For lawyers traveling on airplanes, there's no better way to silence (or almost silence) the airplane noise than with the Bose QuietComfort 2 Noise Cancelling Headphones. Using these headphones with your MP3 player, you'll find that you don't need as much volume as is required for the usual earbuds. Though the airplane noise will still be present somewhere in the background, it's not as noticeable: the headphones take the edge off. You might even find yourself falling asleep, as I find it impossible to do on airplanes--at least, that is, until I bought myself a pair.
Drawbacks: At $300, these headphones are pricey. And they're bulky, too, especially if your briefcase is already crammed full of documents and depositions. But if you can find a way around these drawbacks, these headphones will definitely make your flight more enjoyable.
For more information, read the reviews at CNET. You can buy the headphones direct from Bose.
i'd personally go with a proper pair of headphones myself... i still use my battered sony DJ-V700s (they can isolate you from the bass next to a 10Kw rig - i wouldn't worry about the plane). i've not found a pair of noise-cancellation headphones that don't do something freaky (my friend's boze inc).
i increasingly don't trust the boze hype.
need to go and check out some of their speakers though - they've tended to be very good, where i've seen em.
Posted by: pete23 | December 27, 2004 at 11:34 AM
My gosh - I'm low on the totem pole. At $300, I thought surely Evan would consider headphones bling-bling.
Posted by: Mike | December 27, 2004 at 01:23 PM
Mike: A valid point. This "lawyer stuff" post is an experiment that began when Dave objected that digital cameras, no matter how expensive, don't count as bling. His comment is here. I thought he had a point. Besides, if I'm just posting about stuff, I won't have to be as absurd, and can post about ordinary things, e.g., "Lawyer Stuff: Old-Fashioned Pen and Paper." Pen and paper definitely wouldn't work in a bling-bling post. Meanwhile, the bling-bling series will continue with "Mansions Nestled Along the Coast of Southern California."
Posted by: Evan | December 27, 2004 at 01:49 PM
Forget the Bose hype -- they are way too bulky for repeated travel.
Personally, I invested in the Shure E3C in ear headphones. They isolate the noise rather than cancel it out. http://www.shure.com/earphones/eseries_comparison.asp
They block the noise from the engines, sound great with my iPOD and laptop and still I can faintly hear when the captain comes over the radio. Even better - I can wear them and block out the noise during take off/landing since they are not powered.
The Shure are the best.
Douglas
PHOSITA: an intellectual property weblawg
http://www.okpatents.com/phosita
Posted by: Douglas | December 27, 2004 at 01:51 PM
Evan - Cool. Since we're discussing stuff, check out this post from AL&P. That's some cool stuff!
Posted by: Mike | December 27, 2004 at 01:54 PM
Like the Shure E3C, I just received my Shure E2Cs. Retail is $100 almost universally except at Buy.com, where I just last week ordered mine for $65. They also block out surrounding sound very well (as well as earplugs), allowing you to listen at a more reasonable level. Most of these "canalphones" can be very comfortable and more portable, but they are not as quick and easy to throw over your ears as the Bose or similar products.
Posted by: Aaron | December 27, 2004 at 09:33 PM
Aaron: Now I know what to do when my Bose's bite the dust.
Posted by: Evan | December 27, 2004 at 11:37 PM
The new versions - 2 -- solve the bulk problem. They are leaner than the prior editions and the headphones fold up. the case is only about an inch deep, and fits easily in a carryon.
i am absolutely utterly addicted to these, and they are worth every single penny of the $299.99 -- even on a paltry journalist's salary :)
the new versions also streamline the cord, so it doesn't get gooked up in the Mystery Meat sauce when you eat.
i tried numerous wannabes, and finally caved to my Bose lust. You can't pry them outta my hands. They are nothing short of amazing -- especially on classical music -- where you can really HEAR the range of sound!
-- Mon
Posted by: Common Scold | February 15, 2005 at 12:05 PM
300 bucks is a little to high for me.
Bought the ex29 from proheadphones.com. Works great for me.
My borther-in-law who's in the air force tried it on an "impossible to talk" aircraft
and said he could "watch DVDs for the first time". I've not tried it on an airplane myself,
but works great when I'm working with my power tools.
Jack
Posted by: Jack | February 25, 2005 at 07:48 PM
I have a fantastic pair of Koss headphones. Do these 'phones work w/the jack in the seats? The seats I mean are Northwest Airlines World Business Class, wh. I understand, provides the noise cancelling headphones to its WBC passengers.
I'm a newbie at these headphones, and I'm travelling in Feb. '06, but I like to be prepared (OK! call me anally retentive!) before I venture on two 10+ hour flights from the West Coast to Europe.
Posted by: Jonno | July 07, 2005 at 02:07 AM
Bose headphones are overpriced, both the triport and the qc products are extremely overpriced. the manufacturer has a very high rate of return for a reason. The workmanship is lacking. it sounds good but give me a break 300 dollars. the day i visited the local bose store, got a run around and then i was told the product had a design flaw, and would be replaced for nothing. 3 months later, the same thing happened. you would think for 300 bucks some quality would be put into the product.
Posted by: me | September 01, 2005 at 09:55 PM