We Try AirFly Wireless Headphones Adapters
I own a pair of Sony noise-canceling headphones as well as some Beats wireless earbuds. These are excellent devices and vital for my travels, as I use them for music and other entertainment and programming while en route to my next destination or when working out.
The Sony headphones offer both Bluetooth and wired options and are my preferred choice for when I'm seated on a long flight and want to watch the in-flight movies.
This has always meant that I would plug into the seatback screen with my wire trailing across the row.
Now, I can go wireless and connect all my headphones and earbuds!
AirFly's wireless adapter has been a revelation.
While the entertainment systems on planes often don’t have Bluetooth compatibility — instead featuring headphone jacks that you have to connect via a wire — this doesn't matter when you travel with an AirFly adapter.
What I Loved
The AirFly adapter is easy to use. Plug it into the headphone jack, press a button and connect it to your Bluetooth headphones or buds. Just like that, you're able to watch a movie on your flight's back-of-the-seat screens cord-free.
Why do I love this? Well, for starters, I can't count the number of times I've accidentally (and sometimes a little aggressively) pulled out my headphone cords while reaching for something from the flight attendant or getting up to allow another passenger aisle access. My cords also get tangled and twisted, especially when I'm charging something else at the same time.
It also means I can easily use any of my noise-canceling devices, so sound is clearer and sharper vs. noise-leaking airline headphones or the cheaper emergency buds I carry with me, just in case.
You can ditch the hassle of the cord with AirFly adapters.
The benefit goes beyond flying, though. As someone who spends a lot of time on cruise ships and on cruise ship shore excursions, I often am using a QuietVox (or similar) system. This is common on shore tours, especially on river cruises. The tour guide speaks into a microphone-like device, which then transmits to the units the group wears for the tour, which they listen to via a corded earpiece.
While this is handy and makes it so you don't have to stand right next to the tour guide, I absolutely hate wearing these, as you hang them around your neck and the earpieces are often uncomfortable. These also scream "tourist," which I don’t love.
On a recent cruise tour, I plugged in my AirFly adapter and used my own Beats earbuds, putting the QuietVox receiver into my pocket instead of hanging it from my neck. It worked like a charm, and the sound was even better than using the included earpiece.
Watch Out For
On airplanes, it's not uncommon for TV/movie screens to have inputs that require two prongs. Sometimes, both holes are the same size, other times, they're two different sizes. I tried two different solutions so I could use the AirFly, with mixed results.
First, I tried just using the AirFly and plugging it directly into one of the holes. The result is I only was able to get volume in one ear. I also tried using my Sony adapter, which works for jacks that have two holes of the same size. Then, I plugged in my AirFly to the adapter. I got sound in both ears, but there was a slight delay — lips didn't match audio. Worth noting: On a plane in which the holes were two different sizes, I plugged the AirFly into the appropriate jack, and it worked without issue.
On our cruise expedition, I also experienced a very slight delay between what the guide was saying and when it reached my ears — I'm talking less than a second of a delay. This only was an issue when I stood nearby the guide and could hear her both "live" and through the device. My solution was to move to the back of the pack, which is always my preference anyway.
To learn more about the AirFly wireless adapter, including the different styles available and how else you can use this versatile piece of travel equipment, head over to the AirFly website.
Thanks for reading,
JR