3 ms·

I have the inner ear version, and the noise canceling is ridiculously good. $300 was hard to swallow for the sound quality, but you're paying for the NC.

cballard 11y ago
For $100 more, you can get UE4s molded to your ear canals. You can stand next to an arriving subway train (LOUD) and barely hear it. http://pro.ultimateears.com/ue-4-pro http://pro.ultimateears.com/ue-4-pro
- overcast 11y ago
  There is a difference between isolation and noise cancelling. I need to be able to hear normal noise, but block out droning of airplanes and white noise.
  - beloch 11y ago
    Canal-phones are not for you then. Over ear noise cancelling cans or buds would be appropriate.
    - overcast 11y ago
      I know what is appropriate for me, the inner ear version of the noise cancelling BOSE plugs. Because they don't heat up my ears, are far more comfortable, a small inconspicuous foot print when traveling with a single 30L backpack, and they work.
beloch 11y ago
A good pair of canal-phones that fit properly should provide enough noise isolation (on the order of 25-40 dB, depending on design) that active cancellation is unnecessary in most environments. People performing in front of heavy-duty speaker stacks often use canal-phones to be able to hear what they're doing without going deaf. The caveat is you really do need to mess around with different tips to find ones that fit and shove those suckers in deep enough to get a good seal, which a lot of people hate doing. Noise cancellation is great to have in over-ear cans but would be of very limited utility in canal-phones, assuming their isolation doesn't suck. $300 will get you a very good pair of Etymotics or Shures, which you should be able to get very good isolation with. If you can afford more, custom molded canal-phones are the gold standard. I've heard, in many places, that Bose's noise-cancelling over-ear cans are decent though.
- lobster_johnson 11y ago
  Having had Shures, and now Bose QC20s, there is a significant difference. The noise canceling definitely works.

cballard 11y ago

For $100 more, you can get UE4s molded to your ear canals. You can stand next to an arriving subway train (LOUD) and barely hear it. http://pro.ultimateears.com/ue-4-pro http://pro.ultimateears.com/ue-4-pro

overcast 11y ago
There is a difference between isolation and noise cancelling. I need to be able to hear normal noise, but block out droning of airplanes and white noise.
- beloch 11y ago
  Canal-phones are not for you then. Over ear noise cancelling cans or buds would be appropriate.
  - overcast 11y ago
    I know what is appropriate for me, the inner ear version of the noise cancelling BOSE plugs. Because they don't heat up my ears, are far more comfortable, a small inconspicuous foot print when traveling with a single 30L backpack, and they work.

beloch 11y ago

A good pair of canal-phones that fit properly should provide enough noise isolation (on the order of 25-40 dB, depending on design) that active cancellation is unnecessary in most environments. People performing in front of heavy-duty speaker stacks often use canal-phones to be able to hear what they're doing without going deaf. The caveat is you really do need to mess around with different tips to find ones that fit and shove those suckers in deep enough to get a good seal, which a lot of people hate doing. Noise cancellation is great to have in over-ear cans but would be of very limited utility in canal-phones, assuming their isolation doesn't suck. $300 will get you a very good pair of Etymotics or Shures, which you should be able to get very good isolation with. If you can afford more, custom molded canal-phones are the gold standard. I've heard, in many places, that Bose's noise-cancelling over-ear cans are decent though.

lobster_johnson 11y ago
Having had Shures, and now Bose QC20s, there is a significant difference. The noise canceling definitely works.