Bose Pushes Noise-Cancellation Smarts in Wireless Headphones Market

[AZMecha]

I have the on ear QC-3's and they have been Great in office and especially when travelling walking through the airport and during the flight. I can say i'm really looking forward to these....

 

[mmendoza27]

I think I finally found a pair of headphones to settle on. I REALLY want a pair of bluetooth headphones. Not really an audiophile but I've been super interesting in the B&O H7, but I hear they are pretty bad. I think I would love the H6, but they are not wireless.

I just want the convenience of wireless, but I understand to most people, a cord isn't that big of a deal and most corded headphones sound amazing in this range ($349). I bought a pair of on-ear beats and while they were super comfortable and wireless, they didn't have ANC and were on-ear. A little too much bass for me too. They sound way better and more balanced than previous generations, but I returned them because I wasn't completely happy.

These headphones seem great. I appreciate all the audiophiles giving input, but I throw half of it away because I want a headphone that seems balanced to my untrained ear, is super comfortable for hours of use and is wired/wireless. I'm a developer so I want to plug it in to my desktop at work and just unplug it for plane rides or when I'm at Starbucks. It's just having the convenience of doing both. I can agree with some of the sentiments people are throwing around, but I've always enjoyed the Bose sound. My ears obviously suck though.

 

[naeS1Sean]

They look great! I really love the silver...

 

[RobLewis]

Seems a bit pricey for me (for the headphones), but then Bose was always expensive.

Bose are masters at exploiting human psychology: if they can convince you to pay a ridiculous price for middling-quality gear, then of course you're going to tell everybody how great it is so you don't look like a fool. I got conned into paying $900 for one of their "wave" boomboxes 20 years ago, but knew enough about audio to realize that it was not nearly as great as their marketing tried to convince me. Lots of sizzle with very little steak.

 

[BadMelonFarmer]

Looking forward to these.

I have the QC25's and they are great for traveling.... Just superb.... But wireless... Yes please.

I bought a pair of Momentum 2.0 over ear wireless for Bluetooth office work, multipoint and they are pretty good, but the ANC is no where near as good as the Bose and the Sennheiser's have a background hiss ... Hope the QC35's don't have a hiss.

True that decent headphones may sound better at home ... I have a pair of beyerdynamic DT880 that sound incredible and are very comfortable.... BUT they leak sound being semi open back, have no mic and due to impedance are hard to drive with an iPhone to decent volume. And on public transport Or in an office you are not going to be able to hear the small detail of the music.

horses for courses.

 

[Mac 128]

Buy headphones for $350 or a gaming console with games for the same price...

Id say that all depends on a person's priorities. For instance, I've never owned a gaming console, and I likely never will.

 

[dannyyankou]

If you want noise cancellation, Bose is for you. But if you want good sound quality, there's much better headphones at a fraction of the cost.

 

[DMVillain]

I've been waiting for this. I had the wired QC15 but wanted wireless so bad that I sold them and bought a pair of wireless Studio Beats. The Beats are by far the most uncomfortable pair of headphones I've ever owned. Can't wait to sell them and get a new pair of Bose.

 

[Tycho24]

Looking forward to these.

I have the QC25's and they are great for traveling.... Just superb.... But wireless... Yes please.

I bought a pair of Momentum 2.0 over ear wireless for Bluetooth office work, multipoint and they are pretty good, but the ANC is no where near as good as the Bose and the Sennheiser's have a background hiss ... Hope the QC35's don't have a hiss.

True that decent headphones may sound better at home ... I have a pair of beyerdynamic DT880 that sound incredible and are very comfortable.... BUT they leak sound being semi open back, have no mic and due to impedance are hard to drive with an iPhone to decent volume. And on public transport Or in an office you are not going to be able to hear the small detail of the music.

horses for courses.

Too true.
Personally; I love the sound from in ear monitors best, but cannot wear them comfortably for more than a few hours.
My workout "go to", out of all my expensive cans, is a sub $50 pair of Koss Portapros, lol.
As you say: horses for courses.

 

[BadMelonFarmer]

Too true.
Personally; I love the sound from in ear monitors best, but cannot wear them comfortably for more than a few hours.
My workout "go to", out of all my expensive cans, is a sub $50 pair of Koss Portapros, lol.
As you say: horses for courses.

You say the in ear monitors? Do you have custom molds for your IEM's?

I have a pair of HF3's with custom molds and they are incredibly comfortable and a major stup up from the bundles in ear buds.... But I did not find them to be of comparable sound quality to a full size headphone.

I do wonder about high end IEM's with custom molds as they physically block out the noise really well.... Hell on an incredibly noisy flight I used the IEM's with QC 25's over the top

Which IEM's do you use?

 

[lankox]

No problem!
I mentioned earlier that I use & am pleased with the Seinheiser Momentum... their newer version, the Momentum 2.0 Wireless has rave reviews & does indeed pair bt with anc.

But wait. You said "half the price"

 

[adib]

Bose's QC series isn't a winner in terms of sound quality. However as far as noise cancelling is concerned, nothing comes close. As according to Marco Arment.

If you're looking for headphones to help concentrate during work, this is it. If you're looking to re-create a concert experience, look elsewhere.

You evidently missed this post



I wouldn't say they're junk, but I will say they are over priced given the quality of sound

Disclosure: I'm a happy owner of QC25 – chosen after looking at so many headphones reviews back in 2014.

 

[Tycho24]

But wait. You said "half the price"

Use Google.
I thought the question was genuine; not a passive aggressive, silly & cowardly "attack", lol.
[doublepost=1465229369][/doublepost]

You say the in ear monitors? Do you have custom molds for your IEM's?

I have a pair of HF3's with custom molds and they are incredibly comfortable and a major stup up from the bundles in ear buds.... But I did not find them to be of comparable sound quality to a full size headphone.

I do wonder about high end IEM's with custom molds as they physically block out the noise really well.... Hell on an incredibly noisy flight I used the IEM's with QC 25's over the top

Which IEM's do you use?

I have Etymotics & swear by them...
The 4S are obviously industry standard, but I'm afraid to take them anywhere & are a bit "clinical".
My faves were a (now discontinued) model, ER-6i- in "iPod white", lol... they had a +6 decibel boost to the bass, making them more consumer friendly, but they're finally wearing out.
I actually JUST ordered the MK5 isolators as a direct replacement & will see soon enough!
Edit: I've never really looked into the custom molds; what's the rough expense?

 

[Romf]

I've been using Plantronics Backbeat Pro for about a year and love them. Don't know how they compare to BOSE (as never bought a pair) but they have the features you list.

Yep, it was one that I considered when I bought my parrot zik 3. I chose the latest because i prefered the design.
From what I remember it's a bit like the parrot: ANC isn't worth Bose one.

I will concede that if your single barometric is "best anc"; & put that over brilliance of sound, accuracy, etc... you may find a pair of Bose more optimal to the specific need of using a pair of cans on a flight - however, most people are not using their headphones 100% solely on airplanes; to that group I'd heavily dissuade from wasting money on this highly overrated & overpriced one trick pony.
I personally feel that clarity is king.
To me: a flat response headphone with 90+% accuracy is my slice of cake. I will turn them up a bit if need be- I actually prefer NO noise cancellation whatsoever.
Obviously, I understand that frequent air commuters (I fly only perhaps once or twice per year) will have a particular usage case that varies from the norm by a wide margin.

Well you should actually consider that for someone considering to buy an ANC headphones, this function and its quality may be the most important thing to consider.

The only Bose products I have are with ANC; actually I currently have only the QC20i, they are earplugs that are not really in-ear (I don't like in-ears) and have a brilliant ANC.

I use headphones or earplugs only outside or while travelling, so my main criterias are:
1. A top notch ANC
2. A sound quality that is good for me (I am not an audiophile)
3. A good design and something not too big.

Now, when I am in the subway, or in the plane, or in the street or in any very noisy environment, for me it makes much more sense to have a better ANC than an audiophile-compliant headset. How would you enjoy the better sound quality if it is polluted by outside sound anyway?
I nearly never use my headphones indoors in non-noisy places or at home (only when the girlfriend is sleeping), so I do think that for people interested in this kind of products, the ANC quality is indeed the most important thing

 

[Mildredop]

Bose's patented noise cancellation smarts.

What are 'smarts'?

 

[cdcastillo]

Seems a bit pricey for me (for the headphones), but then Bose was always expensive.

Beats studio wireless - got mine for $250

Exactly this, I think the price is in league with the Beats Studio Wireless 2 (which I have), and were I to spend this kind of money on portable/Wireless/ANC headphones, I suspect I would choose the Bose.

 

[WinterWolf90]

Love my Bose 3s especially during flights or studying. As fas as the sound quality, they sound wonderful to me, but I'm no audiophile. What headphones would people recommend that supposedly beat them in that area?

 

[oneMadRssn]

I've always found the anti-Bose arguments particularly dubious coming from Apple fans. Take pretty any Apple v. PC argument or conversation, replace Apple with Bose and replace whatever PC brand with whatever audiophile brand, and nearly everything still make sense.

Yes Bose is priced higher than the competition if your compare it spec for spec, yes Bose spends a lot on marketing, yes Bose doesn't perform quite as well as competitive products in various metrics. However, Bose also has excellent customer support, has showrooms in malls and all over that let you try the product, has far above average quality in a very easy to use product, and excels in their proprietary features that no one else can match.

See, if you replace Bose with Apple above, it's all still true.

Also, opinions on audio is particularly useless to me. I like Bose. It sounds good to my ears. Your ears are different, so it might sound different to you. I also have different preferences than you. Some people like flat-sound headphones that offer the truest representation of the sound as possible. Other people like their headphones to have a particular emphasis (bass heavy sound, or warmer sound, or crisper sound). It's all so subjective.

For me, in addition to the sound, three things are important: comfort, weight, noise cancellation, and style. Comfort means how long I can wear them before my head or ears getting sore. Weight matters for comfort and how long I can wear them. Noise cancellation is important for noisy commutes or flying. Style matters because how I look in the headphones directly influences how comfortable I feel while wearing them.

 

[Night Spring]

Bose also has excellent customer support,

They really do. We bought one Bose speaker that failed, they immediately shipped a replacement. Whenever one of their earphone wires fail, I bring them to the Bose store, and if it's within warranty, they'll replace it on spot, if it's out of warranty, they sell me the latest model at half the price. They've also given me cables and cases for free just because I asked. Whatever extra money they may have gotten from me by "overpricing" their products, I've more than made up for!

Also, their earphones are the most comfortable earphones I've tried, and I've tried quite a few. The only things that might be more comfortable are custom mold earphones, which are themselves quite pricy. Their headphones are very comfortable also, though I can't say they are "the most" comfortable because I haven't tried that many headphones. I do know that whenever I look up headphones recommended by audiophiles, I look at the pictures and think "that looks too heavy to be comfortable," but maybe I just have a small head.

 

[2457248]

I want a headphone that seems balance to my untrained ear, is super comfortable for hours of use and is wired/wireless.

as a QC25 user, i want to tell you that they are indeed very comfortable, but what i discovered after wearing them for hours is that the cushions get warm, probably due to the faux-leather material.
you'll be probably fine with them (and i'm fine with it too, it only takes 5 minutes rest every few hours, not a big deal) but i fear it will be more of an issue when in summer heat/sweating/no AC.

 

[lankox]

Use Google.
I thought the question was genuine; not a passive aggressive, silly & cowardly "attack", lol.
[doublepost=1465229369][/doublepost]

"Hear hear!!!
Omg, the "Bose heads" are a sad lot.
I wonder what they would think of they heard some REAL stereo equipment??!!"

So your initial comment above is not a "passive aggressive, silly & cowardly attack"? The
Sennheiser Momentum 2.0 Wireless with Active Noise Cancellation headphones look really nice but after Googling per your suggestion I cannot find them cheaper than $399. I'm still waiting for you to recommend these magical headphones that have the same feature set of Bose and costs half the price and sound twice as good. I'm ready to buy them today!!

 

[AppleFan360]

I always avoided Bose because of their prices but when I picked up my QC 15's last year, I was hooked. They sound great, are comfortable, and I can sit in my office and not have to listen to the guy next to me sipping his coffee every morning at 100 db's.

Before you knock their headphones, you really should try them.

I also find it funny how "Apple Heads" throw out the name "Bose Heads". That's the pot calling the kettle black.

 

[whsbuss]

I always avoided Bose because of their prices but when I picked up my QC 15's last year, I was hooked. They sound great, are comfortable, and I can sit in my office and not have to listen to the guy next to me sipping his coffee every morning at 100 db's.

Before you knock their headphones, you really should try them.

I also find it funny how "Apple Heads" throw out the name "Bose Heads". That's the pot calling the kettle black.

Every

I always avoided Bose because of their prices but when I picked up my QC 15's last year, I was hooked. They sound great, are comfortable, and I can sit in my office and not have to listen to the guy next to me sipping his coffee every morning at 100 db's.

Before you knock their headphones, you really should try them.

I also find it funny how "Apple Heads" throw out the name "Bose Heads". That's the pot calling the kettle black.

Everyone has a different feel for their music, same goes for headphones. I have been in the music field for many, many years. I lover to listen to good, full sounding music (lots of R&B and jazz but some classical too). The only Bose that met most of my criteria were the QC20s. Just didn't like the cord module. My beats studio wireless meet all of my criteria but they are over ear. I don't hate - just like my music MY way.

 

[bubsdaddy]

Bose headphones are pretty widely praised by the audio community. I know, in the past, Bose speakers and Wave radios were derided for their poor sound to price ratio (leading to the "No High no Lows it must be Bose", and "Buy Other Sound Equipment" catchphrases) but their headphones haven't been assessed as low quality.

The Wirecutter lists Bose as leading three of the headphone categories:
http://thewirecutter.com/reviews/best-noise-cancelling-in-ear-headphones/
http://thewirecutter.com/reviews/best-on-ear-headphones-at-any-price/
http://thewirecutter.com/reviews/best-noise-cancelling-headphones/

Headphone review and discussion site Innerfidelity has the QC20 and the QC25 on their Wall of Fame:
http://www.innerfidelity.com/content/innerfidelitys-wall-fame-noise-canceling

Amazon buyers consistenty rate Bose headphones above 4 stars with thousands of reviewers.
[doublepost=1465238858][/doublepost]FYI, I just purchased these an hour ago.

 

[AppleFan360]

FYI, I just purchased these an hour ago.

So jealous. I will eventually be getting those as well.