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We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
Updated: 2026-09-24 · 6 min read · Independent comparison
• Airfrex Transmitter — biggest strength: Dual Link lets two Bluetooth headphones or earbuds pair to one audio source, so you and a travel companion can both go wireless off the same seat-back jack.
• Airfrex Transmitter — biggest trade-off: The battery is tiny (0.4 Wh, 2.6 g), so you're charging a 1.5-hour top-up more often than you'd like on multi-leg trips.
• SOOMFON aptX-LL — biggest strength: A 250 mAh battery rated for up to 23 hours of playtime, plus an LCD display and touch controls so you can actually see and change what's going on.
• SOOMFON aptX-LL — biggest trade-off: It's an ABS plastic body with no dual-headphone sharing mentioned, so it's a solo-listener device by design.
• Who each pick is for: Airfrex for couples, families or anyone splitting one screen; SOOMFON for the solo traveler who wants to set it and forget it for the whole flight.
The Airfrex Transmitter is built around one idea: get rid of the audio lag that makes standard Bluetooth transmitters feel broken. It runs a Qualcomm Bluetooth 5.2 chipset and supports AAC, aptX, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive, aptX Low Latency and FLAC. On a plane, that matters most when you're watching a movie on the seat-back screen — you want the dialogue to land with the picture, not half a beat behind it. The aluminum body (in purple) and push-button controls are simple, and the 3.5mm AUX input is exactly the connector airplane entertainment systems use.
The feature that separates it is Dual Link. You can pair two sets of Bluetooth headphones or earbuds to a single source at the same time, which turns a single seat-back jack into a shared audio feed. That's the airplane use case: two people, one screen, two pairs of earbuds, no splitter cable dangling between you. It also works as a TV transmitter at home, an adapter for an older MP3 player or iPod, and a general-purpose sender for a desktop or gaming console.
Who should skip it? If you're flying alone and mostly care about battery life, the small 0.4 Wh cell and 1.5-hour charge time will feel like extra chores. There's no display either, so you're relying on push-button feedback rather than a screen. It's also a transmitter rather than a two-way device, so don't buy it expecting to turn a wired speaker into a Bluetooth receiver. For sharing audio with a companion, though, it's the more interesting of the two.
The SOOMFON aptX-LL takes the opposite approach: it's a single-listener workhorse. It uses Bluetooth 5.3, supports aptX Low Latency, and lists airplane entertainment systems right alongside TVs, laptops, PCs, smartphones, tablets and car stereos in its compatible devices. The 3.5mm AUX input plus USB Type-C interface covers both the audio side and charging, and two channels of output mean proper stereo rather than a mono fold-down.
Where it clearly wins is endurance and feedback. The 250 mAh battery is rated for up to 23 hours of playtime, which is more than enough for a transatlantic flight plus a layover. The LCD display and touch controls are the practical part of that: you can see connection status and settings instead of guessing from a blinking light. It weighs 24 g in a gold ABS enclosure, so it's light enough to leave plugged in and forget about.
Who should skip it? If you travel with a partner and want both of you wireless off one screen, this isn't the tool — the dual-headphone sharing isn't part of its feature set. The ABS plastic shell is also less premium-feeling than an aluminum body, and there's no mention of the wider codec list (aptX HD, Adaptive, FLAC) that the Airfrex carries. For a solo flyer who wants one charge to last the whole trip, that trade is easy to accept. SOOMFON also backs it with a 2-year manufacturer warranty, which is worth noting for a small travel gadget.
Side-by-Side: Which Should You Choose?
• Best for sharing audio with a companion → Airfrex Transmitter. Dual Link pairs two headphones to one seat-back jack.
• Best for battery life → SOOMFON aptX-LL. Up to 23 hours versus a small 0.4 Wh cell that needs a 1.5-hour charge.
• Best for codec flexibility → Airfrex Transmitter. AAC, aptX, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive, aptX Low Latency and FLAC are all listed.
• Best for low-latency movie watching → either. Both explicitly target low latency, though they get there differently: Bluetooth 5.2 with a TI DSP on the Airfrex, aptX-LL on the SOOMFON.
• Best for durability feel → Airfrex Transmitter. Aluminum enclosure versus ABS plastic.
• Best for a solo long-haul flyer → SOOMFON aptX-LL. One charge, one listener, no fuss.
• Best for a couple or family sharing a screen → Airfrex Transmitter. It's the only one of the two built for two listeners.
If I were buying for myself, I'd pick the Airfrex Transmitter — but only because my travel usually involves someone else watching the same screen. Dual Link is the feature that actually changes how a flight feels, and the wide codec list plus aluminum body make it the more flexible device over time.
If you fly solo and hate charging things, I'd point you to the SOOMFON aptX-LL instead. Up to 23 hours of playtime and an LCD display solve the two annoyances that bother me most about small transmitters. Check the current price on Amazon before you commit, since both are budget-tier gadgets and the gap between them is small.
what headphones for airplane
Any Bluetooth headphones or earbuds work with both devices, including AirPods, Sony and Bose models — the Airfrex compatibility notes name those brands specifically. The transmitter plugs into the plane's 3.5mm jack and sends audio wirelessly to whatever you already own. You don't need special aviation headphones.
what is the best headphones for airplanes
There's no single best headphone here, because both transmitters are brand-agnostic and work with virtually any Bluetooth headphone. What matters more is whether your headphones support low-latency codecs like aptX Low Latency, which both devices list. If you want to share audio, pick headphones you can pair alongside a second pair.
what earphones for airplane
The same answer applies: any Bluetooth earbuds will pair. If you're traveling with a companion, the Airfrex Dual Link is the reason to bring two sets of earbuds instead of one. For solo trips, a single pair of low-latency earbuds plus the SOOMFON's long battery is the simpler setup.
what kind of headphones for airplane
Over-ear, on-ear or in-ear all work, as long as they're Bluetooth. The real question is the transmitter: dual-headphone sharing points to the Airfrex, while maximum playtime and an LCD display point to the SOOMFON. Wired headphones don't need either device — they plug straight into the seat-back jack.
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