[Pelmore]

Hello!
 
I've browsed through the site several times and finally decided to join, also partially because I am looking for some advice on headphones and you guys seem to have it all covered.
 
I'm looking to purchase a nice set of active noise canceling headphones (under ~$500).  The environment that I will be using them in is an architectural studio and as such it can get somewhat noisy (I will also be doing a bit of flying in the upcoming year as well).  I previously had a pair of wireless Sennheiser RS 140's but they just didn't block out enough of the ambient sound.  These headphones will be worn for extended amounts of time (sometimes 18+ hours with the all-nighters that do occur) so comfort is definitely a factor.  I've recently purchased a pair of S4i's (still in shipping) since I've found that alternating in ear to over ear helps with the comfort level during long days.
 
Prior to doing any research I was pretty convinced that I was going to go with either the Bose QC15's or the Monster Beats.  However I am now fairly certain that there are superior headphones out there and if I was going for either of those pairs I would be paying more for the brand as opposed to the quality.  As such some of the headphones that I've been looking into are the PXC 450's and the Audio Technica ATH-ANC7's.  Since I'm not on the cutting edge of headphone technology I'm not entirely certain whether new versions of these headphones are going to be released or if they are any other new up-comers on the horizon.
 
Overall I would like the headphones to be very comfortable and have great noise canceling features.  I like the idea of being able to listen to music even if the batteries go out and I also like the talk through feature the PXC 450 has, however these are more just "icing on the cake" features.  Unfortunately, due to my location, I will be unable to try on and test out the majority of headphones as they are not readily available anywhere (with the exception of the QC15's and Beats).
 
So in the end if anyone would be able to provide some recommendations about the headphones I've mentioned or any other ones on or soon to be on the market, it would be greatly appreciated.
 
Thanks

 

[ethan961]

If all you need is general isolation, I would suggest looking into some closed headphones. Those isolate sound without the help of artificial noise cancelling, which degrades the sound quality. Open cans let in noise - that's not what you're looking for.
 
So yeah, you can get much better value and sound for your money if you look at closed cans compared to ones with noise cancelling if you can live with the isolation closed cans provide, which is physical isolation where the pads seal the noise out.

 

[David58117]

Maybe instead of the S4is you should look into some Etymotics, which are renowned for their isolation.  However the S4s were more bloated muddy bass while the Etys are suppose to be more clean and balanced.