Best Noise-Canceling Devices for Long Air Trips

Q: We'll be traveling from New York to Rome this month. What would you recommend for a noise-cancelling device in order to be able to get some sleep? Is it worth the price for Bose headphones just for the noise-canceling feature?

Thanks,
Gail and Walt Peters, Hickory, N.C.

A: Active-noise cancellation, like what you'll find in products such as Bose's QuietComfort headphones, works great on blocking low-frequency sounds, such as a plane's engine. However, no matter how much you spend on headphones, high-frequency noises, such as a crying baby, will still come through.

With that in mind, before you spend $300 on a pair of headphones, think about whether it's a sound (ha ha) investment:
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