Audiophile Q: Closed vs. noise-canceling headphones?

Factual Questions
1

It seems, for me at least, the body of this message has been lost. Here it is again:

I’m no audiophile myself, but I fly constantly, and occasionally four or eight hours in an airplane seat is my only chance to rest before a meeting. Even when this isn’t the case, some escape from the noise would be welcome. People like Bose have been pushing active noise canceling heavily, but I’m more than a bit skeptical. A concise but compelling dissenting opinion (presented by Headroom IIRC) is that a closed back has comparable noise canceling effects, and the headphones are lighter and better. I understand that it is more difficult to provide quality sound with a closed back, but I’m a very casual listener and I’m not sure I’d know the difference.

I’d be looking to use the headphones for DVD’s on the laptop, my MP3 player, in flight movies (adaptor permitting), and just blessed silence. Which is better, active cancellation or closed back? Also, would not active cancellation still present at least some modicum of stress to your hearing, since it does not block sound but rather adds to it, albeit with an opposite waveform? What about portability? These things can be monstrous!

2
      • I don’t have any noise-canceling headphones myself, but people I know that do say that they work basically perfect.
  • Enclosed/isolation headphones don’t really control outside noise that much unless you really unload the cash for a great pair, and then you’ll end up spending way more than what the noise-canceling ones cost (~$150, for one popular consumer model).
    ~
3

The Bose cancelation headphones work great. My father uses them on his trips (he flys cross country often) I have used them before while traveling, and if I had to travel alot, I would say they are probly the best 300 dollars you can spend to make your flight better (other than first class). The sound quality is not that bad either IMHO.
Ben

4

I didn’t realize how close this question was to being strictly opinion, but I think I’ve got some information that will bring this firmly back into the realm of factual answers. The input about the active noise canceling headphones is much appreciated, thanks!

I decided due to the bulk, and the distinct possibility that I’ll not have batteries when I need them most, to forego active noise cancellation. But this isn’t necessarily a sacrifice. Most of these canceling headphones can attenuate about 10 decibels, mostly at low frequencies. Closed backs can do about the same, though across a broader frequency range. And then there is the option I hadn’t thought about: in-ear headphones are completely passive, portable, and attenuate about 15-20 decibels of outside noise. Just an FYI, I’ve chosen Etymotic’s ER6. Nowhere near as steep as Bose, and will fit my particular needs a bit better.

5

Would you mind telling us how you like the Etys once you’ve had some experience with them? I get a firm impression from the Headroom board’s discussions that Etys are greatly favored for isolation. However, I’ve been loathe to buy them since I have a set of plain-ol’ earplugs that are supposed to cut down noise by 27 dB, but still find the sound that filters through (noisy office mates is what I’m trying to block out) to be distracting.