7 ms·

>Once you get used to noise-canceling headphones on an airplane, there’s no going back I tend to disagree. Most people underestimate good passive isolation and

>Once you get used to noise-canceling headphones on an airplane, there’s no going back I tend to disagree. Most people underestimate good passive isolation and have never tried good closed back headphones. Just spend $99 on Sennheiser HD280PRO, try them on a flight trip and make your own decision.

ubermonkey 6y ago
I've literally never heard anyone make this argument before. It's wild. Nice Sennheiser over-ear cans are okay on a plane, but honestly aren't as good as solid in-ear options (e.g., Etymotic). Sennheisers (or others) with ANC that are also over ear are FAR AND AWAY superior. It's astonishing how nice it is for the drone of the plane to just VANISH vs. being merely muffled.
jedberg 6y ago
I have a pair of in-ear headphones that isolate sound better than any Bose I've ever tried. It's just a matter of finding the right tip size to create a seal. My tips actually make a popping noise when I pull them out.
floatingatoll 6y ago
To provide a view from the opposite end of this spectrum, I use noise-canceling headphones over passive custom-fit earplugs on flights.
jiggawatts 6y ago
I disagree with your disagreement! I've had good closed headphones before, and they're... okay... but nothing like a good active noise cancelling headphones. For example, the Sony WH-1000XM3 is already a relatively good closed headphone! If you put one on with the noise cancelling disabled, it still provides a quite decent amount of isolation. But then instant you press that little switch... near total silence. I used to tell people that first class tickets on planes are a waste of money because: You're still on a plane, it's still noisy, you just get better food. But now with my Sony headphones, cattle class feels like first class. It's bliss: I can sleep. I can watch movies and actually understand what people are saying. I can read a book without feeling like there's a running hair dryer behind my head the whole time. The cries of babies are completely inaudible.
- ksec 6y ago
  >I used to tell people that first class tickets on planes are a waste of money because: You're still on a plane, it's still noisy, you just get better food. You get much more leg room. You are getting much more space than an economy.
  - oblio 6y ago
    If you aren't tall and you stretch your legs from time to time, it's not a big thing. Now, business class or whatever they call the thing where you can recline your seat almost horizontally, that's something. I can't really sleep sitting.
    - CaptainZapp 6y ago
      Good business class configurations allow you to lie completely flat. Depending on the configuration you may have a real (narrow) bed feeling, or you may be lying in a sort of tube with not much space to move, but definitely completely flat. If the price is not outrageous I always go for a business flight on long haul.
      - ghaff 6y ago
        The price delta is usually in the thousands of dollars though. That said, especially for trans-Pacific I'll often try to get an upgrade using a combination of miles and dollars.
        CaptainZapp 6y ago
        I know, often the prices are absurd. Absurd means in the 6000$ range from Europe to Asia and I agree that's over the top compared to, say, 700$ economy with a reasonable airline. Then again upgrading is an option and sometimes really great bargains can be found. I flew Zurich Bangkok return with Oman Air in business for less than 2'000 in February. In my opinion a very reasonable price for a great product.
maxlamb 6y ago
For me at least, good noise canceling headphones make flying even quieter than the maximum rated earplugs I could find (because low frequency hum goes through almost any material)
DoingIsLearning 6y ago
Perhaps a bit off topic, but I am truly unable to use active noise-cancelling headphones. I'm not sure if it's just me being sensitive or if this is common: Whenever I tried using noise cancelling headphones, I always felt what I can only describe as a high air pressure in my ears. The best I can describe it is the feeling of needing to pop my ears but popping them providing zero relief. Is this common at all? Does everyone feel this but somehow are able to ignore it? Anyway fully agree that good passive isolation goes a long way!
- kkapelon 6y ago
  Yes it happens to a lot of people (but not all). If you fall into this camp, then passive isolation is the only viable choice for you.
- deleted 6y ago
  [deleted]
- climb_stealth 6y ago
  I have the same issue. I pretty much only use the noise cancellation on planes where it doesn't have that effect for me.
- exochrono 6y ago
  For a long time I thought that this was the case for me too and stuck with passive noise cancelling headphones. Then I tried the Sony 1000MX3s and didn't experience that issue, and I realized I had only really ever tried the Bose QuietComforts before. If you haven't already, it could be worth trying different brands to see if the issue persists across different noise cancelling systems!
  - DoingIsLearning 6y ago
    But if the issue is only a technology or firmware issue what exactly causes it? Is it like a standing wave of pressure below or above hearing range? The mistery bothers me as much as experiencing it.
kashug 6y ago
But passive isolation will allways struggle with low-frequency-sounds. Motor-sounds, like the engine on an airplane, is easy for active NC - while passive struggles with it.
i_am_proteus 6y ago
Seconded; I'd also recommend Etymotic Research's line of earbuds, which combine earbuds and earplugs, including replaceable foam inserts. Passive isolation most noticeably outperforms noise-cancelling for transient noises.
- owenversteeg 6y ago
  Yep, Etymotics are absolutely the gold standard in my opinion if you want a high quality sound experience while traveling (train, plane, etc.) I've had a crying baby directly in the seat in front of me for most of a 10 hour flight and didn't hear it with music on at a reasonable volume. And the sound quality is really excellent for the price.
ghaff 6y ago
I agree that good closed back over the ear headphones work well. The issue for me is that I travel light and never take something that big and heavy to use when flying.
- kkapelon 6y ago
  Agreed. But the original article is about Airpods Max which are not small either. And he specifically talks about how heavy they are.
  - ghaff 6y ago
    True. And I'd never buy a pair for that reason. (I wouldn't want them for travel and I don't need wireless or noise canceling for home.) For travel, I have in-ear Bose and (now) Airpod Pros. I wasn't interested in the original Bose over-ear for the same reason.
pwinnski 6y ago
I'm not sure what you're aiming for here. Is your claim that Sennheiser HD280PRO headphones do a better job than these? Because I've got a pair, and I agree 100% with the author: the first time I tried some noise-canceling headphones was the last time I took my HD280PROs on a flight. If that's not your claim, then it doesn't seem like your statement makes any sense. Sure, HD280PROs are better than not wearing anything over your ears. But the flying experience is dramatically different once you have active noise-cancelling headphones, so different that, euphemistically speaking, there's no going back.
squeaky-clean 6y ago
I honestly have to assume you've never used ANC headphones on a plane if you're making this claim. As someone who does own the HD280PRO and several ANC headphones, there's no comparison at all for environments with a repetitive droning noise like an airplane.
NationalPark 6y ago
I have owned multiple pairs of that exact model. For $99 it's a great deal (they can take a beating... but not several beatings). But come on, the isolation is not even close, even to noise cancelling ear buds.
dougmwne 6y ago
That is enormously different than my experience and I felt the need to respond because this is not healthy advice for your hearing. I have good closed back headphones and IEMs that isolate very well. My experience is that the airplane noise forces me to turn up the volume to unsafe levels and the audio quality is destroyed as well. Active Noise Canceling is a bit of absolute magic on the plane. The jet noise is almost eliminated and you can listen at safe levels with high fidelity. Plus, sustained loud noise can exacerbate jet lag. Having a quiet environment reduces post-flight fatigue. You're really doing yourself a disservice if you fly regularly without ANC.
porphyra 6y ago
I own both the Sennheiser HD 280 Pro and the Bose QC35 II. The active noise cancelling Bose headphones are vastly better on a plane trip. The HD 280 Pros are just not very good at reducing ambient noise.

ubermonkey 6y ago

I've literally never heard anyone make this argument before. It's wild. Nice Sennheiser over-ear cans are okay on a plane, but honestly aren't as good as solid in-ear options (e.g., Etymotic). Sennheisers (or others) with ANC that are also over ear are FAR AND AWAY superior. It's astonishing how nice it is for the drone of the plane to just VANISH vs. being merely muffled.

jedberg 6y ago

I have a pair of in-ear headphones that isolate sound better than any Bose I've ever tried. It's just a matter of finding the right tip size to create a seal. My tips actually make a popping noise when I pull them out.

floatingatoll 6y ago

To provide a view from the opposite end of this spectrum, I use noise-canceling headphones over passive custom-fit earplugs on flights.

jiggawatts 6y ago

I disagree with your disagreement! I've had good closed headphones before, and they're... okay... but nothing like a good active noise cancelling headphones. For example, the Sony WH-1000XM3 is already a relatively good closed headphone! If you put one on with the noise cancelling disabled, it still provides a quite decent amount of isolation. But then instant you press that little switch... near total silence. I used to tell people that first class tickets on planes are a waste of money because: You're still on a plane, it's still noisy, you just get better food. But now with my Sony headphones, cattle class feels like first class. It's bliss: I can sleep. I can watch movies and actually understand what people are saying. I can read a book without feeling like there's a running hair dryer behind my head the whole time. The cries of babies are completely inaudible.

ksec 6y ago
>I used to tell people that first class tickets on planes are a waste of money because: You're still on a plane, it's still noisy, you just get better food. You get much more leg room. You are getting much more space than an economy.
- oblio 6y ago
  If you aren't tall and you stretch your legs from time to time, it's not a big thing. Now, business class or whatever they call the thing where you can recline your seat almost horizontally, that's something. I can't really sleep sitting.
  - CaptainZapp 6y ago
    Good business class configurations allow you to lie completely flat. Depending on the configuration you may have a real (narrow) bed feeling, or you may be lying in a sort of tube with not much space to move, but definitely completely flat. If the price is not outrageous I always go for a business flight on long haul.
    - ghaff 6y ago
      The price delta is usually in the thousands of dollars though. That said, especially for trans-Pacific I'll often try to get an upgrade using a combination of miles and dollars.
      - CaptainZapp 6y ago
        I know, often the prices are absurd. Absurd means in the 6000$ range from Europe to Asia and I agree that's over the top compared to, say, 700$ economy with a reasonable airline. Then again upgrading is an option and sometimes really great bargains can be found. I flew Zurich Bangkok return with Oman Air in business for less than 2'000 in February. In my opinion a very reasonable price for a great product.

maxlamb 6y ago

For me at least, good noise canceling headphones make flying even quieter than the maximum rated earplugs I could find (because low frequency hum goes through almost any material)

DoingIsLearning 6y ago

Perhaps a bit off topic, but I am truly unable to use active noise-cancelling headphones. I'm not sure if it's just me being sensitive or if this is common: Whenever I tried using noise cancelling headphones, I always felt what I can only describe as a high air pressure in my ears. The best I can describe it is the feeling of needing to pop my ears but popping them providing zero relief. Is this common at all? Does everyone feel this but somehow are able to ignore it? Anyway fully agree that good passive isolation goes a long way!

kkapelon 6y ago
Yes it happens to a lot of people (but not all). If you fall into this camp, then passive isolation is the only viable choice for you.
deleted 6y ago
[deleted]
climb_stealth 6y ago
I have the same issue. I pretty much only use the noise cancellation on planes where it doesn't have that effect for me.
exochrono 6y ago
For a long time I thought that this was the case for me too and stuck with passive noise cancelling headphones. Then I tried the Sony 1000MX3s and didn't experience that issue, and I realized I had only really ever tried the Bose QuietComforts before. If you haven't already, it could be worth trying different brands to see if the issue persists across different noise cancelling systems!
- DoingIsLearning 6y ago
  But if the issue is only a technology or firmware issue what exactly causes it? Is it like a standing wave of pressure below or above hearing range? The mistery bothers me as much as experiencing it.

kashug 6y ago

But passive isolation will allways struggle with low-frequency-sounds. Motor-sounds, like the engine on an airplane, is easy for active NC - while passive struggles with it.

i_am_proteus 6y ago

Seconded; I'd also recommend Etymotic Research's line of earbuds, which combine earbuds and earplugs, including replaceable foam inserts. Passive isolation most noticeably outperforms noise-cancelling for transient noises.

owenversteeg 6y ago
Yep, Etymotics are absolutely the gold standard in my opinion if you want a high quality sound experience while traveling (train, plane, etc.) I've had a crying baby directly in the seat in front of me for most of a 10 hour flight and didn't hear it with music on at a reasonable volume. And the sound quality is really excellent for the price.

ghaff 6y ago

I agree that good closed back over the ear headphones work well. The issue for me is that I travel light and never take something that big and heavy to use when flying.

kkapelon 6y ago
Agreed. But the original article is about Airpods Max which are not small either. And he specifically talks about how heavy they are.
- ghaff 6y ago
  True. And I'd never buy a pair for that reason. (I wouldn't want them for travel and I don't need wireless or noise canceling for home.) For travel, I have in-ear Bose and (now) Airpod Pros. I wasn't interested in the original Bose over-ear for the same reason.

pwinnski 6y ago

I'm not sure what you're aiming for here. Is your claim that Sennheiser HD280PRO headphones do a better job than these? Because I've got a pair, and I agree 100% with the author: the first time I tried some noise-canceling headphones was the last time I took my HD280PROs on a flight. If that's not your claim, then it doesn't seem like your statement makes any sense. Sure, HD280PROs are better than not wearing anything over your ears. But the flying experience is dramatically different once you have active noise-cancelling headphones, so different that, euphemistically speaking, there's no going back.

squeaky-clean 6y ago

I honestly have to assume you've never used ANC headphones on a plane if you're making this claim. As someone who does own the HD280PRO and several ANC headphones, there's no comparison at all for environments with a repetitive droning noise like an airplane.

NationalPark 6y ago

I have owned multiple pairs of that exact model. For $99 it's a great deal (they can take a beating... but not several beatings). But come on, the isolation is not even close, even to noise cancelling ear buds.

dougmwne 6y ago

That is enormously different than my experience and I felt the need to respond because this is not healthy advice for your hearing. I have good closed back headphones and IEMs that isolate very well. My experience is that the airplane noise forces me to turn up the volume to unsafe levels and the audio quality is destroyed as well. Active Noise Canceling is a bit of absolute magic on the plane. The jet noise is almost eliminated and you can listen at safe levels with high fidelity. Plus, sustained loud noise can exacerbate jet lag. Having a quiet environment reduces post-flight fatigue. You're really doing yourself a disservice if you fly regularly without ANC.

porphyra 6y ago

I own both the Sennheiser HD 280 Pro and the Bose QC35 II. The active noise cancelling Bose headphones are vastly better on a plane trip. The HD 280 Pros are just not very good at reducing ambient noise.