Bose® QuietComfort® 15 Acoustic Noise Cancelling® Headphones(Old Version)

Product Description

From the Manufacturer

QuietComfort 15 headphones feature exclusive Bose advancements in noise reduction technology. QC15 headphones also feature proprietary signal processing and TriPort® acoustic headphone structure for more lifelike sound-including deep low notes-from small, lightweight earcups.

QuietComfort 15 headphones feature exclusive Bose advancements in noise reduction technology. QC15 headphones also feature proprietary signal processing and TriPort acoustic headphone structure for more lifelike sound-including deep low notes-from small, lightweight earcups.

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Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 8.8 x 2.8 inches ; 7.4 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds
• Shipping: This item can only be shipped to the 48 contiguous states. We regret it cannot be shipped to APO/FPO, Hawaii, Alaska, or Puerto Rico.
• ASIN: B002M38I2U
• Item model number: 322403-0010
• Batteries: 1 AAA batteries required.
  

Technical Details

• The best Bose headphones reduce more noise across a wider range of frequencies
• Enjoy your music and movies even more, with clear and lifelike Bose sound
• Comfortable, around-the-ear fit
• AAA battery: 35 hours average life
• Ideal for frequent flyers

Costumer Reviews

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

Update:

15 months - still using the QC15's several times per week and they are still holding up well. No fit or finish issues what so ever. I do keep them in their case when not using them and when they are in my laptop bag. Ejoying them even more with my new WP7 phone.

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.