Good competitor to Bose

I was looking for a quality set of headphones for use when I travel (by air) and for occasional use at the office. While I am certainly not an audiophile, I do know quality sound and I wanted headphones that would be a pleasure to listen to, would be comfortable on long flights, would be easy to pack in my briefcase, and would be durable.

I bought the Audio-Technica Quiet Point ATH-ANC7 headphones based on Internet reviews. I ordered them from an Internet supplier and paid about $130.
So, I bought them unseen and unheard.

When they arrived, I was immediately impressed with the carrying case (made of a ballistic nylon, hard shell material with a velour interior). The headphones neatly fold up in the case that measures approximately 7 X 7 inches and about 1.5 inches deep. This makes them relatively easy to store in a briefcase or overnight bag.

The headphones themselves appeared to be very well made. Nice plastic materials, high quality hinges & headband, and very nice ear cups. They have the feel of a Lexus, if that makes sense.

I first put them on without hooking up the I-Pod. I turned on the sound suppressing system and boy was I amazed. The white sound from the office totally disappeared and I did not hear a background noise or humm from the electronics in the headsets. Just quiet. Very nice.

Then I hooked up my I-Pod. Wow, impressive. The highs and lows were wonderful, the sound was very crisp and clean, the detail was excellent. I thought the music sounded great with full bass.

I would highly recommend these headphones (and I am a picky buyer). They were meant to go head to head with Bose and certainly have done so. I believe they are as good if not better than Bose for 60% of the cost. Also, I think the build quality may be better. They only negative I can think of is that the Bose may be a little more comfortable, but I really can’t say for sure without an in-person comparison with the Bose Quiet Comfort headphones.