When you are looking for good, quality noise cancelling headphones, you probably find yourself looking at something like the Bose QuietComfort models. These cancel noise by encasing your entire ear in a foam cave keeping sound out. The downside is two-fold. First there is the price. $300+ just isn’t feasible in todays economy for most people. Second is their size. It’s like putting on a motorcycle helmet. And with the increased limitations of airlines, you have to sacrifice something you want on the plane to make room for them and keep within the stringent weight restrictions.
Noise Cancelling Earbuds
Fortunately, technology has finally caught up and you can get noise cancelling wireless earbuds headphones. The earbud headphones achieve their noise cancelling properties by using a soft, polymer cover that inserts into the outer ear canal. This helps seal out the ambient noise. Sony, Gummi and many others are providing these noise cancelling earphones at reasonable prices. $20 to $30 in most cases.
As a slight variation, the polymer is replaced with a foam cover. The foam cover is too big to fit comfortably in your ear. But it is foam and by rolling it between your thumb and forefinger you can shrink it to fit easily. As it rests in you ear the foam re-expands slowly to provide a form-fitting seal to the outside noises. If you have sensitive ears, these may be a more comfortable choice when compared the the polymer styles. Koss and JVC are just 2 of the many brands offering this variant. You can find these for $20 to $30 as well.
If you need true wireless earbuds for noise canceling, both of the previously discussed types can be found with a technological enhancement to meet your needs. Basically, some circuitry is added to the cord that produces noise cancellation electronically. This can be important to the frequent flier as this technology can be quite small and appear as just small bump in the cord. Other versions may be larger and have their own clips allowing you to secure the unit its added weight doesn’t pull the earbuds out. JVC Bose and Koss are the biggest players in this style. Expect to pay $40 to $100 for the technology. Of course the smaller, lightweight variants are on the higher end.
Fortunately, we don’t have to sacrifice the quality of music we listen to. Thanks to noise cancelling earbuds headphones we can continue to hear our favorite artists clearly. Best of all, we it doesn’t cost and arm and a leg to do so.