I have a pair of Sony ANC earbuds and a pair of Jabra ones; the hear-through setting, which I use for cycling, amplifies external sounds with the volume setting. You can easily hear traffic and bells. I have a pair of over-the-ear ANC, and in ambient flight mode, on a plane I can hear the conversation of people two rows back.
ANC in hear-through mode is pretty incredible, too.
I bought the OpenRun for my bicycle commute. Listening to podcasts without the danger of blocking out traffic noise is just neat.
I have a pair of Sony ANC earbuds and a pair of Jabra ones; the hear-through setting, which I use for cycling, amplifies external sounds with the volume setting. You can easily hear traffic and bells. I have a pair of over-the-ear ANC, and in ambient flight mode, on a plane I can hear the conversation of people two rows back.
ANC in hear-through mode is pretty incredible, too.