The differece was that these are like ear protection devices like target practice shooters use

They are tight headphones on the head, so taking them off kind of feels like popping your ears if you've had them on for a while

The only thing I don't like---the volume control does both ears

I'm a contractor and wanted something to protect my ears in a frequently noisy working environment.

and I have pretty sensitive ears

They cover my whole ear, like all around it

I don't know if its because of the noise cancelling, or if I just have sensitive ears

I can't wear ear buds (ear infections) or on-the-ear headphones (they're uncomfortable), so these over-the-ear headphones is ideal for me in my situation

These work great for traveling ~ cutting out noise, fit around ears well and are pretty comfortable.

This makes my right ear sore after a while (on the intertragic notch)

I'm not an audiophile, but I have a good ear

The QZ-99s protect my ears from the noise of outdoor equipment (lawn mower, chipper, trimmer, etc.