Jimmy,
As an ex- (well, part-time now) sound engineer, I share your views on Bose in the pro-audio market; which is why I wasn't holding my breath when a colleague suggested I try out his swanky new Bose Aviation X. A bit of a sad, twisted traditionalist, I've never used an ANR headset before, so I've no real reference to compare it to, but I have to say I was impressed. Extremely comfortable compared to a tight-fitting passive design, and much, much quieter (obviously) than an open-backed or monaural headset.
You'll never hear it from me again, but on this one, I'm sold!