Me too. totally agree. The bought headphones have bulky bags and add weight to the HLO experience. A good pair of NC earbuds works for me and remember with engines behind you, the noise is lessened. (unless top deck of As 380 but then they are below you)
And even better option for some people is sound isolating earphones that fit properly in the ear canal and block external noise. No need for batteries/recharging. Generally better isolation across the full frequency spectrum than active noise cancellation, especially with ear bud type noise cancellation earphones.
However, some people find the in-ear types to be uncomfortable for long duration use. Serious users will have an audiologist take an ear mould and make a customised set of in-ear devices that are both comfortable and maximise sound isolation - the type that a stage performer would use for in-ear monitors.
I have a set of Shure se535 earphones that I find comfortable for long duration use, but use the regular grommets.
Custom moulds and good in-ear drivers range from under $500 to over $3000.
A basic example of custom mould in-ear earphones.
If people are really keen to spend money, 64 Audio have 18-driver versions:
A18t. A bit rich for my wallet, but probably a reasonable investment for a professional musician, and would be amazing for long-haul travel. Claimed isolation is up t 20dB.
10 years ago I helped my daughter with a physicals experiment where we measured the noise cancellation of my Bose QC15 headphones, and under optimal conditions in the frequency sweet-spot for active noise cancellation (100Hz), we measured the cancellation as -22.9dB. But across the entire audible frequency range ANC is never going to get close to the -20dB of good isolation earphones.
Those that have the QC20's 1. Did you haggle in Dj's or were they on sale? 2. how do you find the battery pack size and location when 1. attached to laptop\tablet, 2. When attached to phone? 1. DJ offers price match. Just find somewhere else (Australian) advertising at a price, and they will...
www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au
So, where does leave us? Common over/on-ear NC headphones (Bose, Sony etc.) work well and can be good value for money but can be difficult to wear while sleeping especially for side-sleepers. NC ear buds are generally not as good at NC functions but are smaller, lighter and generally comfortable for most people, but can be problematic for side-sleeping. In-ear isolation earphone, when properly fitted, can provide best reduction of external noise, are generally the lightest option, but can be uncomfortable for long usage unless you spend lots of money on custom moulds.