I am not an audiophile but I know and enjoy good sound when I hear it. I have been using Shure earbuds for several years and I really like them. However, I found that my ears would not adjust to pressure while flying because the buds blocked the canal completely. This caused great discomfort for several hours after landing. I will continue to use my earbuds but wanted a decent set of on or around-the-hear headphones for flying.
Important features I was looking for: Great sound, portability, price <$150. Listening habits: iPhone/iPad - podcasts, rock, classic rock, occasional classical and jazz, movies.
First tried Bose OE headphones from Costco. At $109 I was willing to give them a shot. Audio snobs do not seem to like Bose products but I am generally satisfied. The compact size and portability of this set drew me in. I took them on a cross-country flight and knew just an hour in that I was going to return them when I got home. They sound just fine but they were quite uncomfortable. The on-ear design made my ears hurt after 30min or so. The cartilage was very sore from being bent back against my head. I really liked the breakaway style cord, the folded size of the headphones, and the storage case but none of these things justified the discomfort. It's probably just as well, but listening through iPhone I could not crank the volume to 11.
After extensive store visits and online research, I almost purchased Sony's highly-acclaimed MDR-7506. However, I did not want to deal with a bulky coiled cord. A decent replacement cord would have been $30, putting total purchase at $129.
Further research brought me to the Audio Technica ATH-M35. Great reviews and met my requirements. Appeared to fold nicely for travel and although the stock cord is far too long for my application, it is straight and could be shortened fairly easily. (I plan on shortening to about 48in) Took me a day or two to pull the trigger but if they had integrated track/volume control and a microphone I would have paid more and ordered even faster.
They sound GREAT. Fold up small enough to shove in carry on bag. Decent ambient noise dampening. Ear cups are comfortable though a little warm but that is expected. Haven't traveled with them yet but I anticipate good performance even with airplane engine drone. Fairly low profile and construction seems much better than other more expensive models I considered.
For 1/3 price of even the cheapest Beats model, I will gladly use and abuse these for a few years and replace them if necessary. (I tried Beats in store but never considered for purchase - simply comparing from a cost/value standpoint.)
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