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Product Specifications
Brand NameBose
Technical Details
- Ideal for frequent flyers
- AAA battery: 35 hours average life
- Enjoy your music and movies even more, with clear and lifelike Bose sound
- The best Bose headphones reduce more noise across a wider range of frequencies
- Comfortable, around-the-ear fit
Product Details
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Product Description
From the Manufacturer
QuietComfort 15 headphones feature exclusive Bose advancements in noise reduction technology. QC15 headphones also feature proprietary signal processing and TriPort® acoustic headphone structure for more lifelike sound-including deep low notes-from small, lightweight earcups.
Product Description
QuietComfort 15 headphones feature exclusive Bose advancements in noise reduction technology. QC15 headphones also feature proprietary signal processing and TriPort acoustic headphone structure for more lifelike sound-including deep low notes-from small, lightweight earcups.
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
1,265 of 1,274 people found the following review helpful
Bose QC15 vs. Sennheiser PXC 450 vs. Audio-Technica ATH-ANC7b
Disclosure: I have tried all these on an airplane. I am not an audiophile. Noise Cancelation is the most important attribute to me.
The Carrying Case: All three are quite durable and stiff.
1.) Bose- the smallest, a low profile, room for an Ipod, accessories too.
2.) Sennheiser- Square shape, low profile, however not a lot of room for anything else in case.
3.) Audio Technica- Nice big case if you want to carry extra stuff (Nintendo DS, ipod, etc).
Build Quality:
1.) Sennheiser- you can tell this is built VERY well. Strong plastics, good components, thick cord. Top notch. You feel like you are getting something really high quality.
2.) Audio Technica- Nice solid construction, appears durable.
3.) Bose- If this had a Sanyo logo on the side, I would not have flinched. How can something $300 be so incredibly cheaply made.
Size:
1.) Bose- as far as over the ears go, these are pretty small.
2.) Audio-Technica- mid-sized.
3.) Sennheiser- These are big. No question, but they store flat.
Comfort:
1.) Sennheiser- Very comfortable, will fit almost any size ears. Keep on for hours.
2.) Bose- Also comfortable. I did not experience "highs" discomfort.
3.) Audio-Technica- Perfectly satisfactory. Larger opening than previous AT model.
Sound:
1.) Sennheiser- I actually wore these at home too, simply to hear parts of songs I had never heard before. Astounding. My 10yr old music collection sounded totally NEW.
2.) Audio-Technica- Well balanced, good sound.
3.) Bose- Great sound, but very heavy on the bass. I listen to a lot of rap and pop, so it was mildly annoying. I ultimately had to turn my treble settings up on my ipod to balance the sound.
Features:
1.) Sennheiser- nice cord, push to talk button (temporarily mutes NC and sound which is great for interruptions on airplanes).
2.) Bose/Audio Technica- just the basics. Bose simply an on/off switch.
Price:
1.) Audio Technica- $150 to $225 depending on how you shop.
2.) Sennheiser- $200 to $275
3.) Bose- Hard to find below $300+.
Noise Cancelation:
1.) Bose- No question here, far surpassed the other two. Best Noise Cancelation.
2.) Audio-Technica- Good Noise Cancelation.
3.) Sennheiser- Not sure what happened here. Incredible sound, satisfactory noise cancelation.
Summary:
I ultimately kept the Bose because I was only using these for flying and the Sennheiser's (as much as I loved them) let me down in the Noise Cancelation department. The Sennheiser's had by far the most superior sound, but the Bose Noise Cancelation was night and day. The Bose are made very poorly for a $300+ product, it was disappointing.
Final assessment:
Audio-Technica- best balance of value for money
Sennheiser- Best sound and comfort
Bose- Best Noise Cancelation
Disclosure: I have tried all these on an airplane. I am not an audiophile. Noise Cancelation is the most important attribute to me.
The Carrying Case: All three are quite durable and stiff.
1.) Bose- the smallest, a low profile, room for an Ipod, accessories too.
2.) Sennheiser- Square shape, low profile, however not a lot of room for anything else in case.
3.) Audio Technica- Nice big case if you want to carry extra stuff (Nintendo DS, ipod, etc).
Build Quality:
1.) Sennheiser- you can tell this is built VERY well. Strong plastics, good components, thick cord. Top notch. You feel like you are getting something really high quality.
2.) Audio Technica- Nice solid construction, appears durable.
3.) Bose- If this had a Sanyo logo on the side, I would not have flinched. How can something $300 be so incredibly cheaply made.
Size:
1.) Bose- as far as over the ears go, these are pretty small.
2.) Audio-Technica- mid-sized.
3.) Sennheiser- These are big. No question, but they store flat.
Comfort:
1.) Sennheiser- Very comfortable, will fit almost any size ears. Keep on for hours.
2.) Bose- Also comfortable. I did not experience "highs" discomfort.
3.) Audio-Technica- Perfectly satisfactory. Larger opening than previous AT model.
Sound:
1.) Sennheiser- I actually wore these at home too, simply to hear parts of songs I had never heard before. Astounding. My 10yr old music collection sounded totally NEW.
2.) Audio-Technica- Well balanced, good sound.
3.) Bose- Great sound, but very heavy on the bass. I listen to a lot of rap and pop, so it was mildly annoying. I ultimately had to turn my treble settings up on my ipod to balance the sound.
Features:
1.) Sennheiser- nice cord, push to talk button (temporarily mutes NC and sound which is great for interruptions on airplanes).
2.) Bose/Audio Technica- just the basics. Bose simply an on/off switch.
Price:
1.) Audio Technica- $150 to $225 depending on how you shop.
2.) Sennheiser- $200 to $275
3.) Bose- Hard to find below $300+.
Noise Cancelation:
1.) Bose- No question here, far surpassed the other two. Best Noise Cancelation.
2.) Audio-Technica- Good Noise Cancelation.
3.) Sennheiser- Not sure what happened here. Incredible sound, satisfactory noise cancelation.
Summary:
I ultimately kept the Bose because I was only using these for flying and the Sennheiser's (as much as I loved them) let me down in the Noise Cancelation department. The Sennheiser's had by far the most superior sound, but the Bose Noise Cancelation was night and day. The Bose are made very poorly for a $300+ product, it was disappointing.
Final assessment:
Audio-Technica- best balance of value for money
Sennheiser- Best sound and comfort
Bose- Best Noise Cancelation
633 of 643 people found the following review helpful
Frankly, I think these new Bose headphones put the QC-2 to shame!
I've owned both QC-2 and QC-3 headphones for for a couple years, and their predecessor before that. My home is in a rural area that over time has become increasingly noisy with automobile traffic, chain saws, weed whackers, air travel, boats, etc, so have become a great fan of noise-cancelling headphones, which for me provide respite against all this sonic assault.
When I read the specs of the QC-15, I thought, if these are an improvement over the QC-2, I'll have to try them. This in the face of feeling sheepish about blowing another $300 for what I feared might be a trivial difference in quality.
I needn't have worried. When I turned on the QC-15, it was like shutting off the world. The loud rushing sound emitted by the air filter running 15 feet away became nearly inaudible, the low rumble of distant boat, air, and automobile traffic disappeared altogether. The background hiss generated by the QC-15 is noticeably quieter than the QC-2, and the noise cancellation, as Bose advertises, covers much more of the audio range. My QC-2 headset doesn't do nearly as good job at cancelling the white noise from the air filter as the QC-15, for example.
As for sound quality, the QC-15, to my ear, has better response in the deep bass, from 25-35 hz, and les resonance in the 80-150 hz range. The bass is generally tighter as well. If you're used to the mild boominess of the QC-2, as I was, it might take you a bit of listening to appreciate the difference. In higher frequency ranges, the QC-15 seems comparable to the QC-2. My 64 year-old ears cut off arount 8 khz, so I'd defer to the judgement of younger listeners in this area.
All-in-all, I'm very happy with the improvements manifest in this new version of the Bose headphones and feel that even at $300 they're well worth it.
The only negative criticism I can make so-far is that the headphones emit a rather loud click when you turn them on, compared to the QC-2. This is not a big deal- I just make sure to throw the ON switch before putting the phones on my head.
By the way, many users of Bose (and other) noise-cancelling headphones complain , sometimes bitterly, about he sensation of "ear pressure" when the noise-cancelletion is activated. This is an illusion that arises because actual pressure on un-equalized eardrums (as when climbing or descending in an aircraft) has the effect of reducing the low frequency response of the eardrums. That loss of low-frequency sensitivity is read by the brain as pressure, which, in the case of altitude change, it actually is. Noise cancelling headphones drastically attenuate ambient low frequency sounds, many of which we register unconsciously. The brain interprets this as pressure on the eardrum, even though this is not actually the case. The sensation of pressure produced by noise cancellation is actually an indication of just how much very low frequency background sound we tolerate under normal circumstances. Research indicates that such low-frequency sounds can actually be a source of low-grade anxiety. Hence you may find that these headphones attenuate your nagging anxiety along with the background rumble generated by the pervasive combustion of fossil fuel all around us.
I've owned both QC-2 and QC-3 headphones for for a couple years, and their predecessor before that. My home is in a rural area that over time has become increasingly noisy with automobile traffic, chain saws, weed whackers, air travel, boats, etc, so have become a great fan of noise-cancelling headphones, which for me provide respite against all this sonic assault.
When I read the specs of the QC-15, I thought, if these are an improvement over the QC-2, I'll have to try them. This in the face of feeling sheepish about blowing another $300 for what I feared might be a trivial difference in quality.
I needn't have worried. When I turned on the QC-15, it was like shutting off the world. The loud rushing sound emitted by the air filter running 15 feet away became nearly inaudible, the low rumble of distant boat, air, and automobile traffic disappeared altogether. The background hiss generated by the QC-15 is noticeably quieter than the QC-2, and the noise cancellation, as Bose advertises, covers much more of the audio range. My QC-2 headset doesn't do nearly as good job at cancelling the white noise from the air filter as the QC-15, for example.
As for sound quality, the QC-15, to my ear, has better response in the deep bass, from 25-35 hz, and les resonance in the 80-150 hz range. The bass is generally tighter as well. If you're used to the mild boominess of the QC-2, as I was, it might take you a bit of listening to appreciate the difference. In higher frequency ranges, the QC-15 seems comparable to the QC-2. My 64 year-old ears cut off arount 8 khz, so I'd defer to the judgement of younger listeners in this area.
All-in-all, I'm very happy with the improvements manifest in this new version of the Bose headphones and feel that even at $300 they're well worth it.
The only negative criticism I can make so-far is that the headphones emit a rather loud click when you turn them on, compared to the QC-2. This is not a big deal- I just make sure to throw the ON switch before putting the phones on my head.
By the way, many users of Bose (and other) noise-cancelling headphones complain , sometimes bitterly, about he sensation of "ear pressure" when the noise-cancelletion is activated. This is an illusion that arises because actual pressure on un-equalized eardrums (as when climbing or descending in an aircraft) has the effect of reducing the low frequency response of the eardrums. That loss of low-frequency sensitivity is read by the brain as pressure, which, in the case of altitude change, it actually is. Noise cancelling headphones drastically attenuate ambient low frequency sounds, many of which we register unconsciously. The brain interprets this as pressure on the eardrum, even though this is not actually the case. The sensation of pressure produced by noise cancellation is actually an indication of just how much very low frequency background sound we tolerate under normal circumstances. Research indicates that such low-frequency sounds can actually be a source of low-grade anxiety. Hence you may find that these headphones attenuate your nagging anxiety along with the background rumble generated by the pervasive combustion of fossil fuel all around us.
280 of 284 people found the following review helpful
Update:
15 months - still using the QC15's several times per week and they are still holding up well. No fit or finish issues what so ever. I do keep them in their case when not using them and when they are in my laptop bag. Ejoying them even more with my new WP7 phone.
Update:
After 4 months of daily use these Headphones are holding up very well (especially the headband and earcups which were crap on the QC2's). I am still super pleased with this purchase.
Exec Summary
- I highly recommend these headphones.
- Good in any situation where you need to concentrate. I could have really used these when I was in college for studying in dorms, libraries, etc.
- Battery life is excellent. I am pretty sure I have used them more than 24 hours on the original battery that came in the package and it is still going.
- Music sounds great. I have just started running thru my mp3 library but have hit on several songs that I know push the drivers pretty hard and they sound pretty damn good.
- Detachable cable. If you just want the noise cancelling, you can detach the cable and be cable free.
If you want to know why I am giving such a positive review after only having the headphones for 6 days, read on.
I spent a long time (weeks) researching Noise Cancelling headphones after getting moved to an office across from a computer lab with over 1000 rack mounted servers and right under its very large ceiling mounted HVAC unit. I tried a friend's QC3's for a day and things were better (I could concentrate and not get headaches), but I found the on-ear not as comfortable and not as good at blocking the sound as I had expected for the money. Then last Wednesday, I happened to read a Gizmodo article about how Bose was updating its Headphone lines and the 15's were arriving in store on Thursday. So first thing Thursday morning I dropped by the local mall and tried out a pair. I was sold after five minutes of wearing them and went straight to work to put them to work. After installing the battery I turned them on without the cable connected and put them on. Ah, quiet - Even the high pitch whine of the server fans was reduced by 90%. I was able to play some background music at a very low level and I now I could hear no environmental noise what so ever. I was still feeling guilty about spending $300; however I fell ill on Friday and had to be hospitalized. I was placed in a room that was right next to the nurse's station (great for service, awful for noise levels). Luckily I had brought along my Zune and my QC15's. I spent most of my three day hospital stay listening to E-Books in blissful silence. No bells, whistles, intercom pages, visitors talking, next door neighbors coughing, etc. Needless to say, it's the best $300 I have ever spent.
15 months - still using the QC15's several times per week and they are still holding up well. No fit or finish issues what so ever. I do keep them in their case when not using them and when they are in my laptop bag. Ejoying them even more with my new WP7 phone.
Update:
After 4 months of daily use these Headphones are holding up very well (especially the headband and earcups which were crap on the QC2's). I am still super pleased with this purchase.
Exec Summary
- I highly recommend these headphones.
- Good in any situation where you need to concentrate. I could have really used these when I was in college for studying in dorms, libraries, etc.
- Battery life is excellent. I am pretty sure I have used them more than 24 hours on the original battery that came in the package and it is still going.
- Music sounds great. I have just started running thru my mp3 library but have hit on several songs that I know push the drivers pretty hard and they sound pretty damn good.
- Detachable cable. If you just want the noise cancelling, you can detach the cable and be cable free.
If you want to know why I am giving such a positive review after only having the headphones for 6 days, read on.
I spent a long time (weeks) researching Noise Cancelling headphones after getting moved to an office across from a computer lab with over 1000 rack mounted servers and right under its very large ceiling mounted HVAC unit. I tried a friend's QC3's for a day and things were better (I could concentrate and not get headaches), but I found the on-ear not as comfortable and not as good at blocking the sound as I had expected for the money. Then last Wednesday, I happened to read a Gizmodo article about how Bose was updating its Headphone lines and the 15's were arriving in store on Thursday. So first thing Thursday morning I dropped by the local mall and tried out a pair. I was sold after five minutes of wearing them and went straight to work to put them to work. After installing the battery I turned them on without the cable connected and put them on. Ah, quiet - Even the high pitch whine of the server fans was reduced by 90%. I was able to play some background music at a very low level and I now I could hear no environmental noise what so ever. I was still feeling guilty about spending $300; however I fell ill on Friday and had to be hospitalized. I was placed in a room that was right next to the nurse's station (great for service, awful for noise levels). Luckily I had brought along my Zune and my QC15's. I spent most of my three day hospital stay listening to E-Books in blissful silence. No bells, whistles, intercom pages, visitors talking, next door neighbors coughing, etc. Needless to say, it's the best $300 I have ever spent.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
Great noise cancelling but apparently has factory defect.
My first QC15 was bought April 2010, it worked great until Jan 2011 when it started cutting out on the left side. Read more
Published 10 days ago by Trooper
Inferior parts made to be replaced not fixed
Initially, you will love these headphones, just like I did. However, you will find like many others that this is all about durability. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Simon Turnbull
Excellent:)
Great headphones as expected :) Working great at planes, in taxi, and bus - joyful Noice canceling.
Fast shipping also.
Fast shipping also.
Published 3 months ago by Dags
One Consistent MAJOR Problem.
Bose has great customer service, but there is one issue in all 5 pairs of these headphones I have owned. Read more
Published 3 months ago by M. Austin
A Quality Product
I am a frequent international traveler and fly over the Pacific very often. My ears are very sensitive with high pitches and whine, so I get quickly tired with background noise... Read more
Published 4 months ago by S. Shin
are these worth the money?
OK, let's be fair here. I'm a female audio snob, although not as attenuated to minor sound differences as people who argue about phase at romantic restaurants. Read more
Published 4 months ago by M. M
MISTAKE!!!!!! DON'T BUY!!
I had received this product back in march of 2011, and for the next 9 months I had no problems. Until the right ear started to shut off on the first day of December. Read more
Published 5 months ago by Ncoat
Bose QC15: Save Your Money!
I bought of pair of these at full retail to use on International flights. If you are looking for tremendous sound quality....save your money. Read more
Published 6 months ago by Thomas
poor sound quality
i dont know if i got a bad pair but the sound quality is poor, ive changed the battery and it doesnt help, i cant fix the sound with eq, going to return to best buy. Read more
Published 7 months ago by Andrew S. Rasmussen
Good, but doesn't cancel all noise
These are very comfy and make flying much more pleasant. YOu can really hear the difference when you turn them on. Read more
Published 7 months ago by Miss Emily May
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