Are noise cancelling headphones worth the price?

A pilot friend of mine said they were very effective in a small aeroplane.

-Andrew M

I bought a set of Sony Ear Bud ones for around $300 mark. I chose this because they were small, and because they were "closed" type. The fact that they were close fitting eliminates a great deal of nosie as it were. Turning on the noise cancelling circuit, it introduces a hiss which can be annoying in the beginning, but starts to be transparent after a while.

On the 20 odd flights I've had them, I wouldn't fly without them. In short, they do reduce the aircraft drone to an acceptable level such that after a 6 hour flight, you don't feel that tired. But, they are not for HiFi quality music. The real beauty is that you can listen to the aircraft music at low levels and still "hear" the music. And when the air stewardess says something, you still can hear them.

A colleague here has a pair of Bose's. He sits under a couple of noisy A/C vents, and the effect is simply amazing! Absolute and utter quiet, instantly. I can just hear people talking beside me, but the A/C noise just vanishes.

Without having tried it, I'd expect a similar result on an airplane.

Clifford Heath.

I have had Sony NC5 and currently the Targus noise cancelling headphones. I use them while flying and would be without them.

Its a bit subjective, but I find I am less tyred when I arrive at my destination. They only remove lower frequencies. Check the specs before you by.

Regards, Mal.

I fly a lot. I have been using the Sennheiser PXC250 noise cancelling headphones for about two years now, and would not fly without them. They were about $190, and the sound is excellent. This is the new model link

Rod

$190,

I have a set made by Philips and like Rod, would never fly without them!

Jackie

Which model? I liked the price of these

but the reviews were not encouraging.