Can be the best, depending on your needs,

You might be saying to yourself that you can just use earplugs instead of spending $300. And you can. I've used earplugs for the last few years. These headphones are so much more comfortable, they block more noise, and you can actually put on music if you want. It's one of those things that you didn't know you needed until you have it. You'll also notice how you can leave the volume very low on your music player because there's no need to drown out extraneous ambient noise. The perfect headphone for people with tinnitus.

Now, the aesthetics. Let's face it, these look like garbage. Who's the kind of person that thinks these look good? Look at the stock photo. Those are the people. No style, no taste. People who collect glass figurines. Those people. So this purchase is going to strictly be a utilitarian one. Yes, it looks like crap. But more importantly, it neutralizes noise. My God, it's about as close as you can get to enjoying the silence of the night desert while living in the heart of a downtown metropolis.

* Durability/Quality - Don't know, but I would bet against it. - Sorry, I walked into a Best Buy and their display model had the leather of one of the ears completely off. That simply didn't sit well with me. And their warranty is only for a year and you have to pay for shipping both ways. Sorry, if you pay $300 for a set of phones, the LEAST they can do is warranty the thing for two years and pay for shipping if there are any problems. I mean, after all, the assumption is that if you're charging your customer $300 they're getting a superior product in every way and they shouldn't have to worry about poor quality, right? If you're going to give me the same warranty that I can get for a pair of $25 phones, then what am I paying for?

Never again. I got a pair as a gift. After two years, the wiring to the right earphone went bad. Called Bose --"No can repair. We'll sell you a reconditioned set at a discount" ($200 instead of the new price of $300.). Never mind. I bought a used pair on Amazon. The on-off switch was already out of whack and hard to set in the "on" position without jiggling. Then I dropped it on the carpet -- not the hard floor, a thick carpet. One plastic post that holds the right ear cup broke and the cup was left dangling. At this price, construction should count for something, right? I got a pair of Koss Quiet Zone phones I am so far very happy with. No more Bose phones.Love their computer speakers and Wave table radio/CD player. But no more head sets. 

Yes they work as advertised on the first day. The electronics still work fine today but the cheap plastic broke down the side that holds the ear piece in place and allows you to adjust it to your head. The plastic becomes brittle in the sun when left in the trunk of a rental car on a hot day in the case in the luggage. They would be fine if they never left home but that's the point isn't it? For the price I feel totally ripped off. Of course the warranty has expired. I tried various glue and duct tape jobs but the plastic is brittle and stabs me in the head. We love our bose cd alarm clock so much, we bought a second. Overpriced rip off not built to last. Why put good electronics in badly designed, cheap plastic? 

Over the last few years I have purchased three pair of Bose noise canceling earphones. Initially the sound was good. However the first pair developed a static noise. The other two lost sound in one of the earphones. I took each of them to my local Bose dealer who refused to replace them or refund my money saying he could not hear any problem. I will never purchase another Bose product. 

House: When I first experimented them, alone at home, noise reduction was stunning. Turning the noise canceling switch on resulted in cutting away any external noise (air-conditioning humming, fingers snapping in front of my face), music was clear and well rounded.

Traffic: I wore them while walking from home to work in NYC (Fifth Avenue to Madison Avenue) in the morning and afternoon, therefore with significant car-related humming noise. Performance was great, music clear and vibrant, overall a very exciting experience.
 
  SKIL 3540-02 4.2-Amp 7-Inch Wet Tile Saw Husqvarna 125BVx 28cc 2-Cycle Gas Powered 170 MPH Blower/Vac With Smart Start SHURflo 4008-101-E65 3.0 Revolution Water Pump Leatherman 830684 Charge TTi Multi-Tool with Leather/Nylon Combination Sheath and Gift Tin Keyless Electronic Digital Door Lock DEWALT Bare-Tool DC411B 4-1/2-Inch 18-Volt Cordless Cut-Off Tool (Tool Only, No Battery) Delta Michelangelo Two-Bike Gravity Stand (Red Hooks) DeLonghi EW7707CB Safeheat 1500W ComforTemp Portable Oil-Filled Radiator - Black DEWALT Bare-Tool DC411B 4-1/2-Inch 18-Volt Cordless Cut-Off Tool (Tool Only, No Battery) DeLonghi EW7707CB Safeheat 1500W ComforTemp Portable Oil-Filled Radiator - Black Husqvarna 450 18-Inch 50.2cc X-Torq 2-Cycle Gas Powered Chain Saw With Smart Start (CARB Compliant) Schlage BE365VPLY505 Plymouth Keypad Deadbolt, Bright Brass Goal Zero 19006 Guide 10 Adventure Kit with 4 Goal Zero AA Batteries X6675 Lennox 20x25x5 MERV 16 Filter Media for HCC20-28 Watts Premier 531130 Filter-Pure UF-3 3-Stage Water Filtration System Intermatic ML200RT 200 Watt Low Voltage Lighting Transformer, Black YardStash II: Outdoor Bike Storage, Garden Storage and Pool Storage Liberty Garden Products Decorative Non-Rust Cast Aluminum Wall Mounted Garden Hose Reel With 125-Foot Capacity - Antique Finish 704 Streamlight 69220 TLR-3 Weapon Mounted Tactical Light with Rail Locating Keys Makita LCT300W 18-Volt Compact Lithium-Ion Cordless 3-Piece Combo Kit Milwaukee 48-11-1828 M18 XC RED LITHIUM 18-Volt Lithium-ion Cordless Tool Battery Hitachi CG22EASSLP 21.1cc 2 Stroke Gas Powered Straight Shaft Grass Trimmer (CARB Compliant) Fiskars 9240 Telescoping Pruning Stik Gunvault SpeedVault SV500 gun safe Seville Classics SHE18321 Stainless Steel Kitchen Workstation Rubbermaid 3H11 Configurations 3-to-6-Foot Classic Custom Closet Kit, Titanium DEWALT DW089K Self Leveling 3 Beam Line Laser, Black Lasko 2265QM 20-Inch Max Performance High Velocity Floor/Wall mount fan, Silver Sunforce 50022 5-Watt Solar Battery Trickle Charger Black & Decker HPD18AK-2 18-Volt High Performance Drill GE WR30X10093 Refrigerator Icemaker Kit 501 Aprilaire and Space-Gard Replacement Filter (2 Pack) Frigidaire FRA054XT7 5,000 BTU Window-Mounted Mini Room Air Conditioner Lasko 2265QM 20-Inch Max Performance High Velocity Floor/Wall mount fan, Silver Dremel CKDR-01 Three-Tool Combo Kit Waste King L-1001 Legend Series 1/2 HP Continuous Feed Operation Garbage Disposer DEWALT DC012 Worksite Charger/Radio Fenix TK41 Flashlight Rubbermaid 3H89 Configurations 4-to-8-Foot Deluxe Custom Closet Kit, Titanium Porter-Cable C2002-WK Oil-Free UMC Pancake Compressor with 13-Piece Accessory Kit EnviroGro FLT24 2-Foot Four Tube T5 Fluorescent Grow Light System DEWALT DWP849X 7-Inch/9-Inch Variable Speed Polisher with Soft Start ecobee EB-STAT-02 Smart Thermostat 4 Heat-2 Cool with Full Color Touch Screen Husqvarna 6021P 21-Inch 149cc Kohler XT-6 Gas Powered 3-N-1 Push Lawn Mower With High Rear Wheels Vornado AVH2 Whole Room Vortex Heater, Automatic Climate Control KA-BAR 1213 Black Fighting/Utility Knife, Kydex Sheath, 7 in., Plain Makita LCT209W 12V max Lithium-Ion Cordless 2-Piece Combo Kit Black & Decker LP1000 Alligator Lopper 4.5 Amp Electric Chain Saw Magna Cart Flatform 4- Wheeled Hand Truck Porter-Cable 690LR 11-Amp Fixed-Base Router Black & Decker LPHT120 18-Inch 20-Volt Lithium-Ion Cordless Pole Hedge Trimmer Kryptonite New York 1210 Bicycle Chain Lock and Evolution Series 4 Disc Lock (3-Foot x 3-Inch) Mountain 16250 1/2-inch Drive Torque Wrench - 25-250 ft/lbs Suncast PB6700 Patio Bench Lincoln Lubrication (LIN1844) 18 Volt Cordless Grease Gun with 2 Batteries Rheem RTE 13 Electric Tankless Water Heater, 4 GPM Cold Steel Recon 1 Tactical Knife with G-10 Handle Tanto Point with Black Blade, ComboEdge Yamaha EF2000iS 2,000 Watt 79cc OHV 4-Stroke Gas Powered Portable Inverter Generator (CARB Compliant) Reliance Controls 31410CRK Pro/Tran 10-Circuit 30 Amp Generator Transfer Switch Kit With Transfer Switch, 10-Foot Power Cord, And Power Inlet Box For Up To 7,500-Watt Generators Makita LXMT02Z 18-Volt LXT Lithium-Ion Cordless Multi Tool Leatherman 78108003K Juice XE6 Pocket Multi-Tool, Storm Gray John Louis Home Standard Closet Shelving System, Red Mahogany Stack-On IWC-55 Full-Length In-Wall Cabinet Rubbermaid 3H11 Configurations 3-to-6-Foot Classic Custom Closet Kit, Titanium Vornado 660 Air Circulator, 4 Speeds HONEYWELL Portable Air Conditioner with Dehumidifier 12000 BTU Auto Evaporative System No Water Bucket to Empty Hidden Controls Illuminate with Hand Touch Little Giant 15270-001 Flip-N-Lite 300-Pound Duty Rating Platform Stepladder, 6-Foot Moen 7594CSL Arbor One-Handle High Arc Pulldown Kitchen Faucet, Classic Stainless DEWALT Bare-Tool DC330B 18-Volt Cordless Jig Saw with Keyless Blade Change Bosch PR20EVSK Colt Palm Grip 5.6 Amp 1-Horsepower Fixed-Base Variable-Speed Router with Edge Guide Big Berkey Water Filter with 4 7" British Berkefeld Ceramic Filters Husqvarna 440E 16-Inch 40.9cc 2-Stoke X-Torq Gas Powered Chain Saw (CARB Compliant) DEWALT DW618PK 12 AMP 2-1/4 HP Plunge- and Fixed-Base Variable-Speed Router Kit with 1/4-Inch and 1/2-Inch Collets Bosch GLR225 Laser Distance Measurer Kraus KPF-1612 Single Lever Pull Out Kitchen Faucet, Chrome Power Bright PW1100-12 Power Inverter 1100 Watt 12 Volt DC To 110 Volt AC Platinum Tools EZ-RJPRO HD Crimp Tool Black & Decker WM225 Workmate 225 450-Pound Capacity Portable Work Bench First Alert SCO501CN-3ST (Series SCO500) ONELINK Battery Operated Combination Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm with Voice Location Black & Decker WM225 Workmate 225 450-Pound Capacity Portable Work Bench Hoover L2310 GUV 10 Amp 5-Gallon Garage Utility Vacuum First Alert SCO501CN-3ST (Series SCO500) ONELINK Battery Operated Combination Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm with Voice Location Rockwell RK9000 Jawhorse Victor M260 Multi-Kill Electronic Mouse Trap Seville Classics SHE15363 14-Inch by 36-Inch by 54-Inch Dura Style Shelves with Wheels, Chrome Kreg Jig K4 Pocket Hole System Senco PC1010 1-Horsepower Peak 1-Gallon Compressor 100 Foot Globe Patio String Lights - Set of 100 G50 Clear Bulbs with Green Cord Agri Zap RZCOO1 Rat Zapper Classic Samsung DA29-00020B Refrigerator Water Filter, 2-Pack Danby DCF700W1 7.0 cu.ft. Chest Freezer - White Kryptonite New York Standard Bicycle U-Lock with Transit FlexFrame Bracket (4-Inch x 8-Inch) Rainbow Interlocking foam Wonder Mats: 36 Pieces at 12" X 12" X ~9/16" Extra Thick Vacmaster VQ607SFD Stainless Steel Wet/Dry Vacuum Lorex Wireless Accessory Camera LW2711AC1 Kryptonite New York Standard Bicycle U-Lock with Bracket ( 4-Inch x 8-Inch) Lasko 4930 35-Inch Remote Control Oscillating High Velocity Fan, Gray Bare-Tool Makita BJR182Z 18-Volt LXT Lithium-Ion Cordless Reciprocating Saw (Tool Only, No Battery) Gunvault GV2000S Multi Vault Standard Gun Safe DEWALT DW745 10-Inch Compact Job-Site Table Saw with 16-Inch Max Rip Capacity