Which noise-canceling headphones should I buy?

[poincaraux]

I don't know a lot about audiophile-type stuff, but I'm going to buy a nice pair of headphones. I'll mostly be using them at work. We have a loud computer cluster near my desk, and I'd like some sort of noise-canceling headphones to get rid of the constant fan noise. Muting other conversations in the lab would also be nice, but I know that you can only expect so much from noise-canceling technology.

I browsed through the archives and found this thread, which had some good information. It seems like the best options are the Sennheiser PXC 250, Bose QuietComfort 2, and Sure E5c. There's one really annoying guy in my lab who always wants to talk about useless crap. The larger models (Sennheiser and Bose) have the advantage that they send a visible "I'm busy" signal.

So .. anybody have any advice for me?

[Macdaddy Warsaw]

I have a pair of Sennheiser HD 280 Pro's. They're about $200 but I got them for $80 off Amazon one day while they were on sale. I think they're like 22 dB or something of noise-reduction. I can't comment on your choics, but I'd figure I'd give you something that's working for me.

[poincaraux]

That's definitely good information. Thanks. It also led me to this review page, which seems useful.

[Macdaddy Warsaw]

Yeah, I just read the review for my headphones and agree that they are VERY comfortable, if you've begun thinking about these as an option.

[poincaraux]

How'd you pick the Sennheiser HD 280 Pro's? Various reviews, trying them on in stores, just finding something on Amazon that looked good?

[Macdaddy Warsaw]

Well, when I get them they were selling for $200 normally and Amazon had a sale for $80. I found a review on some website and looked at user reviews and figured if it's worth $200 and I can get it for $80, mise well.

[Eegs]

I love my bose QC2, got off eBay for $250

[poincaraux]

I was tempted by the Sennheiser 250s or 350s, but I was a little worried about the actual shape of the headphones (they're the smaller style that fits on your ear, rather than the larger style that completely encompases the ear). So, I went to the local Circuit City hoping to try on a pair.

Me: "Do you mind if I try these on?"
Service Guy: "Actually, our policy says that you can't."
Me: "These are $150 .. I don't really want to buy them without trying them on."
My wife: "Can we return them?"
Service Guy: "Yup. You can return them for a full refund anytime within 30 days."
Me: "OK ... I'm going to buy them and return them next week, then .. is that ok?"
Service Guy: "Yup. The store policy is dumb, but I didn't make it."

So, I picked up a pair of the Sennheiser 250s. I really like them, but my wife and labmates have some trouble. The headphones don't really fit their ears, so they don't get much out of the noise-cancellation. I'd like my wife to be able to wear them, so now I'm deciding between the Bose QuietComfort2s and the Sennheiser 280 Pros.

The Sennheisers claim up to 32dB of "ambient noise attenuation" while the Boses look like they're around 20dB (I couldn't find a definitive answer). I'm not sure I understand the difference between all of the related Sennheisers (HD280 Pro vs. HD280 Silver).

Has anyone tried both the Bose and the Sennheiser models? There isn't a nearby store where I can try on the Boses, so I'd love it if I could hear about some direct comparisons before I buy.

[Mason Hellmuth]

I [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] Shure E3.

[jakethebake]