General_Flyer

I've had several headphones from JBL, Sennheiser, and Audio Technica. Each and everyone of them seems to cause me a headache every time I use them

Now I haven't tried other brands, but I'm afraid it'll give me the same thing.

The headaches caused by the headphones are relatively mild, but irritating that everytime I used a headphone it just gave me a headache. However, the ear-plugged types never created these problems..

The reason why I don't like the ear-plugged is that they do not have noise cancelling function that I desperately needed when flying.

Any suggestions?

Thanks in advance...

bdjohns1

Why do you need noise cancelling? Earphones seal your ear canal like an earplug would, providing far superior isolation to noise-cancelling phones like Bose.

Your average noise-cancelling headphone will knock off 15-18 dB of sound. Your average noise-isolating earphone will knock off >25dB if fitted properly.

You may be mixing up earphones (Shure, Etymotics, Ultimate Ears) with earbuds that don't actually seal your ear canal (like Apple's stock white earbuds).

CPRich

I've also found that noise blocking earphones (I'm currently using Shure's but have used Etymotic in the past) are better than noise canceling headphones (Bose, et al) for flying - better isolation, more comfortable, less bulky, better sound, etc.

bdjohns1

The Bose case is about the size of two trade paperbacks. The Shure case is about the size of an Altoids tin (or, you could use a mint tin, even). For the space-conscious traveler, that's a no-brainer.

tfar

bdjohns1 is right on all accounts! The reason "normal" headphones give you a headache is probably that your head is very sensitive to pressure exerted by the band or the cushion that sometimes sit right above your ears.

If you want to go all the way out you could get some custom ear molds. Perfect seal and, if done right, supposed to be very comfortable. I want to get some, too, but have recently developed an intermittent tinnitus and want to take to a specialist about that condition before I risk aggravating it with any kind of headphones.

Till

General_Flyer

You're probably right.. most of my earphones are the ones that doesn't seal the ear canal.

Now is this also the case when I'm not playing music at all? The reason I bought the big noise-canceling headphones is so that I can sleep with the noise canceling on without the background noise of the aircraft interfering even when I don't play music at all..

Again, the same question: does it help you as if a noise canceling headphone would when you want to sleep and not want to hear any music while you sleep?

I'll have to look into it though, and I still have some questions regarding the headphone vs earphone when in noise canceling mode and does not play any music.


It seems that everything I have attached to my body is sensitive..

Thanks for explaining it to me very nicely. And for you tfar, where can I find those custom ear molds?

sbm12

Indeed, they do. They are basically ear plugs that have small speakers inside. Without being plugged in to an audio source they function as very effective ear plugs. When connected to an audio source you get both.

I fell asleep watching a movie on my last NRT-IAH flight with the audio volume quite low. I was rather shocked when the pilot made an announcement that was at full volume. Make sure you unplug from the PA if you're going to sleep.

As for custom inserts, search this forum for "custom ear" (keep the quotes) and you'll see a bunch of threads. This one seems somewhat promising (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trave...earphones.html).

General_Flyer

So any brands recommended for me? Especially with my ever so sensitive head?

FertilityDoc

I have owned the Bose QC-2 headphones. I strongly prefer in ear Etymotic ER4-P's. They are very comfortable on long flights and the sound fidelity is vastly greater. There are newer ear phones on the market. The ER4-P's can often be found at a great discount. I have 2 pairs. The last ones were bought for about $89. That is a real bargain for quality ear phones.

General_Flyer

So what's the primary difference between Etymotic and Shure? I'm thinking of buying either one, or a Harman Kardon perhaps?

bdjohns1

Can't say I've listened to HK earbuds, but I've listened to Etys (test only) and Shures (owned several pairs at varying price points) before. I currently own Shure SE530s with custom earmolds.

Both will provide similar effective isolation. Some folks say the Etys are less comfortable because they go deeper into your ear canal, but that's a personal matter. The Etys are often described as very direct sounding - they try to be as neutral sounding as possible - well suited for classical music. Shure's earphones shape the tone a little, make it a little warmer and punchy. They're best suited for rock and jazz.

The best advice I can give is to buy from a retailer which will allow you to audition (in-store or in-home) both brands and decide which you like the best. I can recommend the folks at HeadRoom (http://headphone.com). They've got a 30-day guarantee.

CPRich

I've used both types also and have stuck with the Shure - whatever is the ~$150 pair that replaced the E3c. I avoid going more expensive as I lose a set every 18 months or so. I prefer them to the Ety 6's (which are in my drawer as backups) but I haven't tried the higher-end Ety 4's.

With the Shure's, be sure to toss the thin plastic earpieces that are preinstalled and use the black or yellow foam earpieces (which are also included), being sure to get the right size. Fit makes all the difference in the lower frequencies. Also be sure to learn how to insert them correctly - there's a video on Shure's website.

If you're just looking to block sound to sleep, in-ear will do better then canceling headphones, but your best choice is a $2 pair of 33NRR earplugs.

General_Flyer

Thanks for all the advice.. I'm going to take a look on all the available brands and later I'll give my preference. Thanks again!