You should be ok! I've never heard of someone protecting their ears and then experiencing problems. The best option is to wear the muffs during takeoff and then when the plane reaches a cruising altitude, wear NC headphones over earplugs. I (and some others here, e.g., @Alue) have worn 3M 1100 foam earplugs during take offs and landings, and haven't regretted it.
So you could wear NC headphones over earplugs throughout the flight. You would also want to not sit at the back of the plane (as the noise is louder there).
You would be proud of me @Bill Bauer. I experimented a little with different things. Sat as close as I could get to the front. Never broke out the X5s. Stuck with plugs and some NC headphone off and on. Used three different apps to measure volume. Never got higher than 68-70 dB while cruising.
No, it was a Boeing. Ninth row. Second flight was a regional jet with the engines far at the back of the plane. Loudest thing on that flight was the PA speaker right above my head. Both flights were pretty short.
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