Labs

Sitting in the middle of our price range, the high-end appearance of the SHN9500s is second only to the slightly pricier Sony MDR NC-60s. The finish is actually metallic plastic, but it looks good even close up, and you also get removable ear pads, a detachable cable and very comfortable fit. The carry case is similar to Bose's, with mouldings and pouches to keep all the bits in place. It's also huge, though, and lacks a shoulder strap.

The supplied AAA battery slips securely into the top of one earpiece, and the

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on/off slider has been positioned exactly where we instinctively expected to find it, with an opposite counterpart to mute the music and switch noise cancelling.

Bass wasn't entirely under control, with electronic music causing the odd bit of distortion, but it was ample for film soundtracks and less demanding material. Mid-range is suitably bright, and while we found the very top end a little modest, that will at least save your ears from fatigue over long periods.

The noise cancelling circuitry gave us slightly more feeling of pressure on the eardrum than the others (though they all do it to a certain extent), so you should try before buying if possible. But it's very effective, turning booming ambient noise into a mere hiss.It does also add a fair amount of hiss of its own, although side effects are almost obliterated once you start playing music. Our only real gripe is how much louder the volume gets when the noise cancelling is switched in.

We'd be very happy to have a pair of SHN9500s travelling with us, and they look good too, without costing as much as some of their rivals.