Merlin

Not really home theatre but this seems like the best place.....

With all the airplane travelling that I do I'm thinking about picking up a set of noise cancelling headphones. I understand the theory behind how they are supposed to work but am curious if they do work in application.

Does anyone here have a pair or any experience with them? They seem to run a pretty wide range of prices, so what are the actual differences? What should one look for when shopping?

Since I would be using them for airplane travel I would want to find something that would help with cutting engine noise and of course be very compact in order to fit in luggage.

I realize it is kind of an open ended question but all info is welcomed.

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LegendKiller

I have listened to ~6 different types. Ranging from super cheap Maxells to my bose. I tried in-ear ones such as Shure and etyms. I have listened to the sony open air, along with the Sennheiser's.

All in, the in-ear phones produce the best bang for the buck, Shure and Etymonic (sp?) are certainly great. However, I cannot stand stuff in my ear so they are uncomfortable for me over more than 20-30min. If you spend $120+ for a pair of in-ear's you will be more than satisfied.

I got a pair of the bose quietcomfort2's. They work very well, reducing almost all of the noise on an airplane with the music tuning out all of the rest. Some of that is due to the closed-ear nature of the headphones, but 80% is due to the noise cancelling. Sound quality is good, not the best, but better than any of the cheaper ones I heard that are not in-ear.


LK

Johnnymac

I have the Shure E3's and I really lilke them. I am going to get custom molds made for my ear becuase they can become uncomfortable on long trips (5+hours).

Merlin

I'm leaning toward an over the ear model. As LK said, in ear models can be uncomfortable, especially over long periods of time (flights).

Those Bose headphones look pretty nice but are a bit on the expensive side.

Any suggestions on where I can look for reviews on the different models?

speedracer120

My dad got my mom a pair of cheap Phillips noise-cancelling headphones for Valentines Day. We flew 11 hours last Saturday and my mom and I got to use it for long periods of time. I'd say it works pretty well for a $75 bit. It got about 40~60% of the noise. One disclaimer though, we were on the upper deck of the 747 where it gets much quieter than compared to when you are seated behind the wings and engines.

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AlpineJay

I'm not huge on Bose products but I have to second the vote for the QC2. They are amazing and in my opinion well worth the money if you travel around. I personally do not fit into most of the in-ear setups and like the cups that cover your ear entirely to further help tune it out. It's pretty amazing stuff.

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