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UPDATED REVIEW - 12 May 2006 : Plane Quiet have now
updated their top of the line Solitude headphones with a
slightly redesigned and slightly better performing model, the
Solitude II. The review that follows has been
updated/revised to reflect the new unit's performance.
Note - 1
December 2006 : Plane Quiet have released a new version of
these headphones, the
Solitude with Linx Audio headphones. Click for our review.
Further Note - 1
January 2007 : It appears that there are no more of the
Solitude II headphones in stock, either direct from Plane Quiet
or from any of their retailers. The review below still
applies, in general, to the newer Solitude Linx product, which -
alas - retails for $50 more.
Yet
another note - 24 January 2007 : Yay! The new
Solitude Linx headphones have now dropped in price to $199.95,
the same price as the earlier non-Linx headphones. This
squarely puts these headphones right at the sweet spot of best
value for money in terms of excellent performance and great
price.
Bose must now be wishing they
didn't force Plane Quiet to take their earlier Mk 5 headphones
off the market (due to a claimed patent infringement).
Plane Quiet's response has
been three fold. They immediately countered with a
differently designed headset (the NC6) which is priced less and
performs better than their earlier product.
They then followed this up
with a second product, priced even lower still, although this
second product (the Latitude) does not perform as well as either
the Mk 5 or NC6.
And now, Plane Quiet delivers
the coup de grace to Bose, with their top of the line
Solitude headset, which in its new Solitude II release now even
looks very similar to Bose's elegant QC2 headphones.
Executive Summary
The release of the original Solitude
represented such a major development that we've devoted a great
deal of space in discussing everything to do with this marvelous
new product, and so this has become the longest review yet in
our noise reducing headphones series.
Some of you might want to
skip much of the review and cut to the bottom line question -
are the headphones any good or not, and should you buy them?
Yes, the Solitude
headphones, and their successor, the Solitude II, both priced at $200, are very good indeed. In terms
of noise cancelling and sound quality, they are almost
indistinguishable from the $300 Bose Quiet Comfort 2 headphones,
and clearly much better than the next best headphones (the $55 Plane
Quiet NC6 and $70 Noisebuster NBFX).
The new (Dec 2006)
Solitude with Linx Audio
headphones are essentially identical to the Solitude 2
headphones, and now (January 2007) are priced the same as the
regular Solitude they replace, making the Solitude product
better value than before.
The $55 NC6 is a great
priced good performing product, and if your budget is set around
this number, you'll be happy with the NC6. But if you're
prepared to spend more to get an improvement in noise cancelling
that you'll clearly hear, then choose the Solitude over the
Bose. There seems little or no tangible associated
benefit for the extra $100 cost of the Bose unit.
For more detail, please keep
reading.
Plane Quiet's Evolution
Plane Quiet first released a
set of noise reducing headphones in May of 2003. It was a
revolutionary unit back then, offering performance only slightly
less than the Bose Quiet Comfort 1 product, and at little more
than a quarter the Bose price.
This product went through a
series of small evolutionary improvements, getting steadily
better, and becoming more broadly known and appreciated in the
marketplace. At the same time, Bose upgraded their
headphones to the much improved Quiet Comfort 2, and new
competitors started to enter the market, offering a steadily
increasing range of headset choices.
And then, disaster seemed to strike. Bose
claimed that the Plane Quiet headset violated some of their
patents and in a negotiated settlement, PQ agreed to take their
product off the market.
However, PQ did not simply
turn away from developing headphones. Instead, they came out with a
replacement product, using a different physical design to avoid
the Bose patent, and
called the NC-6, released in August of 2004.
This was initially a
controversial product. At first glance, it looks very
similar to several other brands of noise reducing headphones,
many of which were priced below the NC-6. Some people quickly assumed
that because the headphones looked similar from the outside,
they must therefore be the same on the inside, and perform
exactly the same.
Our testing has clearly showed this is
not the case, and indeed Plane Quiet themselves also
demonstrated this fact when they introduced a lower priced,
similar appearing product in November 04, the Latitude.
Moral of the story : Don't judge a book by its cover.
Although the NC-6 was (and
is) an excellent performing set of headphones, and generally
better in most respects to the earlier Mk 5, it lacked a certain
aura of panache and quality, probably due to the many similar
seeming competitors in the market. Many people
were still choosing to spend $300 on a pair of Bose Quiet Comfort 2
headphones rather than $55 on an almost as good set of NC-6
headphones.
And now, we see the Plane
Quiet response to the absolute top end of the market, appearing
in the form of their Solitude noise cancelling headphones.
With the release of this
headset, Plane Quiet now offer three different products covering
every part of the active noise cancelling market :
-
Solitude II ($199.99)
High end product. Around the ear design, highest quality and performance
(review follows below)
-
NC-6 ($54.99) Mid
market product. On the
ear design, very good quality and performance (reviewed
here)
-
Latitude ($29.99)
Entry level product. Similar design to NC-6,
perhaps
something for the kids to play with (not separately reviewed
but mentioned in passing in the NC-6 review).
Now phased out and no longer sold.
The Solitude Active Noise
Cancelling Headset - what you get
The Solitude noise
cancelling headphones are shipped in a good strong outer
shipping box. Inside is an attractive black and silver box
with embossed printing. The box has some basic product
information and pictures on it.
Inside the product box is
a semi-rigid zip up carry case, and inside the carry case are
the headphones themselves.
Carry Case
I did not like the carry
case provided with the original Solitude headphones. It
was unnecessarily bulky, and then compensated for its bulk by
including foam padding inside - a terrible waste of space for
most travelers who are always short of space.
Happily the new Solitude II
comes with a carry case that is, ahem, remarkably similar to
(but slightly larger than) that with the Bose Quiet Comfort II
headphones. You unzip the case to find the headphones
carefully cradled and well protected inside, and on the lid of
the case is a small pouch with a zip closure that contains the
cords and adapters. Same as with the Bose product, the
small pouch is held onto the case lid by a velcro fastener and
so can be removed or moved to a different position, should this
ever be needed.
One very clever feature of
the case is a molded compartment designed to fit an iPod or
similarly sized MP3 player (my
Toshiba Gigabeat fits perfectly in the space, too).
This is very convenient.
While you of course didn't
choose to spend $200 just for the carry case, it is fair to
observe that the Solitude II has a greatly improved carry case
that more befits its upmarket image.
Other Inclusions
The connecting cord is a
generous 5'1" long (ie 1.5 m). It has gold plated standard 1/8"
connectors at each end - one plugs into a socket on the left ear
cup, and the other plugs into whatever sound source you are
listening to. If you're just using the headphones for
noise cancelling, you don't need to connect the cord at all.
This cord shows a
clear benefit of the Solitude compared to the Bose Quiet Comfort
2. A problem with the QC2 is that its connecting cord uses
a unique-to-Bose connector at the headphone end.
If you lose the cord, or if it becomes faulty, you can only get
a replacement from Bose. This is very inconvenient,
especially if you're traveling, and there seems no reason for
this, other than giving Bose more of your money. The
Solitude headset uses standard connectors at both ends, so
if you should ever lose or break the connecting cord, a
replacement can easily be purchased at any stereo or electronic
store. Well done, Solitude.
The unit comes with two
different adapters - one is the common adapter to convert from a
single jack to the double pronged jack used by some airlines,
and the other converts from the connector's standard 1/8"
diameter plug to the larger 1/4" plug used on professional
audio gear and home stereo systems.
Yes, the unit does come
complete with batteries - two alkaline AAA cells.
Also in the box is a nicely
prepared user's
manual and warranty card.
The 18 page user manual does
an excellent job of explaining everything to do with the
headphones and their operation, although on the page
that quotes the headphones' specifications, no mention is made of
its noise cancelling capability (their other promotional
literature claims 18dB of noise
cancellation).
Warranty Issues
The warranty card contains
some interesting language and some onerous requirements.
The previous apparently unlimited lifetime warranty offered by
Plane Quiet on their other products has been replaced by what
they describe as a 'Limited Lifetime Warranty'. So what
are they limiting?
Well, a simple reading shows
their undertaking to
repair/replace defective parts 'within a reasonable period of
time' free of charge.
So how long is a 'reasonable
period of time'? Our interpretation was that this means
that the warranty is only good for a certain time period, but we
have been advised by email from James Dabbs, writing on behalf
of their EVP, David Dillinger, this actually means they will repair/replace the faulty unit within a reasonable
time of receiving it back. It does not mean (per Dabbs)
that the coverage period is restricted; they are simply
reserving the right to take more than a day or two to return
your headphones to you after receiving them back. That is
good to know.
Now for the onerous
requirements : To get warranty service, you need to
provide proof of purchase from an authorized Plane Quiet dealer.
If you're like me, you lose sales slips within a day of buying
something. And if you give a set of headphones as a gift
to someone, you probably don't include the sales slip with the
headphones.
There do not appear to be
any serial numbers on the headphones, which makes this
requirement somewhat pointless, because a proof of purchase
can't be matched to a specific set of headphones.
Things get worse. If
you are returning the headphones to Plane Quiet, they require
you ship them in their original carton for shipping. Now,
what does that mean? Does it mean the flimsy black
printed box? Or the generic corrugated cardboard shipping
outer box? If it means the latter, what about people who
bought headphones direct from a retailer?
Well, PQ have thought about
that. They'll, ummm, sell you an official shipping box.
Now for an underlying
ugliness. Dabbs asserts that their warranty is limited to
only cover the original owner of the headphones, which is why
they seek proof of (original) purchase. Nowhere on the
warranty form does it say this, and we're asking Dabbs for
further information on how this assertion is supported.
The ultimate test of a
warranty though is how well it works in practice, and we've had
consistently excellent feedback from people reporting on their
warranty claim experiences.
BoomerangIt
An unusual - but valuable
- bonus feature of the Solitude is a membership in the
BoomerangIt program.
This gives you a distinctive numbered label
to place on the headphones (probably on top of the headband). If
you should lose your headphones, anyone finding them will notice
the label, which contains a tracking serial number, a toll free
number to call, and the promise of a reward to the finder.
You get a free one year
registration, and are required to fill out a fairly intrusive
form on Boomerang's site to get the product registered.
Surely Plane Quiet could link this data to their
warranty database so as to save their customers the hassles
mentioned in the previous section.
The Boomerang service helps increase the
likelihood that, should you leave your headphones behind - for
example on a plane at the end of a long flight - they might be
eventually returned back to you.
 Headphones Description
The earlier model Solitude active noise
cancelling headphones were very cleverly designed to fold into a very
compact shape, as you can see on the left.
The headband split in the
middle and rotated around, and the earcups have triple hinges,
making it possible to collapse the headphones into a very small
bundle. But this ultra-compactness was never fully
exploited by Plane Quiet (ie they didn't come up with a matching
very compact carry case) and required bulky and clunky looking
extra pivots and engineering around the ear cups.
The new Solitude II has a
simpler design with a non-folding headband. The earcups
still rotate flat to go in the carry case, and the new design is
much cleaner and more attractive looking.
The headband has
faux-leather padding on it for added comfort.
The headphones have black
plastic and padding, with the ear cups being made
out of an attractive matt titanium colored plastic, with black center pieces
and the distinctive 'flash' emblem of the Plane Quiet family in
the center of each black center piece. The official
Solitude photo above implies the headphones are brown and black;
this is not the case, they are an attractive
titanium/gunmetal type color.
Although the headphones
themselves give the appearance of being sleeker, they are very
slightly heavier due to stronger construction in the headband -
8.2 ounces compared to 7.9 ounces for the earlier version.
And, similarly, although the new slimline carry-case looks
smaller and definitely is much thinner, due to the stronger
construction, it now weighs 17.1 ounces instead of 12.1 ounces
for the earlier model and case.
The two AAA batteries are
located in the left earcup and have a claimed life of 35 hours.
Opening the battery cover is much easier now than in the earlier
version, but
there's no danger of it accidentally opening in your bag.
A strong plus compared
to the Quiet Comfort 2 is the Solitude headphones will still play music if the batteries die. The volume level drops a
bit, and you only get passive not active noise cancellation, but
they are perfectly usable if your batteries die on you. In
my case, I've sometimes found that I've either forgotten to turn
off the power to a set of headphones, or perhaps the switch has
been bumped, turning it accidentally on, and so I find myself on
a plane with dead batteries. This is not such a problem
with the Solitude, and of course, a prudent person will keep a
spare set of batteries in their carry bag for 'just in case'.
At the bottom of the left
earcup is the socket into which you plug the connecting cord
when you want to use the headphones to listen to an audio source
rather than just using them for their noise quietening
capabilities.
Also on the side of the left earcup is a volume control, an on-off switch, and a green LED to
show the headphones are on.
The volume control is for
adjusting the volume level, and has no impact on the noise quietening. Normally it makes sense to
leave this at
maximum and to adjust the volume on your music source (this
gives you better battery life for the player, too).
Using the volume control on the ear cup is not very convenient
and makes a lot of noise. But if you're listening to
something together with another person on a second set of
headphones, you can then balance the volume levels for both of
you by using these volume controls.
The On-Off switch is
reasonably well recessed so is less likely to be accidentally
turned on. The green LED shines quite brightly, and when
it reduces to a dim glow this signifies your batteries are
almost dead (the manufacturer says they have about 30 minutes
remaining) and should be replaced. This is not as helpful
as with the QC2, which causes its power LED to flash when there
are about 5 hours remaining - a better indicator and a more
generous advance warning.
Noise Cancelling Functionality
The Solitude noise reducing
headphones claim 18 dB of noise cancellation, which they say is
the highest of any set of headphones on the market.
In contrast, arch-rival Bose
is silent on how much noise cancellation their headphones offer.
How to measure noise
cancelling performance
There is a great
deal more to measuring the extent of noise cancellation than is
suggested by quoting a
single figure. This is because all noise reduction methods
work with varying degrees of efficiency at varying frequencies
and volumes. Active noise cancelling works best with
moderate rather than very loud volumes, and with medium/low
frequencies rather than very low, or medium and high
frequencies.
Additionally, it is very
difficult to construct a test environment that accurately
recreates the noise reduction one experiences when wearing a set
of noise cancelling headphones.
So, when a manufacturer says
'18 dB of noise cancellation', they really need to back that
claim up with a published chart showing the noise cancellation
as a function of sound frequency (and perhaps sound volume,
too). Without that information, we can only guess at what
the manufacturer means, and this lack of precision (and great
difficulty in precisely evaluating) means that manufacturers
sometimes feel free to quote whatever number they feel like.
Accordingly, the actual
perceived level of noise cancelling will depend very much on
what type of noises you are surrounded by and trying to cancel
out. By happy coincidence, a large part of the noise on a
plane falls within that part of the sound spectrum that active
noise cancellation works well in. However, some other
noises (for example, human voices) tend to be outside the
range of effective noise cancelling, and are much less affected.
I've sometimes had readers
write to me, or post in the forum, saying that they tried a set
of noise reducing headphones which were useless. But
after questioning, it appears that they did not try the
headphones in an airplane. If you're buying noise reducing
headphones to improve your in-flight experience, it is
inappropriate to test them anywhere else, because their
functionality in other places may be totally different to their
functionality on a plane.
So; what does this all mean?
It means you're best advised to largely disregard any
manufacturer's claims for noise reducing, unless you see
comparative independent testing between their headphones and
other brands that you're also considering buying. Instead,
you need to compare them in the environment that you'll
predominantly be using them, which is why I do all my review
testing actually on planes (yes, I'm the crazy guy shuffling
half a dozen different sets of headphones on and off my head all
flight long!).
With all this as long winded
introduction, how do the Solitude headphones measure up?
Solitude's noise cancelling
performance
I did a side by side
comparison between the Solitude and the Noisebuster NBFX/Plane
Quiet NC6 on a flight from Las Vegas to Seattle.
There was a clear
improvement in noise cancellation in the lower and mid ranges
with the Solitude. An engine droning noise in particular
must have lost at least 4dB and perhaps closer to 6dB (my guess,
I didn't have any measuring instrumentation with me).
Higher up the frequency band, as the noise cancelling effect
started to taper off, the differences weren't so marked,
although the Solitude seemed to also have better passive noise
cancellation outside of its active noise cancelling range.
This is an amazing
improvement over the already very good NC6/NBFX products.
So, to answer the question we all wonder - 'Will I hear the
difference between the $55 dollar headphones and the $200
headphones' the answer is a definite yes. If you can
afford and justify spending almost four times as much money to
get a better noise quieting experience, then go ahead and do so,
knowing that you definitely will be getting a better result for
your extra cash.
I did a subsequent four way
test on another flight between the Solitudes, Plane Quiet NC6,
the Bose QC2 and Altec Lansing AHP712i headphones. On a 15
point scale (five points each for low frequency cancellation,
high frequency cancellation and comfort) I scored the QC2 tops
at 14 points, the Solitudes a very close second at 13 points,
the Altec Lansings third at 10 points and the NC6 came in with 7
points. The Solitudes actually beat the QC2s in low
frequency noise cancellation, but the QC2 were slightly better
in higher frequencies and also earned a slightly higher comfort
score.
So, to answer the other
question we all wonder - 'Will I hear the difference between the
$200 and the $300 headphones' the answer is 'No, you won't'.
In this case, there is almost no reason at all to consider the
Bose over the Solitude, and remembering Solitude's extra
features (still passes through music if the batteries are dead,
and an industry standard connecting cable), the Solitude would
seem to be the clear winner.
Comfort and Convenience
One of the distinctive
things about noise cancelling headphones is that you're more
likely to wear them for a longer time period than with regular
headphones, and so comfort issues become even more important
than with conventional headphones.
Many people think that 'on the ear' type headphones are inherently less comfortable
than 'around the ear' type headphones, due to the on the ear
design meaning the headphones are pressing against your
sensitive ear, rather than pressing against your less sensitive
skull. On the other hand, ear cups that completely enclose
the ear can make you feel hot and sweaty after a long time
whereas on the ear headphones might not seem so hot.
I've happily worn both types
of headphones for long international flights. Personally I
prefer around the ear type headphones, but don't see a
huge difference between them, and suspect personal preference is
probably as much a factor as any absolute comfort issues.
The most distinctive comfort
component of these headphones is that they squeeze quite tightly
onto the sides of your head, appreciably more so than either the
QC2 or the earlier PQ Mk5. This was a deliberate design
decision, so as to make a very positive seal against your head, passively blocking
out as much background noise as possible.
This is not as uncomfortable
as one would expect, simply because there isn't much sensation
in your skull to feel this type of pressure, but does take a bit
of getting used to. The new Solitude II's aren't quite as
tight a squeeze as the earlier ones.
The headphones sit securely
on your head (aided by their firm pressure) and while you're
aware of their presence, they are not awkward and you can
move your head the same as you always would without fear of
dislodging the headphones.
The earcup dimensions are
smaller than the Bose QC2 dimensions. The most noticeable
difference is that there is less depth inside the earcup - about
a quarter inch rather than a half inch with the Bose headphones.
This can make your ears feel a bit squashed, especially if you
have big ears that stick out!
The longest I've worn a set
for, so far, is 'only' four hours. They were acceptably
comfortable for that length of time; I'll update this when I
have a chance to wear them for a longer time period.
In terms of convenience, the
headphones fold compactly, and are acceptably light weight,
making them easy to fit into your carry-on bag.
Other Observations and Issues
Excellent sound quality
Plane Quiet claim a
frequency response range from 20Hz - 20,000 Hz, but their claim
is meaningless because they omit the crucial detail of how many
dB plus or minus is used to measure the frequency response.
They do refer to '1EC-318' alongside this claim. The
IEC-318 (not 1EC) is a reference to a type of reference quality
artificial ear used to measure headphones, but this does not
tell us the plus and minus limits used for determining the
frequency response.
Happily, the quality of
sound from the Solitude headphones is excellent. Clean,
clear, and full bodied, with solid bass and clear treble, and
neither inappropriately dominating.
The first thing I noticed
was their excellent mid-range presence and distortion-free
clarity, meaning that I heard some background sounds on a piano
recital recording that I'd never noticed before. The sound
is warm and inviting rather than harsh or muffled.
One could hear the
percussive attack as individual hammers struck their notes in
the piano, and one could hear the timbre of the piano itself,
rather than having it masked by the coloration that is often
present in a cheap pair of headphones.
Sound levels were generous,
unlike some of the earlier Plane Quiet headsets. The sound
level drops by 6dB when you turn off the noise cancelling, but still
remains adequately high.
Plane Quiet say they've
slightly tweaked the audio in a couple of important areas to
improve it still further in the Solitude II. I haven't
been able to definitively hear the difference myself, but
possibly this is indeed so.
Either which way, audiophiles will be pleased.
Sometimes intrusive hiss
Now for the not quite so
good news. Although the Solitude appears to be the equal
of the Bose in terms of sound quality, the background hiss
created by their noise cancelling circuitry is more apparent
than with the QC2, and is reminiscent of the more intrusive level
of the earlier Bose QC1.
The hiss in the original
Solitude had a different
coloration to it than the NC6/NBFX. It seems to cover a
broader spectrum, whereas the other headphones (which sound
identical to each other so I tend to use them interchangeably)
had a more pronounced higher frequency component. The new
Solitude II has a stronger high frequency component in its hiss,
but I don't know if this is random variation or a result of
different circuitry.
In all cases, the hiss is
apparent in quieter environments, and detracts from the quality
of the music. But you can simply turn off the noise
cancelling in such cases and get the pure sound feed with no
added hiss at all (but not with the Bose which needs to have the
electronics on at all times to pass through any sound at all).
And, again in all cases, in
a noisy environment like a plane, the electronic hiss is
inconsequential compared to all the other noises surrounding you
and so it seems to disappear.
The obvious comeback on this
point is 'why would you use noise cancelling headphones in a
quiet environment?' - there is a degree of fairness in this
rhetorical question, but it is also fair to say that, no matter
what the environment, less added hiss is always better than
more.
Where to Buy
Note - These headphones are no longer available for sale, but
the upgraded Solitude with Linx headphones that replaced them
sell for the same price.
The headphones can be
purchased direct from the manufacturer, Plane Quiet, at their
Pro Travel Gear website, or if you prefer, they can be
purchased from
Travel Essentials.
Both companies sell them for
the same price - $199.95 - and in both cases, if you use the 'travelinsider' discount code
(ie the word travelinsider)
you'll get a 5% discount off the price, again at either
site.
Both companies also offer
free shipping.
On balance, we're inclined
to slightly recommend buying from Travel Essentials rather than
direct from ProTravelGear, for one reason - TE has a
fairer return policy. They have a no questions asked
return policy, and don't charge a restocking fee. PTG limit your return privileges to
30 days. While
there's every chance you'll love the Solitudes, just in case you
don't, it is comforting to know that Travel Essentials will see
you right if you wish to return them, even if more than 30 days
have elapsed (as can happen if you're traveling a lot).
Summary and Recommendation
After a couple of years of
giving Bose an increasingly intense amount of competition, it
seems that with this latest set of design and performance tweaks, Plane Quiet have, at
the least, drawn level with Bose in the performance stakes, and
may even have edged very slightly ahead.
When you factor in the $100
premium that Bose charges, and the slightly better ergonomic
features of the Solitude, it becomes a no-brainer to choose the
Solitude over the Bose every time.
If your comparison is not
with the $300 Bose but instead with the $55 Plane Quiet NC6,
your strategy becomes less clear. On the one hand, the
improved noise cancelling should be obvious to everyone.
But on the other hand, there is a huge jump in price between the
two products. If spending an extra almost $150 is
something you can conveniently do, then you'll probably choose
to do exactly this, and you'll be pleased with your decision.
But if you reason that you
could buy NC6 headsets for the entire family at the same cost as
a single pair of the Solitudes, and if you choose to do this
instead, you'll be pleased with the NC6 headsets, too.
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Originally published
11 Feb 2005, last update
21 Jul 2020
You may freely reproduce or distribute this article for noncommercial purposes as long as you give credit to me as original writer.
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