Travel Technology - NC Headphones from Sharper Image

So I read the few posts on NC headphones in this forum and noticed that the reviews that cheap (sub 100$) headphones have got so far have been fairly negative.
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=282935&highlight=sharper+image+headphone

But I am wondering is that only those people who have had bad experiences that have mentioned this and possibly could be attributed to bad luck? Or does nobody have a positive experience with them? Right now SharperImage has the following http://www.sharperimage.com/us/en/catalog/productview.jhtml?sku=FJ450YYY
on sale for $25. I am wondering if I should jump in and get them. I really cant get myself to pay almost $300 for the Bose which I would love to have as a christmas gift though!

Secondly if you do think that these are worth the $25 (and are at least 70% of what the Bose are in terms of NC) then what would be the best way to extract miles out of this?
1. Shop through Delta Skymall
2. Use a Delta SM Amex
???

Thanks for the help!

I've had three pairs of the sub $100 models, I still have one of them.

They are better then nothing, just like a $14 transistor radio with a wrist strap is better on a long drive then no radio at all.

That being said, as we were leaving the US Airways lounge, and the Bose guy was setting up to sell his headphones right outside the door, we bought our second set (our first was the first generation).

For $25 you can't expect the performance of a $300 set (and yo uwon't get it), But it's far superior to not having anything at all.

With a bit of luck, maybe e-cost will have the bose on sale again just before the holidaus las they have had in the past and Santa will get you some.

Those are factory reconditioned headphones. I have seen factory reconditioned Sony NC 20s (I think that is the model, not the earbuds but the cover the ear headphones) on ecost.com for maybe $60. New ones are maybe not quite twice that price. I think it might be worth the $35 extra for the Sonys. I have a pair and they compare favorably with my Bose. They arent quite as good but certainly a much better value.

Through the several threads addressing this, it seems that Bose has (and probably deserves) highest marks. Others, of all sorts of technology and price, appear to have two types of reviews: (a) can't live without 'em and (b)hope someone steals them.

My 2 cents: we bought PlaneQuiets (in May or June) for about $143 net for 2 pair, have used them and loaned them, and all who have used them are quite pleased. Read recently a thread stating that PQ's are shipping something other than a branded PQ set now, so can' t comment on anything after June.

We haven't had them long enough to gauge durability, but they are effective in reducing/cancelling about 70% of flight noise without plugging into a music source. With music, they're probably at least 80-90% effective. And, for about a quarter of the cost of Bose, that suits me just fine.

Good luck ... and, as they say, YMMV.

Reconditioned and box damaged new sonys are often available in their factory outlets if you live near one at some very good prices.

Thanks a lot for your help everyone!

I think I agree that something is better than nothing at all. I will probably go check out a Sony Outlet center somewhere over this long weekend. Definitely believe it might be better to have a Sony as opposed to an unknown brand.

If it works for me - then splendid else - Santa better be good to me this christmas - like I have been for the rest of the year!
:D :D :D

Having owned a pair of NC phones in the past, and also having had the opportunity to compare a set of Bose NC phones side-by-side with a pair of Shure E2's, I have to say that the sound isolation approach is a heck of a lot more effective than any of the active NC technologies that I've experienced.

The canal-phones, with the right fit, shut out far more ambient noise than any of the NC phones that I've tried. I'm able to listen to my music at a normal level, rather than having to elevate the volume to compensate for the noise leakage.

Granted, having something that actually goes in your ears takes a bit of getting used to, but I've always preferred the earbuds to anything that covered my ears (although, if you're familiar with earbuds, the canal-phones are not the same thing) anyway.

Plus, they are lighter, smaller, don't require additional batteries and less prone to breakage since there is no active component to break.

Here's a very good review (http://www.macobserver.com/featurereview/2004/05/07.1.shtml) of canal-phones that someone on iPodlounge had found. It gives a good overview and some recommendations.

I currently use the Shure E3's and I love 'em!