Do you wear noise-canceling headphones on the plane?

[jmdlv1]

4 hours ago, carolina_yankee said:

I have both the AirPods Pro (1st Generation) and AirPods Max. I’ve used the Pro on trips becuase I don’t like carrying larger things than I need. They work reasonably well to block out or dramatically reduce the background cabin noise, but they aren’t perfect. They do far better than I thought, though, and met my needs.

 

The AirPods Max (over ear version) would definitely block everything out and are probably more comfortable, though my Pros fit very well inside my ears and I’m used to them. 

 

To my knowledge, there is not a way to use wireless headphones with the in-flight entertainment system, so if you are planning on plane entertainment, you may need to use their headphones or bring your own that use a cord.

I fly mostly on AA.

The inflight entertainment is comes through phone or tablet and wireless headphones work fine.

When on a back of the seat screen, they would not work . 

[Projunior]

I used to swear by my Bose over-the-ears headphones. Loved them. Then they stopped working. Set out to replace them when I happened to try a pair of Sony's. I was happily surprised at the performance and, to boot, they were, at that time, half the price of the intended Bose replacement. I continue to enjoy them.

[Jammu2]

7 hours ago, UnorigionalName said:

In-ear canal earbuds have better noise cancelling, but they can be annoying to wear, especially if you don't use them frequently.  They can cause pain and discomfort after a while.

 

Over ear may be more comfortable, I have and like the sony wh-1000xm4.  They are one model old so there are frequently good sales for them, and they are more travel convenient than the new xm5 model.  The noise cancelling was class leading at the time, now the xm5 is slightly better.

I'll second these. Pretty amazing sound too.

 

[Cruise Junky]

Bose. Amazing on long haul flights. 

[Silent Penguin]

5 hours ago, ShelleyQT said:

I have Bose basic noise canceling earbuds that do not allow you to listen to music.  They are good for sleeping, but keep in mind that they require an app with your phone (bluetooth).  On my last cruise, a few weeks ago, I was not able to use them at full volume, and I think this is because I did not have internet, so that might be good to know.  Because I could not get the noise-canceling sound to full volume, I could still hear DH snoring and other sounds such as docking the ship.  They work great for home when I can use them at full volume to block out my neighbor's 7:30 AM lawn mowing.

 

I also have noise-cancelling Bose headphones that I've had for a long time.  These are comfortable, and the noise canceling feature is good for lessening airplane noise, but do not totally block other passengers' talking.  You can use them for music or to watch movies on an iPad, but you need to use the cord (included) and a dongle adaptor for Apple devices (not included).  I need to bring along batteries because they are not rechargeable.

 

Finally, I have a set of Beats by Dre.  These I do NOT recommend.   Like the Bose headphones, they lessen engine noise but do not eliminate the sound of people talking nearby.  They are fashionable, and they are bluetooth (convenient!).  They are also rechargeable.  However, they really hurt my head and give me a headache.  I am a small person compared to most people, so I think they might hurt a bigger person's head even more.

Thank you!  I learned a lot from this.  

 

[Silent Penguin]

2 hours ago, jmdlv1 said:

I fly mostly on AA.

The inflight entertainment is comes through phone or tablet and wireless headphones work fine.

When on a back of the seat screen, they would not work . 

That is interesting!

 

[Silent Penguin]

11 hours ago, Jim_Iain said:

I use noise cancelling earbuds and absolutely love them.    The new AirPod Pro Second Generation that was just release is the best I have ever experienced.   Currently $239 on Amazon but were discounted last week.

 

This thread may be taken down as it doesn't specifically relate to Celebrity.  

Thank you for the help and the heads up.   I guess it isn't Celebrity-related except when I fly, I'm almost always on my way to a cruise port.  A bit of a stretch, I know.

 

[Silent Penguin]

9 hours ago, mayleeman said:

 

Let me help:  Are any noise-cancelling headphones or ear buds sold in Celebrity's stores? 

 

Edit: Would they help with engine noise or being in that Aqua cabin on Reflection under the bar?

You're my hero!  

[Honolulu Blue]

To answer the question the OP posed in the thread's title, I've never used noise cancelling headphones on a plane - mainly because I've never had pair of noise cancelling headphones.

 

No need to burn me at the stake; I'll see myself out.

[weacat]

I have both, over ear Bose and Ear Buds.  I find the over ear better, but I do have to take off my earrings when I use them.

[Team Stag]

I fly 40+ times a year.  Noise canceling headphones are a lifesaver.  Granted I fly out of Orlando - so every flight is packed with kids excited for vacation or crying because they are leaving.  😆

 

  But I also use them in the hotels, conference calls, cruise ships and just about anytime I want to get away. I use Bose quiet comfort earbuds, my wife (who also travels) uses air pod pros and likes them but has recently gone back to Bose wired version for my comfort.

 

They are pricey.  But they are also worth every penny.

[carolina_yankee]

18 hours ago, canderson said:

I swear, there's an adapter/dongle/whatever to cover every contingency.

 

Assuming you don't get into an antique aircraft with the dual plug/jack, and it's just a regular 1/8" stereo jack, gadgets like this are widely available.  Don't know if this one is particularly good, but is representative of the concept and gets a lot of good reviews:

 

https://www.amazon.com/Bluetooth-Transmitter-Receiver-Portable-Rechargeable/dp/B083J98ZFX

 

 

Interesting, it’s worth a look. I primarily fly United, which still seems to use the older two-prong version, even in business class. I think the 1/8” stereo jack may still work, though, in the property connector. 

 

14 hours ago, jmdlv1 said:

I fly mostly on AA.

The inflight entertainment is comes through phone or tablet and wireless headphones work fine.

When on a back of the seat screen, they would not work . 

 

United does that on some flights, but I’ve heard they are going back to in-set entertainment. Regardless, I tend to listen to my music and read my books or watch what I’ve downloaded, but occasionally I like to catch their offering.

[mayleeman]

Do the Celebrity televisions have headphone jacks that you could plug earpods adapters or headphones into?

 

C'mon, folks, I'm trying to save you here!

Edited October 23, 2022 by mayleeman

[RichYak]

23 minutes ago, mayleeman said:

Do the Celebrity televisions have headphone jacks that you could plug earpods adapters or headphones into?

 

C'mon, folks, I'm trying to save you here!

Here, I can help. I listen to all the Captains Club webinars offering power up points using noise cancelling headphones.

[Boatdrinknc]

Bose earbud’s work great for me

[keesar]

12 hours ago, RichYak said:

Here, I can help. I listen to all the Captains Club webinars offering power up points using noise cancelling headphones.

I use them when one Celebrity  captain is making announcements.

[music]

How about ones for small ear canals? Over the ears with my glasses on hurts, all the in the ear ones either fall out or hurt before a movie is over, am I doomed to airplane noise? lol

[bluwes]

if we're not able to fly business where they're normally provided,  then I bring my own AKG  N60 set. They're brilliant

[Charles4515]

3 hours ago, music said:

How about ones for small ear canals? Over the ears with my glasses on hurts, all the in the ear ones either fall out or hurt before a movie is over, am I doomed to airplane noise? lol

Beats Fit Pro. They are in ear and have a wing that holds them in the ear. They don't fall out. I have them because my AirPods Pro 1st generation would fall out when I was using one of the fitness machines in working out in our condo fitness room. They are noise canceling and use the same chip as in the Apple AirPods Pro that I have. As a bonus they cost less than Airpods Pro. 

Edited October 23, 2022 by Charles4515

[rmalbers]

Monoprice over the ear

 

 

 

[markeb]

Back to the OP's original question:

 

Yes, I use noise-canceling headphones or now largely earbuds every time I fly or take the train. They are a lifesaver. The two generally highest rated overall on performance and value are the Bose QuietComfort (over-ear or earbuds) and the Sony WH-1000XM4 (headphones) and WF-1000XM5 (earbuds). As posted earlier, Sony is releasing a WH-1000XM5 this week. Looks like a big price jump and I'm not sure of the features. You can go much "better" and expensive (Bowers & Wilkins, Bang & Olufson), but unless you're a true audiophile with really good hearing you may not perceive a difference, and the last time I tried Bowers & Wilkins (have and love their speakers) they were just plain uncomfortable! I'm an iPhone guy, but I've never used the AirPods.

 

The sweet spot for pricing on those is generally $250-300, so not inexpensive. The headphones will have longer battery life for long-haul flights, and will come with a cord to use with inflight entertainment systems on international flights. The Bose and Sony earbuds will give you about 8 hours of charge but will recharge in their case. I find that buds get a little tiring after a few hours, so drop them back in the charged case when you're taking a break. If you want to use the buds with current inflight systems, you'll need a 3.5 mm to Bluetooth adapter, and you've just added a layer of complexity.

 

I was a QuietComfort guy for years. I picked up the Sony WH-1000XM3's in late 2019 based on reviews. They have a different sound quality from Bose, who were historically known for their bass reproduction. I just got the WF-1000XM4 buds, largely because I flew with a Panama hat to a cruise and couldn't wear my headphones...

 

If you look at earbuds, TRY to get somewhere where you can try them on! That's harder to do these days. I actually swapped medium tips for large, even though I don't think I have that large of an ear canal, because the large seated better and were more comfortable. Over ear are a different story, obviously.

 

And to keep this Celebrity related, you're not going to find any decent noise cancelling anything on Celebrity! They "might" have a cheap pair of JBLs (which aren't half bad for what they are), but that's about it. They had nothing when I was looking in August and needed to wear the hat on the flight but wanted to listen to my music. First world problem...

[Yoshikitty]

I don‘t enter a long haul flight without my Bose QC20 in-ears.

They have a cable, but the NC function lasts for over 10 hours.

 

I never liked the over-ears as if you touch the seatrest with them, the vibration will be transmitted.

 

Edited October 24, 2022 by Yoshikitty

[excitedofharpenden]

OP, go to YouTube and look for reviews. There are lots of them. Generally it comes down to two or three over ear that beat the rest, Bose, Sony XM3 or 4, Apple Airpods Max. The latter are very expensive. I have Sony XM3's and love them. Wish I hadn't waited so long to get them, but the technology has improved a lot. I am very impressed. 

 

Phil 

[Miaminice]

We have Bose over ear and Bose in ear / earbuds. 
For sports etc. I use in ear, for airplane travel I much prefer over ear because of the better noise cancellation and comfort.

 

[DCPIV]

I love my Bose QuietComfort for air travel.  They keep a relatively good charge (and recharge fairly quickly), they are comfortable, and the sound is terrific.  The noise cancellation is better than the others I've tried (Galaxy Pro and JBL).  I understand that the newer Bose (QuietComfort II) are even better, but I've not yet worked up the gumption to pay $300 and find out.

 

The only downsides to the Bose QC earbuds are very minor.  First, you have to install an app in order to pair them, so that restricts to some extent what you can pair them with.  That's not typically an issue when I'm travelling, though.  The other (very minor) downside is the size of the case.  It's signficantly larger than others, but it's still a rather manageable size.