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... when riding home with the ANC9s on one night, the silence was so peaceful that we nodded off and missed our stop. Eternal slumber aboard a horrible, lumbering machine. That's what we were after all along.

So does the ATH-ANC9 stand a chance against the QC15? Maybe.

The Audio Technica ATH-ANC9 QuietPoint headphones deliver quality audio in passive and active modes, but noise-cancellation performance is not in line with the price.

The ANC9s sound great, and even better when noise cancelling is active. Memory foam creates a comfortable fit, but it's just a shame that you need to keep AAA batteries handy to get the most of out them.

Although it isn't as good as the Bose QC15 in terms of sound quality and comfort, the ATH-ANC9 delivers excellent value, with three noise-canceling modes, good performance across most genres of music and a durable build.

Audio-Technica’s top noise cancelling headphones do an excellent job of blocking outside noise. They also sound musical and detailed, but this is only true when noise cancelling is activated -- with no battery boost they’re flat and lifeless.

The problem I had with the ANC9 was the missing mid-range response, yielding somewhat lumbering lows and strident highs with withdrawn voices between.

ATH-ANC9 is now the gold standard if you’re willing to pay a steep premium for the ultimate in sound quality and noise-cancellation, otherwise, ANC7b is very close sonically at a much lower price.

Audio-Technica proves, once again, that its expertise in professional audio lends itself well to excellent headphone design.

In the case of the ATH-ANC9 QuietPoint Headphones, you don’t just get good sound output, but the means — active noise cancellation — to further its integrity. Considering that you get three modes to choose from, you can consider this money well spent.