They say it takes a thorn to remove a thorn. How true! If it wasn’t for the noise, Dr.Amar Bose would never have invented nose cancellation headphones and we would never have had the wide variety of headphones we have today. The noise cancellation headphones work by taking in small samples of the surrounding noise through a small microphone. The microphone input is sampled by the circuitry to generate an “Anti-noise” and effectively cancel out the surrounding noise. Though Dr.Bose manages to hold on to the pole position, the others seem to be catching up rapidly.

The top five contenders for the most efficient noise cancellation are:

The costliest of the lot and probably the best in premium noise cancellation, the QuietComfort 3 comes in the same fold flat structure as its predecessor. The vast improvement though has come from the rechargeable battery and the smaller compact design. The design though has a flip side as well. The on ear headset could be a tad heavier on the ears when used for extended periods.

The headphones deliver superb quality sound when used for listening music with a richer and fuller bass balance. The headphones can be easily plugged into multimedia cell phones as well using a simple converter.

The predecessor to the QuietComfort 3, the 2 comes with an over the ears design and might be a bit bulky for some tastes. But the headphones are much cheaper than the 3 with the only disadvantage being the battery which is not rechargeable.

The sound quality is excellent and if money matters more than size to you, this headset will work just fine.

Sony has had a reputation of producing crystal clear sound though noise cancellation is a totally new realm. But Sony’s effort at producing silence is worth some admiration. The over the ear design and the huge price tag could be the only dampening factors for this headset. The headset works on active noise feedback producing reciprocal audio waves to actively cancel out the noise. Unlike the Bose headphones they fit easily into a variety of audio products without an extra converter.

JVC has steadily been building its noise cancellation repertoire and the latest NC250 is its best effort yet. Though the noise cancellation quotient cannot be compared to the Bose headsets, the quality is the best that you can get at that price tag. Another advantage is the design of the ear pieces. They are oblong instead of the standard round. The ear pieces are reinforced with a leatherette type material which is comfortable on the ears and manages to keep noise away even before it enters the noise cancellation circuitry.

As for the sound quality and noise cancellation abilities, the headphones are nothing short of outstanding.

Sennheiser’s affordable and ultra light and ultra portable noise cancellation headphones take the last spot on the podium. The headphones boast the latest in NoiseGard Advance, Sennheiser proprietary noise cancellation technology. The only design flaw is the circuitry which is housed in a separate unit and might feel like a drag at times. The sound quality is almost comparable to some full sized ear covering models. At a price tag that is way below Bose and Sony, the headphones produce appreciable quality noise cancellation.

So now you can find peace at last with nothing much but your mobile by your side. Be it a Nokia, Sony, HTC or Samsung, as long as there is the 3.5 mm external jack, all you have to do is simply plug in the headphones and enjoy!