Able Planet NC1100B

Able Planet Clear Harmony NC1100B

Able Planet makes a number of noise-canceling headphones and the NC1100B is the Colorado company's highest-end mode with a retail price of $299.99. Let's start with what's good about these guys. For starters, they're comfortable and appear to have a sturdy design and a nice soft-touch black finish. While the earcups aren't quite as soft as the Bose QuietComfort 15s, that they're a bit thicker and firmer doesn't hurt their comfort level and may be more appealing to some. Aside from their black coloring, the NC1100Bs look similar to the QC15s (and QuietComfort 2s), with the same over-the-ear design and earcups that swivel and fold flat to fit in a simple black case. The resulting package is slightly bigger than a CD wallet, which makes it easier to tote, though it's still not terribly compact. As you'd expect from a set of headphones that are designed for frequent travelers, Able Planet throws in a two-prong in-flight adapter. Like with Bose's active noise-canceling, the earcups' cushions effectively sealed off our ears from the noisy environment. Flipping on the noise cancellation dampen the noise down even further.