[bca1313]

Wasnt sure if this should be in this section or the regular headphones portion.
 
I am hoping for some advice and/or direction.  I want to get a new set of headphones and was going to go with the Bose QC 15 over ears because the on ears make my ears sore on long flights (15+hours).  Then I started thinking about custom in ear options because they would take less space when travelling.
 
Any opinions on this and recommendations for the custom in ear option?  Will the in ears make my ears sore or will that not be a problem because they are fitted to my ear?
 
Thanks,

Ben

 

[JackKontney]

Fit and comfort are very personal, and no one can reliably predict how you will react to the IEM experience. In general, a properly fit soft silicone product can be worn for extended periods of time without fatigue or discomfort. Hard acrylic IEMs are less forgiving, but if the fit is good, comfort is not a big issue.
 
The real issue is a choice of technologies: noise cancellation vs. noise isolation.
 
Noise cancellation consists of negating sound by inverting the ambient signal and physically shooting it back into the earcups, creating destructive interference that physically cancels the unwanted sound within. It's pretty cool technology, and works particularly well at cancelling steady-state noise like that found on airplanes. This technology is relatively ineffective at high frequencies, relying on the isolation provided by the earphones in that area.
 
IEMs are passive devices that create isolation from unwanted noise by physically blocking it out. A properly fit (and properly designed) IEM should routinely attain over 20 dB of broadband isolation. Sensaphonics designs, which use solid soft-gel silicone earpieces and fit deeper into the ear canal than typical IEMs, have been measured as reducing ambient noise reaching the ear canal by up to 37 dB.
 
Having used both extensively, my personal preference is a soft-gel silicone IEM. I guess the whole idea of eliminating noise by shooting more noise into the system just bothers me -- because I know from testing I saw during my time at Shure that it's not a zero-sum result. That said, I know a lot of people who prefer the ease of use of their Bose or Sony noise cancelers.
 
Your mileage may vary.