Paul Hochman TODAY gear and technology editor

Summer means it's time to hit the road — but it also means the beginning of a long, noisy season of loud talkers, gum-snappers and cell-phone shouters. But luckily, there's a way to tune out other travelers in the minivan, the bus, the plane, or wherever the noise overwhelms you.

Your high-tech relief? Noise-canceling headphones. While the name “noise-canceling” is a bit misleading (the noise is never really “canceled,” it’s just filtered or reduced), the positive effect of wearing them — the quiet on an airplane, the filtering of annoying outside distractions, the stress reduction — is astounding. The technologies that create the “quiet” environment in your ears vary widely, but there are three main brands and technologies that I recommend for a quiet, cool (-headed) summer travel season.

Skullcandy's Proletariat
One of the things I love about Skullcandy, other than the American company’s saucy name, is the price-to-value ratio. There may be slightly more effective noise-canceling headphones out there, but the SkullCandy Proletariat is easily the best value on the market — at least 70 percent less expensive than the most expensive option. And it works.

Powered by two AAA batteries, the Proletariat headphones (pictured above) produce an audible “anti-sound” inside the headphones — a sound that effectively “cancels” the noise you’re hearing from outside. These reduce sound by about 18 decibels (a power lawnmower produces about 90 decibels) across the board without actually focusing on a particular frequency of sound. Plus, if you get a call, the headphone’s “LINK” technology mutes the music and takes the call. Combine that with a brilliant, even mind-boggling, pack-away hinge mechanism, and you have a low-cost winner. $99.95; skullcandy.com

sonystyle.com Sony's MDR-NC500D headphones are pricey, but offer stunning sound clarity.

Sony MDR-NC500D
OK, so these are expensive. And the model name has all the romance of a bag of potato chips. But you do get what you pay for. Which is a lot — stunning music clarity inside the headphones, even while the world rages outside the headphones.

Sony’s MDR-NC500D has a “feedback” microphone next to the ear, inside the earcup, which absorbs and calculates how much outside sound and what kind of sound (baby screaming, jet engine roaring, seatmate snoring) is getting in past the headphones, to your ear. The headphone’s digital software (yep, digital software) then cancels individually annoying frequencies of sound, even while it alllows the music or movie you’re listening to to sound great. There is even a button on the headphones that lets you recalibrate them for your situation. If the guy stops snoring, but the baby starts crying, you can adjust accordingly. $399; sonystyle.com

sennheiserusa.com Sennheiser's PXC 300 headphones are a good mid-range choice for travelers.

Sennheiser PXC 300
In between the low-cost Skullcandy and the high-end Sony is this option that has one undeniable advantage: These headphones are smaller than the other two and are more comfortable in hot weather. Plus, they sound great. (Ask any sound technician at TODAY, and they’ll nod approvingly at the mention of this German brand — the show uses a lot of Sennheiser sound gear.)

The PXC 300’s quality is clear in the listening. It’s also a little different: Instead of “canceling” sound, Sennheiser’s internal “NoiseGard Advance” system cancels only some of the frequencies and boosts others — the so-called “mid-range” frequencies, for example — so it seems “clearer” and “quieter” to your ear. The small (1.75 inch) earpieces, the light weight and the comfort are great. A terrific mid-range choice for travelers. $219; sennheiserusa.com

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Paul Hochman is the gear and technology editor for the TODAY Show and a Fast Company magazine contributor. He covered the Olympic Games in Salt Lake City, Athens and Torino, Italy, for TODAY. He was also a three-year letter winner on the Dartmouth ski team and has a black belt in karate. Paul’s blog can be found at: Paulhochman.blogspot.com

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