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Best Noise Cancelling Headphones or Isolating Earbuds

I've used the Bose on-the-ear. They work, their active cancellation works, no question.

Yamaha EPH-50 for $40-60

For portability, flying every week, I still like the passive, in-ear buds. My favorite continues to be the Yamaha EPH-50 series, only available in EPH-50bl (black) and EPH-50wh (white) from all my years of buying them. I've tried a lot of different buds. The EPH-50 low-range is very hard to find, especially in one that is not overly saturated, but is still amplified, in anything under $100 ... or even $150.

They are $99 list, $79 street, $59-60 sale and I've found them as low as $33 on clearance, possibly discontinued now, but still plenty of old stock out there. BTW, don't be tempted by the much cheaper Yamaha EPH-20. The 20 is more of a boutique type item in lots of colors, nowhere near as good at the low-end, and not much differentiation from others in the market. There is a newer EPH-30, but I've never tried it. It's usually $29 street, so I'm not hopeful that it's as good.

My biggest complaint about the EPH-50 is the thin, stiff, tangled wires, which eventually give. My pairs only last 12 months. Now understand that's flying every single week, using them everywhere, etc... But eventually one bud will go out. They could have designed the wires better, for more longevity. That's really the only complaint. I love them otherwise, and currently have three pair.

One in my bag for travel, one in my box at my client, one at home. I only buy them when I find them on-sale for under $50. Otherwise, one might as well look at a Shure or similar. Yahama has a newer 100 series but, again, I might as well look at a Shure or similar. I guess it's my luck with breaking any type of headphones during travel (I had a pair of Sony over-the-ears that didn't last 3 months each) are why I don't like to spend $100+. YMMV
 
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Spend the bank and get custom molds. I have a set of 1964Ears (V6-Stage models) as my in-ear monitors for church and they are hands-down the best.
 
I love my Bose QC3's. Totally worth the investment
So I picked up the Bose QC 25 and used them on an international flight. I didn't care for them (noise cancelling, portability, sound quality vs cost) and took them back after I returned. The noise cancelling works wonders on jet noise but not as well on typical conversations. If anything, killing the jet noise seemed to amplify how well you could hear the other passengers. I picked up some Klipsch r6i earbuds and they sound a lot better. We'll see how well they isolate the sound on my flight tomorrow.
 
Interesting, I screwed up and forgot my Bose today for this week's trip (it's been a bad morning) and I can tell you that I surely missed them. I definitely miss being in my own world!
 
I'll jsut get this out of the way for the board

"Spending money on headphones is stupid. I just use my JVC headphones I bought at Walgreens, on sale, and they work as good as any of your Beats by Mr. Dre or fancy Boze. I used them flying Southwest the other day on the way to my 2 night Carnival Cruise. You're wasting your money"
 
My Bose headphones cost $300 and they were worth every cent.

On the other hand, the worst people on airplanes are those who think they can use the standard in ear headphones. They of course can't hear them inside the plane, so they crank the volume to 100 and subject everyone around them to their annoying, shit music.
 
These are not noise cancelling, but they're closed back, over ear, so good ambient isolation. They're also cheap, comfortable, and sound great.

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TASCAM TH02-B Headphones + Memory Foam Earpads
About $35 for both
 
I bought a pair of Maxell noise cancelling headphones at Ross for $20. Fukcing sweet.
 
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I would love something like the Bose, but I can't deal with the over-the-head piece that would mess up what little hair I have left. I'm usually traveling from airplane to meeting, so I don't really have time to primp once I arrive. Also, don't they cause something akin to "hat head"?
 
Custom-mold IEMs, telling you right meow. Once you get them you will wonder why you wasted money on anything else.
 
From the website above (1964Ears), you can get a set of dual drivers for under $300.00. Get the impressions done at an audiologist (cost me $20.00) and mail them to them. Takes 4-6 weeks but it's worth the wait.

Of course, they have way more expensive options out there. And that company is one of about 10 that do it. But I have purchased 2 different sets of IEMs through them and have had great results both times so they get my business.
 
Thanks. For someone listening to an iPhone, etc., is it really worth the $$ (granted, when compared to some Shure, etc. it's not that much more $$, but there is some time involved with having to go to an audiologist).
If you can't do over ear, that's the only way to get good bass and sound isolation from ear buds.
 
Yes.

If all you want is to listen to tune on your phone from time to time, I doubt spending that kind of money will be justified. But I use mine mainly for church when playing guitar to get my monitor mix. Very important to have complete isolation and numerous drivers so I can hear what I am playing/what others are playing.
 
Surprised chemmie hasn't chimed in with a comment about how he prefers the XCT-50 headphones that are complimentary in Mongolia Air first class and he can't really fly without them anymore. Why just last week he was sitting in 3B and chatting with Chef Carlos Snobbia and he could hear him perfectly.
 
Just ordered my 2nd pair of Panasonic noise cancelling earphones. Used the new site Jet.com and got them for $32 after promotional code "tenbucksoff". I had a pair of these before and they work great in a plane and mowing the yard and tuning out my wife.
 
Update! The Klipsh R6i earbuds with the addition of Comply isolation tips has been a pretty good alternative to the Bose QC25. It doesn't knock down the engine noise like the Bose but does a better job at isolating voices and screaming babies. All for less than half the cost of the Bose, and they sound much nicer musically too!
 
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