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To be clear, I really can't tolerate music reproduced badly. I don't like ear buds. At the same time, I like compact, elegant gear. When travelling, weight it important. What do to? I had a day-trip to/from NYC on the train that gave me occasion to try a compact setup: Android tablet, Hifime Android DAC (http://hifimediy.com/DACs/ready-made-dacs/Android-9018-DAC), and Koss PortaPro Limited headphones, with Sennheiser 414 foam pads (a tweak).
Downside? They're not sound isolating.
Upside: Very comfortable, feather-light. Good sound with well delineated highs, well defined lows, realistic midrange. They worked well with the DAC (which was plug-and-play with the Android), I think I had the best sound on the train. Oh, yes this whole set up (phones, DAC, pads) costs about $140 (excluding the tablet, of course). The system serves well with my FLAC and MP3 files, as well as streaming media.
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Interesting thread, as I'm putting together a higher-fidelity away from home system. When actually traveling I use a tablet and Bose QC20 noise cancelling earphones. This sounds pretty good, especially on an airplane where without the NC feature no bass will be heard except the roar of the engines.
But once at my destination I tend to want a higher quality sound, so I will take my Denon HEOS Link as a source, and use it's internal DAC, and a Stax SRS-005MK2 electrostatic earspeaker system. I already had the SRM-252II driver unit from a larger pair of Stax phones, and acquired a barely-used pair of SR-003MK2 in-ear phones. These are very small and portable compared to the full sized model but surprisingly have nearly the same sound quality.
The only problem I found is that when I go back to listening to speakers they sound muffled now!
Ear buds are really the most compact solution, but if you don't like 'em, well, you don't like 'em.
I use a Sony NWZ-A17 DAP. It's so small and light, it's almost invisible. And it sounds terrific. No DAC needed, no using up my phone battery, it's battery life is tremendous. Sony uses some kind of processing (DSEE?) to make lower res files sound great. It also plays HiRes files, and I play my 24/192 LP rips on it. Downside is the user interface isn't very friendly (no touchscreen), but manageable.
https://www.amazon.com/Sony-Walkman-NWZA17SLV-Hi-Res-Digital/dp/B00OCJRX8C/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1487256739&sr=1-1&keywords=sony+nwz-a17
I use Shure 535 IEM's, but like you, find them irritating after awhile, even with the Comply tips. The on-ear cans I use are the Beyer 1350's. They are durable and light, and isolate quite well for on ears IMHO. Another portable on ear to consider is the Senn HD25.
https://www.amazon.com/Beyerdynamic-DT-1350-80-Supraaural-Monitoring-Applications/dp/B004QMH8KI/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1487256826&sr=1-1&keywords=beyerdynamic+1350
Cost is well above $140, another downside.
I am another happy user of the Sony NWZ-A17. I like the interface and it holds a tremendous amount of music. With it I use the Bose QC20 noise cancelling ear buds. Ingenious design, great noise canceling, comfortable and good sound. And I can carry everything in one pocket. About $600 for both.
From the pictures, it looks like the Bose may be in-ear, but there appear to be some small projections to keep them on the outer ear, as would befit earbuds. Are they in-ear, or more earbud-like?
Also sounds like one can turn on or turn off the noise-cancelling - is that right?
My experience with noise cancelling has been that it was usually not very effective and produced unwanted artifacts; I have tended to prefer the isolation of true in-ear (like Etymotics). Do you find the Bose noise cancelling is acceptably neutral?
I'll attempt to answer your questions. I have the QC20 and have spent quite a bit of time listening to them.They do not insert fully into the ear canal. Rather, the cone-shaped piece sits at the entrance to the ear canal and by virtue of its shape, ensures a good seal. The curved 'wing' portion presses against one of the folds in the ear (I'm sure there is an anatomical term for this) and when the whole earpiece is rotated slightly, locks in place. This is the best earpiece by far of anything I have tried. You get good bass without having to insert anything into the ear canal or make an airtight seal, It is very comfortable and can be worn for hours. And it stays in the ear very well.
I give Bose a 10 out of 10 for this design. You do have to select the proper size. Three different sizes are included, the medium size installed out of the box was the right size for me.
Yes you can turn the noise canceling off, but this also turns off the amplifier and the earphones are operating in passive mode (no battery needed). They definitely sound better (more dynamic and alive) with the noise canceling and amp turned on (there is just one on/off switch).
I can't hear any undesirable artifacts caused by the noise canceling, EXCEPT for a slight 'hiss', not unlike tape hiss or a tube preamp that has a small amount of high frequency white noise. This noise in the QC20 is minimal, and in my opinion does not detract from the music. It is easy to 'listen through' the noise to where it isn't noticeable.
In summary I find the QC20 to be a very musical sounding system with good bass and midrange and somewhat rolled off highs. The noise canceling works well, and completely cancels the sound of things like a room air conditioner in the same room. It also largely but not completely cancels the low-frequency roar inside of a jet airplane so you can actually hear the bass in music. The music always sounds better with a silent background. Considering the sound quality, noise canceling and the great fitting and comfortable earpieces I think these are actually worth the asking price.
Edits: 03/02/17 03/02/17
Thank you, kh6idf, for the thoughtful and comprehensive response - very much appreciated!
I've noted that 'hiss' from other noise-cancelling systems, too. It wouldn't be noticeable in a noisy environment, such as an airplane, but in an office where one might want to cancel the A/C sorts of noise, it can be noticeable.
My primary listening environment for earphones such as these would be on airplanes, though, where it's unlikely one could detect the hiss over the tremendous ambient noise level.
You're welcome! The hiss is really not a concern at all. The benefit of the noise canceling in creating a silent background is much more important than a barely-perceptible layer of high frequency white noise. Don't let this discourage you from trying these earphones, they are very nice sounding.
Thanks. I am trying to consolidate devices, so being able to use DAC and headphones with tablet was a consideration.
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