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361 of 379 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent sound as expected from Bose.. bulky, August 12, 2005
This review is from: Bose QuietComfort 2 Acoustic Noise Canceling Headphones (Electronics)
I have owned a pai of the Quietcomfort headphones for more than a year now. They are absolutely great on intercontinental flights.
Pros:
- The sound is fabulous, bass reproduction is great.
- Needs one AAA battery, but it goes for between 24 - 30 hrs of use so this is great.
- Noise cancellation works great, great cushioning.
Cons:
- Pricey
- bulky to transport, cant be substituted for "workout" phones.
- Too much insulation on the earpiece. My ears start to sweat if i wear constantly for more than a couple of hrs.
- Not great to sleep in (on flights) as you tend to block the noise cancellation ports.
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152 of 157 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great for Planes, Trains, and Automobiles, June 10, 2006
This review is from: Bose QuietComfort 2 Acoustic Noise Canceling Headphones (Electronics)
First, I am going to discuss the options for noise canceling headphones. Then, I am going to go into detail about the Bose QC2 headphones.
If you are looking for a great pair of high-end traditional headphones that cup your ear, you are looking in the right place; the Bose QuietComfort 2s are for you! If you are an audiophile (probably not if you are considering buying something from Bose) then look at the Sennheiser HD 650s ($400). If you don't have a large budget and want reasonable noise-canceling, then look at the Sony MDR-NC6s ($35). If you like the supra-aural style of the Sony MDR-NC6s, but want a higher quality headphone, then wait for the Bose QuietComfort 3s ($349, release date June 15, 2006). If you are looking for noise canceling while operating landscaping equipment and OK audio performance, then look at John Deere's Noise Canceling Headset ($89). If you are looking for a really lightweight supra-aural noise canceling headset, then consider the Sennheiser PXC 300 ($150). Finally, if you want noise-caneling ear canal headphones, then the Etymotic Research ER6i's ($85) are for you.
The QC2 comes in two flavors: champagne and silver (2005). The older champagne version has a problem with the headband breaking. If the headband breaks during your warranty period, Bose will send you a brand new pair of silver QC2s. The only other major difference between the two flavors is that the silver headphones work with Bose's cell-connect accessory. The cell-connect connects your compatible cellphone (there's a list on Bose.com) to the QC2s and has a mic. I personally don't know why one would need this accessory... but it's a neat add-on. I have used the cell-connect and QC2s with my Motorola E815 with no problems (other than the fact that I wasn't sure how loud to talk).
The QC2s shine when worn on airplanes, trains, and public transit. They are also very good in the office to drown out the hums of air conditioning and computers. THEY do not make it completely quiet. High-frequency sounds such as people talking are NOT canceled out.
I find the QC2s to be very comfortable. Make sure to test them out before you buy them, because the circumaural design is not for everyone. The headphones come with everything you need--1/4" and 3.5mm connectors, a great semi-hard shell case, and more. The strap for the case is not included with the silver headphones. The earcups on the headphones swivel to flatten and fit inside the case. An iPod can easily fit inside the case, and an iPod Nano can reportedly fit inside the small clear velcro case that initially holds "customer courtesy cards" (which are business cards that you can give to people that ask about your QC2s).
Make sure to stock up on AAA batteries for the QC2s. The QC3s use a custom Bose rechargable lithium battery instead. Battery life is good, and a light will blink on the side of the headphones when your battery is low.
Overall, I'm very satisfied with my QC2s, and I think other people are too. I even saw someone wearing them while driving! (Don't do that).
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67 of 70 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Several times the cost of competing products. Then again it's not much of a competition., May 11, 2006
This review is from: Bose QuietComfort 2 Acoustic Noise Canceling Headphones (Electronics)
As a consultant I traveled 2-3 days per week. I spent a lot of time listening to one-sided cell phone conversations, inane chatter, jet engines, train noise and bad music in coffee shops and airport concourses. I purchased the Bose Quiet Comfort headphones right before I departed on a 5 day, 3 city trip.
From the moment I put them on I knew this was a breakthrough product. Sure - I noticed something akin to pressure on my ears but that sensation passed in a few minutes. It's just like getting used to wearing a watch - you end up not noticing it at all after a short time. What has not passed is the joy in letting the rest of the world just fall away so that I can get some down time while traveling.
Not only was the background noise from the plane's engines gone, but I could actually turn the volume down on my Creative Zen Vision much lower than would be the case with other headphones because the music wasn't competing with the roar of the engines.
The same with the volumn while watching movies - I didn't have to crank up the volume just to hear what was being said. I could even hear the dialogue of movies played on my laptop and those played by the airline. I cannot emphasize this point enough - for the first time ever, I could actually hear music and videos without cranking up the volume to the max - saving my ears from damage as well as avoiding dirty looks from my fellow passengers.
On my honeymoon, my wife and I both brought along a pair. Being able to distance ourselves from all the background noise really did increase the relaxation factor and allowed us to travel 12 hours each way in relative peace. Speaking of honeymoons - this item would be a GREAT wedding gift. There is nothing worse than to spend your time enroute to some fabulous tropical destination for your honeymoon listening to the kids behind you scream while their father snores away.
Even at home, my wife will sometimes wear her headphones while reading. It completely eliminates any noise from the television in the next room.
Contrary to what one other reviewer has stated, the sound from these headphones is anything but distorted. I find that I can hear subtleties in music that I cannot hear over my home entertainment system. The fact that I can still hear these subtleties while in a loud environment is an added bonus.
You probably will not wear these headphones while in the gym (though I have actually seen people wearing them while on the treadmill at my local gym - the same type of people that wear designer workout shorts). There are also times where you don't need noise reduction. For these times, I have inexpensive headphones. I would not however deduct any points from Bose for making a specialty set of headphones just because they are not perfect for all situations. I would not take points off my favorite leather jacket because I can't wear it to the beach in July.
Yes, these things are expensive. But if you feel the need to shield yourself from the pervasive noise of the modern world, there really is no substitute on the market.
Update on 5/12/2006 - A friend of mine had an interesting observation when she tried these headphones. She's a violinist and said that she did not think the feelings in her ears was 'pressure'. Rather she commented that she thinks the feeling is actually the response of the ears to a lack of normal background noise. We spend all our time being bombarded by an array of sounds. When those sounds disappear, the ears are confused and express this as a feeling of pressure. That's only her theory but it makes some sense to me. I scuba dive a few times a year and I know what pressure in the ears feels like. The feeling I used to notice while wearing my bose headphones wasn't anything like that kind of pressure - either in feel or magnitude. It's interesting to note that the absence of sound may be able to cause a physical reaction.
Update on 6/6/2006
Just came home from vacation in Hawaii. On Kauai I took a helicopter tour. The company running the tours, Blue Hawaii, provided Bose noise cancelling headphones on the flight. Many of the other companies in Kauai did not offer noise cancelling headphones.
A few minutes in to the flight I took the headphones off to see what the noise level would be like. It was close to deafening and I could not even hear myself speaking loudly. I put the headphones on and the noise became little more than an after thought. If you find yourself looking to take a helicopter tour at some point in the future, make sure you find a company that offers Bose on its tours.
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