What are you using for noise canceling headphones?

My first pair of noise canceling headphones is a pair of Brookestones. Although they are over 10 years old, they still work quite well.  I think I paid around $70 for them then.  What’s the ROI on that?  But their day has come and gone and the fake leather is cracking.  So it’s time to get something new.  I have a heavy travel schedule between now and Christmas so some good scull wear will help make the ride more enjoyable. 

Everyone I know has forked out the big bucks for the Bose headsets.  You know, the QuietComfort, QuietComfort 2 or the smaller QuietComfort 3.

There’s just one problem, those babies aren’t exactly low cost.  The QC 3’s are $349.  The QC 2’s are $299.  And they never go on sale from what I can tell.

So while I was at Fry’s yesterday returning a video card, I explored the headphone isle.  They of course carry nearly all of the brands except Bose.  Thankfully.  Otherwise I’d probably have a pair of the QC 3’s.

After studying the various shapes and prices, I snagged the Sony MDR-NC60.  They are similar to the Bose QuietComfort 2 in some ways.  High cost, full ear wrap around, noise cancelling, etc.  They have padding in the band (key requirement) and from the few minutes I wore them last night appears to a really good pair of headphones.

The field testing begins tomorrow.  Everyone is my org is headed to Las Vegas for a team meeting.  The flight to Vegas is the perfect field test.  Three hours from Dallas/Ft. Worth airport to Sin City.  Just enough time to settle in and watch a movie on my Archos 605 WIFI which is coming up on it’s one year anniversary.  I must admit, the Archos player has been one of the most enjoyable purchases I’ve made in a long time.  It has the right balance of screen size (4.3”), capacity (80GB) and video format support.

What are you using for noise canceling headphones?  If the Sony NC60’s don’t work out, what do you recommend?  Are the Bose worth the extra $100?