head phones

Oh yeah! Bose work brilliantly but about $300. Dave used to wear his in the EO office when Adele was talking on the phone all day to customers so he could concentrate. I wear them when I want to read and block out the background noise and interruptions. They are fantastic on planes and I'm sure you could use them in the 4WD for similar reasons and if you jag an annoying noisy campsite. The Bose ones have a button to activate the noise cancelling - they are the full over ear cuffs.

Barry
I bought some Sony ear bud type headphones two years ago for around $90 following reading a Choice review. I bought the ear bud type as I wanted something small, they permanently reside in my work bag as Choice said their performance was only slightly inferior to Bose/Sennhauser type.
Used them on a trip to Europe and numerous times Perth- east coast.

They work and work well is all I can say.

Mark

Good ones aren't cheap. I agree Bose are excellent..I prefer over ear as i want as much suppression/cancelling. I do FIFO so I use mine regularly and also on longer trips to Asia. At the moment mine are Sony....but would prefer Bose as they were more comfortable.

Barry,

Bought a pair(Uniden I think) for about $90, to use while driving a grader.

Did work, but the background noise was too great for the noise cancelling, and I didn't use them much. Ended up using ear buds, inside good quality earmuffs.

Found the noise cancelling 'phones worked well in quieter environments.

Bob.

I bought Audio Technica a few years ago for $199 and they are very good quality for a reasonable price.

Barry

I have sennheiser PXc 250. They are the entry level but I reckon they are worth it. They dont block out all the noise and some planes are noiser than others.

If you are travelling overseas and can stand the outbound flight without them, buy when you are away. they almost certainly will be cheaper and the strong Aussie dollar helps too.

Cheers

Barry,
My wife and I each have a pair of Sony MDR-NC7 noise cancelling headphones that work very well and were about $70-80 but you would hope at $300 that Bose might be as good as you can get.
Ian

I use in-ear Sony buds. I tried headphones on long flights but found they were pain if I turned on my side to snooze. I just put classical music on, push the buds in and it doesn't matter if I am on my side or not.

I currently have a set of Bose over-ear and they are great. I did have a set of Bose on-ear, but found they started to cause an ear-ache after ~8 hours. Both types work as well as each other, just that the on-ear type apply subtle pressure on the actual ear and after 8 hours, well it was uncomfortable. As the over-ear press on the side of the skull, it doesn't have the same problem.

The on-ear are supposedly for those who wear glasses, it allows the cup to seal while having the headphones on.

The large headphone style are great for "economy" seating as you sit up for the flight. But when using in Business class, you cannot lay on your side comfortable with the headphones on. I am looking at getting the new Bose in-ear bud type for this reason. They are relatively new, so haven't had the chance to talk with someone who has used them.

One of the best features of noise cancelling headphones is just how good the plane sound quality is for movies. Before, sometimes I found it hard to distinguish the voices from the music/background sound, but the Bose turn it into cinema quality!

Cheers

Captain

You don't say what you want to use the feature for. I often use headphones to drown out external noise/disturbance or Tinnitus while getting to sleep. A bit of White Noise to any style of headphone does the job for me.

Iza

Barry,

I can't believe how well the Bose work. It's almost magical. The best comparison is to have the headphones on, then turn on the power switch- the aircraft and back ground noise just disappear. The silence is unbelievable.

That constant roar of the engine is one of the things that kept me awake on long flights, not with the noise cancellers though!

It also makes the sound track of movies clearly audible. No need to use the crap airline headphones again.

They weren't cheap, but I consider it was money well spent.

Make sure you have a stock of replacement AAA batteries with you.

Bob

I'm sure the old - "you get what you pay for" applies to noise cancelling earphones.

I bought a set of these cheaper Phillips ones below 5 years ago and they are still going strong. I actually used then on a flight today. I use them to listen to movies/music on the phone or tablet when flying.

Phillips SHN2500



They do a reasonable good job of dulling the engine noise enough to hear my music or movies on the phone or tablet. I still have to have the volume high on the device - maybe 70-80% volume.

A tip is to put an energizer lithium disposable battery in it. They last a long time and make the unit lighter.

Changing to another topic. Check this travel accessory. For those who dont like making eye contact.
Travel Thingy

I like alot travel overseas for work. Tried a few different types and agree Bose QuietComfort 15 are as good as you will get. Also do well cancelling out screeming kids. Also have a set of bud type for short flights, there is no comparrison. It's very important to find a style that is comfortable. I find the 15's sit around the ear and I can wear them for a 14hr flight no problems. Some of the others sit on your ear which i find very uncomfortable ..

Craig

Purchased a pair in Japan a few years ago and would not travel by air without them. They cosy around $400, but wrth every bit!
With them, and a double adapter, we (+1 and I) watch a movie purchased and downloaded to our tablet so we don't have to put up with endless repeats of "Two and a Half Men" or "Big Bang Theory"!
I also use them to listen to music (or a book being read) while working the tractor in the grove.

Gooday,
Another Vote for the Bose Over Ear ones, ("Quiet Comfort 15), only way to go, wasted money on other types, bought Bose on a trip to New York last year, absolutely no comparison, 'yes', expensive, but worth the money, indeed.

Have 2 pair of Sharper Image Quiet Place, Noise Cancelling Over ear, for sale, used twice, cost $150-00 each 2 years ago new, sell for
PS had a pair of Sony prior to that, gave them away.
$50-00each plus postage.
Cheers,
Boroma604.

Barry,

BE WARNED: do not make the mistake I made. Bought some Auto-Technica noise cancelling headphones for myself. Wife reckoned she didn't need any but became concerned that I thought mine were GREAT and therefore had to have some. During a moment of emotional vulnerability during another O/S trip I bought her a pair of Bose. They are even better and now I can only get to use the Bose by trickery or deception neither of which work very often!! While I would happily recommend the others, go the Bose; they are the best!