Bose® QuietComfort® 15 Acoustic Noise Cancelling® Headphones

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

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.

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.

The QuietComfort 15 looks virtually identical to the 2. Only visible difference: mic holes on the chrome accents, green LED instead of red when on, different molding on the 3.5mm jack and a distinctively sculptured case of slightly different overall dimensions. Otherwise absolutely identical to the eye.

Performance improvements, per the PC Magazine and C/Net reviews: noticeably better noise cancellation (several db better suppression of an AC unit is my only test to date), tighter bass. I believe the rated battery life is better. There does seem a tad more negative pressure.

Certainly not a huge upgrade over the already excellent 2, but noticeable. If you can find a new home for your 2, no downside to upgrade. If you are a first time Quietcomfort buyer, a no brainer, at the same price, and superior to the 3 in my view: less comfortable to wear and I see rechargeable as a real negative - when you get on the plane and find your headphones need recharging - especially when the 15 lasts over 30 hours on a single AAA. I always carry a couple of spare AAAs in the case.

Hot Tip: I am now using my 2 on my treadmill. My issue is my LCD TV doesn't have a headphone jack, only line out (RCA). I researched headphone amps and they are expensive to very expensive and volume control is of course on the amp itself. Bose makes an RCA to 3.5mm jack extension cable for their Wave unit, that includes volume control at the headphone end. $15. Works perfectly! Product code: 029100. Style code: HSACQA. Our local Bose store said they are in short supply, so if you like the idea, buy now!

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)

I bought the second generation Quiet Comfort 2 headphones when they came out over 5 years ago. While excellent, I never thought the Noise Reduction effect, was more than good. So about 2 years ago I switched to the Sennheiser 450 Noise Guard. While I thought the Sennheiser audio quality was a bit better than the Bose; the noise reduction was about the same or slightly not as good as the Bose. I recently started WEEKLY air travel again in January, after 2 years of driving to a client. I became intrigued when I heard Bose had a new version of Quiet Comfort. I purchased the QC 15 on Tuesday Sept 14th & received the QC 15 Wed Sept 15th . I tried them for about 2 hours comparing them to my Sennheiser 450s; and then Thursday wore them from 6 PM - 3 AM Friday during a Flight on a 757 from Philly, and while being marooned at Atlanta's airport due to weather. The QC 15 are ASTOUNDING! I was watching a movie at Midnight on my PC; and was totally unaware, that a Gate Change was announced, and luckily during a moment when I looked around, realized everyone was gone, and the area I was in was deserted! On both my flights, the QC 15 reduced the noise, to a faint sound; and once I put music on, the background noise was 100% GONE! I read numerous reviews about the "Bose" sound, that there's slight Base and High Distortion at very high personal listening levels, with the QC 15 headphones, and that they are average audio quality. For my general purposes, I noticed NO distortion, and really enjoyed the bright, large Bose soundstage, the really great high end, pleasant audio in my opinoin; very clear track separation, no muddiness of sound. I also noticed I had to keep the volume 1 to 2 notches below any other headphones, because Bose sounded equally as loud as other headphones at a lower volume. After more in-depth reading, I discovered that the Bose warranty Department would let me trade up my 5 year old QC 2s, due to a crack in the right plastic joint of that model which was a known issue. I also learned that while the QC 15s look essentially the same as the original QC 2s; there has been iterative model changes to the material and reinforcement, over the last 5 years, that make the QC 15s a quality construction, for truly lasting enjoyment. Bose stands behind their products ANYTIME there is a failure. Bose is not perfect, nor are their products perfect, but they strive for PERFECT customer satisfaction. Despite all you read in any review, I truly believe the QC 15s are a solid product; that anyone would be happy to own; and are a near flawless implementation of Noise Cancelling technology; when compared to Sennheiser, Shure, Sony and Panasonic. I own or have extensively used all of the competing products, and with each of the other brands, I am comparing the high end models of the Sony NC 500 at $399. and the Shure 530 at originally $500. There is no white noise, no pops, great sound, light weight, secure fit, comfort with longtime wearing of the Bose headphones, when compared to the other brands. You would save money when compared to all other brands, even at the $299 price. You do get what you pay for! Enjoy!

To tell you the truth, I didn't want to buy Bose. The nonconformist, wannabe-audiophile in me really wanted to go the route of Sennheiser or even Audio-Technica. After trying out several different brands, I decided to purchase the Sennheiser PXC-450s. On a test run through the noisy streets of Chicago, I couldn't help but feel let down by the subpar noise-canceling. It just so happened that I ended up walking past a Bose store and out of sheer morbid curiosity did I go in. The salespeople there were nice and patient enough to allow me to compare the 450s with QC2s and the QC15s (I'm not a fan of the QC3s) in a variety of different environments including back on the streets outside.

Suffice it to say, I returned my Sennheisers the next day and bought myself a pair of QC15s. They really were superior in every way.

- much better noise-canceling
- smaller in size and easier to store (the PXC-450s required an origami-like manipulation to fit in the case)
- more comfortable to wear
- better at physically sealing out ambient noise
- both exhibit the weird pressure on your eardrum when the cancellation is flipped on, unfortunately it's irritatingly noticeable in the Sennheisers while with Bose, it's easy to get used to..
- sound quality is similar if not better (yeah yeah, Bose likes the warmer tones by boosting the bass a little, I recognize that and yet still find it fantastic sounding)
- It has the inspired design of having a detachable cord which is the weakest/most easily damaged component of the headphone. I rest easier now knowing that I can easily replace the cord if needed. I usually don't use the word "easy" so much btw..
- speaking of weak/easily damaged, I made sure to ask about the brittle plastic construction of the QC2s. It turns out Bose addressed this issue and did a little reinforcement of the plastic right above the ears on both sides.

Yes $300 is still a hefty price to pay but I'm now convinced that it's the best bang for the buck. Let's see, what else?

- it looks like but is better than the QC2s
- it has excellent battery life (AAA), I use mine intermittently and the first battery lasted me about a month
- if you buy the product in the Bose store, be sure to ask them to throw in the 1/4" adapter which is not included with the QC15s (they have plenty of extras and seem more than happy to oblige)

I own very high end audiophile headphones, so my interest in the QuietComfort 15 phones really is in their noise reduction/cancellation capabilities and comfort, rather than their audio performance. For this reason, the five stars I have given relates to those features, and not to the QC15's audio playback capability. Even though I am a rather picky consumer, I am completely satisfied with this product. I have not used these headphones to listen to music or other audio, so I would turn to other folks' reviews for that.

In the interest of full disclosure, I did not pay full price for the QC15s. Rather, I traded-in my old set of QuietComfort 2 phones (bought around five years ago or longer) for the QC15 under Bose's trade-in program, so I got these for half price. While I'm not sure I would have paid full price for the QC15s, I think (of course, that's easy for me to say) that they are worth their high price, at least with respect to the features I was looking for. Again, I can't comment on their audio capabilities.

Comparing the QC15 to the QC2s, there is no doubt in my mind that the QC15 are a much, much better set of noise reducing phones. I barely used the QC2s due to their lack of comfort. In particular, right out of the box, I felt quite a bit of pressure on my ears wearing them, and I was not overly impressed by their noise reduction/cancellation. (I was also not very impressed by their audio playback capability.) Also, and this may just have been me, but I experienced vertigo at times with the QC2s, so they essentially just sat on my shelf unused. The QC2s also gave off a slight high pitch sound when the noise reduction feature was on.

I have not had any problems like that (knock wood) with the QC15. I've worn the QC15 for a couple of full business days straight on through (with occasional breaks) and I do not find them to be fatiguing at all. From a comfort standpoint, the QC15 seem to use a different, softer type of material for their padding. They feel more lightweight, and I also don't really experience the "sweaty ear" syndrome that I did with the QC2s. The real test, of course, is whether they really reduce ambient sounds. Well, I work in a very loud area in NYC, and the phones reduce external sounds immensely, without (and I think this is a big plus) completing eliminating them. For example, as I'm typing this, there are three extremely loud jackhammers outside my window. With the QC15s on, I barely hear them at all, although I am still aware of my surroundings. In fact, to me, complete external sound cancellation would be disconcerting - I want to know what's out there, I just don't want to be bothered by it. With the QC15, I'm still able to hear the phone or doorbell ring, etc.

While I haven't taken them on the plane with me yet, I think they would work similarly well. The carrying case is not tiny, but it will pack very nicely in your take-on baggage. The phones run stock on a single nonrechargeable AAA battery, and the case can hold a couple of spares (and an i-phone or similar device).

While I will try them out sometime down the road on music (they can plug into iphones and other mobile devices), I don't think I'd be able to provide a fair review, given my other headphones, so I'll leave reviewing their audio qualities to others.

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.

I have used noise canceling headphones for about 5-6 years, so I know how they work and the degree to which they will lessen noise, as well as what type of noise they will lessen. I have always been interested in the Bose QC2 but never invested the $$ because of the breakage problem, plus the phones I was using were, I thought, pretty much as good as it was going to get for noise cancellation. I read about the QC 15's and their new technology, and also that the headpiece had been redesigned so as not to break so easily, and the fact that there is now a single cord, not a Y-cord, which I hate. I decided to go ahead and take the plunge.

I could not believe the noise reduction the first time I put them on. They reduced much more noise than any noise-cancelling headphones I've ever used. Just the passive resistance (the improved ear cups) is noticeable, but I was in a small bedroom with a pretty noisy window air conditioner and a fan, and once I put the headphones on, literally 6-7 feet from the a/c, I could not hear it at all, or the fan either. I was shocked that they could block noise that well. The next thing I tried was the TV. Like all noise-cancelling headphones, they don't cancel out all noise, and certainly not voices, but their blockage of voices is again more than my previous two pair of NC headphones. I would say there is a significant difference in reduction of all types of noise when compared to my previous headsets, but again as with any NC headphones, they don't completely cancel out voices.

As far as music, well I'm not a super-picky audiophile in terms of music quality. I think my music sounds slightly better than my other headphones, but not incredibly, spectacularly better. But then, I bought the headphones strictly for their noise-canceling ability, and any improvement in sound of music would be a bonus for me. The music does sound quite good. I'm extremely satisfied with my QC 15's.