3. Creative HN-700 Headphones

While the Aurvanas are so small that you could forget you're wearing them, the HN-700s go to the other extreme, with large cushioned cans that cover your ears completely, and a cushion inside the adjustable headband so you can fit them snugly enough to stay close to your ears. They're large enough that the two AAA batteries to drive the noise canceling circuitry fit into the left ear, leaving the on/off switch and volume control on the back of the left earpiece rather than in a lump on the cable. They're lighter than some large headphones, and because you want a snug fit for the noise canceling to work, the weight is taken by your head. Even so, you wouldn't want to wear these for jogging. The cushioning can keep your ears warm, but this is only a problem in the summer (and probably quite welcome on a cold day!)

For large headphones they're as portable as you're going to get: the headband hinges in the middle and the cans swivel to fit under the curve of the band. The catch that you must undo to fold them up is a little awkward to push, and the size of the cans means that even folded, they take up a lot of space. The cable detaches so you can store it inside the cans (or buy a replacement if it's damaged) and it all goes in the large leatherette bag, which has a smaller inner section to keep your MP3 player in as well.

Turning the noise canceling on without music playing is rather like instantly stuffing cotton wool into your ears: outside sounds are immediately muffled. When you listen to music, voices aren't cut out completely, though they are reduced; you will still hear someone talking who is facing you. Background noise is what's cancelled out the most, so you won't hear music playing in the background, and the rumble of an airplane engine is significantly reduced. The lower the volume of the music you're listening to, the more you'll hear the white noise that the headphones create, but at a reasonable volume you'll be hearing your own music more than anything else.

The HN-700s don't cut out as much sound as the Aurvanas, and the sound quality isn't as good either. The sound is warm and pleasant, rather than crisp and clear, and everything is slightly muffled, with a little too much emphasis on the bass. But they're remarkably cheap for active noise canceling headphones.