noise-cancelling headphones

The fact that noise-canceling headphone reviews were all over the place made figuring out what to buy kind of difficult. I decided to buy the Sennheiser HDC451s ($80), the Sony MDR-NC20s ($120), and the Aiwa HP-CN5 ($50), and the Etymotic ER-6 ($130), try them all, and then return the three I liked least. Bose makes what are probably the industry standard but they weren't any better reviewed than the others and at $299, I wasn't interested.

Here's what I found:

Comfort: Kind of subjective, but in my opinion they rank as follows: Etymotic, Sony, Aiwa, Sennheiser. The Etymotics are basically earphones built into earplugs, so there's no bulk to worry about when moving around or trying to sleep on a plane. How comfortable they are kind of depends on how you feel about having things shoved in your ears. Of the conventional 'phones, the Sony's closed-ear design is more comfortable over long periods. The open-air design of the other two tends to squeeze your ears after a while. The Sennheiser loses because of an inexplicably uncomfortable pad in the top.

Noise Canceling: Etymotic, Sony, Sennheiser, Aiwa. The Etymotics have no noise-canceling circuitry and rely purely on blocking the ear canal to reduce noise. This cuts more noise than the others and does it across the entire spectrum-making it the only one that will silence the kid screaming in the seat behind you. In the conventional 'phones, the Sony again benefits from the closed-ear design, passively blocking some high register noise that the others miss. The Sennheisers actually have the most elegant electronics, silencing low hums with less hiss than the other two. Remember that active noise canceling only works in the very low registers-like the rumble of an airplane.

Sound: Etymotic, Sennheiser, Sony, Aiwa. The Etymotics live up to their reputation of being one the best sounding 'phones on the market at any price, though they can amplify body noises such as chewing. The Sennheisers sound really muddy with the canceling turned off, but with it on they give fairly crisp sound a bit lacking in bass. The other two remain kind of muddy sounding with somewhat sloppy bass which might make watching movies on a plane a little more difficult. Overall, the Sony and Aiwa don't sound any better than the cheap 'phones that came with my MD player.

Convenience: Etymotic, Aiwa, Sony, Sennheiser. The Etymotics fit in your shirt pocket but are definitely harder to get in and out than the others and don't include an airline adapter. The Aiwas fold up quite flat, have the batteries in the headset and have a carrying case. The Sonys fold up (but are still bulky), include a carrying case, and have the battery in the headset. The Sennheisers don't fold, have no carrying case, and have the batteries in the cord. All three conventional units come with airline adapters.

So in conclusion, the Etymotics are pretty much light years ahead of the others, but only if you are okay with having them jammed in your ears (didn't bother me, but my wife had no interest.) The conventional units all have their pluses and minuses, so you'll have to decide what features are important to you.

One of the best things about the original Sony Walkman was how loud it was. If you cranked it up loud enough, all noises were cancelled, even traffic. Well, several years of litigation and psychoacoustic research later, the latest generation of portable audio players are downright pansy in comparison to Sony's first little gem. To offset this MAJOR problem, you might consider a pair of NC headphones. They work best with low, steady noises, like whatever that hideous noise on airplanes is, but are not especially good at shielding you from the screaming coming from the next room. This model is not what I would call tough, as some key structural points are vulnerable, but it also isn't flimsy, and with a modicum of care, should hold up. My favorite thing to do is turn them on with no music playing, then talk, and hear how the noise cancelling circuitry changes ambient noise; It's a bit like being put in a glass jar.

You wouldn't need these if you weren't such a gimmick hound who had to have the latest and most quietist portable audio gear, but had stuck with your [...] walkman, or even better, your giant ghettoblaster.

I travel a LOT. Fly on everything from TurboProps to Airbus A-320's and 757's. I've never been able to sleep on aircraft and lately, my tolerance for noise and screaming kids has gone to near zero. Well, that's what the Sony MDRNC-20 noise cancelling headphones have given me, ..... nearly zero noise on flights. My last two flights (this week) were on two SAAB TurboProp commuter aircraft and two A-320's and I could not hear the engines with these headphones on. I also use a Sony R70 MiniDisk Recorder / Player that was useless, due to in cabin noise, until I bought these headsets. I've tried the Bose (overpriced and cumbersome), Sennheiser and Toshiba units and the Sony's are the best. I highly recommend them for frequent fliers if you want to be able to function at the destination end of the flight. OH! Did I mention that we also use them while cutting grass on our diesel Kubota tractor with 60 inch mower deck and can't hear the tractor noise, but Bon Jovi comes through lound and clear from the Sony CD Walkman. The audio connection cord also has a convenient connector in it so your can disconnect the main lead and just use the headphones for noise reduction. I thought this a very convenient feature for those who want to block out TV noise, kids, neighbors, etc and not listen to music at the same time.
It might sound like I'm a Sony fan (which I am) but I'm also an audio engineer and my motto is "Specs first, price second". I was pleased to find a product that cost over $120 less than Bose and worked every bit as well, .... maybe better.
You need a pair of these if you fly a lot or just want some peace and quiet.