[ScottyP431]

Hey,

So I am a total head phone newb. I own a pair of 280 pros I bought a few years ago after surfing this forum for recs which is my only experience with quality headphones.

I now have to travel a lot for work from the west coast to the east coast, which means a lot of flying. I feel like in order to hear TV shows well I am turning up the volume too loud with my 280's and am worried I may be damaging my hearing, so I am looking for a better alternative when on a plane/in a busy airport.

In looking around a little it seems the Sen PXC 450/350 are recommended a lot, I was wondering if there is anything else I should be looking into. My ears sometimes get hot wearing the 280's for long periods of time, does this happen with the PXC 450/350?

Are the ear bud type noise cancelling head phones as good quality as the PXC? Do people who wear them for long periods of time find them more comfortable?

Durabillity is also an issue for me. Other than the 280's I have broke pretty much every headphone/earbud I have ever had because I am pretty hard on them (read: careless). So comments on that would be REALLY appreciated.

Thanks.

 

[scompton]

Most people here recommend IEMs over noise canceling headphones, at least for music. I use the UM1. It isolates better than the HD280 Pro, but not as good as IEMs that go farther in your ear.

The most highly recommended noise canceling headphone here is the Audio Technica.

You're not too hard on your headphones if you haven't broken the HD280s. The headband is very fragile.

Edit: If you search the portable headphone forum you'll find many threads on plane/travel headphones.

 

[Woobies]

X2 on the IEM recommendation. Not only do they isolate better than full sized closed cans like the HD280 pro but they are also smaller and easier to pack, which for me, is a huge plus. And if your budget permits, many people around here like the Sleek Audio SA6 for their modular design and bang for buck.

 

[mow_the_hawk]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Woobies /img/forum/go_quote.gif X2 on the IEM recommendation. Not only do they isolate better than full sized closed cans like the HD280 pro but they are also smaller and easier to pack, which for me, is a huge plus. And if your budget permits, many people around here like the Sleek Audio SA6 for their modular design and bang for buck.

X3. If your budget is not that high though, I recommend the ety er-6.

 

[Shingetsu]

And you can Throw your IEMs at the wall and they will have less of a chance of breaking. lol

 

[lacrossebowe8]

IEM's are best for planes IMO. They can be quite comfortable as long as you take the time to get a good fit.

The Ety 6i costs about 70 bucks if you look around and sound very good, even unamped.

 

[BushGuy]

The Etymotics er-6i is a very valid choice for planes - get a bag of Comply foam tips to go with them. It's not only for greatest comfort - but maximum isolation from plane sounds. When you're competing with all of that noise - it doesn't make a whole lot of sense to buy anything significantly more expensive. You'll be happy with them.

 

[BigTony]

My GF bought me the Bose Quiet Comfort noise cancelling headphones some years ago, and I find they are excelelnt for plane / train travel. They block out all the draining low freq. drone that drives you crazy! I know that Bose doesn't have a good reputation, generally considered to expensive, but these cans are very nice, much better than my GF's sehn PX350.
In terms of music SQ, well its headphones on a M********* plane! your not going to get excellent listening time, but I do find that I arrive rested and calm. The other advantage is that they don't block out all noise, so you can hear people, unlike with my ER-6i's which act like earplugs.
Also my ears didn't get on too well with having IEMs stuffed in them while flying.

BT

 

[REB]

Sennheiser PXC450. If you're not an IEM person (such as me), these are the best. Great SQ and comfort, foldable, very good NC and quite sturdy.

 

[jonathanjong]

x60000000 for IEMs. Remember, you can replace the tips (e.g., with Complys) to improve fit and isolation. Most noise-canceling cans (at least most I've heard...) don't sound that great, and then there's the premium you pay for the active noise cancellation. *bluek* Plugging solids into your ears. That's the old-fashioned way and that's the way it should stay!