You might not have heard that some airlines are planning to allow in-flight cell phone calls, but one thing’s for sure: the skies are getting noisier.
Flyers once faced a choice between the uncomfortable silence of earplugs, the airplane’s relentless hum, or deafness-inducing headphones.

Travelers today can wear headphones that amplify all the sounds they want to hear, and minimize those they don’t.

With the Coby CV-190 retailing for around $20, high-altitude peace of mind doesn’t have to break the bank.

But for $80, you could unwind with the higher audio quality and more ergonomic fit of the Plane Quiet NC7.

This model is the cheaper cousin to the $200 Solitude II.

At the highest end of the noise-canceling spectrum lies the Bose Quiet Comfort 3, which for about $350 comes with a wire-free option and a rechargeable battery.

For more ways and reasons to plug your ears, see The Big Snore.