My wife’s after some.  At what point does it stop being money well spent and start being showing off or audiophilia?

She’s not overly bothered about sound quality but the more noise cancelling the better.  I’ve tried a few good ones around £150 ish on discount, but I’m not sure how the likes of Cowin off Amazon compare.

I’m perenialy looking for this. TBH I should probably just buy the Bose QC 35 IIs and have done with it. They can be had for around £250 on eBay.

There are some on 7day shop which are supposed to be well regarded though.

Maybe these https://www.7dayshop.com/products/evodx-harmony-active-noise-cancelling-bluetooth-headphones-with-music-sharing-inc-case-ev-035

Not sure about cheaper ones but I have the Bose in ear.   I like to travel light and wanted something that fits in a pocket rather than a large bag.   Picked them up on offer at the outlet.   They are amazing.  I can’t believe how much noise they take out.  Over head ones must be sublime.

depends what she means by noise really – on a flight you can “remove” the engine/wind noise because it’s constant, even wih no music playing it’s very obviously reduced when the NR is active but I can hear conversations pretty much as I would with non-NR phones on (mine are over-the-ears Lindy ones, about 70 quid I think)

If she wants to drown out voices at work (or home 😉  ) or whatever then I think she needs in-ear “isolating” ones rather than NR unless she’s willing to run them pretty loud

I bought some QC25 off  ebay for the summer flight, I was blown away by them it was like switching off all external noise.

I’ve tried Denon, Sony and Bose. I bought the latter. QC15s. Better noise cancellation, and excellent sound.

When the QC35s came out, I bought them almost immediately (Bluetooth and USB charging both a MASSIVE upgrade) and sold the old ones on to a friend.

I use mine a lot, mainly for flying, and the big plus points for me are;

Wireless – great when around the airport, one less cable to get caught, or to worry about when going through security.

Battery – Have never run out, even with heavy use. Charges quickly via USB.

Sound – It’s very good. OK, not as good as a purer pair of headphones, but…

Noise cancelling – Enough to drown out the droning of a plane and other people, but I can still hear the cabin crew offering to top up my Chablis. 😎

Only slight downsides are the odd different-ended cable connection (I’ve bought a spare in advance, just in case) and that big over ear headphones can be a bit hot and sticky in the tropics.

Iv’e got Bose QC15’s too.

Excellent sound & comfort. Iv’e worn them on a few LH flights & forget I’m wearing them. Noise cancelling is excellent too.

For those of us who more often find themselves on a National Express with wings, would any of these cope with silencing, say, a screaming baby a couple of rows ahead, and a stag party a couple of rows behind?

I have the QC35II’s and they are brilliant. Used them on a packed commuter train daily and they take even roudy bunches down to a very bearable level.

Wouldn’t bother with anything else to be honest. They’re supremely comfortable also

Ok but who’s tried both cheap and expensive ones?  I don’t doubt £300 headphones are brilliant, I want to know the difference between them and the £70-99 ones.

I started out with some £80 Sony noise canceling headphones and they were pretty naff, ended up with Bose QC25’s. As CFH has said, the cable is a PITA and have tangled the cable up a few times in the electric seat mechanism on planes and once mangled one of the plugs so had to source a replacement cable at my destination which was easy enough as there are Bose dealers and outlets everywhere in any half civilised town or city on the globe – and about £25, so wireless ones would be a worthwhile upgrade. Would upgrade mine, but haven’t had their value from them yet.

Noise cancelling works great for me….when the battery is strong will pretty much perfectly cancel out everything…crying babies, everything. batteries last about 2 to 3 long haul fights for me (1xAAA) – and they are on from before push back to arrival at the destination gate. The only thing I’d say is music sound quality is not quite as good as with noise cancelling turned on, but not an issue for movies, and I detect a sort of white noise thing….not so much a sound, more of a sensation. Not unpleasant and you get used to it, but gives you a bit of a strange sensation for a short while as you start using them.

Also make sure you can sleep on your back because with over ear headphones you won’t be lying on your side to sleep. I only use mine on planes and in airports. They’re not that bulky really….they fold up into their nice pouch so easily fits in any bag you might have with you…hang off your neck nice and comfily.

Also the Bose warranty and support is legendary. My dad bought some QC15’s from a mate when they were about 2 years old. He had them for a year an used them quite alot. After a time the leathery plastic coating around the padding started to come away in small black flakes, he emailed Bose to enquire about purchasing some replacement ear padding pieces and they sent him a brand new pair of replacement headphones…no questions about being the original purchaser or anything. So you can’t argue with that support.

Whatever you decide on, Bluetooth is inferior sound quality to cable connection.

Bowers and Wilkins PX here…

Price/quality line – cheap sounds cheap, expensive sounds expensive. Mine were £350 and sound great. Law of diminishing returns kicks in at some point, more so with Hifi than most other consumables.

Being a tight wad, I bought a pair of these. They work passively at home every bit as well as they do on a plane with NR activated. Sound quality is more than acceptable for £50 and being over ear, rather than on or in ear, they are dead comfy. Aircraft drone is vastly reduced but conversation, while dulled, still gets through. You can remove the cable and just use them to reduce background noise without playing music through them. Well worth it and have been reliable for over 5 years of regular use.

EDIT Tried my brother’s Bose QC headphones before buying the Goldrings. There was less white noise with Bose, compared to the Goldrings with NR switched on, but they were less comfortable and 5x the price.

I started out with some £80 Sony noise canceling headphones and they were pretty naff, ended up with Bose QC25’s.

How did they compare purely on noise cancelling terms?

6 years+ with some of the original Bose QC35. The wire is occasionally a bit of a pain, but otherwise they are sublime. They really make planes and trains vastly more comfortable places to be.

My only direct comparison was with some Sennheiser in-ear types which claimed to be noise cancelling (by virtue of acting as ear plugs). They were shit.

First up – I can’t answer your question. I only have Bose (they are great).

I would recommend in-ear ones. If you want to sleep on a plane or anywhere you’ll inevitably lean on your side at some point, which would be impossible with on-ear ones.

– cheap sounds cheap, expensive sounds expensive.

My £40 Sony MDR-EX650s have better sound than my Bose QC35s.

When sitting in a quiet room listening.

My QC35s have waaaaaay better sound at 35,000ft above Greenland.

Horses/Courses.

I got some Lindy ones form Richer sound and I really like them.

https://www.richersounds.com/headphones/lindy-wireless-bluetooth-noise-cancelling-mic-closed-back-headphones.html

I had some PX’s on 60 day trial and sent them back-lack of top end fine detail annoyed me so now have some Sony WH1000XM2 to try. Noise cancelling and detail is better but comfort may be an issue as they press on my ears a bit-the PX’s were heavy but very comfortable. Most reviews rave about the B&W’s so I wonder if mine were faulty. The B&W app was rubbish too-took a minute to connect to my phone even though the phones were already connected.

The noise cancelling on the £80 Sony’s I had was a joke. Seriously, it was £80 down the drain. My Bose came in at £240 I think and the additional cash was worth it in my experience…not cheap I understand…it was a big decision for me to take the plunge and I had £100 of Amazon vouchers to burn off which took the sting out of it, but I’ve not regretted it for a second.

It was a good few years ago now so I’m sure £80 noise cancelling headphones have come on a bit from those woeful Sony’s I had….but from the reviews so have Bose headphones as they continue to develop their technology…the QC35’s are supposed to be better than the QC25’s for example. But the law of diminishing returns always applies, so not sure where that tipping point is.

I think at the cheaper end of the scale you’re probably better off going with technology that blocks out outside sound like those buds that mould to your ear to block out outside sound, rather than going for active noise cancelling technology.

Whatever you decide on, Bluetooth is inferior sound quality to cable connection.

True….but often not as bad as MP3, so your only as good as your weakest link, which will probably be MP3 sound quality unless you’re very picky about your MP3’s. With in-ear buds I can’t tell the difference…but I can tell the difference with my Bose between high quality MP3, which I have on my phone at 256kb/s, and Apple Lossless, which I have on my laptop – Apple Lossless is noticeably better quality. So depends what source you’re listening to.

I tried loads over several weeks and shortlisted the B&W P7’s and the Sennheiser M2 AEBT. Both had very subtle noise-cancelling. The Bose I found to be too active and spoilt the music.

In the end, Sennheiser won but it was marginal. Both were very good.

Superb sound and a delight to wear. And that 4 hour flight on Sleazyjet. Silence. I couldn’t hear the engine noise at all and it was extraordinary and I spent quite a lot of time taking them off and putting them back on again like a child delighting in how quiet my journey was.

As for crying babies, announcements and all the other hard to block noises, while they weren’t eradicated, it was a very very pleasant journey and I was constantly amazed at how noisy the aircraft was every time I took them off.

They are expensive (£269) but worth it (for me). And away from the noise of chavs and screaming babies on a plane, listening in the comfort of my house, it’s been like I’m discovering my music collection all over again. The sound and detail is amazing.

Would highly recommend.

I’ve got some Sony WH 100XM2’s

Very comfy perhaps not quite so as the BOSE, however better noise cancelling.  Sound quality is ok, I wouldn’t say stunning though

Lots of fancy techy gizmo stuff on them.  Can be Bluetooth or cable, never used the cable, why would you ??

Paid £200 from John Lewis

We have a pair of Sony WH-H900 that we primarily bought for our youngest son who has a few sensory issues , the noise cancelling function works great for him in loud crowd/music/motor racing situations . The sound is pretty good on them but they aren’t fantastic for people with small heads ( my wife struggles to keep them on). Battery life is amazing we get over 20 hours use easily. Bought ours on an Amazon treasure truck deal for £99.99.

There have been reports of them buzzing a bit from the right ear when using the noise cancelling function but I haven’t noticed it on our set.

Got the Sony 1000xm2 as well based on great reviews and got a good discount at Dixon’s at the airport. They’re great. As people have said, cut out constant background nose like traffic noise or engine noise brilliantly, less so voices and suchlike. Listened to quite a few in John Lewis and the more expensive ones seemed to have less hiss (white noise) and cancelled noise better. Didn’t try any of he cheaper amazon specials or suchlike – based on reviews seems that they were perfectly ok, but tend to have quite a bit of white noise.

I will take any opportunity to talk about noise cancelling headphones! I have tried a few pairs of cheaper (£80ish sony and panasonic) ones, and they dont stand up. Less comfortable, sound worse, noise cancelling a bit shite.

I have a pair of QC35 II and a pair of QC 3s.

I didn’t realise how much passive noise I was exposed too – they make a huge difference to my day to day life, but its especially noticeable when travelling.

The QC35s are one of my prised possessions, they come everywhere with me, have survived 3 years of twice monthly long haul flights, trains, gym sessions (not recommended – a bit sweaty), shitty hotels, loud offices etc etc and have never missed a beat. Put them on and you are suddenly in a peaceful place. Battery lasts forever, and takes a standard charger. They work as passive headphones if you run out of battery. They are comfortable for long time use (I once did 16 hours without removing them). These were bought to replace the QC3s because I wanted wireless and over ear.

The QC3s were given to my boss to try out on our last flight. We got to our connecting airport, and the first thing he did was go and buy a pair of QC35s. His wife now has a pair too, and apparently no longer hates flying.

£300 odd quid on headphones is a lot, but once you’ve experienced how much of a game changer they are you wont regret spending that money.

My advice – get any of the expensive ones, but make sure your wife tries them on for as long as possible and the fit is right.

If she wants to drown out voices at work (or home) or whatever then I think she needs in-ear “isolating” ones rather than NR unless she’s willing to run them pretty loud.

This, and to do that effectively, you need triple-flanged eartips, like proper industrial plugs for hearing protection. The noise reduction is around 26dB, which means most noise is diminished to the point that it’s unnoticable when playing largely acoustic music at a comfortable volume. If you choose phones with replaceable cables using MMCX connectors, like Shure, then you can get a replacement cable with a remote and a BT module, allowing the ‘phones to be used wirelessly, for about £50. Made by MeeAudio.

First up – I can’t answer your question. I only have Bose (they are great).

I would recommend in-ear ones. If you want to sleep on a plane or anywhere you’ll inevitably lean on your side at some point, which would be impossible with on-ear ones.

Agreed but the Bose in-ear BT ones have a really annoying and uncomfortable “collar” thing which was a deal-breaker for me 🙁

Very comfy perhaps not quite so as the BOSE, however better noise cancelling.  Sound quality is ok, I wouldn’t say stunning though

Sound quality does depend on how they are talking to your device. The WH-1000MX2 have AAC, aptX, aptX HD, LDAC codecs, so should sound better than OK. The app will tell you what method you’re using.

There should be some decent deals on the WH-1000MX2 coming up as the WH-1000MX3 is being released next week.

You definitely get what you pay for with noise cancelling.  I have the Bose QC35s, very good headphones.

It used to be that if you wanted the best noise cancelling, you went Bose, and Sony for the best sound, as there’s a bit of a trade-off.  That may have changed with the new XM3 from Sony, which also means you can get a good deal on the XM2.

The Bose bluetooth doesn’t support AptX, so you can hear some compression but they’re fantastic with a cable connection.  Also depends on whether you like the Bose “sound” (which I do).

Just get Bose, even older ones like QC15s have noise cancelling that surpasses pretty much everyone else and they are light and comfy.

If she likes her music, appreciates good sound, wants something with a bit of oomph on the listening side of things, then it does get a bit more complicated.

FWIW, having been through a great number of the major NC headphones – I landed on the Sony WH-1000mx2s.

I got some Lindy ones form Richer sound and I really like them.

https://www.richersounds.com/headphones/lindy-wireless-bluetooth-noise-cancelling-mic-closed-back-headphones.html

I spent far too long browsing and reading reviews of wireless headphone and finally settled on these – arrived last night and (as soon as I get my coffee) about to pair them and try them out. Seemed to be the best option without spending £250+ on the Sonys or Bose. Just hope the reviews of the Lindys are true about them blowing anything similar at £80 out the water.

QC35 from the Bose outlet – mine were “factory refurbs” from their try them and return them if you don’t like them scheme. Effectively this meant I got a B&W cardboard box not a colour one – otherwise identical. Something like £240-250 (they negotiate!) when the cheapest I could get a grey import was £280 and full Bose warranty and return scheme.

We don’t really have £300 to throw around on consumer electronics of course, that’s why I started the thread. People on STW always assume you’re just being miserly rather than actually poor.

More interested in how the £100 ones compare in terms.of notice cancelling to the ones we can’t afford.

molgrips, reviews like this are what tempted me to the try the £80 Lindys:

https://www.whathifi.com/lindy/bnx-60/review.

First pair of noise-cancelling headphones for me so unfortunately have nothing to compare against.

More interested in how the £100 ones compare in terms.of notice cancelling to the ones we can’t afford.

They won’t be as good?

How about something like…

https://centresdirect.co.uk/p-23690-sony-wi-1000x-wi1000xbce7a.aspx

or

https://centresdirect.co.uk/p-23663-sony-wf-1000x-wf1000xbce7a.aspx

I had some QC 15s …. they were very poor quality.  The PVC on the headband and the ear cuffs started to degrade.  So on vacationin the USA on year, I meationed this to the Bose outlet … and they replaced them (after 7 years) for , i think, it was 99 USD.

The new set are better made – but the battery compartment clip is still just absolutely rubbish.

I now have teh in-ear versions – which are very, very good … and it means I can sleeep with them in on long haul flights.  Cost about 160 GBP in Germany a few years ago.

I would like wireless ones but find that the vinyl used on most overear noise cancellers makes you ears sweat to buggery on onver heated long haul flights.

The those cheapy ones look good ….

Once bought some cheapy Panasonic ones … they were awful

With regards to your question: noise cancelling on the cheaper ones is perfectly acceptable, and if you are in a noisy environment, chances are that you will never notice a little white noise anyway… I suffer from tinnitus and the drone from engines gives me a splitting headache. I used SONY and Lindy before splurging for more expensive ones.

I tried several pairs before I bought my new pair… In the end I got an unbelievable deal on a pair of BeoPlay H9. Unbelievable sound quality, great noise cancelling, good battery life, more comfortable than the BOSE Q-series for me. And the luxury feel of those lambskin earpads is just pure heaven!

I see no reason not to try something cheaper, I do not think you will be disappointed.

I’m a big fan of my Bose QC15s which have been going strong for many years now.  For those who want to go wireless without upgrading to the new ones, I bought one of these recently and it’s a really neat solution.  Probably compromise a bit on quality over a cable, but work well.

Cheers, Rich

First of all, I haven’t tried a vast swathe of expensive noise cancelling headphones – in fact, really only one pair – the £300 Sony ones that seem quite popular; I think it’s these ones: WH-1000XM2.

A colleague has got a pair. Speaking with her about them, apparently she went round loads of shops listening to various ones at around that  price & reckoned that those ones had the best mix of noise cancelling performance & sound quality.

I was very impressed with them, but no way I was going to pay £300 for some headphones. I ended up getting some cheaper Sony ones that get half decent reviews – the ZX770BNs.
She asked to borrow them for a bit to see what they were like, as she had wanted to try them, but the battery was flat at the only place that had them in stock when she went looking, so she discounted them.
After a short listen, she reckoned that the noise cancelling was almost as good as her £300 ones. She actually seemed a bit shocked that they were as close.
I suspect some of the difference is in the actual deadening effect of the headphone construction itself. Her ones have larger pads and the whole thing just seems ‘thicker’ so I guess there is more passive deadening going on, as well as the active noise cancelling.

The Lindy mentioned above are supposed to be very good. They were on my shortlist, but I don’t think the battery life is as good as the Sony I ended up going for.
I suspect that you wouldn’t be disappointed with the noise cancelling capabilities of a pair of headphones around the £100 mark – you would probably notice the difference between those & a set of £300 ones. But if you aren’t constantly doing back to back comparisons of them, it is largely irrelevant.

This is good stuff thanks guys.

So whilst we are on the subject, I might like some too – but over-ear phones always make my ears too hot.  Any suggestions on in-ear ones for a similar price?