This may be OT since strictly speaking it's about hardware... I trust it is ok to post it given the spirit of the community, but have my apologies and feel free to remove it if it's not.
I'm looking to replace my old Bose QC25, since they have recently died (after a long a fulfilling life), but it seems everything nowadays is bluetooth (which I don't mind) and require some proprietary app to turn ANC on/off (which I do mind... are physical buttons/switches become too expensive to include in your overpriced earbuds?).
Anyway... do you know of any headphones/earbuds that meet the following?
- can be powered via wire or have batteries that last 12+hrs (long-haul flights)
- have decent noise cancelling
- don't require me to install a apps or can be used with some open source app (possibly with full functionality and straightforward to setup)
- are not overly expensive (I have to buy 2 pairs and I'll only use them a few times a year when I fly)
The Microsoft Surface headphones have a spinning dial on one ear that allows you to set the specific amount of ANC you'd like.
They have an app, but it's only used for firmware updates and changing the action button. You don't need the app at all ever if you don't care about those.
The ANC was not as good as my Sony's, but I can't change the ANC on the Sony's without an app.