Costco Bose Headphones : Awesome set of headphones. $180 nevertheless?... Not so sure

I recently got a pair of these from a local retail store for $100. A good family friend who worked there could acquire a discount. First, I will say that they are fantastic and lived up to everything I was hoping for. I'm a college student who not only lives with a roommate but also in a ground-floor apartment. Before I had these, I used a pair of Memorex Noise Canceling headphones, and even they were unable to completely ward off the sounds my roommate or neighbors would make; be it movie watching, Dance Revolution, or the occasional domestic violence. However, with my new Bose On-ear headphones I am able to listen to music or movies at a moderate and comfortable volume level while drowning out ambient noise. Peace and solitude are once again part of my life.

Quality. For months, I tested this headphones on display at various stores and was astounded by the audio quality. The first thing I realized after buying them is that you can have the best set of headphones in the world but if your music isn't CD quality or better, it won't make a darn bit of difference. CD's, movies and MP3's 192kbps or more come through with amazing quality and clarity. I truly do find myself discovering nuances in my favorite songs which I had never heard before.

Comfort. I chose the on-ear headphones in contrast to the over the ear because I was worried about heat and extensive wear times. The on ear headphones still leave my ears a little warm and use for extended times (2+ Hours) leads to mild discomfort and the need to shift them around a little. Overall, I rate comfort a 4/5. Still better than any other headphones I've worn.

Durability. Admittedly, I did fall asleep wearing them once on the sofa. I actually rolled over on to them and in the process yanked the extension audio cable out of the main 1-inch connection line. I am glad to say they survived with no damage. While I do not recommend this to anyone else, I was at least relieved to see that they are more durable than I feared upon buying them.

Price. This leads me to the single largest downfall of this wonderful product. I would never have purchased these at the full retail cost of $179, especially now that I've had them for a few weeks. Except maybe for the most regular airplane passengers, I cannot think of any reason to pay more than $100 for them. Primarily, for two reasons:
1) Extended wear can be slightly uncomfortable.
2) Audio quality is only as good as the source. No fault of the product of course, but it's something that Bose understandably doesn't like to remind consumers of.

If dropping $179 is of no consequence, you will not be disappointed. If you can get a good deal on them, even better.