Review – PlaneQuiet Headphones

March 19, 2009 · Comments

Plane Quiet I was sent a set of Plane Quiet Platinum noise reduction headphones to try out, by Alex, who knew I was someone who travels a lot. I admit that I’d been interested in trying out some headphones like this, but hadn’t really had the chance or proclivity to do so just yet. I knew about the Bose line of headphones like this, and I’d just recently started seeing ads from Sony on a similar product, so it seemed like a fun product to try out.

So, I didn’t know what to expect. I had the sense that once I switched them on, things would get ridiculously quiet, like, drop a pin quiet. That’s not exactly what happens. Instead, the headphones drop some of the cabin sounds down. I kept switching them on and off, and could hear the difference immediately. They were interesting, but I think I had an unreasonable sense of what they were going to do when I turned them on, so that might be my fault.

However, and here’s the part I liked, when I ran a DVD with the Plane Quiet headphones on, that’s when things really were great. I could hear the audio on the DVD very clearly, and all the airplane noises were drowned out without an issue. It really greatly improved my experience in listening to the DVD.

In closing, I don’t know. Do the other headphones just black out everything? If not, then maybe these are in the exact same sphere. They sure made the DVD experience good.

I’m going to try them a few more times on some subsequent flights and see what I think. Here’s a link to the product at Amazon, so you can see more details.

Have you used these headphones or similar before?

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  • Chris,

    Value for money, the PlaneQuiet phones have worked very well for me over the past 3 years. They serve to reduce noise as other posts have said and I feel more rested when I reach my destination. Plus, I don't really enjoy music on an airplane with regular ear buds - too much ambient noise sneaks through and have to turn up the volume to an extreme. They are not perfect, but for $99, how can you go wrong? And, how much better can Sony be for $500?
  • I had the BOSE ones for a long while (until broken by a stewardess, actually!). They were extraordinary - I could have the volume down much much lower than with ordinary headphones.

    I have, however, just got some good regular silicon in-ear earphones and, too be honest, don't miss the BOSE ones at all.
  • Glenn
    What you noticed while listening to your DVD is called masking. Ask any audiologist to explain the principle (or you can ask my wife, who is an audiologist). The background noise didn't actually disappear.

    Audiologists who do diagnostic evaluations create masked listening environments all the time.
  • they reduce noise, they don't eliminate sound ... 'noise' being the constant type sounds

    they do it by playing an opposite sound wave which 'cancels' the sound, but this only works for steady sounds like engine noise on planes etc

    that said, they're brilliant
  • I have the Bose QC2 and the Bose In ear headphones ( and have tried the Bose QC3 as well as other competing models). None of the headphone completely block out the sound, whether they are active or passive noise "reduction. In fact, they work best on an airplane or a bar or some room with enough background noise that is constant. Also, each headphone reproduces sound differently and it is a personal preference thing. Finally, to completely eliminate ambient noise you would need to go the ear mold route as described by MissEM (comment 2).

    In the end, a pair of noise cancellation headphones is the best gift you can give yourself since you travel so much. Enjoy!
  • Funny that none of the marketing / advertising says it easily. None of the materials in any ad says, "These reduce not cancel" or whatever. Because, if they did, would we stop and wonder if it was worth it?

    I think they are. But it's something to think about.
  • I have some Sony noise-canceling headphones and they work exactly as you describe. While they don't block out noise completely, they're really good for watching movies while on a plane. They mean you don't have to turn the volume up to max just to hear what's going on, which can be kinda uncomfortable. But if you're hoping for something that will block out the noise completely you'll probably be disappointed. Note: I haven't tried teh Bose phones, they may be more effective.
  • Andy Aldridge
    What most people don't realize is that noise-canceling headphones won't drown out ALL noise. They're designed to cancel out the ambient noise that you hear on planes, from fluorescent lights, in large server rooms or when using lawn power equipment like a weed eater. Those frequencies of noise are the most damaging to your ears over longer periods of time.

    Headphones like the PlaneQuiet Platinums, will cancel out most of the ambient noise but still allow you to hear a conversation nearby. Have you ever stepped off a long flight and felt like you couldn't hear? If you use headphones like this, you'll save a lot of discomfort when flying, or working near large computers, in the yard, etc.

    As technology gets cheaper and cheaper, it makes no sense to pay $200+ for a brand name that, in reality, is no better than these.
  • I have the Bose headsets - they do exactly the same thing. The best noise suppression you'll get is from the foam in ear buds from Etymotic or Sennheiser - these do block almost all ambient sound, making them perfect for airplanes and exceptionally dangerous for being mindful of your environment.
  • i had this one before but my friend lost it. This headphone is good!
  • I'm currently in love with my phitek black box noice cancelling headphones

    I have both an in ear set, and the more traditional cup style

    both do a good job of cancelling 'noise' and making plane journeys that much more pleasant

    I had previously tried an altec-lansing pair and was happy with the sound but a cup broke off due to a design fault
  • Chris, I have been using the BOSE QC II for years, absolutely brilliant. You get off a long haul flight feeling great and ready for whatever is coming. You could probably say they help reduce jetlag.. I would highly Recommended – that said, I have not tried any others. If you ever stand up and look around the cabin, it’s interesting to see the number of people with more than the standard issue headphones on.... always brings a smile to each others face when you realise.
  • Chris,

    Years ago I bought a pair of Sennheiser noice cancellation earphones. They were great, but bulky.. I didn't like that when traveling. Recently I bought a pair of Sony in ear noice cancellation headphones... They are even better... My take is that the technology gets better all the time... They aren't very cheap, but it's worth to invest if you travel regularly...
  • That said, if you got the same effect for $77 , is that worth it?
  • I bought my dad the Bose headphones for Christmas and I had the same expectations that you had. I expected it to be silent when you put the headphones on... although my dad does use them a lot, I'm not sure I would have spent so much money on them if I had known they didn't cancel out all noise (noise-canceling is kind of a misnomer).
  • I have the Jabra noise-cancelling headphones and using them sounds similar to your experience. The 'negative noise' is created to drown out the drone of the jet engines and other noises, but a screaming kid is only muffled since the headphones can't react to the pitch of the sound quick enough to create the negative noise (or something like that). But yeah, the second you put some music through them..... total noise reduction.

    http://www.amazon.com/Jabra-Active-Cancelling-Stereo-Headphones/dp/B000FL2EJE

    @bradjward
  • yea nice product... i already bought the bose a month ago... i thought i was crazy to pay 500$ for a headphone but when i used them first time on the plane i felt like this is the solution to relax while traveling....
    I dont know about the sony ones, but the innovation is a good idea.

    it was worth blogging about chris....

    cheers!
    Jean
  • I ride a motorbike and motorbike riders experience what is called 'Helmet Noise', which is pretty much just the wind buffeting around the helmet. It can get quite noisy and deafening, especially on a highway when you're doing faster speeds.
    I purchased a pair of 'ear molds' which are molds fitted to my ear and ear canal so the mold is flush with the ear and easily fits under the helmet. I took the option of having mp3 player wires added so I could connect them to my mobile music player and listen to music on my rides. They are amazing. My first time wearing them I could not believe just how much noise they blocked out. It was a very happy experience!
    I recently went overseas and I used them on the plane when I used the multimedia centre or went to sleep. I could not hear any of the engine or passenger noises, it was blissfully quiet.
    I would highly recommend them to anyone looking for a noise reduction solution.
    Unfortunately I'm in Australia, so I can't provide a link to the product I bought, as you have to have them personally molded to your ears, but I'm sure there are many companies that provide a similar product.
  • I had the opportunity to test the Bose QuietConfort in a very noisy bar.
    While the ambient noise was really attenuated I was still able to clearly understand the conversation. Also, I stopped shouting and my friends told me my level of stress looked better and I actually felt it was relaxing.
    It's an experience that convinced me I had to buy one of those :)
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