Just wanted everyone to know that I got these and took them across country via plane, and they were great. Not Bose, but better than my in-the-ear ear buds with noise canceling (better in canceling and sound quality), so that was great.

My favorite thing is probably the comfort, most notably due to the seemingly high quality material used for the ear cups (the leather-ish stuff) which is also on top. The covering as well as the cushioning is top notch.

Thanks TF!!

this is the best review on these noise cancelling headphones from amazon. their price? $76.

now on to the phillips shn9500:

by far the best pair i've had yet. the only reason i didn't give them a 5 star rating is because i'm quite sure the noise cancelling isn't the best, in comparison to bose and seinnheauser and the likes. but even still these were a great deal (i paid $[...] and they retailed for $[...]). the comfort level is phenomenal. when i first saw the picture i thought that they would not be comfortable because of the oblong shape. however, that oblong shape is what makes them so comfortable. it's long like that because it allows your entire ear to fit inside. once inside there is no pressure on them due to the slanting interior that allows the entire outer edge of your ear to fit inside, instead of the cushion resting on them. with the maxell nc-ii's the cushion was soft on your ear, but after a while you begin to notice that they're there. it didn't really hurt, but was slightly uncomfortable, but bareable. with this there is nothing resting on your ears. the cushion rests entirely AROUND the ear. not even the bose quietcomforts fit like this.

the sound quality is nice. however it is slightly compromised when the noise cancelling is turned on. but it's not that noticable.

the noise cancelling is the best i've had out of all 3. phillips claims an 85% reduction, and i believe it. of course, as previously stated, it doesn't block out all noise, but it definitely reduces it.

extra features include the mute button, which is very convenient for quick question answering or 30 second conversations. definitely better then sliding them off your head or pressing pause (unless your watching a movie or something). the battery housing is inside one of the earcups which makes it invisible. and the detachable cord is very very very cool. i read in other reviews that the detachable cord was nice, but they never said why. well here you go. you can detach the cord from the headphones and plug it into the aux jack on your car (on 2006 models and later) or any other jack that allows input from this type of cord. it didn't hit me until i got in my car yesterday that that's what the detachable cord is for. not to mention it's less obtrusive if you wrap it around your ipod instead of trying to carry it with the headphones.

the short cord that some people mentioned as a con is a pro for me. simply put it's not in the way. the sony cord was so long i had to wrap it up in a rubberband. the maxell cord just was not only long but it had the stupid batter housing on it. i can easily buy two headphone extensions and keep one in the case and one at my computer.

speaking of the case, it's hard and not a baggy as i've had with my last 2 pair. it has a seperate pouch inside that keeps the stereo jack, airplane jack and the detachable cord inside. this is where i would keep my extension cord.

They'll be Philip's just like the last time...pretty good phones

I just ran across some of this model, and also some of the Philips noise canceling earbuds, on a national chain B&M office supply store clearance table within the past month. They were about $40 for these and $20 for the buds. They weren't refurbs, but were a bit aged and had shopworn packages.

Generally the refurbs I buy are less likely to have defects (like "infant mortality" in the first week or so) than are comparable brand new items. Perhaps that is an indicator that a little "burn in" improves your chance of success.

If I needed another pair of these, I 'd buy while they remain available here at TF. These are second tier quality, probably just below Bose, but seem to be as long lasting, just not quite as good at noise reduction.

The sound quality is better than my ears can perceive so I should probably be hoping for new ears in a future MB. Hopefully some of the Fling Royalty can suggest I get shagged with improved ears. Even refurbs should be just fine...

I left the set I got in my MB at a hotel so I picked up 2 more. These are the best deal out there. Period.

The shipping threshold is not a 24 hour period (from the time you ordered) but it is actually midnight EST. After midnight your shipping level resets back to $6.

these are in no way a mystery... from the first picture, you can see TFs failure to blur the Philips written on the earphone. kinda funny.

I got the case when I got one of these in my MB.

I got a pair of these in a mystery box, and ordered a second box after I got them, I was so pleased with how they worked. I was amazed at how much background noise goes on just in my apartment! And, as a bonus, as an adult with ADHD, I found that the aforementioned background noise was prone to aggravating the ADHD - so when it's kicking in hard, I put on the headphones and find it much easier to re-focus on the task at hand. The removable cord is a real bonus for this, too, since I don't have to figure out how to keep my mischievous cats from playing with/gnawing on the cord! And it sure is nice to not inflict my attempts at playing "Guitar Hero" on my DS on those around me, especially my ever-patient bf

RE: battery life - I have used these for hours on end before needing to recharge the battery. I'd recommend contacting Philips to see if they can help, and if not, perhaps file a ticket here.

Froggy's Phones Fell Friday.