Best headphones for the price.
#31
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Pittsburgh
Programs: MR/SPG LT Titanium, AA LT PLT, UA SLV, Avis PreferredPlus
Posts: 30,959
For really cheap, try Panasonic RP-HJE120. About $10 from Amazon and fully competent. It's not going to match a good Shure/Ety pair, but it will match up well with about anything under $60. I buy them for my kids, in bulk, as they tend to lose a set every 3-4 months. 35,000 ratings on Amazon and 85% 4 or 5 star. Now $6.95-9.86 depending on the color, shipped free.
#32
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: ORD
Posts: 14,200
#33
Join Date: Jul 2016
Location: NY
Programs: UA Gold, Marriott PP, Hertz PC, HH Diamond
Posts: 86
Looking for versatile earphones
Lost my old wired earphones, and figured now was the time to see if there was a set of earphones that could meet my 3-4 core needs. Tried to search a bit, but there's so many products on the market, I was hoping to get some recommendations.
About what I'm looking for:
About what I'm looking for:
- Earphones because they're easier to travel with -- I can stuff in pocket when needed. They could be the slightly bigger over the ear models and such, but I focus is on compact and easy to travel with. I don't want to juggle a big Bose headphone carrying case while returning my rental car and grabbing my luggage.
- Something that works on plane. I don't need noise cancellation (nice to have vs must have), but I do fly about 3-4 times a month, so let me at least hear it over the plane's ambient noise.
- If wireless/bluetooth, something that can last ~6 hours. Periodically I have to do the coast to coast travel, other times I just have long days where I won't find time to charge.
- Something that works with my phone, iPad, AND computer. This is actually the toughest part for me. My phone is used on conf calls on the go, iPad mainly when I'm in hotel/airplane passing time, and computer for in-office/hotel calls via VoIP (i.e. Lync, Skype, etc.)
#34
Join Date: Feb 2006
Posts: 545
Lost my old wired earphones, and figured now was the time to see if there was a set of earphones that could meet my 3-4 core needs. Tried to search a bit, but there's so many products on the market, I was hoping to get some recommendations.
About what I'm looking for:
About what I'm looking for:
- Earphones because they're easier to travel with -- I can stuff in pocket when needed. They could be the slightly bigger over the ear models and such, but I focus is on compact and easy to travel with. I don't want to juggle a big Bose headphone carrying case while returning my rental car and grabbing my luggage.
- Something that works on plane. I don't need noise cancellation (nice to have vs must have), but I do fly about 3-4 times a month, so let me at least hear it over the plane's ambient noise.
- If wireless/bluetooth, something that can last ~6 hours. Periodically I have to do the coast to coast travel, other times I just have long days where I won't find time to charge.
- Something that works with my phone, iPad, AND computer. This is actually the toughest part for me. My phone is used on conf calls on the go, iPad mainly when I'm in hotel/airplane passing time, and computer for in-office/hotel calls via VoIP (i.e. Lync, Skype, etc.)
If you don't want to spend a hundred bucks, the dirty secret is that everything cheaper than this uses dynamic drivers, with all the same limitations in sound quality. All with poor sound isolation.
So basically if you don't want to spend a hundred buck for the better sound, then stay at like 15-20 bucks for a basic Panasonic headset that kits iphone compatible on the specs. These are a solid implementation of this technology - little or nothing to be had from more expensive headsets that use the same driver tech (which BTW is all headsets under a hunder bucks and Even many up to double that price). Then spend 10 or 20 bucks on some Comply plugs for the headset, to get the better sound isolation.
Another cheapo approach is to buy the Etymotics kids headset in black for 35-40 bucks. Dynamic driver with proper noise isolation.
But don't fall into the trap of buying expensive headset that uses dynamic driver.
Last edited by osamede; Aug 27, 2016 at 6:57 am
#35
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: HEL
Programs: lots of shiny metal cards
Posts: 14,083
While the Grados are said to be excellent, I also don't think they are appropriate for in-flight use. Being open backed, they provide hardly if any noise isolation, so you'll need to really crank up the volume. And because the are open, the cranked up music will leak heavily and be heard all over. Cacophony!
#36
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: ATL
Programs: DL DM, Hyatt LT DM, Wyndham DM, Hertz PC, HH Gold, SPG Gold, Marriott Gold
Posts: 2,038
Just ordered QC25 off friend's recommendation. I'd never use BT Audio for the QC35 is not for me, sounds terrible. Excited as I have 3 Trans-Cons, 1 Mileage Run and a trip to Tokyo(plus assorted trips in between) before year end.
#37
Join Date: Feb 2006
Posts: 545
I would take a hard look at the Etymotic mc5.
http://www.etymotic.com/consumer/earphones/mc5.html
~40 dB noise isolation and a low impedance of 16 ohms so it won't chew up your battery as fast.
They're also much easier to pack than a full-size set of headphones.
http://www.etymotic.com/consumer/earphones/mc5.html
~40 dB noise isolation and a low impedance of 16 ohms so it won't chew up your battery as fast.
They're also much easier to pack than a full-size set of headphones.
Can vouch for the noise isolation on these.
If you don't listen at loud volumes the Ety Kids in black is the exact same thing with a max volume limiter and even cheaper.
#38
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: YVR
Programs: AA
Posts: 866
+1 on this brand. I have the HF 5 and I won't say they are the best headphones. but they do block the noise on the middle and upper frequencies.
the QC series of headphones are nice but I have dog hearing. I can hear the out of phase noise that is supposed to cancel the noise. this gets worse, when my headset touches the seat or any part of the airplane. so, unless i'm sitting straight up like a good student in 4th grade, I have to use the noise isolators....
the QC series of headphones are nice but I have dog hearing. I can hear the out of phase noise that is supposed to cancel the noise. this gets worse, when my headset touches the seat or any part of the airplane. so, unless i'm sitting straight up like a good student in 4th grade, I have to use the noise isolators....
http://www.etymotic.com/consumer/earphones/mk5.html
#39
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: ATL
Programs: DL DM, Hyatt LT DM, Wyndham DM, Hertz PC, HH Gold, SPG Gold, Marriott Gold
Posts: 2,038
QC25 are excellent for in the air noise canceling. Sound quality isn't amazing or anything but even just sleeping on a red-eye from SFO-MSP I just turned them on and slept great.
#41
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Newport Beach, California, USA
Posts: 36,062
A good resource for information about headphones is head-fi.org, which is the headphone audiophile counterpart of FlyerTalk. For what it's worth, Skull Candy phones are considered very inferior phones on head-fi.org.
http://www.head-fi.org/newsearch?search=skull+candy
http://www.head-fi.org/newsearch?search=skull+candy
#42
Suspended
Join Date: Apr 2018
Posts: 2
I am also seeking the best one !
Not sure if this is the right forum to post this but, I was wondering what are the best headphones to use on a flight that don't cost an arm and a leg. I usually use regular earbuds and half the time have trouble hearing the music/movies on my ipad over the drone of the engine noise. I was wondering what everyone else uses and if they recommend them. I only fly 5-6 times a year so paying more than $150 seems a bit excessive for something I would only use sparingly.
#43
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Colorado
Programs: UA & IHG Plat, SWAlist, Frontier 100k, Marriott Titan, IHG-Hilton-Hyatt-Wynd Gold, Nat EE, Hertz PC
Posts: 445
I was going to buy this pair of Sony's, I have several friends that are very happy with them. I luckily procrastinated and found a pair of Bose QC-35 II's in Black on FaceBook storefront for $180.00 ($349 at BestBuy), brand new in the box, I verified them with the Bose App to make sure that they were legitimate. Everyone may not want to shop around local on FB, CL, etc. but I have found some exceptional deals on electronics doing it.
Patrick
Patrick
#44
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Colorado
Programs: UA & IHG Plat, SWAlist, Frontier 100k, Marriott Titan, IHG-Hilton-Hyatt-Wynd Gold, Nat EE, Hertz PC
Posts: 445
I was going to buy this pair of Sony's, I have several friends that are very happy with them. I luckily procrastinated and found a pair of Bose QC-35 II's in Black on FaceBook storefront for $180.00 ($349 at BestBuy), brand new in the box, I verified them with the Bose App to make sure that they were legitimate. Everyone may not want to shop around local on FB, CL, etc. but I have found some exceptional deals on electronics doing it.
Patrick
Patrick
#45
Join Date: Feb 2006
Posts: 545
The HF5 is a different design - more the classic Etymotics design - and produces better quality sound. I would get that one.