ZDNET's editorial team writes on behalf of you, our reader. Our goal is to deliver the most accurate information and the most knowledgeable advice possible in order to help you make smarter buying decisions on tech gear and a wide array of products and services. Our editors thoroughly review and fact-check every article to ensure that our content meets the highest standards. If we have made an error or published misleading information, we will correct or clarify the article. If you see inaccuracies in our content, please report the mistake via this form.

It's become my custom to bring along two pairs of the latest headphones or earbuds when I have air travel planned -- one pair for my outbound flight and one for my return.

Although I can gauge a pair of headphones' performance on trips to the grocery store or while working in my home office, there's no more authentic testing ground than the most overstimulating place I know: Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport.

Also: I wore 5 different headphones across 8 flights - here's how each pair handled my stress tests (2025)