I don't know if the 146 is noisier than a 747, but I very much like my Sennheiser HMEC45s. I prefer the over-the-ear style to the earcup style for both weight and conversation considerations. OTOH, if you have $1000 to spare, the Bose headsets are VERY nice, even with the earcups!
FWIW, Sennheiser has the 45s for $500 for ALPA members. I don't know if they extend it to other airlines, but e-mail
Michael Feldbauer to enquire.