Based on a couple of themes in this thread, the M4U 1 with an amp seems the way to go. Based on my A/Bs, the noise cancellation of the 2s is far inferior to the Bose QC15s and my Audio-Technica ATH-ANC7Bs, and the ANC hiss is BAD. They're also far less portable and it seems like sitting in a plane is not going to be why these are bought. Rather, sitting at home where, as a number of posts have pointed out, the frequency distribution does not sit well with the ANC response, which peaks in the mid-range and so happens to fit well with eg engine noise. But they sound best in non-ANC active mode, ie they need amping. So the 1s seem like an outstanding passive phone but the 2s seem to fall a bit between two stools. Given the do-over, I would go for the 1s and fund an amp with the saving. Just my 2c based on a couple of A/Bs. And personally, I do find them squeezing my pinneas where the other two sit well clear.