Just as the title states, I’m looking for something that’s going to isolate me from the outside world as much as possible. I’m about to go on vacation and that means a long 6 hour flight in which I have two options. Get blitzed or listen to music. I’d rather spend most of my time drunk on a beach and not drunk a mile up (alcohol hits harder up there).
Now I know there are ANC solutions out there, however that would mean sacrificing sound quality. Personally I’ve heard the Bose QC35 II and I was very impressed with the ANC and sound quality when they only had to block out the minor city noises. The Bose Sales rep thought I was weird when I started cranking up other speakers in the store with airplane noise to listen to the ANC in a more demanding environment. He was more so thrown off when I told him they sounded like someone had used old man ball-sacks as earplugs and then put on headphones to listen to music. For some reason he didn’t get that analogy…weird.
So I’m reaching out to all of you; what is, in your opinion, something that will isolate me from the outside world as much as possible?
I’d rather not wear earplugs and then throw on my Ether CX headphones to listen to music. Would sound better than the Bose but wouldn’t have anywhere near the same ANC effect.
I know ANC is going to always trump passive isolation but I’m just looking for alternatives. That or I pull the trigger on some Sony WH1000XM3 which apparently sound better than the Bose but have a slightly lower quality ANC (have not compared the two or even listed to the Sony’s).
EDIT: Yes I did watch DMS’ take on the QC35 and saw that he briefly touched on the XM3 but it sounded like he only heard them as a one off thing and didn’t actually have a chance to compare the two. That being said, even he is admitting to the faults of the QC35 but he’s forgiving it simply because the ANC provides a large enough benefit that it counters the poor sound quality. Again I realize that passive noise isolation can’t really compete with ANC. I’m just curious.