We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
Updated: 2026-09-23 · 7 min read · Independent comparison
If you want the best-sounding, longest-lasting headphones for one listener at a time, choose audio Technica ATH-M50XBT2; if you need to share a plane's in-flight entertainment wirelessly with a travel companion, choose Avantree Voyager Airplane. These two products barely compete — they solve completely different problems — but the fact that shoppers keep comparing them tells me you're really asking one question: do I want serious headphone hardware, or do I want a two-person airplane kit? Let's settle it.
• audio Technica ATH-M50XBT2 — biggest strength: studio-style sound from 45 mm dynamic drivers, up to 50 hours of battery, LDAC support, and dual-mic beamforming for calls. A genuine do-everything wireless headphone.
• audio Technica ATH-M50XBT2 — biggest trade-off: it's a single-listener, on-ear design with no headphone jack, so it can't share audio with a seatmate and it's bulkier to pack than earbuds.
• Avantree Voyager Airplane — biggest strength: it turns a plane's 3.5 mm seat jack into a wireless Auracast broadcast that feeds two included Infinity NC earbuds at once — one movie, two listeners.
• Avantree Voyager Airplane — biggest trade-off: it's a task-specific travel accessory. The earbuds are the audio hardware here, and the whole kit is built around in-flight sharing rather than everyday critical listening.
• Who each pick is for: the ATH-M50XBT2 suits one person who wants a daily driver for music, work and calls. The Voyager kit suits couples, families or travel companions who want to watch the same seatback screen together, wirelessly.
The ATH-M50XBT2 is the second generation of Audio-Technica's M-Series wireless line, and the spec sheet reads like a headphone built to be someone's only headphone. The core of it is the 45 mm large-aperture dynamic driver paired with a dedicated amplifier, covering a 15–28,000 Hz frequency range with 38 ohms of impedance. That's a deliberately wide, studio-leaning tuning — the kind of signature people reach for when they want deep, accurate bass and clarity across the range rather than a bass-heavy consumer curve.
Battery is the headline number: up to 50 hours on a full charge, with a 10-minute USB-C top-up giving roughly 3 hours of playback. A full charge takes about 3 hours. For anyone who charges on Sunday and forgets about it until the next weekend, that's a genuinely liberating figure. The A-T Connect app adds personalization, so you can tune the sound to taste rather than living with a fixed profile.
Wireless codec support matters here too. Alongside standard Bluetooth 5, the ATH-M50XBT2 supports LDAC, with transfer rates up to 990 kbps — meaningfully more data than baseline Bluetooth audio. On a compatible source, that's the difference between "fine" and "detailed." If your phone or player supports LDAC, this headphone is built to take advantage of it.
Buy it if you want one pair of headphones for commuting, working, calls and long listening sessions, and you care about codec quality, battery life and studio-style tuning. Skip it if you mostly fly with a partner and want to share a seatback movie — this is a one-listener product with no headphone jack, so it simply can't do that job.
The Voyager Airplane is a different animal entirely. It's a travel kit: one Voyager airplane audio transmitter plus two separate pairs of Infinity NC earbuds, each with its own charging case. The premise is simple and honestly clever — plug the Voyager into the airplane's 3.5 mm audio jack, and it broadcasts the in-flight audio over Auracast to both earbuds simultaneously. Two people, one screen, zero wires between them and the seat.
That Auracast mode is the key mechanic. When both included Infinity NC earbuds are in use at the same time, the Voyager operates in Auracast mode to serve them both. If you're traveling solo, you can still use a single earbud pair normally. The earbuds themselves support Classic Bluetooth, Auracast and LE Audio, so they're not dead weight once you land — you can pair them individually with a phone, tablet or computer for everyday listening.
The ANC is the other thing that earns its place on a long flight. Active noise cancellation on the Infinity NC earbuds reduces cabin noise, which makes dialogue and quiet passages far easier to follow at low volume. On a plane, that's not a luxury — it's the difference between straining to hear a movie and actually enjoying it.
Buy it if you travel with a partner, friend or kid and want to share the same entertainment without splitting a headphone cable or buying two separate adapters. Skip it if you're a solo listener chasing maximum sound quality — the earbuds are a convenience-first design, and the whole kit is optimized for sharing, not for critical listening.
• Best for sound quality and codec support → audio Technica ATH-M50XBT2. 45 mm drivers, a dedicated amplifier, 15–28,000 Hz and LDAC at up to 990 kbps.
• Best for battery life → audio Technica ATH-M50XBT2. Up to 50 hours per charge, plus about 3 hours from a 10-minute USB-C rapid charge.
• Best for sharing audio with a travel companion → Avantree Voyager Airplane. Auracast broadcasts one seatback source to two included earbuds at once.
• Best for noise on a flight → Avantree Voyager Airplane. The Infinity NC earbuds have active noise cancellation to cut cabin noise; the ATH-M50XBT2 relies on passive sound isolation.
• Best for calls and meetings → audio Technica ATH-M50XBT2. Dual microphones with beamforming technology are built for clear vocal pickup.
• Best for a two-person travel kit out of the box → Avantree Voyager Airplane. One transmitter plus two earbud pairs and two charging cases, all included.
• Best for a single daily driver → audio Technica ATH-M50XBT2. One pair covers music, work, calls and commuting; the Voyager kit is a specialty tool plus earbuds.
• Best for solo in-flight listening → either, depending on priorities. Use the ATH-M50XBT2 with a wired adapter you supply, or use one Infinity NC earbud pair with the Voyager.
In my opinion, the audio Technica ATH-M50XBT2 is the better buy for most people, because it's a complete headphone rather than a travel accessory: superior drivers, LDAC, dual-mic call quality and up to 50 hours of battery make it useful every single day, not just at 35,000 feet. I'd only steer you to the Avantree Voyager Airplane if sharing in-flight entertainment with a companion is a recurring part of how you travel — in that specific scenario, nothing about the ATH-M50XBT2 can substitute for two earbuds fed by one Auracast transmitter. So: one listener, buy the Audio-Technica. Two travelers, buy the Voyager.
FAQ
what is aptx adaptive headphones
Yes — but only with the Avantree Voyager Airplane. It plugs into the plane's 3.5 mm audio jack and broadcasts to both included Infinity NC earbuds simultaneously over Auracast, so two people hear the same movie or music together. The audio Technica ATH-M50XBT2 is a single-listener headphone with no headphone jack, so it can't share a seatback source.
The Avantree Voyager Airplane's Infinity NC earbuds have active noise cancellation, which actively reduces cabin noise. The audio Technica ATH-M50XBT2 lists sound isolation rather than active noise cancellation, meaning it reduces noise passively through its on-ear fit and closed design. For cutting engine drone on a flight, the Voyager's ANC approach is the more targeted tool.
The audio Technica ATH-M50XBT2 is rated for up to 50 hours of continuous playback on a full charge, with a full charge taking about 3 hours and a 10-minute USB-C rapid charge giving roughly 3 hours of use. The Avantree Voyager Airplane kit doesn't list a battery figure for the transmitter, but each Infinity NC earbud ships with its own charging case for recharging between flights.
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