Have you ever tried listening to music on your headphones, only to be vexed by bothersome background noise? There you are on your daily commute, safely cocooned in your world of audio, when the din of traffic, the rattle or hum of the train, or even the conversations shouted into cell phones in the early morning creep into your quiet world.

Or even at home, you can't seem to escape the noise of lawn mowers, children yelling or crying for attention, the grating hum of old air conditioners, or perhaps even a television set whose volume is turned all the way up. No matter where you go, noise seems to constantly chase you.

Thanks to technology, however, you can use noise cancellation headphones which, at the flick of a switch, magically zaps away all unnecessary noise, leaving you in peace so you can enjoy your favorite music.

Well, at least that's how it's supposed to work. The reality is, however, that there are outstanding noise cancellation headphones and forgettable ones.The ideal headsets are those which sound great, mute out noise to a large extent, and help your batteries last long.

But don't be swayed by the price, though. Higher prices do not necessarily mean better quality. The best proof is in the pudding, so it would be better if you actually the headphone in the store and see if you like the way if fits, and if it truly blocks out extraneous noise.

On the other hand, how can you test batteries in the store? You can ask the salesperson, and perhaps even come to an agreement that if you don't get at least 18 hours of useful battery life, then you can have the noise cancellation headphones replaced.