That's the problem -- good enough sound can actually be had with headphones that cost a lot less. What they want is "snob value", admit it. ;-)

Can you provide a link to the measurement done by "tons of outlets"? Thank you!

Here's an example, from a well known one, which also describes their methodology, and has Bose come at the top:

https://thewirecutter.com/reviews/best-noise-cancelling-head...

Wirecutrer review tells me nothing about the actual headphone frequency response -- all the graphs are NC and not FR (freq response). [Or did I miss it?]

It appears they were mainly interested in testing noise cancellation and not sound quality. If that is the case, then my gun range ear muffs beat Bose hands down!

>Wirecutrer review tells me nothing about the actual headphone frequency response -- all the graphs are NC and not FR (freq response). [Or did I miss it?]

No, but did you miss where I wrote: "But what they excel is noise cancelling -- and it's irrelevant if they don't "publish any measurement data" as tons of outlets measure them, and have repeatedly crowned them kinds in the area (with the exception of the latest Sony MX1000M3)."

Again, can you provide data measured by "tons of outlets", SQ, not NC. As I said my $10 earmuffs beat Bose at NC. :-D

>Again, can you provide data measured by "tons of outlets", SQ, not NC.

As I already said from the start, people who buy the Bose don't really car for the lower SQ, their main benefit is the best-of-class NC. What I wrote is that many outlets reviewed them and agree of the best-of-class NC.

>As I said my $10 earmuffs beat Bose at NC. :-D

They don't make calls or play music at the same time, so that's a moot point.

Can you recommend a good bluetooth over the ear headphones w/ great noise cancellation and a pretty decent microphone for calls, USB-C, and at least 20 hours of battery life (I do 14hr flights often enough, so some buffer to use them before the flight and during the layover before recharging them for the next flight)? Those are my reasons for going with the NCH 700.

I used to think spending $350 on QC 35 II's was stupid, but after using a friend's pair on multiple flights and on walks outside I decided to get the $400 NCH 700. It costs more than the Xiaomi Mi Mix 2S I use in the US, or Pocophone F1 that I use elsewhere, but they're so worth it (I use them 10hrs+ per day, so after a single month the price is quickly approaching $1/hour.)