lathiat: What did your Sony's look like? Chances are that somebody among Sony/Panasonic/JVC etc. offers something like that. Even if you can't find them locally, you could order online or pick one up during a trip.

Also, don't forget the fake markets of Asia, if you or a friend go that way. I saw plenty in Beijing. It won't be QC20, but the box will say QC20, and the quality will be good for the price. :)

Maybe "good for the price" but if you want noise cancellation, a phone that doesn't do it is just a waste of money.

The headphone I tried in the Beijing store actually did a decent job of noise cancellation. However, it wasn't Bose, in both performance as well as price.

Everything that exists in the marketplace does so because there are willing sellers and willing buyers for it. I try not to decide for others what is a good use of their money and what is not; they can decide themselves.

For myself, of course I want the best possible experience. In normal (home) use I only think about being able to afford something. In travel, I also pay attention to whether I can afford to lose it and then replace it again. :) That's me; it can, should, and will be different for others.

Honestly, I bought the Shure SE215 several years ago when my flying schedule picked up considerably (after a lull). I thought they were good. However, I happened to get a Best Buy gift card and treated myself to a soon to be obsolete Bose QC 25s (which I never thought I would ever buy...too spendy). Holy cow. Put some silicone ear 'wax' in your ear canal, throw those Bose on your ears....I can not tell I am on a plane (unless some blabbermouth is next to me). If you like to relax on a plane, these are 300% worth it...at least they were to me.

QC 25
 

What will be replacing the QC 25's ??

Just grab a Bose set...
 

and be done with it!

You're welcome!

I have a friend in the audio business who related that "No highs, no lows, must be Bose" is a widely-circulated saying in his circles. When I was looking for noise-cancelling headphones for travel, he recommended these Logitech UE 6000 headphones (now discontinued, I believe). I got two pairs for $99 each, one for me, and one for a family member.

I never fly without these, and they aren't bad. I have no direct experience that permits me to compare them to any other headphones, but my friend is a CEDIA fellow and he's forgotten far more than I'll ever know about the audio business.

I used to schelp Bose NC's but now I have a set of in-ear $20 earbuds and they sound great, take no space and need no batteries.

One note on noise cancelling headphones, make sure you can return them or try before you buy. I know some people, myself included, where the noise cancellation tech causes headaches and the like. I much prefer the noise isolating ones. If nothing else, get the Comply tips for any one of many earbuds. that way you can get a set that sounds good to you, and still don't have to deal with engine/passenger noise.

AJ

QC35s. they have bluetooth and wired mode, but maybe inferior (built in battery instead of AA, cannot use wireless while charging but can still use wired mode. not sure if NC works while charging)

same thing for QC20... the "sidegrade" is the new QC30 - bluetooth, but no wired mode. can actually adjust level of NC (which is great), but strictly wireless kills it for me

Noise Cancelling
Noise cancelling headphones make flying much more tolerable. I have the Audio-Technica ATH-ANC7B's, which are the best bang for the buck ($100). But the Bose noise cancelling technology is noticeably better if you don't mind spending $200-300. I have heard good things about Etymotic and Shure, but haven't tried them.

Non-Noise Cancelling
If you're just looking for the best bang for your buck in standard headphones, you can't go wrong with Grado SR-80e ($100) - many audiophile magazines have proclaimed Grados to be among the best quality headphones, and the SR-80e the best bang for your buck, period. I love mine.

As an Ety user and lover, I highly recommend these. Anything from the more audiophile ones like the ER4 to the simpler ones like the HF series and the MC. You do get real sound isolation from them. Like up to 40db which is unreal for headphones. Unmatched.

That said, some people dont like sticking things in their ear canal. In that case, traditional closed back headphones are actually not good on a plane, because they dont block enough of the exernal sound, the drone of the engines, passengers etc. On the plane you might as well do the Bose 25 or 35 model. I've tried them - they're fine. Will do the job if you are not mastering an album or something, which no one is doing on an airplane!

I searched for noise canceling Shure and Etymotic on Amazon and it only returned "noise isolating" earbuds. So I don't think they offer active noise cancellation or ANC.

I bought a pair of this before my last international flight:

https://www.amazon.com/Plantronics-B...YAQ7E1E0AEB0PX

Went to Athens from SFO and have only charged it once. It worked well on the plane and it's a nice change from the in-ears that I wear most of the time.

They're kind of bulky and I couldn't imagine running at the gym with them or just wearing them to as many places during the day. For instance, I drive with one in-ear bud on. If I tried to drive with over the ear cans, the cops would pull me over.

I know there used to be in-ear headphones with ANC but the only issue with those would be limited battery life I would think, compared to the 25 hours claimed for the Plantronics.

Bose QC-35s use SBC Bluetooth, rather than APTX. The difference is rather dramatic (see here: http://www.sereneaudio.com/blog/how-...io-at-its-best

However, Bluetooth audio is clearly inferior to wired transmission. If you're listening on a cellphone, it may not make a difference to you. However if, like me, you have an HD music source and only use lossless compression AND you can hear the difference between that and MP3, then you will be disappointed in the QC-35's SBC Bluetooth.

Bose cans, generally, are only mediocre when it comes to sound quality. However, the QC-25's noise cancellation beats everything else on the market, and rather dramatically. I'm pretty happy with the QC-25s -- they're very light and very comfortable, which is important on long flights.

My audio IFE consists of the QC-25s, a Fiio X5II digital audio player and a Fiio E12 Montblanc headphone amplifier. The headphone amplifier allows a greater dynamic range, particularly in the low end, and also saves the battery on the X5II. This combination is fairly low cost (around $800 for everything) and the sound quality is pretty nice.

I can't imagine trying to listen to Grados on a plane. Wouldn't any open headphone just force you to crank to volume to hear anything?