Noise-Cancelling Headphones Review
Our mission at SeatGuru is to make your flight more comfortable. But there is more to a comfortable flight than a good seat. Just ask anyone who has ever sat near a crying baby, or right next to the galley. It's because of these situations that frequent travelers consider noise-cancelling headphones a necessity rather than a luxury.
So, to help make your next flight quieter, we've gathered some of the most popular noise-cancelling headphones on the market and put them through a lab test with our panel of travel experts. We've ranked all of the featured headphones in five different categories. While we can't guarantee you won't be seated near a crying infant, we can help you prepare for that day when it comes.
Bose Quiet Comfort 3
Noise Cancellation: 9/10
Comfort: 8/10
Sound Quality: 9/10
Portability/Size: 6/10
List Price: $349.00
The Bose Engineers successfully created a smaller on-the-ear headset that offers better noise cancelling than the previous generation. The build-quality is very high and the leather they use is incredibly soft. The only drawback, a minor one, is that the unit uses a proprietary rechargeable battery which makes an in-air battery change impossible (unless you buy an extra battery from Bose and remember to charge it too). The headset does not pass-through music when the battery is dead. When fully charged, the battery will last for 20 hours.
The Verdict: A very high quality headset. The Bose Quiet Comfort 3 will not disappoint.
Audio Technica ATH-ANC7
Noise Cancellation: 8/10
Comfort: 8/10
Sound Quality: 9/10
Portability/Size: 6/10
List Price: $219.95
With excellent sound quality and above average noise cancellation, the Audio Technica ATH-ANC7 are high quality headphones with a reasonable price tag. The full-sized headphones have comfortable leather cushioning around the ear and can be worn for long periods of time with no discomfort. They have a large carrying case but with only one detachable wire, they are easy to take on and off while you are seated on a plane. The noise cancellation switch is conveniently located on the left earphone, making it easy to turn on and off. The sound quality is far superior when the noise cancellation is turned on.
The Verdict: These are excellent headphones with a reasonable price tag. Comparable in quality to the Bose Quiet Comfort 3.
Plane Quiet Platinum
Noise Cancellation: 8/10
Comfort: 9/10
Sound Quality: 7/10
Portability/Size: 6/10
List Price: $99.95
These headphones are perfect for long-haul flights. The large size and leather that surrounds your ears makes the Plane Quiet Platinum the most comfortable headphones reviewed. The sound quality is above average with a nice balance between the bass and higher sounds. This full sized model is not the most convenient size to carry on a plane but with only one detachable cord, they are easy to take on and off. The noise-cancellation switch is large and located on the cord, which is slightly bothersome.
The Verdict: High quality, comfortable headphones at a price that can't be beat when it comes to full-sized models.
Shure SE420
Noise Cancellation: 8/10
Comfort: 7/10
Sound Quality: 9/10
Portability/Size: 9/10
List Price: $399.99
As the only passive noise cancelling headphones in this review, the Shure SE420 proved they can compete with active noise-cancelling models, scoring highly in noise cancellation. The crisp and clean sounds rank these headphones among the top performers in sound quality. They could, and probably would have scored higher, but like most in-ear models, the bass level is subpar.
The Verdict: Some of the best headphones that fit in your pocket. But expect to pay for that quality.
Sennheiser PXC 300
Noise Cancellation: 8/10
Comfort: 8/10
Sound Quality: 7/10
Portability/Size: 6/10
List Price: $199.99
This on-the-ear headset folds down to almost half the size of all other units tested. This headset was also very comfortable for sleeping, again due to its smaller size. There were only two drawbacks: First, the noise-cancelling electronics are in a separate corded unit that cannot be disconnected from the headset; and, second, the noise-cancelling performance on extremely loud propeller planes was sub-par. The headset requires 2 x AAA batteries for noise cancelling, and allows music to pass-through even when the batteries are dead.
The Verdict: High quality noise cancellation in a convenient, small package.
Bose Quiet Comfort 2
Noise Cancellation: 8/10
Comfort: 8/10
Sound Quality: 7/10
Portability/Size: 6/10
List Price: $199.99
The oval shaped around-the-ear design is very comfortable. While the case is a little bulkier than others, an iPod fits nicely in the center of the case between the headphones. With the next generation of these headphones on the scene, it might be a good idea to look for a bargain pair of these on eBay. The headset requires 1 x AAA battery but does not pass-through music when the battery is dead.
The Verdict: Though they are a slightly older model than the Quiet Comfort 3, these headphones are still high quality.
JVC HANC250
Noise Cancellation: 7/10
Comfort: 7/10
Sound Quality: 8/10
Portability/Size: 7/10
List Price: $199.95
For a relatively small model, these headphones provide average noise cancellation and sound quality. Like other on-the-ear headsets, they can be uncomfortable as there is constant, though very light pressure on your ears. Being smaller than full-size models, they are easier to carry on to a plane. The JVC HANC250 are average headphones overall.
The Verdict: Adequate, though not impressive noise cancellation, and sound quality.
Sony MDR-NC500D
Noise Cancellation: 7/10
Comfort: 9/10
Sound Quality: 7/10
Portability/Size: 4/10
List Price: $399.99
This comfortable headset is only average when it comes to noise cancellation and sound quality. With the music at a relatively high volume, the noise cancelling becomes more effective, but at a lower volume, ambient noise is audible, though faint. A very large and cumbersome headset, the Sony MDR-NC5000 comes with multiple cords, two of which have to be hooked up at all times. This makes it difficult to take them on and off while seated on a plane. The best feature on this headset is the ability to recharge the batteries by plugging the headset into the wall. This is a feature not found on any other headset in our review.
The Verdict: These will do the job of blocking out sound, but they are not the most convenient model when flying.
Audio Technica ATH-ANC3
Noise Cancellation: 5/10
Comfort: 7/10
Sound Quality: 7/10
Portability/Size: 9/10
List Price: $149.99
This in-ear model is subpar when it comes to noise cancellation. They do feature active noise cancellation, which is rare in an in-ear model, but it just doesn't do the job. The sound quality and comfort are both above average. They are small and easy to carry in your pocket, but the large noise cancellation switch is located on the cord, which makes the cord bulky.
The Verdict: These fall short to the full-sized models and to the Shure SE420 in-ear model.
