As you may have read from some of my other reviews, I travel often and can be found in and around airports and airplanes on a regular basis.  I also suffer from tinnitus – under quieter circumstances, it essentially sounds like I just walked out of a loud concert.  I find that on planes, I can hear the same sounds, and they aren’t so quiet either.  I just really want to block out all the noise.

I’ve often sit on the plane either reading or listening to my iPod and want the ambient noise surrounding me to go away or be silenced in some way.  The volume on my iPod seems so loud, yet so distant at the same time.  On a recent trip to Europe, my best friend had a pair of noise reducing headphones – he was only nice enough to share them for a brief moment before urging them back out of my hands, thus rushing all the background noise to my ears once again.

With that trip in mind and my need to fly on a regular basis, I recently came across a set of PlaneQuiet Platinum active noise reduction headphones.  What an ‘ear’ saver.  The ability to shut out unnecessary noise and enjoy a flight is now a reality to me.  Whether using the headphones with my iPod or simply to sit in quietness, they are truly a great item that will be included in my carry on from now on.  They cancel up to 80 percent of ambient noise, leaving my precious iTunes music alone.

They are extremely comfortable to wear with a soft leather cover on the ears and the headband.  They cover your entire ear, unlike some other brands and are very lightweight.  The PlaneQuiet Platinum headset folds flat and fits nicely into my briefcase – which is already stuffed to the gills.  Trust me though, there will always be room left for this headset in my bag.

Here are some facts & features about the headset:
• Up to 18 decibels of active noise reduction with on/off switch
• Flat-folding design
• Storage/Travel pouch
• Leather wrapped ear cups and headband
• 1/8th in. stereo pin with 1/4th in. adapter
• 5.12 oz. weight

One of the best ‘features’ of this headset is the price.  While you can find other brands selling for upwards of $500, the PlaneQuiet Platinum retails for just $99.  It’s a fantastic price for the quality.  If you travel often and want a really great headset to drown out all the noise, pick up a set of these headphones.

In summary, this headset is an incredible value for the price.  If you travel often and want more quiet in your life, I recommend getting the PlaneQuiet Platinum headset.  You can find PlaneQuiet Platinum at Amazon.com or protravelgear.com.

Check out all of our reviews that are part Qwowi’s 2008 Tech Gift Guide.