Sticking earplugs in your ears and turning up the volume is a very effective old trick, which works superbly in a car (esp. if driving fast). It also works really well in a nightclub where the sound level is right up against the ear's dynamic range.
It works with any headset but not all headsets will handle the high volume which may then be needed. Also, a simple earplug will kill off the high frequencies more than the lower ones, which is bad for speech and also bad for engine noise which is mostly low frequency. One has to get custom earplugs which have a more flat attenuation spectrum.
The Bose X is the only headset which I have come across which can be worn for several hours nonstop. Even a £500 David Clarke will be like having your head in a vice after that time.
What amazes me is that the Bose is still the best, after all these years. I've been doing audio circuit design since the 1970s and it really isn't rocket science. I guess that anybody who has developed something as good will try to sell it at a similar price (you never bomb the price which the market will clearly pay) but they can't penetrate the very loyal distribution channel.