Travel Technology - Rate your Noise Canceling Headphones here!

I have been looking for some real reviews on Noise Canceling headphones and have been disappointed. What I have found is that most compare their headphones to the Bose. But then people complain about the price and that when the battery goes dead the units do not work anymore. That they come without a two plug adapter and that they break easy. Some people seem to think that the Sennheiser's are better units with their "talk through" feature and that they work with a dead battery. So what have you tried and how did you feel? Try to answer these questions with each if you don't mind:
1. Type: Over ear or on ear?
2. Size: Were they too big for storage, did they fold flat?
3. Battery: How was the battery life and did they work when the battery died?
4. Airplane: Did they cancel out the airplane lows and highs?
5. Listening: How did they do for listening to the airplane IFE and your MP3.
6. Sleeping: How did they do for aiding your sleep?
7. Case: Was the case sturdy, with extra pockets, stylish?
8. Accessories: What accessories came with it?
9. Features: Volume control, Talk Through, Power Switch, Cord (retractable or detachable or coilded), cell phone connector.
10. Price: What value did you perceive? Were they worth the money?

I have used the Bose over the ear and they are fantastic. They truly work nicely, not just for sounds from your media player, but also just by themselves for a nice quiet flight. Just turn them on, no need to connect them to anything and bam... you'll be basking in the "sounds of silence" if you will.

A seatmate of mine was using some Panasonic headset and we swapped for comparison. The Bose was absolutely superior! The Pana did do a decent job though, but nowhere near to the Bose quality.

That being said... I now don't use the Bose anymore. I bought myself a pair of Nextlink Spider bluetooth headset and that's what I now use during my travels. Don't tell the FAs :) but I have yet actually to be harrased by a FA for this wireless piece of technological marvel.
And, while listening to media sounds, I can only hear the media sounds, nothing else at all. I cannot even hear my seatmates or the FA when they approach with service items. During quiet scenes in movies a little engine noise sips though, but nothing bothersome at all.

I hope this doesn't end in a "mine is better" (...longer) standoff :)

What I recommend to everyone who seek a new headphone is
a) listen with it to your favorite songs, as every headset has a different tone and
b) wear it a while to be sure it fits your head and ear! It's not helpful if the headset cancels everything out but you get headache after some minutes.

I decided for my Sennheiser 250 because it's very comfy to wear and also to sleep. Battery lasts quite long and still works when battery died. There is a nice small (soft) case where the plane adapter, spare batteries and a small MP3 player fits in as well.

Sound is absolutely great, although it doesn't filter out 100%engine noise, but the FAs always have to wave at me to sign that they are talking to me. Movies and music is very clear and a joy to listen to! To be honest it works so great that I often feel alone wathcing the movie and sometime forget I shouldn't laugh too loud. Sorry if I bothered you because I started laughing....

Just my 0.02$
W

Do a search on this topic and you'll find many, many folks who have gone with nose-blocking headphones - Shure, Etymotic, or UE's.

Size - about 1/100th the volume
Battery life - infinite
Airplane - canceled all frequencies better than any of the 2 NC's I have (Sony, Sennheiser, PQ's) or the Bose that I've tried
Listening - better sound quality
Sleeping - fine - see Size, above
Case - no steenkin' case - see Size above

<$200 for Shure E3c's - they, and Ety, have models from $100 - $500+.

I bought the Phillips HN-110. They are "acceptable". They do a pretty decent job of blocking noise, they work when the battery is dead. I like the fact that they fold down pretty small for storage. The bass response is a bit on the low side. I'd recommend them, but don't expect Bose's sound quality.

JP

I love my Bose 2 over the ear headphones. Listening to IFE or my iPod blocks out pretty much all exterior noise. As a matter of fact, the PA announcements come in clearer when I'm wearing them as it blocks out all the extraneous noise.

I'm very happy with my Sharper Image over-ear "quiet place" headphones.

Shure SE530PTH here (these are identical to the E500PTH, if you can find the E500 on closeout, BUY them... I left my pair on a plane somewhere between SIN, FRA and DFW. D'OH!!)

The sound quality is second to none, the sound isolation (passive 'phones do isolation, active do noise cancelling) better than any active headphone I've used (I have Bose QC and Sony NC-10). The price is nosebleed high though.... and the fit is fiddly. You have to try different eartips to see what works for you.

I have a set of the QC2's and a set of $100 JBL branded Shures. They both isolate/cancel sound roughly the same. The reason I got the Shures was that I couldn't fit the QC2's in my laptop bag with my other stuff. A set of headphones that requires me to carry another bag just to put them in... not worth it! I also had a set of Targus noise cancelling headphones - their first 16db model from a few years ago that is now discontinued. Had two sets and broke both actually. For $50 they cancelled as well as the bose and shures - but listening to music didn't sound as good, though still perfectly acceptable considering the imperfect audio environment on a plane anyway.

BOSE:
1. Type: Over ear
2. Size: Big, awkward storage
3. Battery: Good
4. Airplane: Pretty well
5. Listening: Excellent
6. Sleeping: Awful - too clumsy to sleep in unless you sleep face perfectly forward
7. Case: Sturdy but large
8. Accessories: Cheap CD player in a promo
9. Features: Detachable cord, two level volume switch
10. Price: Good, but questionable for the money considering...

SHURE:
1. Type: IN ear
2. Size: EXTREMELY compact
3. Battery: no battery! They simply provide a snug seal to keep the noise out in the first place
4. Airplane: Yes
5. Listening: Excellent - although if you ever plug them into the jack when someone left the volume on high, you will scream as you rip them from your ears
6. Sleeping: Very well - non-obtrusive
7. Case: Sturdy case, though the case was large considering the size of the product (case was ipod sized)
8. Accessories: Case only
9. Features: cord clip?
10. Price: I found them an excellent value for the money. Would do it again in a heartbeat.

Shure SE530PTH here (these are identical to the E500PTH, if you can find the E500 on closeout, BUY them... I left my pair on a plane somewhere between SIN, FRA and DFW. D'OH!!)

The sound quality is second to none, the sound isolation (passive 'phones do isolation, active do noise cancelling) better than any active headphone I've used (I have Bose QC and Sony NC-10). The price is nosebleed high though.... and the fit is fiddly. You have to try different eartips to see what works for you.


Another vote for the SE530PTH. Read the reviews on these. They are awesome, you'll hear things you've never heard before.

I use the SE420's and based on the usage of those, I can only guess that these guys (i.e. Lucky Dogs) with the SE530's are understating how awesome they are. Shure is a very very good choice on this one.

Mike

Another vote for the SE530PTH. Read the reviews on these. They are awesome, you'll hear things you've never heard before.

Forgot to mention. No earphone does as well for sleeping as a pair of soft earplugs. The amenity kit ones are OK; I vastly prefer the Howard Leight SmartFit (http://www.bersapistols.com/item/56661_Howard_Leight_Safety_/_Protection_Howard_Leight_SmartFit_Ea.aspx) earplugs. These are $60-70 for 100. A few places sell them as singles and they're very reasonable (as in the link above). Might as well order 2-3 and keep spares.

Sennheiser PXC-250. Rates a 9/10. Best bang for the buck. Cheaper than the Bose. More portable than the Bose. What's not to like about them? Oh, the battery cover latch can break (minor inconvenience). Other than that, just perfect.

Audio Technica: Blocks out the most external noise for ME. Battery is regular one and I use rechargeable. Hold up extremely well, very durable so far (less then 6 months old). Rarely put them in their case and I'm abusive to headphones. These were test / sample pair when they were first released. Case is very sturdy but the inner pouch that holds the adapters ripped easily for ME. Cost is the lowest of all and the one I'd buy for my family members (have purchased two pairs for my parents out of pocket). Works just fine with my MP3 players and computer. I think one of the cheapest ones out there.

Able Planet: Best Sound Quality to ME. Over ear, the company works mostly on hard for hearing folks like phones and such I believe. Sound quality and such is very good but I'm no audiophile. I do not like that the adapter they supply (the two prong one) does not work correctly and is lose so it cuts out. However these were sample / test pair so they were free so I can't complain. Case was OK. Same price roughly as Bose, pretty much gave these to the wife or a back up pair. I just prefer the noise cancelling of the Audio Technica over the sound quality (the family says I'm deaf anyways). Works fine with MP3 and computer. Volume slide was a little funky and I often bumped it while sleeping. Would purchase them over Bose.

Shrue: Do not like in ear, just doesn't feel comfortable to ME. I do pack them as a spare and I sometimes will double up if I have to, Shrue with over ear Headphones over them. Case is solid, easy to throw in a side pocket and crush on it without damage. I just can't get comfortable with inner ear headphones as I'm a scuba diver and have blown my ears many times so any inner ear item doesn't feel good to me.

Bose: Hardly ever use them anymore. Were sturdy but the artifical covering on the headphones flacked off even the ear pads so you had black dust all my head but they were a tried and true travel buddy for years. But first I replaced them with Able Planet's as the sound was that much better, then the Audio Technica as noise cancelling was more important to me. What I don't like about Bose headphones is that they don't publish how much noise they do cancel, plus I don't think I've seen a audio profile of what they put out. Able Planet puts out full info on their headphones except how much noise they cancel, Audio Technica publishes what they block out. Would not buy Bose anymore personally.

Sennheiser: Tried them on one flight from a friend, but did not buy them. Felt OK and sounded OK but I had my Bose and Shrue and they didn't appeal to me enough to purchase a third pair of headphones for no reason. Have not done extensive tests on them but what I've heard from others is only positive. If I was buying a first or new pair I'd have to look at them seriously. They rate high but I really like the audio technica.

Panasonic: Parents had them, tried them, I think they got them at Sam's club or whatever, they were totally worthless IMHO.

I CAN SLEEP WITH OVER EAR HEADPHONES ON so that doesn't bother me like it does some.

...What I don't like about Bose headphones is ... plus I don't think I've seen a audio profile of what they put out...And you never will, at least from Bose. They don't want to admit how much of their "great sound" comes from artificially over-boosting the bass. Try a head-to-head with any other brand and you'll see, though. (If you want that effect, which some people get hooked on when they don't know how the real music sounds or don't care, just turn up the bass on your sound source. Can't do it in an airplane, of course.)

My Peltors are similar to QC2s in design, noise cancellation and most everything else except the bass boost and the price (way lower). Peltor doesn't have much consumer presence, but check out who made the cockpit headsets on your next flight.

And you never will, at least from Bose. They don't want to admit how much of their "great sound" comes from artificially over-boosting the bass. Try a head-to-head with any other brand and you'll see, though. (If you want that effect, which some people get hooked on when they don't know how the real music sounds or don't care, just turn up the bass on your sound source. Can't do it in an airplane, of course.)

My Peltors are similar to QC2s in design, noise cancellation and most everything else except the bass boost and the price (way lower). Peltor doesn't have much consumer presence, but check out who made the cockpit headsets on your next flight.

This is correct. The Bose marketing strategy is effective, but there are much better products out there. I prefer the Sennheisers. It is true that in the ear (or noise isolating earphones) can be more effective in blocking out ambient noise - but many people (read these boards) find the "sealed in" feeling to be a bit uncomfortable, unless you get a pair of Etys that are customized.

I've had QC1's, QC2's, most Shures, Sony's and Sennheiser. But I've been using my cheap ($100) Etymotic e6i's for the past year. They fit me perfectly, isolate better than anything else I've tried and a nice and small. The cord is too weak (broke one already) and their customer service is downright dreadful, but at that price I guess I can't complain...

A cheap pair of Creative Labs and a much better Sennheiser. I bought both on sale, great deals. The Sennheiser beat the Creative Labs hands down.

..... SC

I spent some time looking at the sennheiser site and found that the PXC450 are quite a bit more expensive than the QC2 and the 250's appear to be on ear headphones which is not the same as the QC2 but is similar to the QC3. It also looks to me like they are similar in price at Crutchfield but higher when bought direct than the Bose.

I have also seen some bonus promos in the past where you get a better price and extra stuff or airline miles. Does anyone know about any of these currently?

I decided for my Sennheiser 250 because it's very comfy to wear and also to sleep. Battery lasts quite long and still works when battery died. There is a nice small (soft) case where the plane adapter, spare batteries and a small MP3 player fits in as well.

Sennheiser PXC-250. Rates a 9/10. Best bang for the buck. Cheaper than the Bose. More portable than the Bose. What's not to like about them? Oh, the battery cover latch can break (minor inconvenience). Other than that, just perfect.

Count me in as another happy Sennheiser 250 owner, for reasons already stated by previous posters.

Looks like I'm the cheapskate of the bunch. Shure E2c's here. I couldn't possible justify any of the more expensive ones and these do pretty darn good. I just wore them on a trip from PHL - LGW and they were in the whole time...and they were comfortable. Slept with them just fine. I use foam sleeves that are just a little small...it makes them more comfortable but allows just a little bit of sound to come through. I used to have a cheapo pair of noise cancelling headphones, but they were hard to sleep in and if I wore them for too long, my ears would start to get sweaty.

Ever wonder why Bose outsells all other brands combined? Because they spend most of their revenue on advertising instead of engineering.

Sennheiser makes technology. Bose makes commercials.

Ever wonder why Bose outsells all other brands combined? Because they spend most of their revenue on advertising instead of engineering.

Sennheiser makes technology. Bose makes commercials.

First, let's be honest here, Stax and Grado are the only two companies making headphones worth owning for their audio fidelity - period.

And while it is true that generally Bose achieves 'better sound through marketing' the fact is that Bose does make two decent products - the QC-2 and the Wave radio. Both of which this hard-core audiophile has no qualms about recommending.

The Wave is unbeatable. It's just a freaking table-top radio and clock but it is hip and sexy and sounds great relative to its Sony/Radio Shack/Panasonic et al counterparts.

The QC-2s are not the best noise cancellers nor do they have the best fidelity, but IMHO they do multiple things well enough to be worth their price and are generally better over all then the rest of the over-ear competition.

I also have a pair of Shure 5s. The Shure's both sound better and block more noise but owing to my apparently sensitive ear canals I cannot wear in-ears for more than an hour at most, clearly no good for any 8-12 hour flights.

I have tried most of the newer over-ears models out there, Sennheiser, Beyerdynamics, etc. and while they are very good, maybe even as good as the QC-2s overall, I didn’t see [hear?] enough improvement to warrant dumping the Boses. Then again most is not all so perhaps there is a better solution out there currently.

I tell you though, the first company that provides at least QC-2 sound quality and noise canceling, along with a ubiquitous battery type [none of this QC-3 proprietary rechargeable battery BS] in a smaller but still over/on ear package than the QC-2’s will get my business. Many is a time I have considered leaving the QC-2s behind because of the size of the case – my how we all grow fickle over time…

Etymotic ER 6i
1. Type: In the ear
2. Size: Tiny
3. Battery: The ear wax filters need occasional replacement.
4. Airplane: Block both airplane and people noise (unlike noise cancelling sets)
5. Listening: Much better sound than most $100 over the ear sets
6. Sleeping: Can rest on side of head.
7. Case: A little pocket thing that's smaller than a wallet.
8. Accessories: Several different ear thingies, including rubber and foam (a la earplugs)
9. Features: They block sound. :)
10. Price: Great deal. Paid less than $100, plus $15 for several replacement filters. Still going after 1.5 years. I'm rough with my stuff, so that says a lot.

Another vote for the SE530PTH. Read the reviews on these. They are awesome, you'll hear things you've never heard before.

And another vote for them. Unless Shure somehow raises the bar beyond these, I can't imagine needing to upgrade. This is audiophile-level gear. The only way you can do better in the realm of noise-isolating/reducing audio is a custom-molded canal phone like the Ultimate Ears UE10 (which comes with a ~$1000 price tag)

I now have some Sony NC50's which I bought just before my last flight and really found them to be excellent. Especially when combined with earplugs to block out nearly all the noise.

Add yet another vote for the Shure's!! ^


I use the E4's now and just purchased the E500PTH's/SE530's which are garnering rave reviews across the board! Can't wait to try them out this weekend BWI-SFO.... :D

I must admit, I have been curious about the Audio-Technica ATH-ANC7 and if they are as good as I have heard plus if they are comfortable for long flights...

Bose QC2
1. Type: Over ear or on ear? Over Ear
2. Size: Were they too big for storage, did they fold flat? They fold and come in a carrying case that's sometimes cumbersome.
3. Battery: How was the battery life and did they work when the battery died? Def requires batteries, best with Energizer E2
4. Airplane: Did they cancel out the airplane lows and highs? Newer version comes with a switch for High/Low
5. Listening: How did they do for listening to the airplane IFE and your MP3. Works well for all audio, definate improvement over standard h-phones.
6. Sleeping: How did they do for aiding your sleep? This is the major downfall, if you sleep on your side you stress the brackets on the unit and they crack and break. You have to sleep on your back. (ie not good for sleeping)
7. Case: Was the case sturdy, with extra pockets, stylish? Fairly compact case with pockets.
8. Accessories: What accessories came with it? Extension cord, adapter for 2-prong, High/Low Switch.
9. Features: Volume control, Talk Through, Power Switch, Cord (retractable or detachable or coilded), cell phone connector. See Above.
10. Price: What value did you perceive? Were they worth the money?[/QUOTE] Got them from somebody on Craigslist. They received as a gift but didn't want, bought for $225 cash. Seems like a good deal.

I've been using the Bose WC2 since they were released and love them. Their stats have already been listed here, so I won't repeat all that.

I've worked in radio for eons, and am very fussy about how things sound and feel, and I really do like the Bose for NC ones. ( I like sennheiser cans for studio stuff)

I am about to purchase a pair of Shure SE530PTH, this after trying them at a music festival earlier this year. I tried four or five shure models, and used each to listen to the same songs. I liked the 400 series also, but the 5's were amazing.

I've always found in-the-ear uncomfortable, and was also worried about potential hearing problems as a result of using them....even though I'm very careful about levels.

However, I've changed my mind about them after talking with audiologist...she's custom made tips for me to use, and they make an amazing difference. I think they cost about 100 bucks (i can't remember the exact figure, I had a pair of custom ear plugs made at the same time.)

Custom tips is something in-ear headphone users might want to consider, they make a huge difference in comfort and sound.

FYI..

Sorry if this link has been posted before..

URL removed just to be safe...

[QUOTE=lpeterman;8335668]FYI..

Sorry if this link has been posted before..



UPDATE: I shut down my system an rebooted and it seems fine now.

The link started up and then gave me pop ups about virus protection and took over the screen until I closed the page down. My computer is doing strange stuff now too while Im typing like any punctuation other than a period opens a quick find box.

DO NOT FOLLOW THAT LINK!!! It is VIRUS INFESTED!

Sorry, but I checked the link with several scanners and it's clean. Metacafe is a well respected large website (think Youtube), there has to be another explanation.

I've removed the link just to be safe...

Sorry, but I checked the link with several scanners and it's clean. Metacafe is a well respected large website (think Youtube), there has to be another explanation.

I've removed the link just to be safe...

Thanks ScottC. I'm not sure why it happened but I appreciate you trying.

Link didn't cause any problems here.

No problem with the link. I'll check my system and will edit my post if I find anything.

AVG spyware found trojan.feutel.av. I check once a week so I can't be sure it came from this site but it's possible.

Sadly, the op has made the thread to ONLY include noise canceling headphones. In ear buds such as Shure or Etymotic Research are much better solutions. In fact, if you're not listening to anything plain old foam earplugs would beat either solution. The latter two however won't get you nearly as many yuppie points as that massive phone holder on your side (not sure why phones can't go in pockets anymore) or the Bose headphones that you paid way, way too much money for.

Sadly, the op has made the thread to ONLY include noise canceling headphones. In ear buds such as Shure or Etymotic Research are much better solutions. In fact, if you're not listening to anything plain old foam earplugs would beat either solution. The latter two however won't get you nearly as many yuppie points as that massive phone holder on your side (not sure why phones can't go in pockets anymore) or the Bose headphones that you paid way, way too much money for.

Which, of course, completely ignores the fact that some of us find canalphones to be uncomfortable and inconvenient to insert/remove, and that we've had our QC's since the day when there was virtually no competition.

For cicrum-aural headphones with effective noise cancellation, there are even today only one or two models that can compete in the Bose QC price range.

You're well within your rights to create your own poll for wetwillie-phones. :rolleyes:

The NY Times had a recent review

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/14/technology/14pogue.html?ex=1189051200&en=c4f325aa33539f22&ei=5070

Looks like the AUDIO-TECHNICA ATH-ANC7 is the best for the money.

I just got a set of the QC3's to replace my Hearos. Loved the Hearos, as they blocked all external noise, but I wanted better music reproduction, especially in low-end AND they make my ears itch so I have to remove them occasionally to scratch. Bose has somewhat less noise blocking, but infinitely better music reproduction, and bass is awesome!

BOSE:
1. Type: Over ear
2. Size: Kinda big, but worth it for me
3. Battery: Excellent (17 hours per charge), but easy to accidentally leave on - DOH! But love the recharging ability.
4. Airplane: Very good noise reduction
5. Listening: Excellent
6. Sleeping: No problem for me on plane, but would be issue if on side.
7. Case: Sturdy, and using case in place of travel ticket/ID holder via included neckstrap
8. Accessories: Airplane stereo 2-prong adapter
9. Features: Detachable cord
10. Price: Bit pricey

Studiophonic Hearos In-Ear Speakers :
1. Type: IN ear
2. Size: EXTREMELY compact
3. Battery: No battery
4. Airplane: Complete noise reduction
5. Listening: Excellent Highs and Mids, Bass is not great
7. Case: Soft case
9. Features: Extremely quiet - used at work and on airplanes, can't hear a dang thing except what I am listening to.
10. Price: Good value for price, if you don't mind missing bass

^

The NY Times had a recent review

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/14/technology/14pogue.html?ex=1189051200&en=c4f325aa33539f22&ei=5070

Looks like the AUDIO-TECHNICA ATH-ANC7 is the best for the money.
When did the NYTimes start telling the unbiased truth????

I'm surprised that I'm the first one to mention this brand, since I first heard of them here on FT.

For the OP, here's a link to the report on them as well as links to lots of other alternatives: http://www.thetravelinsider.info/roadwarriorcontent/solitudeheadset.htm

1. Type: Over ear or on ear? Over the ear.
2. Size: Were they too big for storage, did they fold flat?They are in a case about the size of an electric razor. It's a hard case, which I like.

3. Battery: How was the battery life and did they work when the battery died? They take two AAAs and haven't died yet. You can use them as normal headphones without batteries.

4. Airplane: Did they cancel out the airplane lows and highs? They work as well as any airline-provided noise-cancelling headphones.

5. Listening: How did they do for listening to the airplane IFE and your MP3.I've only used them for my portable DVD player. They work great and actually extend the life of the DVD player battery because I can keep the volume on a low setting.

6. Sleeping: How did they do for aiding your sleep? I use regular foam earplugs for sleeping.

7. Case: Was the case sturdy, with extra pockets, stylish?Very sturdy. Also contains a couple of internal pockets for cords, extra batteries, adapters, etc.

8. Accessories: What accessories came with it? Several adapters.

9. Features: Volume control, Talk Through, Power Switch, Cord (retractable or detachable or coilded), cell phone connector.
10. Price: What value did you perceive? Were they worth the money? Paid about $220. best bang for the buck, as far as I am concerned. I can't imagine the Bose to be 1.5 times as good for 1.5 times the price of the Solitudes.

I'm surprised that I'm the first one to mention this brand, since I first heard of them here on FT.

For the OP, here's a link to the report on them as well as links to lots of other alternatives: http://www.thetravelinsider.info/roadwarriorcontent/solitudeheadset.htm

The guy that runs that web site also offers a promo code for PlaneQuiet/Solitude headphones, which I'm sure provides him with some measure of compensation for featuring this review on his site. I'm not convinced he's impartial.

Audio Technica: Blocks out the most external noise for ME. Battery is regular one and I use rechargeable. Hold up extremely well, very durable so far (less then 6 months old). Rarely put them in their case and I'm abusive to headphones. These were test / sample pair when they were first released. Case is very sturdy but the inner pouch that holds the adapters ripped easily for ME. Cost is the lowest of all and the one I'd buy for my family members (have purchased two pairs for my parents out of pocket). Works just fine with my MP3 players and computer. I think one of the cheapest ones out there. At $114 from Amazon, I bought a pair today as an experiment. Thanks for the tip!

Been looking at all of the models. My Sennheiser px 250 have a cable failure. Any chance of getting them fixed? Where?

At $114 from Amazon, I bought a pair today as an experiment. Thanks for the tip!

Been looking at all of the models. My Sennheiser px 250 have a cable failure. Any chance of getting them fixed? Where?


Hope they work out for you. I just picked up a PX250 in Bangkok two weeks ago, this little booth had them mispriced and in with other lower end pairs and I got them for a song. :p I would have bought every pair they had but they only had one pair mispriced and they never caught their mistake. Almost made me feel a little guilty... almost.

1. Type: In Ear
2. Size: They're like earplugs, but with music
3. Battery: Battery life - ~25 hours, work without batteries, YES
4. Airplane: Satisfactorily
5. Listening: IFE: Good for IFE. MP3: Better than expected
6. Sleeping: Much improved
7. Case: Case was a wimpy felt bag. I improved it with an $5 "Case Logic" case.
8. Accessories: Some different sizes of ear buds
9. Features: It has a "monitor switch", basically a mute button.
10. Price: $99, in PQR compare to the $300 QC3's :)