Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones (1 Viewer)

[MannyE]

I just got an ad (wow! marketing from Bose!) for the Quietcomfort 2 Acoustic Noise Cancelling Headphones in the mail. I have wanted to get something like this for a while now, but I was wondering if anyone knew about These particular ones.

Someone in the car audio thread said those were the best.

Now please. Keep the Bose bashing to the other 500 Bose bashing threads.... you are preaching to the choir with me...I am a devout Bose basher....I just heard these hedphones were the real deal.

If anyone has compared others to these in the real world please let me know. Audio performance is not important...I want to shut out the world as much as possible....when I listen to music I have Etymotics.

 

[donSKI]

I have had some limited evperience with them(home and plane) and I must say they are a real treat. They just sort of deaden the drones that slowly fatigue without totally eliminating everything else. I did not us them for any sound reproduction(for more than a minute or two), only to get some peace but they should suffice. Bose or not, they are something to check out.

 

[Ray Gutnick]

Possibly their best product imo

 

[Phaelon]

I have read i several places that comparable technology is now available from other vendors for way less money. I saw a very favorable review of noise cancelling headphones offered by a company based in the Charlotte NC are and they were between $60 and $100 - way less than the Bose. I think the biggst drawback on the Bose is the price.

 

[Ryan T]

i would head on over to www.head-fi.org before making any serious headphone purchase. I went there to ask all my headphone questions. It's a lot like HTF but for headphones . BTW i ended up with sennheiser HD-580's a and a corda HA-1. They are the best sounding "speakers i have heard bar none. Unfortunatly the right driver in my headphones went out and i didn't have the money to buy another set so sold the amp :frowning:. Good headphones sound so great it's just a bit wierd listening to music throught them all the time.



Ryan

 

[Jason Brent]

I have the aviation headset. It is true that there are other noise cancelling sets out there that do just as good, or even better job of noise cancelling. But, IMHO, for flying, these are the most comfortable for long trips.

 

[MannyE]

THanks for all the great replies. They wouldn't be for flying so much as for just sitting outside in my backyard or on the beach.

I am very senstitve to the sounds of traffic, planes, boats etc when I am trying to relax and just be quiet. They seem to get in the way. I am hoping these headphones (or some others...300 bucks ain't cheap) help me shut out that constant drone. You'll know what I am talking about if you live in a metropolitan area and have ever tried to not listen to anything around you.

 

[Phaelon]

I just looked it up - the phones I referred to that are from Charlotte NC are $80 per pair and the brand or company name is Planequiet. I'm a new member and can't post URL's but if you Google it under that name you'll find it. You might also check for Al Fasoldt's "Technofile" review - just use those keywords on the search and it should come up. I have not personally seen or tried the $80 product but $300 just seems way too pricey to me.

 

[Lew Crippen]

As is often the case, the manufacturer that first successfully introduced the product is commanding a premium price. In the case of noise reducing headphones, Bose introduced them several years ago and they were the real deal; not hype.

I used them many times on 8–12 hour flights and loved them. They worked and were comfortable.

I don’t know if competing products work as well or not. But as always with headphones make sure that they are comfortable for you before you buy. Especially if you contemplate using them on flights.

 

[MikeLi]

I use them (the version 2's) after going though alot of other noise cancelling phones. No compairison for noise cancelling and comfort and I tried less expensive and more expensive. I use them only for flying though. You can get much better sounding phones for alot less money for like home use but if your strictly looking for noise cancellation and pretty good sound you cant beat them even though they are expensive. I don't like b0se speakers but love my phones.

 

[RyanH]

I just wrote out a whole message. it erased it.. go to headfi. Bose cans are horrible.

 

[MikeLi]

RyanH.. you rely on what others say to narrow down choices to try not to buy. Everyones ears are different just as in speakers. I fly alot..I have checked out about every current form of noise cancelling phones and I (read that) just me.... I prefer the noise cancelling and the comfort provided by the Bose II's. Its my preference as well as quite a few others by the way. By the way they are not a marketing hype like their speakers are... I would have gladly paid twice the price I liked them so much. When you find something you really like and works for you cost really does not become a concern when your talking this small amount of money. Also did you catch the part about we are talking noise cancelling here not sound. I have much better sounding headphones for home or other listening areas. Maybe you missed that part. There are way better phones for sound but in my opinion not for noise cancelling and comfort.

 

[RyanH]

Mikeli,

I do not rely on what others say.. I rely by my ears. I have high expectations and will not accept subpar items. I have listened to the quietcomfort bose (noise canceling) cans and found to be muddy, weak, sloppy bass, rolled off highs, with decent midrange.

The price/performance ratio of bose's headphones is almost as bad as the speakers. There is so much more out that can double the performance for cheaper. Keeping with noise canceling cans will limit your choices, but there are still many better choices than the bose. I personally would just concentrate on getting a closed headphone. They can keep a vast majority of the noise in/out. Sony cd3000's are one of the ultimate closed cans, many beyer cans are good, as well as ATI. If you truly are interested in getting a good pair of cans, go get knowlidgified at headfi.

 

[Ryan T]

If it's just outside noise like an air plane you want to block off than the some of the BEST cans you can get are the Etymotic ER4. They offer an incredible 23 DB of isolation and they sound very very good too. BTW i believe these are the same headphones that a lot of professional musicians us during concerts offer . I almost positive that the bose comfort whatevers dont offer NEAR that much. So as long as you don't mind in ear canal headphones these offer the best isolation and very very good sound quality. Just go to www.head-fi.org and ask. They are very helpful people and know a whole lot about headphones.

BTW heres the etymotic's
http://headroom.headphone.com/layout...tID=0020100010


Ryan

 

[RyanH]

Yeah i forgot to mention ety's. Ety's are widely known as the absolute best in noise-canceling/sealed headphones. I personally do not like in-ear canal type stuff, but many do. A lot of people report that the ety's dont fit correctly in their ear. You really have to get a good seal for the sound to be like its supposed to. So it can become a problem. But, no worries, they now make custom ear molds for the ety's. They are also available with different impendances, higher impendance requiring more amplification. A guy by the name of Xin Feng (fixup.net) builds tiny custom amps and builds them around the etys. Good luck on your search... STAY AWAY FROM ALL BOSE PRODUCTS

 

[MikeLi]

RyanH... I personally don't care for in ears. Also if again you caught my drift I said Bose were not the best sounding phones out there but they are the best that I have tried... which has been alot to get rid of outside plane noise... Thats it. We could debate this forever but for my taste and alot of trials on flying alot I chose B0se II's for a reason. I can't hear a thing outside and they were by far the most comfortable. Thats just my opinion and yours and others may vary. I am a HT person more than an audio person. I use them for movies and also my mini discs for music while flying thats it. Would I use them at home or on my patio or what ever... No... I have other phones that sound much better when you don't need the noises out.

 

[Lew Crippen]

To add to what Mike has written, I think that noise-reducing headphones should be chosen just as one would choose any other product. First decide the things that are most important for your particular situation. Then choose the headphones that best meet those criteria.

Clearly for Mike (and for me when I flew long distances often), noise reduction and comfort are the two most important criteria. Personally, I’m not looking for the best sound reproduction available when watching a movie or listening to music on a plane (I’ve got Sennheisers for great sound at home). The ER4 would be a good alternative, but not for me, as I’d not find and in-ear solution very satisfactory on a plane.

I have no question that the Bose headphones don’t match your high expectations, Ryan. To be sure they will be subpar given your criteria. They are not subpar given other criteria, however.

Even so, I’m sure that there is probably a superior product on the market today, that combines noise reduction, comfort and sound reproduction when compared to the Bose product. I’m just not aware of which one it is.

 

[John Garcia]

I'm not a fan of Bose, but my dad said he wanted these for Christmas, so I went down and listened to them. I was pretty darn impressed with them actually, and that's what Dad got. For that kind of money, I'll stick with my Sennheisers thanks, but the Bose are not a waste of time.

 

[MikeLi]

Lew Crippen... you hit my thoughts better than I did. Thats exactly what I was trying to get across. Thanks.

 

[Lew Crippen]

I just went to the Sennheiser home page and found that they have a couple of noise reducing headphones—they are priced at $150/pr—really not too bad. The open air pair claims to reduce noise by 10dB and the closed by 15dB. Since I was not aware of their existence before, I have no idea how they perform or how comfortable they are.

But I do own two different models of their headphones and am very pleased, so I would expect that these would also be good.