I own the Sony version of them, the wh-1000xm2. They have xm3 and I think xm4 now and they are all highly praised. I bring them with me basically everywhere. They're especially incredible when flying.
I upgraded to the 1000xm3 from a QC15. It was much better. Im pretty satisfied.
I got QC35, one of my favorite thing ever. I can listen music at really low volume and still hear all different notes. And I can sit outside in my patio next to a running A/C unit and not hear it at all.
Thanks, bookmarked. I so much wish I went for these. I bought the Beats headphones that were a little cheaper. I don't find anything good about them either in comfort or functionality.
Social media influence!
I have worn the Bose QC35 II on a 19 hour flight. It greatly reduced the terrible hum of the airplane and the battery lasted all the way through (bluetooth and sound were on maybe 6 to 8 hours). They are that comfortable.
I have Airpod Pros, and I found myself wearing them without playing anything, just to tune out the noise.
Could I use them to cut off external noise that keeps me awake when I am trying to sleep?
Yup I sometimes accidentally fall asleep with mine on. The noise cancelling works even while not playing anything. Just make sure you don’t sleep on side and crush them but you should be fine as they’re pretty resilient to damage (except water).
Yes. Probably depends on the exact noise. I've used them to good effect on planes and when sleeping beside a snoring person.
best trick i know for this is to have another source of noise that you can tolerate (e.g. a fan). noise cancelling headphones are useful if you sleep on your back...
AirPods Pro work way better for sleep due to low profile (mostly just using single one tho), but I've used big cans too. They do get damaged rather quickly (pads compress, drivers crackly all the time) and not comfy.
The kinds of noises that often keep people awake at home aren't really the strong suit for active noise cancellation technology, but it works well enough that there's a whole market for noise cancelling sleep aids. You're probably better off looking there than the Bose QC; ordinary headphones and pillows often don't agree.