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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
• Avantree Relay Airplane — biggest strength: it turns a wired 3.5 mm seat-back jack into a Bluetooth signal for two listeners at once, which almost nothing else in this price class does.
• Avantree Relay Airplane — biggest trade-off: it is a transmitter only. No microphone, no music playback of its own, and it is explicitly not meant for calls or for receiving audio.
• YUSONIC Active Noise Cancelling — biggest strength: hybrid active noise cancellation in a 180 g over-ear build with a claimed 70 hours of battery life and a 94 dB volume cap.
• YUSONIC Active Noise Cancelling — biggest trade-off: it is a pair of headphones, not a sharing device. One listener only, and the kid-focused design and purple colorway won't suit every adult.
• Who each pick is for: Avantree Relay Airplane for couples, families or seatmates who already own Bluetooth headphones; YUSONIC Active Noise Cancelling for one traveler who wants the noise gone.
The Relay is not headphones. It's a small ABS-bodied transmitter that plugs into the 3.5 mm jack on a seat-back screen and pushes that audio out over Bluetooth. That single trick is the whole point: the airplane adapter is a dual-prong design, so it fits the two-pin sockets you find on most long-haul cabin entertainment systems, and the audio input is a plain 3.5 mm jack.
What sells it for me is the dual-link sharing. Two pairs of Bluetooth headphones or earbuds connect at once, so you and whoever you're traveling with can watch the same movie without splitting a single cheap earbud between you. Qualcomm audio tech with aptX Adaptive and aptX HD support is on board, and aptX Low Latency is listed too, which matters more than people realize — lip-sync drift is the thing that ruins in-flight video.
Buy it if you fly with a partner and you both already carry Bluetooth headphones. Skip it if you want to listen on your own — a plain pair of ANC headphones does that job with fewer parts. Also skip it if you're hoping for a mic; the Relay has none and is not built for calls.
YUSONIC Active Noise Cancelling: Who It's For
The YUSONIC ANC03 is a straightforward over-ear headphone with oval earpieces and 40 mm dynamic drivers, tuned across a 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz range at 32 ohm and 100 dB sensitivity. Nothing exotic in the driver spec — but 32 ohm and 100 dB is an easy load, which is what you want when you're pairing to a phone or a tablet on a plane.
The noise cancellation is the reason to look at it. It's listed as hybrid ANC plus passive isolation, which is the combination that actually works in a cabin: the hybrid system handles the low drone of the engines and the passive seal of an over-ear cup handles the chatter around you. That's the right architecture for air travel.
Battery life is the standout figure — a claimed 70 hours average life on Bluetooth 6. The 94 dB safe-volume ceiling tells you who YUSONIC built this for: kids, teens and adults who want a hearing-protection limit, which is why it's sold as a girls' headphone in purple. The age range is stated as teen, kid and adult, so it does stretch upward.
Buy it if you travel solo, you want the noise floor dropped, and you don't want to think about charging for a week of trips. Skip it if you need to share audio with a seatmate, or if you want a neutral, understated look — purple over-ear with an oval cup is a specific style choice.
Side-by-Side: Which Should You Choose?
• Best for sharing one screen with a travel partner → Avantree Relay Airplane. Dual link connects two headsets to a single 3.5 mm source.
• Best for quieting engine noise → YUSONIC Active Noise Cancelling. Hybrid ANC plus passive isolation in an over-ear cup.
• Best for long-haul flights with an older seat-back screen → Avantree Relay Airplane. The included dual-prong adapter and 25-hour runtime are built for exactly that.
• Best for kids, school and volume safety → YUSONIC Active Noise Cancelling. The 94 dB cap and stated teen/kid/adult age range are the giveaway.
• Best for people who already own good Bluetooth headphones → Avantree Relay Airplane. It upgrades the headphones you already have instead of replacing them.
• Best for a single traveler who wants one thing to pack → YUSONIC Active Noise Cancelling. No dongle, no pairing dance, no second device to charge.
• Best for calls → neither, honestly. The Relay has no microphone by design, and the YUSONIC sheet lists ANC and Bluetooth rather than a call-focused mic setup.
If I were buying for a couple flying long-haul, I'd take the Avantree Relay Airplane. The dual-headphone sharing is a genuine problem-solver, the aptX Adaptive and aptX HD support keeps audio stable and detailed, and 25 hours comfortably covers a transatlantic round trip. For a solo traveler who mainly wants the cabin to go quiet, I'd take the YUSONIC Active Noise Cancelling instead — hybrid ANC, 70 hours, and a 94 dB ceiling make it the simpler, more self-contained choice. Pick based on whether your problem is sharing or silencing, not on which one sounds more impressive on paper.
what is the best headphones for traveling
In my opinion, there's no single answer — it splits by job. If you want noise reduction and long runtime, the YUSONIC Active Noise Cancelling fits with hybrid ANC and up to 70 hours. If you want to share a seat-back screen with a companion, the Avantree Relay Airplane fits because it transmits to two Bluetooth headsets at once. Match the product to the problem.
what are good headphones for travel
Look for over-ear isolation, a comfortable weight and battery life that outlasts your flight. The YUSONIC ANC03 is 180 g with oval over-ear cups and a claimed 70 hours, which is a sensible travel profile. The Avantree Relay Airplane is a different category — a 3.5 mm-to-Bluetooth transmitter with 25 hours and no mic, useful only alongside headphones you already own.
how to pack headphones for travel
Keep over-ear headphones flat in a hard or semi-rigid case so the cups don't get crushed, and put them in your carry-on rather than checked luggage. Small accessories like a Bluetooth transmitter belong in the same pouch so the airplane adapter doesn't get lost. The Relay is compact and light enough to live in a seat pocket, so it's easy to keep it with the headphones it feeds.
how to wrap headphones for travel
Don't wrap the cable tightly around the cups — that's how 3.5 mm jacks and swivels fail. Coil the cable loosely at a radius wider than your palm and secure it with a soft tie. The YUSONIC ANC03 has a 3.5 mm jack option, so if you use it wired on a plane, leave slack at the plug. For the Relay, just stow the short adapter lead without sharp bends.
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