noise cancelling headphones

My husband and I have the Bose Quiet Comfort earbuds - yes, they are expensive and worth every dime! I especially like that they are earbuds and I can sleep with them, music or none, and the engine noise of planes is completely cancelled. They are bluetooth and have a collar around the back of one's neck with the earbuds attached. Not necessary to unplug to move around the cabin. Also good for watching podcasts, etc at home when you do not want to disturb others. There are three different sizes of the covers included so take time to figure out which fits your ears the best. I didn't and struggled on a trip to figure out why they did not work as well as my husband thought his worked!!

You don't have to pay $350. You do need to do some research but there are products that do an excellent job in the $100 range. Bose has the reputation and marketing behind them but there other brands that do just as well for a much cheaper price. The best headphones regardless of maker will be over the ear. Unfortunately they tend to be bulky to carry and store. The noise reduction can be very beneficial. Just look at the specifications. If using ear buds, ear buds can be very tricky to get a good fit because fit is absolutely critical.

I have Bose noise-cancelling headphones (I think I have the QC25) and they are terrific.......but you shouldn't have to pay $350 for a good quality pair. You should be able to get a very good pair for $200-$250, max. If you're in the US, you can get the QC25 for even less than that.

In the past I have had an excellent pair from Sennheiser and I would have had no problems trusting a pair from them too, but I got a good deal on the Bose from Costco and have had no complaints. They're lightweight and their case is solid but light and easy to pack. Realize these are both active noise-cancelling, not just passive noise blocking - they actively create an "opposite" sound wave to essentially block the lower frequency sounds, which is particularly helpful on airplanes. Here's how the technology of Active Noise Cancelling works: https://electronics.howstuffworks.com/gadgets/audio-music/noise-canceling-headphone3.htm

I have an excellent over-ear headphones from Sennheiser and love them on long flights. Recently though I purchased a pair of Bose quiet comfort earbuds because I wanted something smaller to carry. Haven't used them on a flight yet but tests at home indicate they will be almost as good. I paid around $200.00 for them open box. I think they're worth every penny.

The wireless technology adds a lot of cost to the headphones. The Boise for $350 are wireless.

DH and I have both the Bose noise cancelling over the ear headset and the earbuds. Totally worth the price IMO. Both are comfortable to wear for long flights and provide very good sound quality and noise cancelling. I have smaller than normal ear canals (according to my doctor) and had always had problems finding airbuds that fit comfortably . These do, and I've had no trouble with outside noise "leaking" around them.

DH wears hearing aids, so earbuds won't work for him. He had a Sony over the ear set that he used to use that was much less expensive. But he said he found a noticeable improvement with the Bose.

I have a set of Sony headphones and they significantly reduce the noise level.

I have an older version of the Bose over ear headphones and really like them for long flights. They do add some weight and are bulky.

I looked at the Bose wireless ear buds. Besides the cost, the issue for me was the lack of a wired connection option. There’s no way to connect to the traditional airplane IFE systems.

I have the Sony MDR1000X/B, and quite like em. Paid like $225 for em on Amazon a couple years ago (though notice now that 2016 model is going for $400 on Amazon... damn... shoulda put all my investments in to Sony MDR1000X/B).

They're able to function wirelessly (bluetooth), which is how I use them 90% of the time. They do have a headphone jack and chord, though, and I bring that with me when traveling and am able to plug them in on planes. Sound quality is good, noise canceling is good, and some of the nifty little features are also convenient (gesture controls and other such things, that allow me to keep my phone in my pocket and still pause, skip tracks, suspend noise canceling to hear PA announcements and such).

I had the Bose QC 35s over ears for a long time also (older model... I wanna say 2010 or so) and they were pretty great in terms of sound quality, though definitely not cheap. Main issue with those (and the QC 25 on ears that my spouse had) was the ear pad coverings started to fall apart - you'd wear them for awhile, take them off, and have all the little bits of black covering all over your ears). Perhaps they've started using different materials since, or fixed that issue.

I have had a pair of Bose Quiet Comfort 15 over-ear sound-cancelling headphones for 10 years. Couldn't live without them. In my humble opinion, yes, they are worth every penny. My mother had asked me one year what I wanted for a big Christmas gift and I asked for them specifically, but she got me a pair of less-expensive Sony (sound cancelling) instead. They were very uncomfortable after less than an hour of use and just didn't create as much of a quiet atmosphere as the Bose do. I can wear the Bose for hours if need be. (My husband bought me the Bose the following year :-)

PS - the pads did start to fall apart a couple years ago (after wearing often for 8 years) but I found fairly inexpensive replacements online. Like $30 I think.

Did you want them for just when you travel or to use all the time? I got a pair of Sony MDR-ZX110NC for around $60-70 Cdn. They work fine for me since I only want to use them on the plane and not for day to day. (And we only fly once a year - if you fly more frequently, maybe you want to invest more $). I could notice a difference in the engine noise turning them on and off - got my hubby a pair for Xmas last year. They're OK for the 20 hrs a year I use them.

I have used cheaper brands and Bose. IMHO the Bose are worth the price difference! I now use the ear buds and love them!

I use this Bose earbud model for $250. It's fantastic. I no longer fear screaming babies.

I have the Bose QC20 earbuds. I won' take a flight without them. Very comfortable--I normally don't like earbuds but these can stay in for hours--and the diminished noise not only makes what you are trying to listen to easier to hear but also lessens the stress of the constant engine noise.

My 4 year old pair stopped working on one side in June while in London. I knew I had an eight hour flight ahead of me and didn't relish not having them. So I bought a replacement pair in London rather than wait to get them back in the U.S. (They cost slightly more.) That's how much I like them.

The earbuds take up very little room. Over the ear headphones seem to take up a lot of packing space and cause my ears to get hot and sweaty after wearing them awhile. But they may not bother you.

You should be able to pick up the earbuds for around $250.

I am not going to knock Bose products; all my speakers and earphones are by Bose. As a Burning Man veteran of many years, however, the best noise canceling devices are a pair of foam earplugs, inserted deeply into the ear canal. Blissful quiet.

the best noise canceling devices are a pair of foam earplugs,
inserted deeply into the ear canal. Blissful quiet.

Lol. Sometimes low tech is best. I find the theatre noise levels on our favorite ship to be painfully loud, so I keep a pair of foam earplugs in my evening bag just for that.