoh: a few weeks ago and tried the others but the PXC 250's were good enough (could not notice the difference v the 300's although they look a bit nicer), so I bought another pair for £55 on Amazon and a shiny new 80G ipod. I cannot praise these phones enough they really cut the background noise and allow you to enjoy what ever you are listening to.

Travelling without either of these tools would make my job and life much worse. I cannot recommend them enough.

[Techman5]

I was on a 777 recently, which I think is a noisy aircraft, and the pass next to me had some BOSE noise cancelling headphones that he swore by. Has anyone tried these? Has anyone tried other cheaper brands?

I assume the BOSE ones are ridiculously priced, but will check on Amazon.

[thegripper]

I have a pair of Quiet Comfort II's, and find they are very comfortable and do the job very well. I use them regularly between LHR & BOM on a Virgin 340. Good either playing music or just as ear defenders. Easy to sleep with them on. Expensive - yes, but do the job no question.

[PAXboy]

This is now a fairly regular topic, I wonder if it might be time for it to go into the FAQ, with links to old threads? Perhaps people would think that there are new units coming along that would require new discussion? Perhaps a single continuous merged thread?

[reynoldsno1]

Bought a pair for 10USD in Thailand recently - not as good as the really good ones, but do a reasonable job....

[raffele]

If you don't mind in-ear type earphones, get a pair of Sennheiser CX300's, available from Amazon for about £15. These are absolutely fantastic for noise cancelling to the point that whilst wearing them, you can only just hear a 96dB fire alarm sounding nearby. Plus, as they're Sennheiser's, the sound quality is excellent.

[TightSlot]

Thanks for the suggestion - 3 threads now merged in here and added to FAQ

[BladePilot]

Another SENNHEISER PXC 300 (with NoiseGardTM Advance) supporter here. Travel frequently on longhaul and wouldn't now be without them. Very comfortable and great with or without music. Sometimes use them without sound just flick the box of tricks on and enjoy the silence. :ok:

[PAXfips]

Using a Bose QC20 (in-ear, very comfy, flexible plugs) for a bit over a year.
Cancellation of cabin noise (and other) is very good, the internal battery lasts up to 14 hours (for the ultra hauls :) ).
It can be used with a phone (iphone, win or android) and has a button to "speak trough" so C/C doesnt need to scream 'chicken?' :)

Just too bad that sometimes C/C requires on to put them down/off even if not connected to a phone/player. :confused:

[1DC]

I have a pair of Bose quiet comfort 25's, they were a Christmas present from the family before a trip to Oz. I found them very efficient and made a big difference to the noise, I had the best sleep ever on the route. The only downer was when i found that they were a £100 cheaper in the Oz Bose shop than the UK..

[S.o.S.]

Hello PAXfips and welcome to the 'cabin'. Thank you for using the search function to find this old discussion thread, rather than starting another. I hope you stay in the forums.

[hei yu]

Recommend the QC20i (with an iPhone).
I have used the QC25 but found them very bulky. The QC20 pack fits in your pocket and the overall sound and noise reducing quality is just as good (if not better) than the QC25.
I also use them at home to block out any loud "neighbourhood" noise.
The "in-ear" headphones are very comfortable and I even sleep with them when SWMBO's snoring gets too loud.

[PAXfips]

S.o.S.: this thread is linked in the FAQ for SLF :cool:

Another note on the QC20: they come with three sizes of flexible plug inserts. If your ears dont fit to the usual one-fits-all the QC20 still might be worth a look.

[S.o.S.]

What? You actually USED the FAQ?? The next time the 'trolley' comes down the aisle - help yourself to a Gold Star. :p

[obgraham]

Bose. Not only a great piece of equipment, but a superb company too.

I had 2 pairs of the older Bose. Then they came out with the QC15, and offered a trade in of any prior Bose, in any condition at all, for $100. I accidentally ran over one of the old ones with my car, took in a bag of perhaps 100 bits, dumped them on the clerk and said "you said any condition at all".

No problem. New QC15!

[North Star]

I'm delighted with my in-ear Shure SE-215's. Great sound - not too bassy -- and reasonably priced (around $125 cdn). I've been using these for the past 18 months, pretty much every day, no complaints. In fact, more robust than i thought they'd be.

[Metro man]

Another vote for BOSE from me, just bought the QC25 and used it during a seven hour flight. Noticeably less fatigued due to the almost silence I enjoyed. They fold down to a reasonable size and will definitely be with me on any flight longer than two hours from now on.:ok:

[Booglebox]

I've used QC3s with great success (with the two-pronged adapter thing) on many flights. Over-the-ear QC15s are probably better, but my experience of them is unfortunately limited to trying them on in the shop...