The Insider Picks team writes about stuff we think you'll like. Business Insider has affiliate partnerships, so we may get a share of the revenue from your purchase.I've used headphones on airplanes regularly since I started travelingwith a GameBoy in the mid 90's.Since then I've learned all the different caveats of listening to music, video games, or anything else in the sky.I accepted that there will always be the sound of engine noisebehind anything I listened to.I also accepted the awkward dance of taking headphones on and off when being asked questions by flight attendants or my fellow travelers. It turns out I don't have to accept either anymore, thanks to this pair of headphones by Sony.I've gotten to try a couple of different pairs of Sony headphones, and I'm happy to see that this pair takes a lot of design cues from their H.ear headphones. That means they're comfortable, very portable, and sound great. In fact, they're the most comfortable pair of Bluetooth headphones I've ever used by a fair margin.I still give a slight edge to BeoplayH8 headphones for overall sound quality, butthat might just be a matter of preference. These headphones are no slouch, and I was delighted by the sound of music from any genre and podcasts. Where the Beoplay headphonesare very clear and direct, Sony has given up some of that clarity for a big, rich sound. However, goodsound quality isn't what I find most compelling about these headphones.It's the noise cancelling that continues to grab my attention, and Sony has done a masterful job of taking annoying engine noiseout of the equation. When listening to music at full volume, it's gone. Really.As strange as it is to say (and experience for that matter), with noise cancelling enabled and music playing,there was no audible difference between listening to music on a plane versus on the ground at home.Whenyou're not playing music, even with noise cancelling enabled, the engine noiseis still there. It'salso slightly audible when listening to audio at a lower volume. During the 13 hours I spent in an airplane earlier this month, these headphones improved my experience dramatically. It's nice to be able to forget you're on an airplane, especially if you want to sleep; the noise cancelling on these headphones helps you do that.If noise cancelling were the only trick these headphones have up theirsleeve, they'd be worth serious consideration, but Sony took things a step further. The right earcup on these headphones is smart, and touch sensitive. You can pause and play audio by tapping your finger on it twice, and change the song you're listening to with just a swipe to the left or right. Audio volume can also be adjusted by swiping up or down.These features are cool, but I still prefer the physical trigger and controls Sony put on the H.ear headphones. The touch controls always worked well, but there was something about the physical system I really liked.But this earcup has a "killer app" that justifies Sony's investment in the touch system. If you place your hand onto the earcup, it activates the headphone's microphone and pauses yourmusic. This lets you have a conversation with someone without having to take your headphones off. Once the conversation is done, take your hand off the earcup and your music comes back on.I would write off a feature like that as gimmicky if it wasn't so effective. Any time a flight attendant came around to ask for mydrink order I was able to put mine in without taking my headphones off. The same was true if amember of the airplane's staff was making an announcement. The audio from the microphone was cleanenough that I could hear everything clearly.It's not a feature I'd use often on the ground, but it's super useful when traveling.And that's who these headphones are made for and aimed at. They're notfor the audiophiles, even though they sound good and support Hi-Res audio, because music is compressed over Bluetooth. Instead they're comfortable, foldable, and have the best noise cancelling I've ever heard.If you travel often, you should buy these headphones.Sony MDR1000X headphones, $399.99, available at AmazonThis article was originally published on10/17/2016.DON'T MISS:The Bluetooth headphone market is crowded with tons of duds, but these 6 pairs are actually worth buyingSEE ALSO:The 15 headphones under $100 actually worth your timeJoin the conversation about this story
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