Plane Quiet Platinum | active noise reduction headset

Using a noise canceling headset is one of the best ways to make a long flight enjoyable. There are three major advantages:

(1) A good headset will diminish the roar of the jet engines. The peace and quiet will make your flight more relaxing, and you will arrive at your destination rested and more stress-free.

(2) A good headset will enhance the sound of your iPod or mp3 player. Those mediocre ear buds can't do your music justice in the loud cabin of a commercial jet.

(3) A good headset is a superior way to watch an inflight movie. The cheap "over one ear" headphones provided by the airlines are a joke.

Should you buy one? If you do a lot of flying, my answer is an unequivocal "yes." A good noise canceling headset is an investment you will appreciate every time you fly.

Which product should you buy? The clear value leader is the Plane Quiet Platinum active noise reduction headset at a manufacturer's suggested retail price of only $99 ... and my readers will want to know how it compares with the Bose® QuietComfort® 2 Acoustic Noise Cancelling® Headphones which retail at $299 (triple the price).

Here's my evaluation:

1. The two products are nearly identical in weight with the Plane Quiet being about 20 grams (0.7 oz) lighter on your head.

2. The two products feel identical when I wear them. They have a similar amount of padding.

3. The ear cups for the Bose are deeper (about 1") than the Plane Quiet (about 1/2"), but the the earcup dimensions of the Bose are slightly smaller (2.25" x 1.25" versus 2.5" x 1.5").

4. You can use the Plane Quiet earphones to listen to music without turning on the power (handy if you want to use them at home or if the batteries wear out and you don't have a spare). The Bose is useless without turning on the noise canceling circuitry.

5. There is a slight "hiss" produced by the Bose, but the Plane Quiet is absolutely quiet.

6. I could discern absolutely no difference in the music playback quality.

Which one to purchase? Some consumers will always desire the premium product, and if the Bose label on your headphones is worth the extra $200 to you, I won't argue with that. But in all honesty, after playing around with both products in my office, listening to music through them, and trying to discern which did a better job of isolating random sounds, I couldn't tell the difference.


noise canceling headset (search here on Google)


copyright (c) 2007 by David J. Ourisman. All rights reserved. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.
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