To put it in numerical perspective, I had my mp3 player on volume 20 with the Bose, and volume 11 with the Shures to get the same level of music.
That says more about the sensitivity of the Bose vs the Shure more than the sound blocking ability.
That said, I have Bose QC-1 (first generation) noise canceling headsets and Etymotics ER-6i (which just my replaced the ER-6) in-ear headphones. I tend to use the Etys much more than the Bose simply because the Etys are easier to pack (I can stuff them in my pocket vs having to make room in my carry-on for the Bose).
The in-ears do work better than noise canceling headphones, but they are not as comfortable for very long usage.
Not pumping however many extra decibels into your ear due to the extra blocking is pretty valuable. I actually found the Shures to be more comfortable than the QC2s for long, but I found the QC3s to be more comfortable than the QC2s as well.
Not pumping however many extra decibels into your ear due to the extra blocking is pretty valuable
Absolutely true, but comparing the DAP volume setting doesn't tell you that. The Bose QC-x are relatively insensitive, so the DAP volume will be on a higher setting regardless of the amount of noise blocked/canceled.
That says more about the sensitivity of the Bose vs the Shure more than the sound blocking ability.
That said, I have Bose QC-1 (first generation) noise canceling headsets and Etymotics ER-6i (which just my replaced the ER-6) in-ear headphones. I tend to use the Etys much more than the Bose simply because the Etys are easier to pack (I can stuff them in my pocket vs having to make room in my carry-on for the Bose).
The in-ears do work better than noise canceling headphones, but they are not as comfortable for very long usage.