To me, there’s no better way to spend several hours of my time than in a packed airplane, squished next to strangers, 30,000 feet in the air, traversing through time and space. I hate flying (in case you didn’t pick up the sarcasm) so a solid pair of headphones to watch hours of “The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City” is a must to make it bearable.
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There are plenty of headphones and earbuds that are great in their own right, but the real test is taking a pair through a major airport and on a flight. Over the past six weeks, I took five pairs of headphones through airports in Atlanta, Los Angeles, and New York City — multiple times — and assessed each of their performance.
Travling to New York from Atlanta twice, and to L.A. from Atlanta twice, I wore the Sonos Ace, Sony WH-1000XM6, Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen), AirPods Pro 3, and the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen). Here’s how each pair excelled, as well as some areas where they fell short.
Sonos Ace: ATL to LGA roundtrip
The good: comfort, sound, ANC
The Sonos Ace are easily the most comfortable pair of over-ear headphones I’ve worn, even more so than Bose. Although my flight from Atlanta to New York City was only two and a half hours, I could’ve kept them on for at least four more hours. The Ace have a comfortable and relaxed clamping force, a plushy headband, and spacious earcups padded with memory foam.
The Ace’s sound is dynamic, characterized by an elevated bass response with a slight bump in treble that’s not too bright or piercing. This sound profile makes the Ace perfect for hours of listening, offering enough warmth to enjoy my audio content without too much shine that can create listening fatigue.
Thanks to a software update this summer, the Sonos Ace are even better at canceling noise. They did well in the airport, significantly reducing the sound from the PA system. However, on the plane, the engine rumbling was background noise, although crying babies, chatter from the couple next to me, and the flight attendant’s snack cart were more challenging for the Ace’s noise-canceling capabilities.
The bad: portability
I prefer not to wear over-ear headphones through the TSA line and keep them in my bag instead. Because I’m a glutton for punishment, I don’t have TSA PreCheck, instead opting to go through the general screening line. Keeping them in my bag allows for one less loose item in the airport bins.
Also: Here’s how a free software upgrade made the Sonos Ace worth their price tag
However, the Ace do not fold, and their carrying case is bulky. My options are leaving them around my neck or stuffing them in my bag — I opt for the latter. So far, my Ace headphones have no scratches or scuffs, but it’d be nice if they were easier to carry around.
Sony XM6: ATL to LGA roundtrip
The good: ANC, portability, Auracast
The Sony WH-1000XM6 are phenomenal noise-canceling headphones that did an excellent job of significantly dampening voices and sounds from the airplane’s engine. I didn’t have to greatly increase the volume of my audio content to further drown out my external environment. Additionally, their foldable design makes them easy to curl up and throw in your bag.
A recent software update gifted the XM6 with Bluetooth LE audio sharing, allowing you to share your device’s audio with another person, provided both parties have compatible headphones and smartphones. I’ve tested this feature, although not on a plane, but I can imagine it’d make flying with a friend more fun. Apple’s headphones support iPhone-to-iPhone audio sharing, but Bluetooth’s audio sharing tech is compatible with multiple Android smartphone brands.
The bad: comfort
Although the Sony XM6 are incredibly light, their clamping force is tight and became overwhelming for me. I couldn’t keep them on for the entirety of my second trip from Atlanta to New York City, and switched to AirPods about an hour into the flight. I decided to stick with the AirPods Pro 3 during my flight home.
Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds 2nd Gen: ATL to LAX
The good: comfort, sound, ANC
The Bose QC Ultra earbuds 2 don’t have a traditional bud-and-stem design that protrudes from your ears, making them well-suited for window seat head-leaners like myself. They have an incredibly stable and comfortable fit, strengthening their already top-tier noise-canceling performance. Their tight in-ear seal created a nice bubble of personal noise cancellation during my cross-country flight.
Bose’s sound profile is characterized by a warm tone, defined by an emphasized bass response and a reserved treble presence, providing a listening experience that’s easy on the ears for hours on end.
The bad: portability, battery life
The QC Ultra Earbuds 2 come with a rather bulky charging case, so they’re not the best option for those who want to quickly stow their earbuds case in their pocket. Additionally, the earbuds are larger than those from Sony, Google, or Apple. However, without their imposing size, they’d lose the components that make their fit more comfortable, stable, and practical than their competitors.
Also: I tried Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds’ AI noise cancelling, and can’t go back to regular ANC
The earbuds promise six hours of continuous battery life, and mine died right as I was deplaning and waiting for my Uber to my hotel. Their battery life isn’t as long as the AirPods Pro 3, but the Bose QC Ultra 2 earbuds make up for it in comfort, fit, and noise cancellation.
AirPods Pro 3: LAX to ATL
The good: ANC, health features, battery life, sound
The AirPods Pro 3 easily have the most powerful noise cancellation for a pair of tiny earbuds. Due to their in-canal fit, their in-ear seal is tighter, enabling their ANC to compete with over-ear headphones. Their noise cancellation, combined with their eight-hour battery life and dynamic, spacious sound profile, made them a great companion for my flight from Atlanta to Los Angeles.
The Pro 3’s in-ear heart rate monitor and compatibility with iOS 26’s Fitness app allowed me to forego my Apple Watch and Watch charger for a few days while out of town, and I could still close my daily Move and Exercise rings.
The bad: stable fit
As much as I love the Pro 3’s audio and noise-canceling performance, I struggle to keep them in my ears, despite finding them very comfortable. Any movement of my mouth to chew or talk immediately broke my noise-canceling seal, leaving me to constantly readjust the earbuds more than I ever did with the AirPods Pro 2.
Bose QC Ultra Headphones 2nd Gen: ATL to LAX roundtrip
The good: ANC, sound, power management, portability
During my second trip to Los Angeles, I opted for the Bose QC Ultra Headphones 2. They feature Bose’s high-performing noise cancellation, but I noticed that Bose’s ANC performs better in handling voices and sudden noises than it does in blocking airplane engines. Although the engine’s rumbling was significantly reduced, the plane’s PA system, chatter from other passengers, and slamming of the overhead bins were virtually nonexistent.
These headphones sound typical of Bose: warm, with emphasized bass and subdued treble. Their auto standby power feature was the star of the show during my trip, as the headphones automatically enter an ultra-low-power mode when removed from my head.
Also: Bose just did what Apple couldn’t with the QuietComfort Ultra headphones – and I’m sold
This feature, coupled with their foldable design, eliminated the typical chaos of removing my headphones and fiddling with the power button throughout the airport.
The bad: comfort
Bose loses points from me in the comfort department here, which was incredibly surprising. The first-gen QC Ultra Headphones are very comfortable, but the second generation has a slightly tighter clamping force and shallower earcups. For the last hour of my five-hour flight from Atlanta to Los Angeles, I had to take them off and switch to AirPods. The same occurred on my flight home to Atlanta.
ZDNET’s buying advice
During my travels, the AirPods Pro 3<!–> were the best earbuds due to their exceptional battery life, impressive noise-canceling capabilities, comprehensive fitness features, and excellent sound quality. Additionally, their excellent microphone quality and seamless integration with my iPhone make them a solid option for making on-the-go phone calls, managing calendar invitations, and more.
I prefer flying with the Sonos Ace–> for their comfort, since I have multiple ear piercings and wear glasses. They have a 30-hour battery life, Dolby Atmos support, and a beautiful design. Although they’re not on the same level as Sony and Bose in terms of noise cancellation, they compensate in other areas.
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