Originally Posted by
richarddd
I sometimes wonder how the Etymotics compare to my Bose QC20s (or other ANCs) for eliminating noise and for comfort while flying. How do they compare (beyond running circles)?
The QC20s do require charging, but a full charge lasts many hours and you can charge while listening. Great NC and very comfortable.
Comfort - as they are tiny, they are as comfortable as a foam earplug is (or isn't) if you use foam tips (e.g. Comply) The silicon ones are similar. They need to be inserted deep into the ear canal, which might feel weird at first.
Isolation/ANC - one thing is that they isolate across the spectrum, while ANC is tuned towards lower frequencies (e.g engine noise, etc) so the screaming kid behind you gets better through ANC than isolation. Pro or con, you won't hear speech and most anything else either around you - definitely not for biking or driving, IMO. The Ety site lists 35-42 dB isolation for the ER-3, which is higher than most foam earplugs have.
SQ - the Ety is well known for it's neutral and very, very good SQ. (I'm talking about the HF and ER ranges) If you're a bass head, you probably won't like them. Also, they don't introduce any artefacts and extra pressure on the eardrums (as ANC inevitably does)