noise canceling headphone

I've been thinking about getting noise canceling headphone for long time. What is the best bang for buck noise canceling headphone?
I've tried on Bose around ear headphone and really liked it. But price is too steep for me(139.99 msrp)
any other good noise canceling headphone i can get for decent price?

 

I have the Sony MDR-NC6's which I actually got for free from Dell, but you can buy them for $40 or less online. They cancel most noise out, and it really helps when you're on a plane or train or something; however, don't expect it to cancel out a very trivial sounds.

 

Not that much cheaper, but the Audio-Technica ATHANC7 get exellent reviews.

http://www.amazon.com/Audio-Technica-ATH-ANC7-QuietPoint-Noise-Cancelling-Headphones/dp/B000OMKR8E (Don't let Amazon's list price fool you as these usually go for $150.)

Like flying shoe already mentioned, active noise cancellation only really works best if the noise is consistent, like on a plane. They won't work well if there is variation in sound or volume, like if you're trying to block out TV/radio/talking/snoring roommate.

I think a better option is getting IEMs (In-Ear Monitors), which block out noise. Decent ones usually run $50-60 and can get as high as $500+. The only downside is they go into your ear canal and may take some getting used to. Upside is they are very good at eliminating noise in nearly all environments.

You could also go with a set of closed, full-size headphones. These won't work well as IEMs for noise isolation, but they are more versatile than noise cancellation headphones. Downside is they won't be portable.

 

I have the audio technica ones and they are pretty flipping awesome. had a pair of skullcandy noise cancelling and these blow them away. tried bose too and i like these more. i even dropped mine fully in water and they were still good so its made pretty well.