Without physically increasing the volume, the sound is louder with these earbuds than it was with the previous generation of earbuds. Unlike the previous generation of earbuds, there is now a soft part of the earbuds which can fit more comfortably and conform to your ear. I tried the earbuds for myself on a recent flight. Note the soft tips to be inserted into your ears. “It’s nice to have them as an option in case your forget your own set or want an extra set in your bag as a backup.” These are the earbuds by Billboard currently available aboard flights operated by Delta Air Lines. “While a minor thing like an improved earbud isn’t noticeable to a majority of passengers, the new earbuds are a huge and noticeable improvement over the old earbuds”, according to this article in a review of the earbuds written by The Weekly Flyer of Points, Miles & Martinis. “The earbuds are complimentary for all customers traveling on all international flights as well as flights between New York and Los Angeles, San Francisco or Seattle.” Passengers seated in the economy cabin or Economy Comfort cabin on domestic flights within the United States may purchase the earbuds for two dollars. “Billboard brings a new level of expertise to the redesigned earbuds resulting in better sound quality and improved comfort”, according to this press release from Delta Air Lines.
A new set of “ergonomically designed” earbuds was recently released by Delta Air Lines in a partnership with Billboard which are provided on flights greater than 250 miles in length which feature seat-back and overhead in-flight entertainment.