Bose® QuietComfort® 15 Acoustic Noise Cancelling® Headphones(Old Version)
by Bose
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Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Bose® QuietComfort® 15 Acoustic Noise Cancelling® Headphones(Old Version)
Customer Review: Great Sound, Very Comfortable, Noise-Cancelling Works Best In Certain Situations, Pricey For All of This Though.
Summary: 4 Stars
I have owned two other pairs of Bose headphones (you can click to see my reviews of them) and I have been using Bose products for over 15 years. This is my fair opinion on the QC15's.
I bought them from Bosedotcom and used their 12 month interest free payment plan. Do this only if you don't want to put the three hundred down up front. If you can spend the three hundred right now, buy them from B&H, Crutchfield, Amazon, etc. because Bose will charge you sales tax because I think they have operations in almost every state.
The reason I bought these was because I heard them in a Bose demonstration area at a Best Buy. They had all the Bose headphones on display. As I put these on, I was blown away by the demonstration. They sounded better than my old Triports. They were more comfortable, and the noise cancellation seemed to work really well. I immediately put the old phones up on eBay and bought these.
First Impressions:
Build quality is pretty good. For the price, I would have expected better materials considering there is a lot of plastic here and if you simply rub off the Bose name, these look like $50 cans. The first thing I noticed was that these are incredibly comfortable. The old Triports made the top of my head hurt and they made me hot because the headband was stiffer and was made of a harder material. The Triports seemed to squish your head while the QC15's just sit on your head. I can keep these QC15's on for a long time and feel comfortable. The wider foam headband is very soft and the ear cushions feel great over your ear. The single cord is also a nice feature and I like how you can disconnect it and use them strictly as noise-canceling headphones. Bose includes an airplane adapter and they give you a case but I think the case looks cheap and bulky and awkward. The case should be more form fitting and sleek. The less-expensive Bose on-ear Triports have a very nice sleek case. I was also very surprised that for the price, Bose does not include a 1/4" adapter. My Triports came with an adapter. I'm sure if you buy these at a Bose store, you can get them to throw in an adapter for free but then again you will get hit with the sales tax thing. Bose also includes 10 product information cards so you can give them to people who inquire about your nice QC15 headphones.
Sound Quality:
I bought the old Triports when they first came out around 2003 and I was incredibly happy with those. I never knew headphones could sound like stereo speakers. The only reason I got rid of those is after I heard the QC15's at the Best Buy. The QC15's actually sounded better and they are noise canceling.
Sound is better because the bass seems deeper. Also noise cancellation is not just for using it in an airplane. Noise cancellation really does help make the sound more focused because it blocks out more ambient noise. In other words, the noise cancellation is not just for canceling out loud obnoxious sounds, it actually enhances the music because there is less outside noise to color the sound. I don't know the proper technical words to evaluate sound quality but I can just tell you that there is a difference between these and the Triports; it's something you can pick out right away.
One thing to keep in mind is that you will only get sound when the battery is installed. If you take the battery out or if the battery is dead, the sound is dead. I don't get this but I guess Bose wants you to only listen to music when the noise cancellation is on. If you don't have batteries, these headphones become an expensive paperweight. There is a little zipper compartment in the headphone carrying case and I highly recommend you keep two extra AAA's in there.
Noise Cancellation:
The Bose demonstration station at Best Buy simulated the sound of jet engines from inside an airplane. The demo asks you to press a button to start the audible sound and then to put the headphones on and listen to some music. Assuming the demonstration was not rigged in any way, the QC15's did drown out the engine roar and I could hear the music without any distraction. I was impressed. It's actually a weird feeling, the noise drowns out as you are putting these on your head and the closer they get to your ears.
Now here's where you might be surprised --noise cancellation does not mean that it eliminates all ambient noise. I can put these headphones on and turn on the noise cancellation and if somebody screams my name from across the room, I can still hear that. I think the noise cancellation is strictly for much louder environments like inside an airplane and things of that nature where the circuitry "senses" the noise and sends a signal to counter it. Noise cancellation is not 100% cancellation of ambient noise. The noise cancellation works really well when it is being used while playing music but when used by itself I would not classify them as "isolation" headphones.
Also, I did notice that once the noise cancellation is on, it does put the slightest bit of pressure on your eardrum. Not pain or discomfort or anything like that, it's just a sensation you get that tells you something is there. I think it feels good actually. Some people say it feels like you are on the bottom of a swimming pool.
Price:
Overpriced like every other Bose product. Considering the amount of plastic on this model, they really look like $50 headphones. You are paying for 1. The technology/patents/etc., 2. The Bose name. Considering Bose is at the top of the noise canceling market, you are paying for that accomplishment. Don't let price necessarily deter you. Bose is one of the few, if any, audio brands that has excellent re-sale value. If you don't like them after a year or so, put them up for sale and you will get back almost all of your money. People say Bose spends way too much money on PR and advertising but their reputation, as a result, speaks for itself.
Conclusion:
I like them. As far as sound, they sound great. If I was a frequent traveler, I would like them even more. I find myself using the noise cancellation in the library to help me concentrate. I decided to keep them because I do use them a lot and they did sound better than the Triports I previously owned and they are more comfortable. They are pricey and not worth the advertised price IMO. Really assess whether you need the noise cancellation or not. My guess is most people will not. Honestly, unless you are a frequent traveler, I don't think you will be blown away with the noise canceling when used on a daily basis. Try before you buy them and remember that if you are not happy with them, if you sell them, you will not lose a whole lot.
Customer Review: The most comfortable headphones I've ever put on, hands down.
Summary: 5 Stars
First off... I want potential buyers to be aware that the people downgrading (1 star) these headphones for their quality are complaining that the headphones CRACKED after YEARS of owning them... The only problem, is that these headphones have only been out for a little over a month. I suspect that they made an honest mistake, and have the old Bose QC2's (QC15's are the newer version) which were notorious for their cheap construction on the headband. I have only had mine for a few weeks so I cannot comment on the durability, but [...] wrote in their review that Bose had made adjustments to the headband (new design + materials I believe), and that the durability should no longer be an issue. Hopefully that is that case.
On to the review:
I went on a little shopping spree and bought the JVC HA-NC250, Klispch Image S4, and these guys (QC15) to compare them. I don't consider myself an audiophile, but I am really picky about electronics purchases... even to a fault. I am a medical school student, and obviously don't travel extensively, but I want to be able to study at home without being distracted by my wife's music/tv/neighbors/etc, so I was in the market for some noise cancelling/isolating headphones. The reason I chose these three headphones: JVC were cheaper noise cancelling with decent reviews ($[...] now), the Klipsch Image S4 ($[...]) got AMAZING reviews on CNET for sound quality, so I had to see if they blocked noise sufficiently, and these were the "top of the line" headphones that I wanted to try to see if they were worth the money.
Regarding the comfort of these headphones... ohhh baby. The material that they use for the earcups is AMAZING. No clue what it is, but it is extremely plush, without being obnoxiously huge and pillowy. I have worn the headphones for 3+ hours listening to music while studying with no discomfort, although my ears do get a little warm. It is not really uncomfortable to me, but I could imagine if I were in a really warm room, it might be a nuisance. I have used multiple types of earbuds, on ear headphones, and over ear headphones, and these are by far the most comfortable I've tried. Klipsch are earbuds, and fit VERY securely, but after a while they just annoy me (30+ min). JVC are more comfy than the Klipsch, but get destroyed by the Bose. QC15 win, hands down.
Sound quality: In my opinion, the Klipsch earbuds sounded the best, but I think that is partly due to the extremely secure fit and tight base that is produced as a result of having them jammed in your ear canal. The obvious downside is that those bug the crap out of me after 30 minutes of use. JVC sound quality is NOTICEABLY worse when the noise cancelling is off, and good when it's on, but I found the base kind of shallow (the battery compartment is not a pain to access like some people seem to complain about... unless you have gorilla hands). Bose sound quality seems VERY balanced. Exceptionaly clarity, responsive/tight base, and no hissing in the background. I did notice a little hissing when I was listening to classical music at near max volumes, but who listens to classical music at really high volumes... and it was most likely due to the sound quality of the song (download from Itunes) and not the headphones. Overall, outstanding sound quality for the QC15.
Noise cancelling: Bose > JVC > Klipsch. Obviously the klipsch aren't designed to eliminate sounds, just muffle them, and they do that well, but not well enough, and as I said before, I find earbuds slightly uncomfortable. The JVC headphones had notably worse sound-cancelling than the Bose. It is partially due to the fact that they are on-ear instead of over-ear headphones (bose). With the same song at equal levels I tested out both headphones while vacuuming (obviously VERY loud sound). JVC probably knocked out about 50-60% of the sound. The eleminate LOW frequency/pitch sounds very well, but ALL of the high ones that aren't muffled from wearing the headphones get through. As a result, I could hear the whine of the vacuum extremely clearly. QC15's easily eliminated 80+% of the noise. All of the low frequency sounds were dropped, and the higher frequency sounds were noticably reduced, but not gone. Of the 3 headphones, the bose is the clear winner.
Summary:
While I know these are obnoxiously expensive ([...] bucks for headphones is ridiculous...), I have been very impressed with these headphones. Only gripe other than price is that noise-cancelling technology in general is unable to reduce high frequency sounds as much as I would like. With that said, I believe that these Bose headphones provide OUTSTANDING comfort, exceptional sound (aparently some audiophile people complain that they don't match up to their 500+ dollar shures, but w/e), and among the best noise cancelling money can buy. Also, it's wonderful that they changed over to a AAA instead of the stupid proprietary bose battery. If I were a frequent flyer, these headphones would be a no brainer.
Kept the Bose, and the other two got the boot.
(Quick side note... I have a pair of Sennheiser CX300's [earbuds], and for < 20 bucks you WILL NOT find a better pair of headphones. Comfortable by earbud standards, amazing base, clear mids/highs, unbeatable price. I use those for running, and the Bose when studying)
Customer Review: More for More and worth it
Summary: 5 Stars
Summary
I've owned two other NC head phones and tried a number of others and the QC15s are the best of the batch!
Background and what I tried before:
I fly a lot. Full-on "road-warrior". In the past, I've looked longingly at the Bose headphones that others who were willing to spend the coin were wearing on the plane. After listening to the Bose NC phones up through QC3 at the store, I was always thinking, "Well, they're nice, but if I can get 80% there for 20% of the (very high) price that's good enough." So, with that in mind, my first NC headphones were a pair of Aiwa for $50 six years ago. Better than nothing, they did reduce the noise and sounded "OK" - much better than the complementary phones on the plane, but not a high quality audio experience. Sampling other sets in the sub $100 price range yielded similar results. Better than nothing, but clearly inferior to the Bose. I tried on a co-workers Audio Technica (~$200) and found them to be better than my old Aiwa's but not good enough to warrant $200. Then, I was given a pair of Philips NC phones (~$110). Better than the Aiwa's, maybe not quite as good as the ATs. In all cases, the issue seemed to me to be limited bandwidth for the noise canceling effect. That is, none of these products seemed to block out the lowest rumbles one might hear or feel on a flight. All of them seemed to have more major issues in the higher frequencies - that is, up near the human voice midrange of 300-3000 Hz or so. In fact, I ended up finding that for my hearing, I could wipe out as much ambient by using well fitted in-ear earbuds with a nice seal on the ear inserts. As an additional benefit, these are small, high quality and pack easily.
Then ...
Then I received a special mileage offer for quadruple air miles with the purchase of some QC15s from one of the airlines I fly on. Awash in cash from a recent payoff and having just gone through another cross country hop, I impulsively purchased them. Now, I get it. These block noise so well they have to almost be a safety hazard! The sound fidelity is not the highest achievable, but it is much better than any other noise canceling headphone I have tried, and that is most of them. For me, the bass is sufficiently weighty and clean. The treble is good, but has very small traces of smearing on instruments such as snare drums with brushes. Voices are super clear. For my money, the self proclaimed "audiophiles" are missing the point. Of course, the purest audio experience is going to be with something other than noise canceling headphones. These are designed to REMOVE sounds. Of course, this is going to prevent them from being reference standard headphones. However, for my money, I think a big set of Pratt and Whitney's, GEs or Rolls Royces accompanied by 550mph wind noise through the walls of a plane messes up my music a lot more than the NC circuit of these babies. It's a compromise, in other words, and this is the best I've sampled so far.
I am very, very happy.
Comfort
They fit me fine and I have not experienced the issues noted by some others. These do seem to have smaller earcups than older generation Bose over the ear phones, so it could be that someone with larger ears needs to try them out to be sure of fit. I do have a size 7 3/4 head, however, and the adjustable band was sufficient to fit me. I didn't experience the "pressure" feeling that others have. My guess is that we all need to make sure we use them a lot during the 30 day trial period to be sure before finalizing ownership.
Portability and convenience
Since I am going to use these in place of my earbuds, the size was an initial concern. It turns out that these fold up pretty flat and come with a nice case, which i have added to the pictures section. In addition to providing protection, the case has a zippered pocket for the detachable cord and, presumably, for the MANDATORY extra battery you need to have for these. Since they don't operate at all without a battery (you can't hear your music at all without a battery), having a backup is a must. Hey, you've bought $300 headphones, spring for an extra 50 cent battery and keep it in the pocket. A nice, but unheralded feature, is that the cord is made out of materials that seem somewhat tangle resistant. That is, the cord is not so limp as to just knot itself up, which happens on other headphone cords occasionally.
Conclusion
I don't know if I would have had a better life if I'd bought some earlier Bose headphones, but these are good enough that I'm glad I waited until they were available. They cost a lot more than other products, but it's value pricing - they're worth it!
Customer Review: Worth the price for me
Summary: 5 Stars
I'll caveat this review by stating right off the bat that I purchased noise canceling headphones to deal with general office noise which, I realize, is not their intended use. I worked in my own office for many years and am now in a new job where everyone works in cubes - lucky. The constant chatter at work drives me nuts and is very, very distracting. I love music and listen to it most of the day; however the traditional headphones I have been using (Sony MDREX85LP, Sennheiser PX 200) offer very little blocking of external noise and my music and concentration are continuously interrupted by my neighbors conversations. I did find the sound quality of these headphones very good and recommend both for circumstances where NC is not required.
So, desiring to make the best purchase for my limited budget I did a bunch of research and read a bunch of reviews, which left the decision between the Sony MC-60s, the Bose QC 15s, and the inner ear canal shures. I can't stand to have headphones deep in my inner ear canals, so it came down to the other two.
I purchased both sets knowing that I could return them if I wasn't satisfied with either and performed a series of tests. I'll outline the results here.
Noise Cancelling:
I played several sound clips of crowds and conversations that I found on the internet while switching between both sets, turned them on and off in a silent room, and took both to work for a real world test. In all cases, the Bose were far superior at NC than the Sony. Actually, comparing them was almost a joke the difference was so significant. With no music, the Bose took the conversations into the next room with the door shut. The Sonys were like walking across the room. With the Bose on, and no music playing, I went from being almost directly involved in surrounding conversations to not being able to discern what was being said even when concentrating on the sound. When my phone rings, I actually have to look to check and see if it is mine, the difference was truly amazing. With the Sonys, I had no trouble at all understanding what was being said and was, therefore, still very distracted by the content of the conversations.
Both headphones have a noise that comes on, sort of like a shushing noise, when the noise canceling is activated. It is hard to explain the difference, but with the Sonys this is like air escaping from a hose and with the Bose it was like air moving through a tree. The Bose was lower pitched and much quieter. You really don't notice it unless you shut them off and on while in a silent room, which makes the noise quite obvious. With the Sonys, you notice it as soon as you put them on and the noise was more bothersome when working with no music playing. The noise was not really noticeable when the music was playing in either set.
Both headphones have an equally annoying, though only mildly, sense of pressure when the NC is turned on. I find myself yawning to try to clear my ears at first but then just get used to it. This is really a mild sensation and not at all an impediment to my using them most of the day.
Sound Quality:
They were both very good with the Bose having a slightly better sound to me. I expected the Bose to be much better due to all of their marketing and my experience with the NC; however, they were both really exceptional and both were significantly better than what I have been using. For reference, I listen to just about everything. I play a range of classical guitar, folk, orchestral, hip hop, rap, and rock and roll. I listen to music all day so a variety is essential and all of it sounded great in both sets. I will say that it annoys me that you can't listen to the Bose without the NC, like you can with the Sony, but honestly I didn't notice that much difference in the sound quality of the Sonys with the NC on or off anyway.
Comfort and Build Quality:
Bose is more comfortable than the Sonys but not by much. Bose seems slightly less cheaply built, although both are very plastic feeling and I am afraid to drop either pair. Also, the Bose case was better designed than the Sony.
Overall, I went with the Bose and I am really happy with the choice. For my intended purpose the Sonys were not up to the task and the Bose performed beautifully. I'll say that I feel like a real chump paying so much for headphones but at the end of the day, I simply get more work done when I am not distracted so the choice was a no brainer for me.
Customer Review: Arguably best in class but not a shoo-in for sound quality
Summary: 4 Stars
These are phones meant for one thing...NOISE CANCELLATION. Like when a framing hammer should not be used when a ball peen hammer is called for...
I bought a pair of Bose 15's for a high school buddy who always wanted a pair of noise cancelling headphones and also bought a pair for myself. We both compared our impressions over a period of about two months. Verdict:
Sound cancellation on par with others of similar to slightly less price. In some cases not necessarily better (he uses his in a noisy home, my test was more on air travel)noise cancellation, but different and equally acceptable to other methods. My comparison was to a pair of Sennheiser open air phones and a pair of earphones by V-moda (no noise cancellation but essentially performs more as a noise sealing barrier).
These 15's are easy to wear, more so than many other around the ear headphones I have tried over the years. I can wear these longer without hot and sweaty ear syndrome. They are light weight which also plays into them being a bit flimsy, so be very careful with them. I found the overhead band to "stop out" before I am really able to get as snug a fit as I would like but this could also play into a "gentle" snugness that may be the contributing factor for being able to wear these longer than others of their style.
As for sound quality. If you are looking for the holy grail of a combo of noise cancellation and blissful sound. Faggedaboutit. They are acceptable, won't really grate on you, but may quickly show their limitations especially on familiar content. They will most definitely NOT win any sonic awards. I find them to be not as crisp or accurate as non noise cancelling phones costing a third the price. A bit muddy at times as well. Bass shy as hell to boot. But... you ARE getting noise cancellation... for that air travel trip in my case...
If you are a true sound afficionado and want the best in sound repro in a headphone for use at home and you are not concerned about noise cancellation, do not buy these. Get a pair of your fave headphones that accomplish that task and that task only. Use your own tastes to guide you. To the best use of your time, try to audition a fair number on content that you are familiar with, but sonically clean and well produced material (my Steely Dan quality rating...).
Do not let arguments in these review pages sway you. People have far different tastes in sonic judgment. Don't be fooled by those who don't "like" your choice because it doesn't kowtow to theirs. I have a friend who never seemed to be all that upset about most sources he ever listened to. We'd all have our stereophile discussions and he'd just shrug his shoulders. He was very interested in music. Come to find out after a comprehensive hearing test for some requirement or another that he was deaf as hell in the upper middle on up to the far upper ranges and could not really even hear things pumped out by the most mediocre of equipment. Why should he have spent money on something he simply could not hear? The poor guy couldn't even spend his way into sonic bliss! He was at his level of it!
I am mostly glad I bought these, they are a treat on air travel that I absolutely loved on my first flight coast to coast using them. I felt a lot less worn out from the incessant whoosh of the jet engines and wind noise. Had I continued my quest for better phones at a lesser price..well, sometimes you've just got too many other things to do in life than comparison shop, review, return, try again, etc. They are pricey as are ALL Bose products are and they would be a far better value at about $100 less. I own no other Bose products save for a Bose Wave Radio my father bought for me in compensation for some house projects that I did for him. I can usually always find other substitutes for most Bose products in many other examples. I think the same of Sony.