Originally Posted by
wco81
I searched for noise canceling Shure and Etymotic on Amazon and it only returned "noise isolating" earbuds. So I don't think they offer active noise cancellation
While it's true they aren't active cancelling, my ER-4's have an NRR rating of slightly above 29, as good as most dedicated foam earplugs. What matters at the end is how much external sound gets to your ears, whether blocking or cancelling. They're a heck of a lot smaller than Bose (or any other) over-the-ears. And sound much, much better.
For really cheap, try Panasonic RP-HJE120. About $10 from Amazon and fully competent. It's not going to match a good Shure/Ety pair, but it will match up well with about anything under $60. I buy them for my kids, in bulk, as they tend to lose a set every 3-4 months. 35,000 ratings on Amazon and 85% 4 or 5 star. Now $6.95-9.86 depending on the color, shipped free.