This airline swaps headphones for headrest speakers… for what?
Japan Airlines (JAL) has rolled out a new feature on its Airbus A350s that challenges conventional in-flight entertainment norms. This involves special seats with headrest speakers, which allow passengers to play audio from the plane’s entertainment system out loud.
This approach is developed in partnership with French audio technology company Devialet and plane interiors specialist Safran. It aims to provide passengers with an alternative to headphones, promising a personal listening experience without disturbing fellow travelers.
JAL’s Headrest Speakers: What It Is and How It Works
The introduction of headrest speakers is a bold move by JAL. It marks a departure from traditional in-flight entertainment systems that rely on personal headphones for audio.
The concept behind these headrest speakers is straightforward yet technologically advanced.
Devialet, known for its high-quality sound systems, designed speakers that fit seamlessly into the airplane seat’s headrest. This enables passengers to “blast the audio” for their chosen movie, TV show, or song directly through their seats.
But, it’s not just about having speakers in the headrest. They partnered with Safran, an airplane interiors company, to develop this further.
Safran’s role in this collaboration has been to guarantee that the speakers complement the cabin’s overall design and functionality. They made sure that headrest speakers were integrated without compromising comfort or space.
Safran claims that their joint effort with Devialet resulted in a “patented acoustic technologies and acoustic tuning expertise.” This promises a listening experience that is both optimum for the user and non-intrusive to others.
However, the airlines still didn’t remove other audio listening options for its users. Passengers can still use the airline-provided headphones, or their own headphones via Bluetooth.
Passenger Experience and Feedback
The feedback from passengers who have experienced the headrest speakers has been varied. For instance, One Mile at a Time’s Ben Schlappig provided an in-depth review, expressing excitement about the innovation.
In his review, Schlappig also offered a balanced view of the experience, noting some limitations.
He first talked about the speaker’s audio quality, saying:
He highlights the need for the users to remain in an optimal position in between the speakers to hear the audio clearly.
His experience also raised concerns about the feature’s impact on the cabin’s auditory environment. Despite the technology’s design to minimize disturbance to other passengers, he reported:
This feedback suggests that while the sound may not be overtly disruptive, there is still a possibility of it contributing to the cabin’s overall noise level. This can potentially affect other passengers’ ability to rest or enjoy their own entertainment in silence.