I’m off to NZ for work in September. I’ve not done a long hall flight for 15 years – last time I did a personal CD player was considered a bit of a novelty and they hadn’t invented the iPod.

Should I get a set of noise cancelling head phones (I’ll probably listen to audio books a lot of the time)?

If I should what’s cheapish (it may be 15 years before I next need them)? I prefer an in ear style rather than over ear.

Nah, gimmick innit.

You just need a decent, comfortable pair of normal in-ears that fit. Sennheiser momentum in-ear are my choice at the moment – they come with 4 different size buds. Had them in the whole way back from Texas at the weekend and forgot I was wearing them.

I have a cheap (£30) pair of soney over ear headphones. Make a big difference IME of using cheap non noise cancelling headphones.

For one trip? No.

Frequent flyer? Yes.

Make sure you buy a widget that swaps the 2 pin output from the IFE into the stereo pin of your headphones.

The IFE on most carriers has improved a fair bit in the last 15 years.

However, they almost exclusively have the hot, heavy over-ear jobs which I don’t like so I just bring the widget and my own in-ear isolating set.

Nah, gimmick innit.

Nope.

I fly long haul for roughly 40hrs a month. Noise cancelling headphones are an essential. Yeah, they don’t completely silence voices/screaming kids etc (but they do a good enough job). They do basically eliminate engine noise (or any constant type noise). You can actually watch the movies etc without having to crank the volume to full. If you look at any commuter flight you will see anyone who flies regularly will be wearing them – because they work and they make flying so much nicer.

I have 2 pairs of bose (QC3 and QC35) – dont just use them for the flights -offices, trains, busses etc all benefit. If you’re on a budget go for the sony ones.

In ear headphones suck to wear for more than a few hours.

If you have airmiles or whatever then you can pick them up in duty free or whatever.

Make sure you buy a widget that swaps the 2 pin output from the IFE into the stereo pin of your headphones.

Good call – most come with the adaptor but check first.

BA headphones were surprisingly effective last night. And that was only in traveler plus.

Just to add to my previous post – your airline may provide cheap noise cancelling headphones in 1st or business class depending on the flight – I know that emirates and quatar do.

You can suck up the first leg, then nick some when you walk through as business/first will be empty.

They dont work as well as the expensive bought ones, but they are miles better than the cattle class ones. Only downside is they are hard wired to the standard airline plug.

In ear headphones suck to wear for more than a few hours.

Not if you use the longer triple-flange eartips, like industrial earplugs. That’s what I use on all my canalphones, and occasionally I might take them out to ease an itch, but I can wear mine for hours at a time, I used to use them as hearing protection when I worked in a very noisy environment, 92dB for hours at a time, so yes, they work very well.
I use a more expensive version of these:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/MEE-Earphone-Replaceable-Universal-Microphone-Clear/dp/B00SLVB71Q/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1504023677&sr=8-1&keywords=mee+audio+m6+pro
At half the price of Shure SE 215’s, and more reliable with a choice of cables and loads of eartips, you can’t go wrong.

Yeah, they don’t completely silence voices/screaming kids etc (but they do a good enough job).

I think that’s because they don’t filter out certain frequencies totally, like emergancy alarms, so you can hear a fire alarm or other emergancy alarm when using them. The frequency of screaming kids gets close to emergancy sirens I guess.

If you’re travelling business or premium economy the ones the airline provide will most likely be noise cancelling anyway.

But they do work for sure, definately not a gimmick.

That was my reason for buying Sony over ear headphones but found they switch off after 15 mins if there is no signal to save the battery.

But actually found my ears getting too hot and adding to the already stuffy cabin so they didn’t get used for much of the flight. Great sounding music though and they do noise cancel but wish I’d got wired in ear ones for the flight.

i’ve got the Bose QC3 and quite often wear them without an input just turned on to drown out the background noise.

Yes, yes, yes. I bought some AKG noise cancelling headphones and they transformed flights for me.

Are these of any interest? I can’t vouch for them but it came though in an offer email – seem good value and get good reviews:

https://www.7dayshop.com/products/7dayshop-headphones-aero-7-active-noise-cancelling-headphones-with-aeroplane-kit-and-travel-case-7dayadhf

I have some cheap ones. They do a nice job of cutting out the annoying low rumble, making it much more pleasant. Then I tried on some expensive (£200+) ones. My god.. instant complete peace and calm. if I’d been feeling slightly more flush, I’d have bought them on the spot. Really want some.

Just get stuck into the red wine and G&Ts that’ll deaden the background noise.

Not in the slightest a gimmick, Bose qc35 here and they are fantastic. I fly a lot though.. one flight I’d be hard pushed to justify the expense.

The Sony ones and AKG ones get good reviews for the money, bit more sensible for one trip. Although saying that I find I’m using mine daily, especially at night in summer with windows open, cuts all the sound out.

Still use my old Shure E2C in-ear buds, or variant of. Sound isolating by fitting snug in the ear, and works fairly well on a flight. Can still hear general noise but makes it way more tolerable.

Rubber or foam buds. The best are the foam disposable ones that mould to the inner ear.

Cable broke on mine eventually and the E2C was no longer on sale, but then the SE102 seemed to be roughly the same, just it didn’t come with the foam buds, but had a stash of them and they fit. They appear to have discontinued those also, but have a load of other models.

Good for office too as can sit at the desk for ages blissfully unaware of someone trying to talk to you and hopefully they go away 😀

Not if you use the longer triple-flange eartips, like industrial earplugs. That’s what I use on all my canalphones, and occasionally I might take them out to ease an itch, but I can wear mine for hours at a time, I used to use them as hearing protection when I worked in a very noisy environment, 92dB for hours at a time, so yes, they work very well.

depends on the shape of your ear canal…. ALL in ear headphones and ear plugs SUCK when worn for hours for me. I use over ear phones and protection where at all possible.

Not in the slightest a gimmick, Bose qc35 here and they are fantastic. I fly a lot though.. one flight I’d be hard pushed to justify the expense.

^^This^^

I use my QC35 more than the old QC15 they replaced. A LOT more. Cordless is great through airports, taxis, etc. Just so simple to have phone in a bag, and good controls from the headphones. Then, on board, they really do dull out the noise. It’s not silence, just calm. Wouldn’t fly without them. But, as above, I fly a lot, so it’s worth the investment. For one flight? No. Just some good in ear ‘phones with some isolation if you have them.

Who are you flying with, OP?

WW, if you’re not squeamish I’ve a pair (wired) in-ear panasonic ones (just had a look, RP-HC55) that one of my kids uses but won’t need again til after christmas. You’d be welcome to borrow

The sound from them is “OK” (at best) for music but they definitely cut down the engine drone pretty effectively

Those 7 day shop ones aren’t bad at all for the money, they’re a bargain.

Had bose qc15’s, very very good but didn’t like the sound so went for some Sennheiser momentum 2.0’s. Superb sound quality, Bluetooth, rechargeable, noise cancelling almost as good as the Bose qc15’s.

I found more modern bose noise cancelling headphones to alarms exhurt a pressure onto your ears, not at all nice. Unnatural feeling.

I found more modern bose noise cancelling headphones to alarms exhurt a pressure onto your ears, not at all nice. Unnatural feeling.

On the contrary….I’ve got Bose QC 15’s which I (me) find very very comfy, & have worn them from Manchester to Goa & back 4 times in complete comfort.

It’s all a personal thing, like whisky.

For Oz flights I use rubber plug thingy in ear headphones and then a pair decent industrial ear defenders over the top of them. Listen to something chilled and nod off.

The wife reckons I look like a total idiot but for 21hours of flight I can’t hear her so jobs a good un!

I’ve also got a pair of Bose QC (think 15s but I can’t remember). Before that I had some shure in-ear headphones, some cheapo sennheiser over-ear noise blockers and I also have some soundmagic in-ear buds with a variety of tips. Without a doubt the bose are the best, however I normally take some in-ear phones with me and some earplugs as well as

1) the bose ones can get hot (to wear)
2) I lie on my side, so like to have an earplug in my lower ear and music in the other one to drown the noise better.

On short (<2 hour) flights if I’m tight on luggage (week long break somewhere in hand baggage only) I sometimes don’t bother either

for one flight? probably not worth it – that said, if its 48 hours return that’s only ~£5 per hour. I recon the cost of mine works out something like 50p/hour at the moment, and when you’re paying £50/hour just to be in the air, the extra 1% cost is well worth it.

The other thing worth noting – mine run off a single aaa battery and last bloody ages – must be 30+ hours. Its amazing to remember the days when you didn’t have to charge something after 4 hours use 🙂

I have a set if Sennheisers, not too expensive and work really well. Bought a while back when I was doing at least one long haul flight a month

ALL in ear headphones and ear plugs SUCK when worn for hours for me.

Heh – I must have dreamed happily sleeping in mine on occasions. Mind you, I had impressions of my ears taken and a set of custom earplugs making. Quiet, ultra comfortable and great sounding. Perfect.

Rachel

Heh – I must have dreamed happily sleeping in mine on occasions. Mind you, I had impressions of my ears taken and a set of custom earplugs making. Quiet, ultra comfortable and great sounding. Perfect.

Rachel

Partial quote to try and fit your point much – working for the BBC these days ?

Anyway, You have my ears ? Or don’t accept we are all different ? Had moulded ear plugs for work. They didn’t last too long in my ears either before getting painful

Buy whatever the current Bose over-the-ear ones are (qc35?) at the airport. Enjoy the flights, eBay them when you get home.

Will cost less than a cheap (and useless) pair that you won’t use again. Have done several long flights (including to NZ a few times) with qc25s and wouldn’t be without them.

I’ve a set of the Parrot Zik 3.

Best noise cancelling device I’ve ever used and look lovely too boot.

Yes they were expensive, but just sitting cancelling out droning g noise for a little while is worth it to me, meniere’s disease sufferer.

Just got some cheapish sony ones, work well enough and fit nicely but the premium/business ones from virgin work well

CF- AirNZ – Premium Economy out, business back – looks like they provide noise cancelling headphones!
Scaredypants – thanks for the kind offer but I’ll probably sort myself out with some, as much to avoid fretting over damaging someone else’s as anything.

I sleep with in ear phones in every nights so know they’re comfortable – insomnia means that listening to Radio4Extra for a couple of hours a night is preferable to the voices in my head. I get hot ears with the over ear type ones.

wwaswas they do but they aren’t v comfortable, and if you are going via LA neither are the spaceseats but hey ho.Ask them at heathrow if you can upgrade, they sometimes do if you are nice about it 😉 I’d agree with the others, i have some Sony MDRZ ones but they turn off after 15mins so useless, bought Bose ones for a SF flight the other week and they are exceptional.

I’ve got the £30ish Sony over ear ones. They make a world of difference. However I do find on long flights, Japan, USA etc that they start to squash my ears and they get rather sore. Would love a set of Bose and tempted as flying to Mexico in November, but as most of my flying recently has just been to Amsterdam can’t justify it.

AirNZ – Premium Economy out, business back – looks like they provide noise cancelling headphones!

Certainly in business. May not be great, but provided at least!

Still coffin class, I believe. Like Virgin, herringbone facing inward.

Bose QC25, or whatever the in-ear model is. Yes, they are expensive, but they are the best investment I made for flights.

They work for everything and I now use them for conf calls at work too so that the constant braying of engineers in anguish is drowned* out. The even work on C17s.

Might be worth checking if the airline supply noise-cancelling headphones? Save you the expense of buying them and the bother of carrying them around!

DrJ – seems they do but see above, they’re over ear and not that comfortable.

One further q: do airline seats have standard headphone mini-jack sockets or will I need an adapter?

The multi port headphone sockets are for the in-house/plane noise cans. You can plug your own in to the socket as normal, with or without an adapter.

The multi port headphone sockets are for the in-house/plane noise cans. You can plug your own in to the socket as normal, with or without an adapter.

You can do this, but for some reason (maybe just wear and tear) you might often find that the sockets are fractions of a mm larger than the normal 3.5mm headphone jack. This results in sound cutting out of one or both ears, until you give it a wiggle – can be annoying.