How We Research
We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
Updated: 2026-09-19 · 7 min read · Independent comparison
• Sony Noise Cancelling: its biggest strength is being a complete, self-contained listening device — active noise cancelling, a neckband, a wired backup and high-resolution audio codecs all in one. The trade-off is that it only serves one listener and its battery tops out at 10 hours.
• Avantree Relay & SoundJet: its biggest strength is that it makes the audio you already own work on a plane, with two pairs of Bluetooth headphones connected at once and up to 25 hours of playback. The trade-off is that it is not a headphone — it is a transmitter that needs a 3.5 mm jack and your own Bluetooth earphones to do anything.
• Pick Sony Noise Cancelling if you want less background roar and your music handled by a single piece of gear you wear around your neck.
• Pick Avantree Relay & SoundJet if you already love your AirPods, Bose or other Bluetooth headphones and want to use them with in-flight entertainment, or if two people want to watch the same movie at once.
The Sony WI1000X/B is a behind-neck, in-ear headphone with active noise cancelling built in. The feature that stands out to me is the atmospheric pressure optimizing — the cancellation is designed to account for cabin pressure, which tells you Sony had flying in mind when it built this. If you fly often and the drone of the engines is what ruins your music, that is a genuinely thoughtful piece of engineering rather than a generic checkbox.
Around that core, Sony layers a lot of smart software. Smart Listening by Adaptive Sound Control detects whether you are travelling, walking or waiting and adjusts ambient sound accordingly, and you can fine-tune the behaviour in the Sony Headphones Connect app on Android or iOS. There is also an Ambient Sound mode if you want to hear announcements or a barista without pulling the buds out. Voice control for the Google Assistant arrived via an update, and hands-free calling includes a vibration notification, which is a small but useful touch when your phone is zipped away in a bag.
Who should buy it: frequent flyers, commuters and anyone who wants one device that cancels noise, plays high-quality audio and sits comfortably around the neck all day. Who should skip it: anyone who already owns Bluetooth headphones they love and just wants them to work on a plane — this is a second pair of headphones, not an accessory. Also skip it if you need marathon battery life, because noise cancelling wireless playback maxes out around 10 hours.
Avantree Relay & SoundJet: Who It's For
The Avantree Relay & SoundJet R1 is a different species of product entirely, and that is the whole point. It is a compact Bluetooth transmitter built to plug into a 3.5 mm AUX jack — the kind you find on airplane seat-back entertainment systems — and stream that audio wirelessly to the headphones you already own. Avantree lists compatibility with AirPods, Bose and essentially any Bluetooth headphones. It is not built for phones, car stereos or hearing aids, so treat it as a travel tool rather than a universal adapter.
The headline capability is dual headphone support. You can connect two Bluetooth headphones at once and watch the same movie or listen to the same music in sync, which is the feature that turns a solo flight into a shared one. Anyone who has ever passed a single earbud back and forth with a travel companion knows exactly why that matters.
Under the hood it uses a Qualcomm chipset with Bluetooth 5.3 and supports aptX Adaptive and aptX HD for high-fidelity transmission, backed by Avantree's twenty years of wireless experience. Play time runs up to 25 hours of continuous use, which comfortably covers long-haul flights and then some. Onboard buttons handle pairing and volume, and LED indicators show connection status so you are not guessing in a dim cabin.
The design is deliberately lightweight and pocket-sized, and Avantree positions it for gym sessions as well as flights — anywhere you have a 3.5 mm source and want wireless freedom. Who should buy it: travellers who already own good Bluetooth headphones, couples or families sharing a screen, and anyone who wants their AirPods or Bose cans to work with in-flight audio. Who should skip it: anyone hoping for built-in noise cancelling or actual sound isolation, because this device has neither. It transmits audio; it does not block the world out. Skip it too if your only source is a phone or a car stereo, since those are explicitly out of scope.
• Best for blocking engine noise → Sony Noise Cancelling. Active noise cancelling with atmospheric pressure optimizing is built for exactly this.
• Best for using headphones you already own on a plane → Avantree Relay & SoundJet. It converts the seat-back jack into a Bluetooth signal for your AirPods, Bose or other Bluetooth headphones.
• Best for two people watching together → Avantree Relay & SoundJet. Dual headphone support with synced audio is something the Sony simply cannot do.
• Best for battery life → Avantree Relay & SoundJet. Up to 25 hours of playback versus roughly 10 hours on the Sony with wireless noise cancelling active.
• Best for high-resolution music listening → Sony Noise Cancelling. LDAC, aptX HD, DSEE HX and S-Master HX, plus a hybrid dynamic and balanced armature driver setup, put serious audio engineering in your ears.
• Best for hands-free calls and voice assistants → Sony Noise Cancelling. Hands-free calling with vibration notification and Google Assistant support make it a phone companion as well as a music device.
• Best for a wired fallback → Sony Noise Cancelling. The 3.5 mm jack lets you keep listening if the battery runs down.
• Best for packing light when you already carry earbuds → Avantree Relay & SoundJet. It is pocket-sized and adds almost nothing to your bag.
If I had to choose one, I would buy the Sony Noise Cancelling for myself. I want my headphones to cancel the cabin noise, play high-resolution audio and handle calls without me carrying a second device, and the atmospheric pressure optimizing tells me Sony designed this specifically with flying in mind. That said, if you already own Bluetooth headphones you love and your real frustration is that they will not talk to an airplane seat-back screen, the Avantree Relay & SoundJet is the smarter purchase — it is the cheaper way to solve that specific problem, and it lets two people share the same movie. Different jobs, different answers.
FAQ
Yes. Avantree states it is compatible with AirPods, Bose and all Bluetooth headphones — you plug it into the 3.5 mm AUX jack and it streams the in-flight audio wirelessly. Just note it is not intended for phones, car stereos or hearing aids.
Sony rates the WI1000X/B at up to 10 hours with wireless noise cancelling. Avantree rates the Relay & SoundJet at up to 25 hours of continuous playback. For a long-haul flight, the Avantree has more headroom, while the Sony gives you a wired 3.5 mm fallback if it runs out.
The Sony Noise Cancelling, without question — it is the only one of the two with active noise cancellation, and it adds atmospheric pressure optimizing for use in the air. The Avantree has no noise cancelling at all; it only transmits audio. If price is the deciding factor, check the current price on Amazon for both before you commit.
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