oise Canceling Ear Buds -- Will They Drown Out a Screaming Baby on a Plane?
 

Well, my subject line pretty much covers it! I'd love to be able to get some sleep on my upcoming long flights (including Ireland and Hawaii) . . . but I seem to be a screaming baby magnet.

I'm considering buying a pair of noise canceling head phones -- (the kind that fit inside your ear, because I think I'd be able to sleep better without bulky headphones). But the sense I get is that they simply make your music sound better.

I don't necessarily want to listen to music--and if I did, I'd want very soft, instrumental music. I WANT TO SLEEP (and I don't take drugs or drink alcohol--so please don't suggest a sleeping pill).

Any thoughts?

PS. "Oise" canceling is very similar to "Noise" canceling!

Actually those noise cancelling headphones will work perfectly in canceling out the sound of a baby crying. The trick is to get the whole thing in the baby's mouth when the mother isn't looking.

Are you talking about those Bose headphones? I would also be curious.

I have some, and I hate yet to experience a screaming baby, but I would guess they'd cut out the baby some or a lot.

My research showed that cost does matter. Cheap electronics gives cheap results. I bought the Sennheiser 300's and they're very good, and half the price of the Bose.

They'll help quite a bit, but don't expect a miracle

Ok..you will certainly think I am way behind the times but here goes: I don't have an I-pod or any of those music players. Can you use those headphones with the airline audio systems, ie, just plug them into your armrest outlet? Or, radical thought: shall I actually think about buying an I-pod for long air trips?

i have the sony noise xleing earphones and they plugged right into the arm rest. i would by a mp3 player though (samsung makes a great one for around 80 bucks on amazon) because sound quality is better and on a long trip i would rather choose what i am listening to.

The trick is to get the whole thing in the baby's mouth when the mother isn't looking.
Cute NeoPatrick! ;-) :-) ;-)

Maybe I just didn't get it in far enough. Also, although I don't personally use drugs or alcohol . . . I wouldn't rule it out for the baby.

But seriously . . . I've been looking at several models that are much less expensive than Bose -- that have been rated pretty well. BUT, all the reviews focus on the quality of the music and canceling out background noise such as the plane's engines. I have no trouble sleeping with a steady hum -- it's the screaming babies and loud conversations that I'm hoping to eliminate.

FYI, all of the models seem to include adapters to fit the airplane jacks.

No they won't drown out a crying baby.

I received the newest Bose headphones as a gift earlier this year and they do a great job of cancelling ambient noise -- meaning background noise like the roaring, droning engines. You actually hear voices a little more clearly since that dull roar is suppressed and distinct noise (like musice) comes through more clearly.

I don't always play music, I just use the noise cancelling function and it's quite relaxing, it's a bit of a shock to take them off in-flight and to hear the loud din of the cabin. But again, it doesn't drown out a baby's cries -- you'd have to have the music turned up loudly to do that.

Well I may be shot down in flames for saying this but mothers, and fathers for that matter, who travel with infants should know they have to put pain killing eardrops into each of the baby's ears before take-off or administer a pain-killer with a mild sedative.
I think it's a lot of baloney when people say they won't use drugs.

What on earth are you afraid of? Your baby will turn into an instant addict?

Well, for gosh sake,if the baby cries with hunger, I sure hope the mother doesn't attempt to breast-feed. horrors!!



(kidding, of course)

I'm happy with the ones they sell at the lumberyard and a couple of Ambian.

I agree with one of the previous posters who remarked that voices/conversations are actually more clear when wearing the headphones. In fact, when I wear mine, I can quite clearly hear each word of a conversation spoken in a moderate level several rows away. It's actually quite weird.

NC headphones cancel low- to mid-frequencies. Human speech is above the band of frequencies they attenuate, therefore is not suppressed.

But in-the-ear "plug" earphones cancel all frequencies by simply not letting them in. Ditto "over-the-ear" headphones do better than "on-the-ear" styles, but I've worn the former on long flights and the neck and ear fatigue induced me to buy "on-the-ear" Sennheiser HDC 451s that are more than adequate for the mission.

If a nearby screamer becomes a nuisance, I just switch the MP3 to Wagner and ambient noise becomes a non-issue.

And I AM grateful that you aren't trying to cancel out one of the most picturesque river valleys in France.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oise

Nothing will drown out the noise of a screaming baby - except stopping the screaming (often due to ear pain because parents don;t know babies need to suck to balance liquid in their ear canals during flight).

"Balance liquid?"

No, they need to equalize the air pressure between their middle ear which is at the ambient pressure where the airplane took off (and where the eustachian tubes terminate) and the outer ear, which is at cabin pressure (typically about 9,000 feet).

And a good earplug-type earset certainly will attenuate the caterwauling to a comfortable level.

This post refers to the Sennheiser brand but with technology advancing so fast I wonder if anyone has purchased either of these two:
The Solitude with Linx
http://tinyurl.com/2aq3yr
or
The Plane Quiet NC7
http://tinyurl.com/29zw35
From the research I've done they are just as good as the Bose Q3 and a lot less expensive. There is a vast difference between the 2 of them in their cost and one seems bulkier than the other. The larger one has an area inside its case that would accommodate my iPod and having enough room is not an issue. I am just wondering if it is worth it to spend that much more.
As usual, I thought I should check on Fodorites' opinions prior to making such a purchase and eargely await your replies.
Michele

If you want to sleep rather than listen to music (or audio books or anything else), why not skip the headsets altogether and use inexpensive foam earplugs? Just a couple of $$ a box.

A variety of brands are available, some more comfortable and/or effective than others. I prefer the Quies brand foam earplugs, but I don't know if they're available in the U.S., I get mine in Belgium and France. I've found the Quies brand foam earplugs to be very effective at blocking out disruptive noises on flights, including crying babies.

Most aircraft already have noise cancelling speakers in the cabin to reduce ambient noise.The headphones you buy just take this a bit further.
Only works for ambient noise, not babies!

>>>You actually hear voices a little more clearly<<<

How true, as I discovered when seated across the aisle from a very loud Irishman on an overnight flight from the US to London earlier this month. :-(

Either use foam earplugs, as someone else suggested, or turn up the music in your headphones to drown out the noise. At least with your own headphones you will get better quality sound than from the standard airline issue.

<b>Watch for deals</b>

A few weeks ago, amazon.com had these: preview.tinyurl.com/2h6aw6 and buy.com these: preview.tinyurl.com/2tsqyr - for $39.95 delivered!

Good in-ear phones like the Shures definitely will drown out screaming babies. Saved me many times over the last 2 years.

They form a good seal with either soft rubber or foam sleeves (each set come with several types and sizes, so you choose the ones that fit you best). So, all noises are isolated - whether it's low-frequency engine hum or screaming babies.

Noise-cancellation headphones that use active circuit usually only work with lower frequencies.

Thank you for your responses. The small amount and odd type of hearing loss I have makes it -very- uncomfortable to wear anything inside my ear. I am specifically look ing for a headset with padded earphones, hence the the decision between the two listed in my previous post.
Currently, the only place I listen to my iPod is in the car. I have wonderful stress reducing, sleep inducing music which I would like to listen to next June on our 7 hour flight.

If you find some which also &quot;cancel out&quot; the impact of that child kicking the back of your seat let us know about those, too!

I just use the airline provided headphones and keep the various music and audio programs running throughout the flight.

Ditto on the foam ear plugs. You'd be surprised at how much noise they drown out.

Bloom

That's what I have always done, Suze but since I cannot afford business or first class I would like to make this 'upgrade' in my flight.
As for the child who kicks the back of the seat, I simply ask a flight attendant to speak to the person 'responsible' for the imp.
I pay WAY too much money being stuck in a tin can (fyi - I HATE flying) for it to be up to me to say something. If the problem persists, I repeat this action. It only takes once or twice until the parental unit finally gets a clue to something they are ignorant about: discipline. I have only had to do this two or three times and it worked out. On one occasion I shot a piercing nasty glare (between the seats) to a kid and it was enough.
When I was growing up in France, it was commonly known that in public places children were meant to be seen and not heard. It is not to say that as an adult I have not seen unruly children in Europe but more often than not they turned out to be American children.

Hi have will try to offer 2 options for you. 1 read the article on Pilot Paul's website he goes into a lot of detail. Then I would suggest checking online for reviews. I would love to have your opinon, as I also have a travel blog and would love to pass the information along.
Have a wonderful and safe trip
Jaye

www.tidbits4trips.wordpress.com
www.pilot-pauls-travel-accessories.com

Songdoc's trips are long past.

The following question will probably take the prize for the silliest of the day, but here goes:


I do not have an IPod or any other music player. But I would like to muffle airplane sounds, screaming babies included.

Can I plug one of these headsets in the armrest outlet and listen to the airline-provided music program, instead of using the headsets provided by the airline?

Many thanks from the world of the tech-averse

<i>Can I plug one of these headsets in the armrest outlet and listen to the airline-provided music program...</i>

Almost certainly. My Sennheisers were even equipped with a plug adapter that fits the old 2-prong airline sockets. I still carry it, but I don't remember ever needing it.

I concur in the opinion that noise-<i>blocking</i> is better than noise-<i>canceling</i>. The former blocks speech, the latter does not.

Absolutely! Most airline entertainment systems I've used recently have the same plug-in as iPod and other mp3 players, and the better earphones come with adapters that fit the others.

Since my earlier post I have switched from Bose QC2 to the Klipsch Image earbuds - expensive, but absolutely brilliant. IMO they are better than noise cancelling earphones, as they isolate from all noise, including conversation, crying babies, etc.

I am going to invest in a set of these before my next long plane trip. Since most of the responses here were more than a year ago, do you have any current recommendations for less than $100?

Thanks again from the world of the tech averse!

I don't have any specific recommendations, but if you can find something with a selection of different-sized gel earbuds, that is the secret to noise isolation. You use the earbud that fits your ear canal best, and seals out ambient noise. The other factor is sound quality, and you get what you pay for.

If all you want is noise isolation, cheap foam earplugs will work just as well.

My seatmate on my last trip to Italy had Bose headphones. I had brought my own headphones (not noise cancelling), but my outlet didn't work. The lady with the Bose also had a splitter that let me plug in with her and share her outlet. I'm not sure if that's something that came with her Bose headphones or not. Hooray for nice seatmates!

Hooray for nice seatmates!...whose taste in music is congruent with your own.

I have the Bose on-ear noise-cancelling headphones (they make the over-ear ones, on-ear and in-ear). They do not cancel out all noise, but what noise there is is greatly muffled. Keep in mind that they are &quot;active&quot;, meaning they need batteries (mine is rechargeable) and need to be &quot;on&quot; to work, even if you just want to listen to music and don't care about the noise-cancelling feature. My biggest problem with them is that since they're battery-operated, they need to be off during takeoff and landing, which is when I'd most like to have them on.

My husband and I both use the in-the-ear-type of noise cancelling systems. They do cancel out most of the noise although not the screaming baby if he/she is seated nearby. I used to use foam ear plugs, but the noise cancelling systems work much better even if you're not listening to music.

Mine (Audio Technica from the Apple Store) came with three sizes of ear buds and a 2-pronged plug that fits the airline plug. My husband's (Shure) came with only one size of buds and a 1-prong plug. He later had to buy an adaptor when he found his system's plug wouldn't work on some planes.

Be careful when removing the ear buds. On a recent flight from Europe, there was a guy who had yanked the buds out by the cord, and one of the buds came off and was lodged deep in his ear.

Don't try to block the noise simply by turning up the volume of the airline earphones. You'll risk permanently damaging your hearing for a few hours of comfort.

I've recently read an article that compared various high tech noise canceling head phones.

The cheapest and best were the industrial head phones worn by constructions workers, etc. They won by a long shot.