JMN57

I picked one up from Amex MR for around 39k points. probably better uses of the points but I have lots so it was a pretty painless purchase.

in terms of use - noise canceling is outstanding but I find the fit/seal of the earbuds a little lacking. the audio Technica noise suppressing earbuds seem to generate a better seal and reduce ambient sound leakage more. first flight with tomorrow.

if anybody has pointers on seal/fit, I'm all ears :-)

airportdrunk

I'm a big fan of the Bose mie2's, so I jumped on the qc20s last week and just had my first flight with them. Was blown away by the noise cancelling, I think they block out more than the over ears.

Not too concerned about seal, the medium sized buds fit alright and the noise cancelling takes care of any gaps. Buds with a firmer seal give me earaches over time.

mikel51

I'm still deciding which tips to use. The small tips don't stay in quite as well and don't block as much noise (noise cancelling is still amazing), while the medium tips aren't as comfortable for me.

ScottC

I feel that you don't actually need a seal with these. The ANC is good enough IMHO.

arjunrc

If anyone has the ATH-ANC33is - (or even the old ATH-ANC23) can you please post some comparatives? (or send me a free 20i and I'll compare )

Specifically:
1. How do the noise canceling features compare (update: Just noticed JMN57 suggesting the ATH-ANC ANC might be better, how about other opinions, or updates from JMN57?). This is probably the most important point - the form factor seems comparable - so if the Bose ANC is noticeably superior, I'm interested in buying one)

2. I use the comfort tips (memory foam) that came along with the AT - is there an equivalent for Bose?

JMN57

The noise cancelling is better on the Bose but I do wish the seal was a little better (YMMV). Changing the earpiece may be problematic as the channel coming to it is not round but oval. I think part of the seal issue is the Bose earpiece has a feature that fits the ear but makes it hard to create the seal. Scott C said upthread he thought it wasn't needed and I can see the argument but I did feel that some ambient noise leaks (particularly if one isn't listening to anything).
i did feel that the nc creates some "sound surges" in noisy settings that are a little distracting.

The Bose doesn't have a volume control that the AT's have. I have a couple of sources that are "quiet" that the ATs helped to boost (my laptop particularly) but I haven't tried the Bose with them to see.

I just flew back last Friday from MXP and watched 3 movies with the ATs and they were great for that. The Bose were waiting when I arrived so today was my first flight with them. I'm listening to them in the ORD AC right now and their sound field is certainly superior to the AT. For music, hands down the Bose - I'm listening to some Anita Baker right now and it is incredibly vivid. For watching a movie - I'll find out on my next flight as I'll fire one up on the tablet. I'll update later.

My take - it's like foie gras or liverwurst - both are good (actually I like liverwurst a lot) but you pay for what you get.

sorry for the stream of consciousness, not well thought out comments, but I'm between flights and have to go board soon.

arjunrc

Thank you! I'd also be interested in hearing your opinions on in-ear comfort for a prolonged time.The reason I ditched my etymotic earphones and moved to AT was they would hurt me after 4+ hours of constant use. No hurry, on this though.

Oh, and looks like besides owning the 33is, we have another thing in common: I prefer liverwurst too.

JMN57

I won't say that I prefer liverwurst - I like them both and foie goes much better with d'Yquem. relative to movies on a plane, if you have a quiet source, the AT's have the advantage of some amplification. beyond that, the Bose win hands down. the earpiece is comfortable (maybe too as that is related to the fit/seal.

2old4coach

I started this thread back in June I am grateful for all the contributions.
I got my 20i yesterday at the Boze shop in the G gate area of DFW.
I found the sound quality and the noise cancellation better than my previous Bose 2 and Bose 15! Voice cancellation seems better than my 16's. I had a couple of older gentlemen right behind me on the plane (my age..) who must have been deaf, talking quite loud to each other, the 20I did a good job of muffling their voices, even when not connected to a music source. I also used the 20i as "sound blockers" for the 3.5 hr flight to SFO comfort level was good for "in ear" phones , and they stayed in place quite well. I watched a move with the Airline sound source and was amazed at the near total cancellation of backroom noise! The true test will be in a few week when I take a flight on the weekend, with children on board, If they can take care of screaming babies ( whatever the age) I will be exuberant! I am very pleased so far. When I got them home I showed then to my wife, I think they are hers now....( I got her a set of B&O earphones last month and returned them after one listening session.)
I may have to buy a second pair of 20i's, They take up so much less space than my 15's!
Cheers to all for your reviews!

Josh125

I picked up a pair while in Portland this week...no sales tax ^ I used them on my return trip today from PDX-IAH and was quite happy with their performance. I found them to be more comfortable than my QC 15s with equal or marginally better noise cancellation. My only reservation is the short plug form the control box (?) to the audio jack. I believe I read earlier that it would just be covered under warranty and I agree with that. I used the IFE nearly the entire flight and had no issues with audio performance or clarity.

This flight was mid range for me however will be on a longer haul to ANC the week after next. I'm looking forward to giving them a more adequate test on that trip. Safe travels everyone

emma69

I got a pair of QC20is this week. Does anyone else find the pressure cause by the noise cancelling uncomfortable (a bit like before your ears pop on an airplane). Any suggestions on making it less bad (because I think the noise cancelling is amazing, and none of the over the head versions, Bose, or other brands I have tired on, actually fit my head (headband doesn't go small enough!) )

DYKWIA

I tried to get a set yesterday in the UK. Not available until 2nd September Grrrrrr

2old4coach

I tried in Munich, at the Bose display and again in Singapore and London last week no Joy, So I was happy to see the DFW Bose Kiosk still had them in stock. They had plenty.

arjunrc

Well, that's great feedback so far. I used to love my old QCs but left them for ATs (which are excellent BTW) only because a) I could not sleep with a QC on on a lie flat bed and b) It would stop working when it does not have a battery. Looks like this new version has solved both issues. I look forward to acquiring one!

JMN57

after further use, I do feel fit/seal (for me) is a small problem. I was on an AA CRJ700 in 3A (solo F seat). noise cancelation did great but pax in 3B/C were talking and I could clearly hear the conversation. I believe a tight seal would block it. the noise suppression killed all the background noise leaving their conversation clear (with no audio playing).

that said, they are a joy to listen to music with.