Originally Posted by Mort

I'm surprised no one has mentioned the Etymotic In-Ear Earphones. They are basically ear plugs with speakers in them.

They are very effective in blocking outside sounds, but you can still hear announcements, etc, if you turn down the sound. And the sound is absolutely incredible.

I've been traveling with the ER-4P model for seven years and I wouldn't trade them for anything. They are small, light, comfortable and... perfect.

I wasn't happy with the Bose NC headphones, and some online research brought me to the Etymotics. They are a lot cheaper now than when I bought mine. I paid $300 for them, but they are available for $170 now (Amazon).

The company stands by its product, too. After years of heavy use, one of the earplugs developed a crack. They replaced it.