 Value (6.50)
The ATH-ANC7s aren't the best, most top-of-the-line active noise cancellers on today's market. They are, however, priced well for what they do. Try to get them for about $100. You can find them for a few bucks less, but many places sell them for more: we saw them retailing for as much as $130. At $130 they're obviously not as great a deal, but they're not bad. We see the ATH-ANC7s as a pair of entry-level active noise cancelling headphones. If you're looking for your first pair of active-cancellers, this is a great, inexpensive place to start.
Denon AH-NC732 - The AH-NC732s cost a lot more than the ATH-ANC7s, but they do offer a lot more as well. This matchup will be decided by your budget, or the amount you're willing to invest in quality. While the AH-NC732s offer better noise cancellation and audio quality, they aren't as good a value.
 Creative Aurvana X-Fi - The Aurvana X-Fis have slightly worse audio quality than the ATH-ANC7s, but they have better active noise cancellation. They also cost $300, which is likely to be about 3x as expensive as what you'd pay for the ATH-ANC7s. Generally, we don't think the Aurvana X-Fis' improvements merit such a large gap in price, so we'd recommend the ATH-ANC7s over them.
 Bose QuietComfort 3 - The Bose QC3s aren't a bad set of active cancellers. They're comfortable, isolate relatively well, and have decent audio quality. They are also retail for the premium price of $350. Like the comparison with the AH-NC732s, this match-up comes down to budget. This time, however, your money is going to better performance and branding. That fancy lettering on the ear cups is adding about $100 to the price of purchase, but brings aesthetic value and an air of quality. Unless you really like the QC3s, the ATH-ANC7s will be a better pick for your wallet.
 Sony MDR-NC500D - This match-up is an easy one. The Sony MDR-NC500Ds have slightly worse audio quality than the ATH-ANC7s, are slightly more comfortable, and cost about 4x as much. There's really no reason for such an inflated price. Stick with the ATH-ANC7s.
 Shure SE420 - We typically throw a pair of in-ears into the mix when we review active-cancellers, because in-ears often do a better job of isolation. The trade-off is a smaller soundstage, but many active-cancellers don't have great soundstages to begin with. If you're looking for the best isolation around, the Shure SE420s currently score the best on our tests. They do cost a lot more, however, and have the added disadvantage of needing to be stuck in your ear. Some people hate this. If you are one of those people, or if you're on a budget, stick with the ATH-ANC7s. If you aren't, you should at least check out the SE420s.
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Value (6.50) 