If the travel bug has bit you or if you travel a lot by air, then it is imperative to carry along a good pair of headphones that is portable, comfortable to wear, and most of all, sports noise cancellation technology. However, it can be tricky to find the right pair. Sudhir Chowdhary picks some of the worthy travel and in-flight headphones:
Bose QC35 (Rs 29,363)
The QuietComfort 35 headphone promises to deliver noiseless music experience in all types of environment. The QC 35 comes with digital noise cancellation technology; it utilises reverse sound waves based on the ambient noise to cancel it out. The updated equaliser in the QC35 also balances sound according to the volume level. The company says it can deliver more 20 hours of music on a single charge. The around-ear headphones are available in black and silver colours. True to Bose reputation, the QC 35 has amazing sound reproduction, clarity and balance, as well as accurate and deep bass.
Sony XBA-H1 (Rs 11,890)
During airplane travel, there’s a lot of moving around and changing flights. Therefore, you want headphones that are fast and easy to pack, lightweight and highly durable. The Sony XBA-H1 meets all these parameters. Whether your preference leans toward a more sporty look or one that is simple, both audiences are served well here. The hybrid driver unit packs in balanced armature and dynamic designs into one unit, bringing the very best that both have to offer to your ears. This results in booming bass, highs that shine and response that makes your music sound more punchy than ever.
Sennheiser PXC 550 (Rs 29,990)
A perfect travel companion, the PXC 550 Wireless delivers Sennheiser’s renowned high-quality sound and up to 30 hours of battery performance. Sennheiser’s NoiseGard hybrid adaptive noise cancellation ensures uninterrupted listening by seamlessly monitoring and adapting to ambient noise levels—whether on a plane, train or a noisy street. They have a comfortable fit and have superb sound reproduction. What that means is the audio of PXC 550 is very rich, clean and balanced. Also the bass response is accurate and solid.
Skullcandy Grind Wireless (Rs 6,499)
The Skullcandy Grind is an on-ear headphone that is pretty lightweight and sturdily constructed. It has a metal headband and plastic earcups that don’t look or feel cheap. The Grind sounds surprisingly good for its modest price and is comfortable to wear. It seals out some ambient noise quite effectively. This means you can stay in your holiday zone without distractions. A microphone is built into the right earcup along with volume controls and a pause/play button that also answers and ends calls. You hold the volume up/down buttons to advance tracks forward or back. The headphone comes in multiple colour options and battery life is rated at 12 hours.
Polk Audio AM5110-A Nue Voe (Rs 9,085)
Polk Nue Voe in-ear headphones combine serious audiophile performance with stand-out style. Not only do these look the part, similar in style to a fancy set of tortoise-patterned eyeglasses, they sound awesome and are comfortable enough to wear all day. These earphones are packed with balanced armature drivers, which ups the mids to increase crispness. It should be noted that the inline controls built into headphones only properly work with Apple products. When you listen to Nue Voe, your music will sound richer, fuller, and more realistic, with more depth and a wider soundstage. Plus, Nue Voe connects to your iOS device and gives you complete control over your audio settings and call functions from one easy-to-reach controller.
