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To me, there's nary amended measurement to walk respective hours of my clip than successful a packed airplane, squished adjacent to strangers, 30,000 feet successful nan air, traversing done clip and space. I dislike flying (in lawsuit you didn't prime up nan sarcasm) truthful a coagulated brace of headphones to watch hours of "The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City" is simply a must to make it bearable.
Also: Best headphones and earbuds of 2025
There are plentifulness of headphones and earbuds that are awesome successful their ain right, but nan existent trial is taking a brace done a awesome airdrome and connected a flight. Over nan past six weeks, I took 5 pairs of headphones done airports successful Atlanta, Los Angeles, and New York City -- aggregate times -- and assessed each of their performance.
Traveling to New York from Atlanta twice, and to L.A. from Atlanta twice, I wore nan Sonos Ace, Sony WH-1000XM6, Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen), AirPods Pro 3, and nan Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen). Here's really each brace excelled, arsenic good arsenic immoderate areas wherever they fell short.
Sonos Ace: ATL to LGA round-trip
The good: comfort, sound, ANC
The Sonos Ace are easy nan astir comfortable brace of over-ear headphones I've worn, moreover much truthful than Bose. Although my formation from Atlanta to New York City was only 2 and a half hours, I could've kept them connected for astatine slightest 4 much hours. The Ace person a comfortable and relaxed clamping force, a plushy headband, and freely earcups padded pinch representation foam.
The Ace's sound is dynamic, characterized by an elevated bass consequence pinch a flimsy bump successful treble that's not excessively agleam aliases piercing. This sound floor plan makes nan Ace cleanable for hours of listening, offering capable warmth to bask my audio contented without excessively overmuch radiance that tin create listening fatigue.
Thanks to a package update this summer, nan Sonos Ace are moreover amended astatine canceling noise. They did good successful nan airport, importantly reducing nan sound from nan PA system. However, connected nan plane, nan motor rumbling was inheritance noise, though crying babies, chatter from nan mates adjacent to me, and nan formation attendant's snack cart were much challenging for nan Ace's noise-canceling capabilities.
The bad: portability
I for illustration not to deterioration over-ear headphones done nan TSA statement and support them successful my container instead. As a glutton for punishment, I don't person TSA PreCheck, opting alternatively to spell done nan wide screening line. Keeping them successful my container allows for 1 little loose point successful nan airdrome bins.
Also: Here's really a free package upgrade made nan Sonos Ace worthy their value tag
However, nan Ace do not fold, and their carrying lawsuit is bulky. My options are leaving them astir my cervix aliases stuffing them successful my container -- I opt for nan latter. So far, my Ace headphones person nary scratches aliases scuffs, but it'd beryllium bully if they were easier to transportation around.
Sony XM6: ATL to LGA round-trip
The good: ANC, portability, Auracast
The Sony WH-1000XM6 are phenomenal noise-canceling headphones that did an fantabulous occupation of importantly dampening voices and sounds from nan airplane's engine. I didn't person to greatly summation nan measurement of my audio contented to further drown retired my outer environment. Additionally, their foldable creation makes them easy to curl up and propulsion successful your bag.
A recent package update talented nan XM6 pinch Bluetooth LE audio sharing, allowing you to stock your device's audio pinch different person, provided some parties person compatible headphones and smartphones. I've tested this feature, though not connected a plane, but I tin ideate it'd make flying pinch a friend much fun. Apple's headphones support iPhone-to-iPhone audio sharing, but Bluetooth's audio sharing tech is compatible pinch aggregate Android smartphone brands.
The bad: comfort
Although nan Sony XM6 are incredibly light, their clamping unit is tight and became overwhelming for me. I couldn't support them connected for nan entirety of my 2nd travel from Atlanta to New York City, and switched to AirPods astir an hr into nan flight. I decided to instrumentality pinch nan AirPods Pro 3 during my formation home.
Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds 2: ATL to LAX
The good: comfort, sound, ANC
The Bose QC Ultra earbuds 2 don't person a accepted bud-and-stem creation that protrudes from your ears, making them well-suited for model spot head-leaners for illustration myself. They person an incredibly unchangeable and comfortable fit, strengthening their already top-tier noise-canceling performance. Their tight in-ear seal created a bully bubble of individual sound cancellation during my cross-country flight.
Bose's sound floor plan is characterized by a lukewarm tone, defined by an emphasized bass consequence and a reserved treble presence, providing a listening acquisition that's easy connected nan ears for hours connected end.
The bad: portability, artillery life
The QC Ultra Earbuds 2 travel pinch a alternatively bulky charging case, truthful they're not nan champion action for those who want to quickly stow their earbuds lawsuit successful their pocket. Additionally, nan earbuds are larger than those from Sony, Google, aliases Apple. However, without their imposing size, they'd suffer nan components that make their fresh much comfortable, stable, and applicable than their competitors.
Also: I tried Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds' AI sound cancelling, and can't spell backmost to regular ANC
The earbuds committedness six hours of continuous artillery life, and excavation died correct arsenic I was deplaning and waiting for my Uber to my hotel. Their artillery life isn't arsenic agelong arsenic nan AirPods Pro 3, but nan Bose QC Ultra 2 earbuds dress up for it successful comfort, fit, and sound cancellation.
AirPods Pro 3: LAX to ATL
The good: ANC, wellness features, artillery life, sound
The AirPods Pro 3 easy person nan astir powerful sound cancellation for a brace of mini earbuds. Due to their in-canal fit, their in-ear seal is tighter, enabling their ANC to compete pinch over-ear headphones. Their sound cancellation, mixed pinch their eight-hour artillery life and dynamic, freely sound profile, made them a awesome companion for my formation from Atlanta to Los Angeles.
The Pro 3's in-ear bosom complaint show and compatibility pinch iOS 26's Fitness app allowed maine to forego my Apple Watch and Watch charger for a fewer days while retired of town, and I could still adjacent my regular Move and Exercise rings.
The bad: unchangeable fit
As overmuch arsenic I emotion nan Pro 3's audio and noise-canceling performance, I struggle to support them successful my ears, contempt uncovering them very comfortable. Any activity of my rima to chew aliases talk instantly collapsed my noise-canceling seal, leaving maine to perpetually readjust nan earbuds much than I ever did pinch nan AirPods Pro 2.
Bose QC Ultra Headphones 2: ATL to LAX round-trip
The good: ANC, sound, powerfulness management, portability
During my 2nd travel to Los Angeles, I opted for nan Bose QC Ultra Headphones 2. They characteristic Bose's high-performing sound cancellation, but I noticed that Bose's ANC performs amended successful handling voices and abrupt noises than it does successful blocking airplane engines. Although nan engine's rumbling was importantly reduced, nan plane's PA system, chatter from different passengers, and slamming of nan overhead bins were virtually nonexistent.
These headphones sound emblematic of Bose: warm, pinch emphasized bass and subdued treble. Their car standby powerfulness characteristic was nan prima of nan show during my trip, arsenic nan headphones automatically participate an ultra-low-power mode erstwhile removed from my head.
Also: Bose conscionable did what Apple couldn't pinch nan QuietComfort Ultra headphones - and I'm sold
This feature, coupled pinch their foldable design, eliminated nan emblematic chaos of removing my headphones and fiddling pinch nan powerfulness fastener passim nan airport.
The bad: comfort
Bose loses points from maine successful nan comfortableness section here, which was incredibly surprising. The first-gen QC Ultra Headphones are very comfortable, but nan 2nd procreation has a somewhat tighter clamping unit and shallower earcups. For nan past hr of my five-hour formation from Atlanta to Los Angeles, I had to return them disconnected and move to AirPods. The aforesaid occurred connected my formation location to Atlanta.
ZDNET's buying advice
During my travels, nan AirPods Pro 3 were nan champion earbuds owed to their exceptional artillery life, awesome noise-canceling capabilities, broad fittingness features, and fantabulous sound quality. Additionally, their fantabulous microphone value and seamless integration pinch my iPhone make them a coagulated action for making on-the-go telephone calls, managing almanac invitations, and more.
I for illustration flying pinch nan Sonos Ace for their comfort, since I person aggregate receptor piercings and deterioration glasses. They connection 30-hour artillery life, Dolby Atmos support, and a stunning design. Although they're not connected nan aforesaid level arsenic Sony and Bose successful position of sound cancellation, they compensate successful different areas.
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