the Quiet Comfort 2's are the best I've found for planes and other environments with droning background noise. The 2's are over the ear and probably do a better job than the new 3's which are not over the ear although I haven't compared the two. They work especially well on planes.I probably wouldn't have purchased the 2's if a generous friend hadn't sent me a gift certificate but I'm glad I did. If only they'd cancel out the hacking and snorting post nasal drip victims at work, I'd be even more positive about these.