I wore 5 different headphones across 8 flights - here's how each pair handled my stress tests

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To me, there's no better way to spend several hours of my time than in a packed airplane, squished next to strangers, 30,000 feet in the air, traversing through time and space. I hate flying (in case you didn't pick up the sarcasm) so a solid pair of headphones to watch hours of "The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City" is a must to make it bearable.

Also: Best headphones and earbuds of 2025

There are plenty of headphones and earbuds that are great in their own right, but the real test is taking a pair through a major airport and on a flight. Over the past six weeks, I took five pairs of headphones through airports in Atlanta, Los Angeles, and New York City -- multiple times -- and assessed each of their performance. 

Traveling ...