You basically get what you pay for here. They are not expensive and do a decent job of canceling the noise. "However" they are quite "fiddly" to fold and unfold (after many trips with them I still have to experiment until I get it right), and if you have a large sized head, like mine, they could use an extra inch of length on both sides to fit completely in the center of my ear without pulling them uncomfortably tight down on my head. Beware 'cause you can't try them on at Amazon.com! I have had no issues with the position of the battery case on the cord like other reviewers. You just get used to it being there and it's always easy to find when you need the switch or to change the battery.

I bought these to replace a pair of Sharper Image noise cancelling headphones which were stolen at the gym. I used the recently on a commercial flight and they did eliminate a lot of the background rumble from the airplane. My seat-mate had the Bose mid-range noise cancelling headphones (quiet comfort...2 I think) and we traded for a bit to compare. I noticed no difference in the noise cancelling abilities of the two sets. (I did not listen to enough music with the Bose to do an extensive sound quality comparison).

Pros: Folds to about the size of a large sunglasses case. Fairly lightweight. Decent (but not perfect) noise cancelling. Good sound quality in the mid-range (I heard things in my music I never knew were there)

Cons: The separate battery thing is a little awkward, as mentioned in other reviews. And I could still hear screaming babies on the plane.

Overall: I am happy with my purchase. They are great for travel, especially considering the small size and light weight. Also you can share them with someone else (unlike the ear canal models which would be just too personal to share). For me it was a good intersection of price and performance (1/3 the price of Bose but the same noise canceling ability...and less space in my carry on).

I got both my Sansa 4GB mp3 player and these headphones early - I was so happy. It was practically a week before their due date and personally I was getting angry with other purchases from this site that took soooooooo long.

Anyway, so I'm all, "I GOT MY FIRST SOUND CANCELLING HEADPHONES!!!" and I pop them in and start jamming. I'm a rock music fan, especially with bands like 5FDP or All That Remains - basically, really hardcore heavy stuff. Instantly I notice something is up - THERE WAS NO BASS. Needless to say I nearly flipped. $80 or so right down the tubes.

Finally losing the persona of a typical consumer, I read the instruction manual. The little noise cancelling stick thinger actually increases the quality of your music as well - or so I found out after I popped in 2 AAA batteries. I've never heard ANY headphones, no matter what equalizer setting you have them on, have this great of sound quality.

I clapped my hands a few times to see how well these worked. I could still hear it so I assumed maybe I had wasted a bit of money. I flipped through a few screens on youtube and started playing Two Weeks (All That Remains) on high quality (add &fmt=18 to the link at the end) and then nearly fell off my chair when my friend appeared next to me. I couldn't even hear a word of what she was saying!

Such a great buy for its price - they're fashionable as well as high quality. :D

These headphones are FANTASTIC for planes!! They're great at drowning out the constrant droning of the jets, and generally make the ride more peaceful. Also, wonderful for studying in noisy environments. You still hear the higher-pitched frequencies, such as voices, but they are muted and much less noticeable than when used with other, non-noice cancelling headphones. The little cylindrical attachment that holds the batteries can be a little annoying at times, but it's not a big deal--often, it's just a conversation piece, and I'd say it's worth the smaller size.

I bought them after reading all the reviews and having prior good experience with Sennheiser products. I haven't been disappointed, they're comfortable and pretty efficient at killing sound. I bought them for long distance travel but have actually started wearing them for general non-flying use, so that is a decent endorsement of sound quality (normally use a pair of Grado 80's at home).

One thing I really don't like - the separate 'wand' really is a pain, it would so much nicer if they could have found a better solution. Still a good product though and a very decent price on Amazon.