I'm not hearing much enthusiasm for the noise-cancelling headphones. Perhaps I will stick with the yellow foam earplugs with my tape-player over them.

For sleeping, I like the white, waxy earplugs. They are more comfortable, at least for me.

By the way, I get the best listening when I make tapes of high-pitched music. Hammer dulcimer and flute, for instance, work much better than Beethoven symphonies and Russian male choirs. That's because the rumble of the jet engines drowns out the entire bass range.

Mr. Red: I'm glad to hear from another person who finds that amplified folk is usually too loud.

Dave Swan: Re "Plugs worn with half of them sticking out are doing little good."

Actually, I sometimes use them partly out. They seem to filter loud, high-pitched sounds without masking the entire musical experience too much.