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I am flying UC to Orlando and back in April, I want to buy headphones for the flights (I have a large head and find the headphones supplied rather painful after a while) How do you go about getting a jack for the new headphones that fits on Virgin & BA? I am assuming of course that my Beats buds are of no use as they are bluetooth…
All the Virgin UC flights I’ve taken in the past few years have a standard 3.5mm jack underneath the TV screen at an angle. It’s quite hard to see if you’re tall.
My Bose came with one of the 2 prong airline adapters and I’d think most of the high end ones throw one in, but if you want to be safe just google for airline headset adapter and pick one up for a couple of quid.
I haven’t needed to use a 2-prong adapter for years, standard 3.5mm works fine on BA and Virgin.
Thank you davkefl & strickers much appreciated, now I know what I’m looking for and that a standard 3.5mm jack fits both Virgin & BA… Off to do a bit of shopping now for headphones… through the Ba Avios eStore of course LOL!
Just took a virgin flight to US and remember seeing in the on board catalogue a Bluetooth adaptor…if i remember correctly you plug into the on flight entertainment module and allows you to use your own bkuetooth headphones…had 2 and 1 prong 3.5mm jacks.
TwelveSouth AirFly has good reviews, I’ve been tempted but haven’t bought one yet.
What do folks recommend for noise cancelling over the ear headphones. Bluetooth. Case would be bonus.
As flyers using them on flights, I put more credence on opinions here than online reviews.
Thanks in advance
I have Bose QuietComfort 35’s, find them excellent, I think they’ve been superseded by 45’s. My wife has Beats Studio which are superb also.
I have the BOSE 700’s and can’t fault them, they are brilliant. Are bluetooth so I use them with the AirFly (also excellent) and it’s seamless. Battery life is 20 hrs but if you run out you can always just plug in the cable.
oh great tips thank you! so the BOSE 700 has a 3.5mm jack to plug if the battery runs out? Is that the 700 or the 700UC?
I have Bose QuietComfort 35’s, find them excellent, I think they’ve been superseded by 45’s. My wife has Beats Studio which are superb also.
I’ve found Bose and Sennheiser generally superb. On Beats Studio I can’t agree, I give mine away. A perfect example of using branding to sell a poor product.
oh great tips thank you! so the BOSE 700 has a 3.5mm jack to plug if the battery runs out? Is that the 700 or the 700UC?
I have the 700, the 700 UC I think are the same headphones but with a USB dongle so you can pair to that. At the moment (700’s available for £249) they are over £100 more expensive!
@Seagull Thanks, just picked up one for £32 open box at Amazon. 🙂
Any 3.5 mm bluetooth adapter will work as will any 3.5 mm jack headphones.
Must have been at least a decade where this has been the case…
The Sony WH-1000XM4 are probably my recommended for mid-range decent noise-cancelled over ears.
Best noise cancelling headphones are Sony XM3 and XM4. Marginally better than Bose QC35 / QC45 / 700
But there really isn’t much in it.
The Bose QC45 will possibly be less uncomfortable for sustained use.
The new Sony XM5 seem to get slated a bit for being inferior to previous models.Go with whichever is the cheapest out of those named above (all will be under £300, with some just under £200), unless you are an audio snob.
Bose QC45 are currently £250 and there is a 15% Amex offer which should stack with various CB deals.
I’ve got Sony WH-1000XM4. Highly recommended.
Can get them for around £220@Seagull Which AirFly do you have? @dougzz99 I must admit I haven’t tried the Studios, they did come almost free with a laptop.
I have the AirFly Pro. Bought them from the Apple online store to maximise Avios earning 🙂
on apple.com/UK? They didn’t come up? Trying to replicate and bag the extra Avios from estore.
https://www.apple.com/uk/shop/product/HNNT2ZM/A/twelve-south-airfly-pro-bluetooth-transmitter
Depending on your route and the operating metal, you might get lucky with an A339 and be able to pair headphones directly to the IFE with Bluetooth.
I have Bose NC700s and an AirFly Pro and can second recommendations for both.
I’ve got Sony WH-1000XM4. Highly recommended.
Can get them for around £220I have asked for recommendations on headphones here before. I finally talked myself into buying the Sony WH-1000XM4. I went to try them today; they are too loose and uncomfortable for my head. So I am sticking with Bose. For such an expensive purchase, it is worth going into a store to try them on first as you might not be able to refund them (on my bose box it states for hygiene reasons returns are not accepted).
I’ve got Sony WH-1000XM4. Highly recommended.
Can get them for around £220I have asked for recommendations on headphones here before. I finally talked myself into buying the Sony WH-1000XM4. I went to try them today; they are too loose and uncomfortable for my head. So I am sticking with Bose. For such an expensive purchase, it is worth going into a store to try them on first as you might not be able to refund them (on my bose box it states for hygiene reasons returns are not accepted).
Completely agree you need to try. Did this in local Curry’s and the Sony were a better fit on my head but others will be different shapes! A nice bonus is that, for a mid range Bluetooth headphone, the sound quality really is superb. For me they match a pricier pair of wired Grado phones that I have which is surprising.
How good is battery life, both initially when new, and after any degradation over time ?
Have got first ever trip to OZ scheduled for May (via Doha) so have to consider keeping myself entertained somewhat more carefully than previously.
I usually carry a fully charged power bank just in case phone battery runs low without means to re-charge (the number of times I’ve been unable to recharge from the USB at my aeroplane seat has surprised me into habitual self-reliance).
Am I likely to need to recharge Bluetooth Headphones on a 20+ hr journey ?
How good is battery life, both initially when new, and after any degradation over time ?
Have got first ever trip to OZ scheduled for May (via Doha) so have to consider keeping myself entertained somewhat more carefully than previously.
I usually carry a fully charged power bank just in case phone battery runs low without means to re-charge (the number of times I’ve been unable to recharge from the USB at my aeroplane seat has surprised me into habitual self-reliance).
Am I likely to need to recharge Bluetooth Headphones on a 20+ hr journey ?
I think you’d be very unlucky to go 20+ hours without an opportunity to charge a device somewhere on your journey.
With modern headphones, you only need a few minutes of charge to give you a few hours of play time.
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