<p>I think about this every time I have an upcoming flight and I am tempted just to buy the darn things and be done with the decisionmaking . . . So all of you who love your Bose noise-canceling headphones, please tell me how much better they are than the $25 headphones I can buy from Target . . . Or enlighten me about a different brand . . . or tell me I should just stick with the $25 set . . .</p>
<p>Can only comment on the Bose…amazing noise cancellation on planes. Have not had any “cheapies” come close to the quiet of Bose. They are also comfortable…</p>
<p>Frugal H lost his…and didn’t bat an eye at replacing them.</p>
<p>Hope you get some good answers since I’m considering buying a pair of these expensive things.</p>
<p>DH who is a frequent flyer won’t travel without them!</p>
<p>This was son’s first request in college; nothing compares to the Bose</p>
<p>I have noise canceling Bose. Fiancee has Bose, but not the noise canceling Bose. He takes mine when I’m not going with him. When we go together he covets them. It makes a world of difference on long flights.</p>
<p>Check out Sennheiser’s noise-cancelling headphones.</p>
<p>There are some good reviews on youtube, search around.</p>
<p>I don’t own noise cancelling headphones, but when I was staying in a hotel in Germany and was being kept awake at 4 am by loud German revelers (don’t ever book a room on the main street on a weekend in Germany), my friend lent me her husbands Bose noise canceling headphones. They were great. Have always wanted a pair of my own since then but I don’t know when I would use them (maybe if I go back to Germany ;)).</p>
<p>Costco sells AblePlanet NC headphones for $50. DH says they are a teeny-tiny notch below Bose and Sennheiser, but can’t beat the price! If you don’t like them, Costco will take them back within 90 days.</p>
<p>Edit: I saw them for $50 at the store; they are $60 online, shipping included:</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?Prodid=11644899&search=able+planet&Mo=1&cm_re=1_en-_-Top_Left_Nav-_-Top_search&lang=en-US&Nr=P_CatalogName:BC&Sp=S&N=5000043&whse=BC&Dx=mode+matchallpartial&Ntk=Text_Search&Dr=P_CatalogName:BC&Ne=4000000&D=able+planet&Ntt=able+planet&No=0&Ntx=mode+matchallpartial&Nty=1&topnav=&s=1[/url]”>http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?Prodid=11644899&search=able+planet&Mo=1&cm_re=1_en-_-Top_Left_Nav-_-Top_search&lang=en-US&Nr=P_CatalogName:BC&Sp=S&N=5000043&whse=BC&Dx=mode+matchallpartial&Ntk=Text_Search&Dr=P_CatalogName:BC&Ne=4000000&D=able+planet&Ntt=able+planet&No=0&Ntx=mode+matchallpartial&Nty=1&topnav=&s=1</a></p>
<p>I’ve had Sennheiser, Aiwa and JVC noise cancelling headphones. All good, but the noise cancelling of the Bose is much much better. I wear them pretty much every day on the train to work and back, and I’m looking forward to using them on airplane trips. Are the Bose noise cancelling headphones worth 4 x the cost? Only you can decide. But to my ears they are significantly better - a difference you notice instantly when you put them on in a noisy environment.</p>
<p>S bought the Bose before going to college and loves them. It is the one thing he mentions that he uses all the time. He did a lot of research beforehand and nothing compared.</p>
<p>I have some noise cancelling Panasonic ear phones. Got them from Target about $30.
Love them! Work fine for me and the price is good too!</p>
<p>My DH had one of the first generation Bose headphones. Somehow they got broken - no clue when or how. For Father’s Day this year, I took them to a Bose store to see if they could be repaired. The salesman told me that unfortunately this particular model could not be repaired, but for a nominal fee I could upgrade them with the newest & latest model. I accidentally stumbled onto a great deal and he got a brand new pair of Bose headphones for Father’s Day. It’s nice to know that Bose stands behind their products.</p>
<p>Since then, DH has been scanning Craigslist for broken Bose headphones :), but he’s found multiple “wanted” listings for broken Bose, so I think others are onto this game.</p>
<p>I have the Bose noise canceling headphones for the past two years and they’re terrific. Not only are they comfortable to wear and work well on a plane, I also use them when I’m working out at the gym–great for blocking out nearby conversations, banging equipment and other noise.</p>
<p>I have them too, and really like them, especially for the airplane. They are best for blocking out a continuous kind of sound like the airplane noise. I’ve heard audiophiles say that they don’t give the best sound reproduction, but you may (like me) have reached the age where you can’t tell the difference much.</p>
<p>*but you may (like me) have reached the age where you can’t tell the difference much.
*
Thats where I’m at. 
I have some that I am very happy with by Etymotic Research.</p>
<p>One other option to consider is good quality in-ear earphones - ones with tight-fitting foam earpieces. These do a wonderful job of blocking out extraneous noise while providing a great sound experience of what you want to hear, the music (or movie, or whatever). I use Shure earphones, but there are several manufacturers.</p>
<p>Not everyone is comfortable with these, but I love 'em. Many flights per year and subway commute. And, when I don’t want to wear them, I can put them in a pocket - you can’t do that with the Bose headphones!</p>
<p>There used to be a video on youtube where someone set up a dummy head with microphones where the ears are, and measured and recorded the actual sound that a person would hear when using headphones.</p>
<p>They tested 4 or 5 different NC headphones, IIRC the only ones that worked well were Bose and Sennheiser, and Seinheiser was the best IMO. So that is what I got DS for school, plus they were less than half the price of Bose.</p>
<p>This was 3 or 4 years ago, I’m sure there are new models out, and I can’t find that video any more, which is too bad, it was pretty interesting.</p>
<p>I should add that while DH has the new Bose, I have basic wax ear plugs. I use them for swimming & blocking noise on airplanes :D.</p>