headphones

Mine are Phillips and I love them. They are the in-ear style rather than the over-the-ear style. My friend, though, swears by his Bose noise-canceling headphones. They don't block all plane noise but they really do help block out a majority of it, and makes the movie easier to hear. You can also turn them on and unplug them from the headphone jack so you can use the white noise to block out noise for sleeping.

Back in 2005 I used a pair of Sony noise-cancelling headphones (MDR-NC6). They cost around 50-60 dollars, and the earphones fold down flat for easier packing. They worked well for me.

In 2007 I tried some earphones - the e3c line made by Shure. I didn't care for them. The sound was OK, but it was hard to keep them plugged into my ears. They kept popping out (especially when eating and sleeping), and that got annoying fast. So, I'll stick to headphones from now on.

I've tried three brands. I tried some cheap COBY earphones. As earphones, they were fine, but made an annyoing hum that was supposed to cancel the noise. I tried the Sharper Image ones (both over the ear and on ear) in their store and they were ok. I ended up getting the Bose on ear headphones and they are great. You definately get what you pay for there. They feel like they suck to your ear and they take away the plane hum very well. Several stores let you try them out in the store, which is what we did before buying the Bose ones.

try before you buy. I have the Bose and they help reduce the buzz of the engines and interior but they don't completely remove it. Also they are good at lower-frequency sounds but they don't do so well with higher frequencies. Overall I like them but I bought them online from Bose and they don't exactly mute all outside sounds the way the ad copy seems to imply.

For obvious reasons an over the ear headphone will always be superior to any ear buds or on ear headphones. The Bose has been considered the gold standard and at that price they should be made of gold. However, the Audio-Technica, ATH-ANC7 Noise Canceling Headphone, has been evaluated as equal if not superior (depending on the tester) to the Bose. The AT is listed around $200 to $225 but are discounted into the $120 range. The AT also has the advantage that they will operate with a dead battery which is not the case with Bose.

I tend to get headaches from the constant dull noise of aircraft - it especially effects me on same day return flights I do for work. I've been through Sony (which were simply terrible and hissed like crazy), Philips (which had very poor sound quality), a few in-ear models that were more of earplugs with speakers (including Bose and a few others).

I currently use a set manufactured by a company called Energy (ENC-100 model and I think I paid about $70). They take a pair AAA batteries and last a very long time. They are do an excellent job of cutting out the engines while still being able to talk to the person next to you. I have two complaints with them: 1) They do have a hissing noise, 2) They fold into a package that is like carrying a softball.

On my trip to Vancouver last week, I got a chance to try out the Bose Quiet Comfort 3 at the Bose store demo. You do get what you pay for. Best I have tried. But worth $350? Only if you travel every week in my opinion.

Pete

I use the smaller on-ear Sennheiser earphones. I bought them from Tiger Direct--they weigh only 3 and a half ounces and are quite good. They cost about half of what the Bose ones do, fold flattish into their own carrying case (3 by 5 inches). I only use them on long-haul flights, but they really do make a difference.