The Best Noise-Cancelling Headphones-Time-Saving Summary of Reviewer's Top Picks

It's probably no surprise that Bose beat out the others overall. In four out of six of the review sites, the Bose QuietComfort 3 was the top pick, making it the reviewer's top choice.

This was followed by it's larger predecessor, the Bose QuietComfort 2, coming in at number 2. Another consistent favorite was the lower priced Sennheiser PXC300 which came in at number 3.

Here are the Top 3, together with the Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price:

1. Bose QuietComfort 3 Noise-Cancelling Headphones
MSRP: $349/Amazon Prices: New $349;Used:$329.99
2. Bose QuietComfort 2 Noise-Cancelling Headphones
MSRP: $299/Amazon Price: New:$299; Used:$234.99
3. Sennheiser PXC 300 Noise-Cancelling Headphones
MSRP: $199/Amazon Price: Below $150

Bose QuietComfort 3 Acoustic Noise Cancelling Headphones

The most common negative against both Bose models was that they do not function as headphones, i.e., you can't hear any music, if the battery dies or noise-cancelling is disabled.

The rest of the list is not so clear cut, made up of the next best rated across the six review sites.

These are the headphones which were rated very highly by the different reviewers and are both noise-cancelling headphones and noise-isolating earphones.

Are headphones better than earphones? Although there is an ongoing debate around this subject, my thoughts are that it depends on the individual and personal choice. If you are not comfortable sticking things in your ear, then you probably should be looking at the headphones. If you prefer a more lightweight solution to noise, are pretty active and don't mind earplugs, then you will probably be happier with the earphones. Just my 2c.

Shure E500 PTH/SE530 PTH Noise Isolating Earphones
Earphones (or "canalphones")
MSRP $500
Amazon Price: $348.99
New on eBay: $336
[The E500 have actually been discontinued/renamed but are still available. The new name is the SE530 PTH] These go into your ear canal, hence the name canalphones. Rave reviews and high ratings for their noise-blocking ability and comfort. They have a "push-to-hear" (PTH) button so you don't have to remove them to hear important sounds.

Creative Aurvana X-Fi Noise-Cancelling Headphones
Headphones
MSRP: $300
Amazon Price: $299.99
New on eBay: $199.95 [hard to find on eBay]
PC Mag gave these headphones a high 4.5 out of 5 "Very Good" rating and CNet Reviews also gave them a very good 7.7 out of 10.

Clear Harmony Active Noise-Cancelling Headphones
Headphones
MSRP: $299
Amazon Price: $299.99
New on eBay:$149.99 [hard to find on eBay]
These headphones received a rating of 4 out of 5 from OnHeadphones and a 7.6 out of 10 from CNet Reviews, clearly making them a future competitor to Bose.

Audio Technica ATH-ANC7 Noise-Cancelling Headphones
Headphones
MSRP $220
Amazon Price: $123.99
New on eBay: $117.50
Good rating for comparing well with Bose, but at a lower price. They also still play music when noise-cancelling is switched off or battery dies, which the Bose do not.

Panasonic RP-HC500 Noise Cancelling Headphones
Headphones
MSRP: $200
Amazon Price: $91.50
New on eBay: $105.55
Playlist rated this just behind the Audio-Technica in value for money.
Weighs 6oz and runs on 1AAA battery which the company says will give 40 hours of use time.


JVC HA-NC250 Noise Canceling Headphones

Headphones
MSRP: $199.95
Buy.com Price :$117.99
Amazon Price: $127.31
New on eBay: $75.00
These headphones were rated at 7.7 out of 10 by CNet Reviews. The reviewers noted that they are comfortable and sound quality is good. Another plus is that they can still be used as headphones when the noise-cancelling feature is disabled.

Sony MDR NC50 Noise Cancelling Headphones
Headphones
MSRP: $199
Amazon Price: $92.98
New on eBay: $75 [with warranty]
This over-the-ear unit received a 7.2 out of 10 rating from CNet [the Bose QC2 and 3 got an 8 out of 10 from them] and tied 3rd for noise-cancelling quality with the Sennheiser PXC300 on Seat Guru.

Panasonic RP-HC300 Noise Cancelling Headphones
Headphones
MSRP: $199
Amazon Price: $99.85
New on eBay:$51.00
This headphones were placed first in the price category by Seat Guru. They are lightweight and have good noise-cancelling, but like the Bose, you can't use them as headphones if the battery dies. These would be ideal if you want to sleep on your flight, are not so interested in listening to music and don't want to spend $300 on the Bose headphones.

Logitech Noise Cancelling Headphones
Headphones
MSRP: $150
Amazon Price: $64.00
New on eBay: $48
CNET Reviews gave these headphones a 7.3 out of 10. They have adjustable earcups and according to CNET, good sound quality.

Skull Candy Proletariat Noise Cancelling Headphones
Headphones
MSRP: 99.95
Amazon Price: $69.99
New on eBay: $50.00
PC Mag liked these headphones and give them a very good 4 out of 5 rating for sound quality, noise-cancelling and comfort.

JVC HA-NCX77 Inner Ear Noise Cancelling Earphones
Earphones
MSRP: $79.95
Amazon Price: $43.00
New on eBay: $22
These noise-cancelling earphones were given a high 8 out of 10 on CNet Reviews. PC Mag recommends that if you are on a tight budget and don't necessarily need top of the line noise-cancelling, then you will probably be happy with something from JVC or Sony. Pros for these headphones were a good sound quality plus they are very lightweight at 1.9oz.

JVC HA-NC100 Noise Cancelling Headphones
Headphones
MSRP: $79.95
Amazon Price:$40.99
New on eBay: $34.99
CNet Reviews gave these headphones a 7.7 out of 10 rating. In their favor the reviewer commented on the fact that they are affordable, comfortable and have good sound quality.

JVC HA-NC80 Noise Cancelling Headphones
MSRP: $59.99
Headphones
Amazon Price: $32.95
New on eBay: $24.50
While these headphones are not meant to be for audiophiles, they received some pretty good reviews from CNet and PC Mag, considering their low price. PC Mag gave them a good rating of 3 out of 5 and CNet also gave them good rating of 6.3 out of 10.
They have two modes of noise-cancellation and according to the reviews, good sound quality.

If you have been shopping for a decent pair of noise-cancelling headphones recently, you will have noticed that they seem to be on the expensive side, but it is possible to save a bundle if you know where to look.

Of course, everyone knows that you can always find brand names at bargain prices on the world's two biggest online market places, Amazon and eBay. Even if you don't know the first thing about bidding at an auction you can still find great deals on eBay by looking for the "Buy It Now" listings. Or you could try the "comparison shopping" sites which let you see where the best deals are online.

Here are some links to online sites that may help you save money on Noise-Cancelling Headphones:

Amazon
eBay
Buy.com

Shop.com