My eldest son endures a 2 x 2-hour commute between South Harrow and Feltham. His iPhone's playlist provides some solace, and on our last trip to the Westfield Apple Store, we spent some time listening to the headphones on display.
The well-reviewed, top-of-the-range Dre Beats failed to impress. They sounded like they had a built in graphic equaliser with all the sliders pushed up to '11'... my guess is that they could become extremely wearing over longer periods of listening.
By contrast the Bose QC15s have a more delicate, initially underwhelming, sound presentation that rewards longer periods of listening. So far, so not worth £250, but the QC15 trump card is the noise cancellation function. The effect of switching it on is quite magical, with background noise and bustle fading away to almost nothing.
I purchased a nearly-new item on eBay for substantially less than the retail price, and Brook's feedback has been very positive. He says the noise cancelling has the effect of significantly reducing the 'thrum' of background noise, while still allowing him to hear voice announcements, etc.
If you do purchase a pair, remember to carry a spare AAA battery with you at all times, as the QC15s don't work without power.
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