I've found that electronic noise-cancelling cans can be bothersome after a while (perhaps I'm just sensitive to them - they give me the sensation of "sucking on my ears" when they are turned out...). But I've also found that decent in-ear monitors can do a very good job of blocking outside noise. The key is getting a good seal in your ear. Full sized cans will generally sound better of course, but at the cost of additional bulk and less effective noise cancellation (and audibility to your neighbors for open designs).
Pairing a decent set of IEMs with a nice portable amp can be very satisfying, and not necessarily too $$$. Feed it lossless files from a portable device and you're good to go.
I use a Ray Samuels portable amp at work, and bring it with me on planes/trains too, and really like it (its an SR71A). I use it with IEMs (one of the upper-line Shures - can't remember model name - along with UltimateEars TripleFi 10s) plus my full sizers (Beyer T1 and Audez'e LCD2) and it does a great job. It's a great sidekick to a full-blown headphone amp, or a substitute for one in a pinch.
Pairing a decent set of IEMs with a nice portable amp can be very satisfying, and not necessarily too $$$. Feed it lossless files from a portable device and you're good to go.
I use a Ray Samuels portable amp at work, and bring it with me on planes/trains too, and really like it (its an SR71A). I use it with IEMs (one of the upper-line Shures - can't remember model name - along with UltimateEars TripleFi 10s) plus my full sizers (Beyer T1 and Audez'e LCD2) and it does a great job. It's a great sidekick to a full-blown headphone amp, or a substitute for one in a pinch.