I couldn't use open headphones on a flight, the whole point is to cover noise from the plane and other passengers. Good quality noise cancellation is a must for me now. I was ambivalent that it would be any better than regular headphones would be when I first got some, but I wouldn't fly without now.
Music on the move - streaming, devices and other matters
- Thread starter Time Waster
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Bristolian
Über Member
- Location
- Bristol, UK
When I used to spend most of my life flying from one country to another on business I used some Bose noise-cancelling headphones - sorry don't remember the model - and they were really good at blocking the ceaseless whine from the engines (and the obnoxious Yank I always seemed to find myself sat next to 
). These days I use bone activating ones as they leave the ears free to hear other things. I do sometimes wear them when cycling but certainly not every time I go out. The sound quality and volume is fine and I am even able to take a phone call on the move, which is impressive. I'd be interested in a pair that fit inside my motorbike crash helmet although I haven't looked to see if they exist.
As for what do I listen to when wearing them - music stored on my NAS normally (via an app on my mobile phone) or one of the internet radio stations (e.g. Gold/Smooth/etc radio).
). These days I use bone activating ones as they leave the ears free to hear other things. I do sometimes wear them when cycling but certainly not every time I go out. The sound quality and volume is fine and I am even able to take a phone call on the move, which is impressive. I'd be interested in a pair that fit inside my motorbike crash helmet although I haven't looked to see if they exist.As for what do I listen to when wearing them - music stored on my NAS normally (via an app on my mobile phone) or one of the internet radio stations (e.g. Gold/Smooth/etc radio).
For me, it means I can rely on it to let me know when something is approaching, so I'm not constantly having to turn around when I have to avoid the many and frequent pot holes.
Additionally, if I know there are vehicles or a vehicle coming up behind, and a traffic island approaching, I can position myself appropriately well beforehand, again with no need to turn around.
The radar usually picks them up before I hear them, and that's without any headphones on as well.
Ah fair enough - for me, I'm only really on short 2.5 hour flights, so for me it's simply to be able to listen to some music, or watch a downloaded tv program/film off a tablet, for that purpose it works fine.
As I am also a cheapskate on these flights, I try and get away with the tiny 'free' carry on bags, and I suspect even with vacuum bags for other things, I wouldn't really have the space for headphones, though I suppose you could leave them round your neck/on your head.
If I was on a 12hr+ flight, I probably would to look to use bigger headphones.
Yeah that's fair enough, but for me it's the cabin noise that I want to drown out - even listening to music, so the open style of headphone just wouldn't work. I tend to carry a backpack for carry on - the Sony XM4s I carry fold quite well so are really easy to store, but to be honest mostly I do just carry them around my neck.
Mrs C has a pair of Bose 700s that I got and didn't like - they don't fold and are a pain to carry.
Lightning CycleQueen
Supervisor
Open style headphones dont tend to work anywhere outside. I guess they would be good if your gaming home alone. so you can hear things around you
fossyant
Ride It Like You Stole It!
- Location
- South Manchester
Any recommendations ? I'm not keen on headphones full stop - but would be useful for a trip we've got coming up - my wife has noise cancelling over ear ones - she can't hear anyone when wearing them !
Time Waster
Veteran
Off topic but isn't there a requirement, even if not enforceable due to not being a legal regulation, for cyclists to look around anyway? If so with radar, surely you'd still have to look if you were following the highway code?
I am not sure whether that's right or wrong but I'm sure I read somewhere in my dim and distant past something about looking behind you, perhaps just when manoeuvring or making a turn but I have this idea it is there. If so or defeats the purpose of radar to some degree of you've still got to look back anyway.
My POV on headphones are that active NC is great on transportation where there's an engine noise and/or people noise.. However, even without NC of any kind headphones and ear buds are not something I'd wear cycling.
For cycling there are at best two options. First and best IMHO is the bone conduction headphones. Shokz are the originals in the leisure music scene and the best.
Second choice style of music device is the open ear one and I'm particular the ones that sit over your ear canal not in it. These are like non-piercing earrings that clip over the ear lobe at the back so the head section that makes noise is over the ear canal but not in it. Shokz do possibly the best of both kinds.
You can get open ear ear buds that fit right inside the ear canal like normal buds but they will block some noise so not my personal choice for cycling.
The newer and top of the range shokz bone conduction headphones are really good due to the extra noise generation element that is kind of a mini speaker over the ear with directed sound into your ear canal. It is only a lower noise level AFAIK so doesn't affect what you can hear around you. It's how the newer ones her the full sound frequency out for better quality sound.
BTW this bone conduction technology was invented by a hearing consultant as an alternative hearing aid device for people who can't have the normal hearing aid technology. It's been around for a very long time.
One disadvantage of my older tech Aftershokz titanium model bone conduction headphones is the noise leakage. You remember the old Walkman days when you were on a train and all you could hear was the tinny music coming out of the headphones of the kid across the train from you with a Walkman on. It's almost r that bad at times.
Right now I have one just started using my old bone conduction headphones (Aftershokz rebranded as Shokz maybe 10 years ago). I wear my ANC earbuds on the train and swap just before I'm get off to listen to music without losing ambient sound when I'm cycling. It works for me but I know I need a better, more modern version now.
I cannot decide whether to go for the latest, top of the range shokz bone conduction headphones or their open ear model instead. No idea if the open ear ones are truly transparent to noise.
AIUI the open ear shokz models basically use a speaker held over the ear canal that has highly directed sound generation that sends the sound into your ear. That could mean noise leakage which people near you might not like. However they have another speaker that fires out the opposite phase noise out of your ear to reduce the noise leakage. Sounds good in theory, anyone have a set and know about this?
I am not sure whether that's right or wrong but I'm sure I read somewhere in my dim and distant past something about looking behind you, perhaps just when manoeuvring or making a turn but I have this idea it is there. If so or defeats the purpose of radar to some degree of you've still got to look back anyway.
My POV on headphones are that active NC is great on transportation where there's an engine noise and/or people noise.. However, even without NC of any kind headphones and ear buds are not something I'd wear cycling.
For cycling there are at best two options. First and best IMHO is the bone conduction headphones. Shokz are the originals in the leisure music scene and the best.
Second choice style of music device is the open ear one and I'm particular the ones that sit over your ear canal not in it. These are like non-piercing earrings that clip over the ear lobe at the back so the head section that makes noise is over the ear canal but not in it. Shokz do possibly the best of both kinds.
You can get open ear ear buds that fit right inside the ear canal like normal buds but they will block some noise so not my personal choice for cycling.
The newer and top of the range shokz bone conduction headphones are really good due to the extra noise generation element that is kind of a mini speaker over the ear with directed sound into your ear canal. It is only a lower noise level AFAIK so doesn't affect what you can hear around you. It's how the newer ones her the full sound frequency out for better quality sound.
BTW this bone conduction technology was invented by a hearing consultant as an alternative hearing aid device for people who can't have the normal hearing aid technology. It's been around for a very long time.
One disadvantage of my older tech Aftershokz titanium model bone conduction headphones is the noise leakage. You remember the old Walkman days when you were on a train and all you could hear was the tinny music coming out of the headphones of the kid across the train from you with a Walkman on. It's almost r that bad at times.
Right now I have one just started using my old bone conduction headphones (Aftershokz rebranded as Shokz maybe 10 years ago). I wear my ANC earbuds on the train and swap just before I'm get off to listen to music without losing ambient sound when I'm cycling. It works for me but I know I need a better, more modern version now.
I cannot decide whether to go for the latest, top of the range shokz bone conduction headphones or their open ear model instead. No idea if the open ear ones are truly transparent to noise.
AIUI the open ear shokz models basically use a speaker held over the ear canal that has highly directed sound generation that sends the sound into your ear. That could mean noise leakage which people near you might not like. However they have another speaker that fires out the opposite phase noise out of your ear to reduce the noise leakage. Sounds good in theory, anyone have a set and know about this?
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