[kinsale]

On a plane which works better, IEM or noise cancelling headphones?  Going to Florida soon and not sure which ones to take with me.

 

[ravefire]

IEMs. ANC ruins the sound quality

 

[Fanga]

Strictly for planes, I find ANC headphones to be better. I purchased a set of the Bose Quietcomforts for the 'rents last Christmas, and they really do a remarkable job blocking out ambient plane noise. 
 
I myself still use IEMs for portability and the (in my opinion) better sound quality. But I wouldn't knock ANC headphones for long flights. 

 

[ravefire]

Hm I guess you do have a point it's kind of hard to get "quality" on a plane anyway. And for extended periods of time, cans are a bit more comfortable then earbuds (at least to me).
 
Just that for me it's hard to get over the drop in quality.
 
Quote:

Strictly for planes, I find ANC headphones to be better. I purchased a set of the Bose Quietcomforts for the 'rents last Christmas, and they really do a remarkable job blocking out ambient plane noise. 
 
I myself still use IEMs for portability and the (in my opinion) better sound quality. But I wouldn't knock ANC headphones for long flights. 

 

 

[keemum]

I've gotta go with IEM's, better sound, smaller size, less hassle overall.  I fly cross country a couple times a month, tried the QCs for a couple trips last year and went right back to IEMs.
 
I do think the active's are better for folks not used to having something in their ears though.

 

[Eric_C]

On a plane, I think ANC, and that goes double if you want to plug into the in-flight entertainment system.
Using IEMs with the in-flight system, you have to use an airplane adapter, and sometimes it doesn't work properly (crackle), plus the fact the IEMs tend to be much more sensitive--so you get static/hiss, and a huge spike in volume when the pilot makes announcements over the system. Not fun.

 

[Xinn3r]

I too prefer IEM's over ANC, I got a ANC headphone once and was not satisfied with the SQ
Just buy one of the better isolation IEM and you're good to go

 

[tmxkn1]

Sorry for digging up this old thread, but I would suggest using a quality IEM with good ear tips for actual listening while wearing a pair of big ANC headphones.

 

[B9Scrambler]

Do both; ANC iem haha

 

[MozartMan1201]

Do both; ANC iem haha

Sony's WI1000X neckband is both, as well as the wireless WF1000X.

I think IEM's, like earplugs, only attenuate the sounds to varying degrees; while ANC can eliminate certain sounds completely and offers a quieter background. As a result, you can play music at a lower volume on an ANC headphone whereas most people wearing IEM's tend to crank up the volume, risking hearing loss. I have both types and my choice depends on the ambient noises of where I'm going -- super noisy restaurants/gym/airplane = ANC headphone; hiking/outdoors = IEM's.