An airplane cabin is one of those places where ANC genuinely shines. That constant, low drone is exactly the frequency range that active noise cancellation was designed to tackle. The VMK25's hybrid ANC handles this job nicely.
But since we're not the kind of company that promises the moon and delivers a desk lamp, let's talk about what ANC actually does – and what it doesn't.
How ANC works on a plane
Active noise cancellation works on a simple principle: a microphone listens to outside noise and a circuit produces an opposite sound wave that cancels it out. This works best with steady, low-frequency sounds – exactly that engine drone that makes long flights so exhausting.
The VMK25 has hybrid ANC, meaning there's a microphone on both the outside and inside of the cup. The outer one listens to what's coming in, the inner one corrects the result near your ear. In practice, this means the steady engine hum gets reduced significantly. Not completely – you're not in outer space – but enough that the difference is night and day.
Jasse tuned the DSP specifically to bite hard into that 50–500 hertz range. That's where the worst of the airplane racket lives.
What ANC doesn't do
Now for the honest bit. ANC doesn't remove all noise. It won't remove:
- The kid screaming in the next seat (high frequencies, ANC can't touch those)
- The clatter of the drinks trolley
- Victory speeches from the lads' group in the back row
- Flight attendant announcements (good thing too – those are sometimes important)
High and sharp sounds only get partially reduced. That's where passive isolation helps – meaning the 45mm cup sits snugly around your ear and the cushions create a mechanical seal. The VMK25's ear cushions are thick and cover the entire ear, so passive isolation is already solid on its own.
Practical tip: put some music on, even quietly, with ANC enabled. The combo takes care of the remaining distractions.
How to get the best results
A few practical things that affect ANC performance on a plane:
- Seal is everything. If you've got thick glasses arms or luscious hair under the cup, the seal breaks and low frequencies leak in. Try adjusting the cup so it sits tight.
- Cushion condition. Cushions that have been used for a year or two harden up and seal worse. Replaceable cushions are one reason we make headphones this way – pop in new cushions and ANC works like new again.
- Turn ANC on before takeoff. You can switch on noise cancellation without any music. It'll dampen the engine drone during taxiing and save your ears.
The VMK25's battery lasts 50 hours with ANC on, so the Helsinki to Bangkok stretch is covered on a single charge. Even Henri can't afford flights that long though – the Alfa Romeo repair bills eat the travel budget.
How about compared to the big brands?
Sony's WH-1000XM5 and Bose 700 are the kings of ANC. That's an honest fact. Billions have been invested in their noise cancellation tech.
But the difference in practice is smaller than you'd think. On a plane – where the noise is exactly that steady low drone – the VMK25 holds its own really well. And sound quality-wise, Jasse's tuning comes out on top. And don't even get us started on repairability: with us you swap the cushions and battery, with the others you buy new headphones.
Every VMK25 purchase funds 0.000001% of our Death Star. On the plane you can already practise the appropriate sound isolation for it.
