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: The QC15s Are Amazing
Summary: 5 Stars
I bought the Quiet Comfort 15 headphones for one reason. I work from home. I live in a townhouse complex where it seems that every day some neighbor is doing loud construction in their unit. Some days it sounds like a construction site, with loud circular saws, metallic banging sounds, etc. In addition that that, there are landscapers using leaf-blowers and hedge trimmers, tree guys using wood chippers, and kids that run around outside screaming. The other day, I had a headache and the circular saws started up. "That's it," I said. "I'm getting some noise-cancelling headphones."
I did some research, mostly on Amazon, and decided the QC15's were the way to go. I'd already heard the QC2's at my dentist's office and they sounded great. I own Bose speakers for my stereo and I like them a lot. Then there's the fact that my cousin is an audio writer who is quoted in practically every ad and commercial for the older Quiet Comfort headphones (I'm kidding here, he is quoted in the their ads, but that wasn't really a reason I bought them).
At the store, the sales guy wanted me to try the demo of Dre's Beats headphones after demoing the QC15's. I have to say that the Dre's Beats sounded like absolute crap to me. I wouldn't have bought them for $50 (except maybe to resell at a profit). I haven't mentioned that I know a bit about audio and I've done some sound mixing, so I know what I'm talking about. I own a pair of Grado SR80's (that I love), an inexpensive pair of Sony headphones, and a pair of wireless Sennheisers. I have a lot of little cheaper in-ear phones
I got home and ran the QC15's for a couple of hours without listening to them to break them in. When I put them on, I was really happy with them. They are great.
There are a few issues that that I can address:
1. I question what some others say when they state the QC15's are poorly made. Compared with what? An army tank? Sorry, I don't see it. They don't look poorly made to me.
2. They are very comfortable.
3. I don't feel any kind of "pressure" that some negative reviews have described. I did experience this with the QC2's at the dentist's office.
4. I haven't tested the headphones out on an aircraft engine, but the demo in the store was ingenious. They have you put the phones on. Then they play some music. Then they ask you to take the phones off. What you don't know is that while you've been listening to music, the speaker in the display has been blasting the rumble of an aircraft engine in your face. When you take off the headphones, you're shocked, because the phones filtered out all the engine sound.
5. Bass sounds fine to me. Maybe the phones would underperform if you listen to rap music, but frankly, if you listen to rap music, that's your problem.
6. The noise-cancelling seems really good. I took the phones off for a minute while writing this and realized there was a loud airplane flying overhead. (I live near an airport).
I've listened to rock and classical music with the QC15s and it all sounds really, really good. I would recommend these headphones.
Customer Review: Bose QC15 vs. Sennheiser PXC 450 vs. Audio-Technica ATH-ANC7b
Summary: 4 Stars
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
Customer Review: The Sound of Silence
Summary: 5 Stars
Ok, I know they are ridiculously expensive. I remember saying I would never buy headphones that cost so much. And I did try out the Bose Quietcomfort1 and 2 in stores more than once. Both did a decent job at noise canceling, but certainly to my mind not worth the cost. So I bought a pair of Jensen noise canceling headphones from a kiosk at the airport for $50 and they worked reasonably well for quite a few years. Finally, the cord is beginning to fray where it connects to the phones, the earpieces are falling apart, and the noise canceling does not seem to make much difference anymore. So I went the total cheap route and bought a pair of Cobys for $29. Actually quite comfortable, but the noise canceling is simply a rather loud and annoying hiss which I guess is supposed to pass for white noise.
Then came the new Bose Quiet Comfort 15. In the airport again, I tried out a pair at a kiosk. Immediately I was impressed with the extent of the noise canceling of the sounds around the kiosk. I still could not justify the price, so for the next few weeks I looked around for an alternative. I read review after review, tried out some other highly rated headphones as well. I read that some audiophiles don't like the Bose because of the base and warm tones. I thought about going for another $50 closeout set of phones listed on Amazon, but comfort was an issue according to the reviews. I tried to find the Bose discounted with no luck. Finally I bit the bullet and bought the new Bose, covered by the 30 day satisfaction guarantee.
My first airplane trip using the new headphones, I could not believe my ears. My seat was right next to the engine and the noise was LOUD. After takeoff I put on the headphones and the engine noise was not just mitigated, it disappeared. I mean I truly could not hear it anymore. I took them off and I realized how truly ear splitting that engine noise can be. I put them on again and the noise disappeared again. Joy! For the rest of the flight I kept them on and frankly did not want to take them off. I have no claims to be an audiophile, but the sound is as good as any headphones (noise canceling or not) I have owned. I personally like the warm base, but that is a personal preference. As to comfort, I can wear them for hours and hardly feel a thing (the Jensen used to cause my temples to ache). The bottom line is that if you want the best active noise canceling, bar none, the Bose should be your choice. And now I can say honestly they are worth every penny.
Addendum: Just today I was wearing the headphones in the local public library doing some work on my computer, and one of the librarians approached me. I saw her out of the corner of my eye, so I took off the headphones, and the librarian said, "Is that your phone making that noise?" Sure enough my cell phone was ringing loud and clear in my pocket (I keep it on the highest ringer setting) and I did not even hear it with the Bose QuietComfort 15 on. They continue to amaze me with the extent of their noise canceling.
Customer Review: You almost get what you pay for
Summary: 5 Stars
EDIT 3/19/11 - After about three months, I am very pleased with this headset. I commute frequently in 30 passenger turboprops with cabin noise levels akin to the inside of a bass drum playing the 1812 overture. The Bose noise cancelling is about as good as it can get in that environment.
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Bose has a reputation for high quality at slightly inflated prices. The QC15 follows that business model. IMO, this unit is a well designed, well made, well executed set of noise canceling headphones that show a quality touch, but make it tough to say "they are worth $300". I think they are about $50 overpriced, but perform well...
The design and construction is thoughtful and high quality, and the performance lives up to the hype. They are very good at noise canceling, except at voice and higher frequencies, where voices are not blocked - am unsure if that was intentional, or a limitation of the technology but it is noticeable. Low frequency noise is nearly eliminated completely.
The included case is stiff but flexible, and nicely sculpted to allow easy removal from a briefcase, with an external soft sided "pouch" that allows storage of small items outside the case. Inside, the headset is stored on a pair of fitted blocks that hold the earpieces in place, and there is a small zippered compartment that allows storage of a spare AAA battery, the airline jack adapter and the detachable cord should the owner decide to store the headset without it. Inside, Bose also includes a velcro attached holder where a business card can be inserted if the unit is lost... (good luck getting it back)...
A nice touch is the removable headset cord, which also has a HI/LO bias switch to allow overly loud audio source volume to be reduced.
Audio quality is very good but not audiophile quality, and is well above minimum acceptable for a noise canceling headset. It shows clear, well defined bass, mid range and highs, along with good separation and fidelity... I use a collection of Steely Dan music when listening to a new audio device... their music spans several generations of recording - analog, digital, remastered, and is cleanly defined in its ranges, allowing a good look at how the device reproduces them. The QC15 passed the "Steely Dan" test with flying colors. If it's on the original recording, you'll hear it...
Some folks perceive a "negative pressure", presumably from the loss of bass frequency outside noise, but I don't notice any physical sensation. It is worth considering, however if you have sensitive hearing/Eustachian tubes.
The ear seals are effective, so there will be some heat buildup for some folks, which is likely to be more noticeable in warmer weather.. In "normal" temperatures, it's not a problem, but if it's an issue after the weather heats up, will edit this review accordingly.
Overall, I very am pleased with the choice, and the only con for me is that I think the price is a bit inflated compared to the value received.
Customer Review: Doesn't cancel much noise, not loud, overpriced, poor sound quality
Summary: 2 Stars
I got these as a gift for Christmas (just over a week ago) and already I'm trying to figure out how to return them.
Pros:
-A little bit of noise is canceled
-Comfortable for me to wear
-Fit snuggly around my ear
-Travel case is slim enough to go into my backpack
-Travel case has room to wind up cord
-Travel case has room to store extra batteries
-Approx. 30hrs of battery life
Cons:
-WAY, WAY OVERPRICED (for what they deliver)
-Not enough noise is canceled. Nowhere NEAR what is advertised/hyped
-The noise canceling can take up to 5 MINUTES after being turned on to actually.. turn on
-Not durable at all
-Noise canceling NOTICEABLY diminishes after a couple uses -- after a couple days, I noticed I could hear ambient noises that I couldn't previously hear
-The sound quality just is NOT there
-The bass is so "thumpy" that it distorts music at even the lowest volume -- unless you set your equalizer to be incredibly shrill, at which point you wouldn't want to listen to music anyways
-The fact that it even needs batteries at all
-Very light weight, no heft to them
-Poor build quality
-Headphone cord isn't actually attached and falls/pulls out easily
I'm trying as hard as I can to be fair about this review and my rating. I want to give BOSE a 5 star rating. I want these to be the last really nice pair of headphones I ever use. I want to never need another pair of nice headphones. I want to be able to recommend this product, but if you look at the Cons and weigh them against the pros -- you'll see why I cannot do that. I tried SO many settings and so many different combinations of settings and I just can't get them to produce the sounds that a $300 pair of headphones should. I get very comparable sound out of my $15 Sony headphones from the local megamart.
What is MOST disappointing was how QUICKLY and completely the "noise canceling" feature just disappeared. And yes, I changed batteries, I am not a moron. As time progressed and as I used the headphones more, I noticed that ambient noises that I once couldn't hear, even without music (just using the noise canceling) are now clear as a bell, with noise canceling and music being played. Hell, with just the noise canceling, I couldn't hear the dog barking on day one -- by day 5, with noise canceling AND music, I could hear the dog (and ambient noises) clear as a bell. It won't even cancel out the ambient noise of a bathroom fan!
If you're not an audiophile and are going to use these to listen to crappy music at a low volume while sitting at a computer typing and you only want to kind of hear the keys and don't care about build quality or sound quality, you've found your perfect headphones!
However, if you LIKE music, if you can APPRECIATE good/quality sound, and/or the noise canceling feature has you lured/intrigued.. don't bother. Do not waste your time or your money on these headphones. You WILL be disappointed.