[Eug]

Anyone try one yet?

I have tried several lower end ones - Sennheiser, Sony, Koss (I think), and they all sucked. Noise cancellation was acceptable, but the sound quality was pretty poor.

I'm normally not a fan of Bose, but I am told that they make the best external (ie. not in-the-ear) noise-cancelling headphones.

Now they have this QuietComfort 2 out and I'm tempted, but US$299 is a pretty big chunk of coin just to be able to use this on the plane. I'd be using this with my iPod.

Reviews?

[engaged]

Originally posted by Eug:
Anyone try one yet?

I have tried several lower end ones - Sennheiser, Sony, Koss (I think), and they all sucked. Noise cancellation was acceptable, but the sound quality was pretty poor.

I'm normally not a fan of Bose, but I am told that they make the best external (ie. not in-the-ear) noise-cancelling headphones.

Now they have this QuietComfort 2 out and I'm tempted, but US$299 is a pretty big chunk of coin just to be able to use this on the plane. I'd be using this with my iPod.

Reviews?

There was a thread in The Lounge on them a few months ago, though it did digress somewhat...

Linky.

[Eug]

Originally posted by engaged:
There was a thread in The Lounge on them a few months ago, though it did digress somewhat...

Linky.

Thanks. I actually already had checked out that thread. It's the previous model though.

I'm also considering some Sennheiser closed headphones possibly.

[Steve]

What Sennheisers did you try? The HD580s are more comfortable, exponentially better sounding and priced much better than the Bose Quiet Comfort. You can pick them up for around $130 or so. Have you checked out any local hi-fi shops in your area? You should audition some higher-end Sennheisers, Grados and Sonys (the latter is my least favorite). Although Grados are open headphones, I personally like them more than Sennheisers for the type of music I listen to with them.

Don't spend $300 on headphones that have a crappy build quality and inferior sound. You're paying for the Bose name, and their insane amount of marketing.

[Steve]

I just found this thread for you.

http://www4.head-fi.org/forums/showt...highlight=bose

Head-Fi has some great information (although everyone over there is kinda... "audiophile"-ish, which is annoying). Do a search and you'll come up with a lot of different reviews and opinions on the headphones.

[DaedalusDX]

I saw them in an ad and ordered it right away (30 day free trial, why not).

I'll give my complete un-audiophile review when i get it. Its been like two weeks since my order.

[Macpilot]

I would say try them out if you can. Might have them at a Sharper Image, Brookstone, or some store like that. I have never seen a Bose retail store, which is a shame because their products are great.

I use a pair of Bose aviation headsets ("Aviation Headset X"). Bought them from their website. They are the best, period. The Sennheisers (aviation style) are nice, but are cheaply-built and don't provide the level of ANR that the Bose do. My Bose also had a 30 day money back guarantee. The Bose is worth the money, as far as I am concerned.

Marketing? I have rarely seen a Bose ad. Most of their equipment speaks for itself, like another infamous company we all love!

By the way, I just got a pair of the Sony earbud-style MDR-NC11 headphones for my iPod/Powerbook and they are awesome. Picked them up used at the Apple Store....regularly $150 but got them for $75. They worked very well on the last coach ride I took. I was going to get the Bang-Olufsen earbuds (great looking but no bass) but after trying both, I chose the Sony's.

If you have the cash and the space to carry them, I would get the Bose.

[sideus]

Originally posted by Macpilot:
I have never seen a Bose retail store, which is a shame because their products are great.

There is a Bose store in the Kenwood Towne Center here in Cincinnati. It's just about across the hall from the Apple Store.

[Steve]

Originally posted by Macpilot:
I would say try them out if you can.

Definetly try out anything before you buy it.

I have never seen a Bose retail store, which is a shame because their products are great.

There are 3 within an hours drive of where I live, and they are all throughout the country. Their salesmen are basically taught how to "lie to customers" and use deceiving tactics to sell their equipment.

I use a pair of Bose aviation headsets ("Aviation Headset X"). Bought them from their website. They are the best, period. The Sennheisers (aviation style) are nice, but are cheaply-built and don't provide the level of ANR that the Bose do. My Bose also had a 30 day money back guarantee. The Bose is worth the money, as far as I am concerned.

Which Sennheiser headphones are you talking about? I'm not sure what "aviation headsets" are... Anyways, Sennheiser has one of the best names in the headphones business for a reason; quality components for a fair price. The Bose headphones (doesn't matter which model) are all overpriced and under performed when compared to similar items. That's just a fact. Period.

Marketing? I have rarely seen a Bose ad. Most of their equipment speaks for itself, like another infamous company we all love!

Ever read magazines? Watch TV? Their advertising is plastered all OVER the place. The only thing that Bose has going for them is name recognition. That is how they sell their items. Ask anyone this question: "What kind of stereo do you wish you had?" Answer? Bose, 9/10 times. Why? Because it's the only name the uninformed masses know about.

By the way, I just got a pair of the Sony earbud-style MDR-NC11 headphones for my iPod/Powerbook and they are awesome. Picked them up used at the Apple Store....regularly $150 but got them for $75. They worked very well on the last coach ride I took. I was going to get the Bang-Olufsen earbuds (great looking but no bass) but after trying both, I chose the Sony's.

As I mentioned before, Sony makes a couple decent headphones (their "street-style" and earbuds are not one of these...). If you are looking at earbuds, nothing, at all, can compare to Etymotics (especially the ER-6s). For a much cheaper price, the Sennheiser MX500s do fairly well (I own a pair of both). BTW, Bang & Olufsen is even worse than Bose when it comes to price/performance. They are sold to rich people who like the way they look, and really don't know squat about sound or quality .

If you have the cash and the space to carry them, I would get the Bose.

Completely disagree.

For more information on Bose, see this website.

[OreoCookie]

I have Koss headphones (they don't cancel noise) -- they simply kick ass. I have never ever heard such a bass from headphones of that size. Plus I am a road warrior, I can't take huge headphones with me.

[Macpilot]

Originally posted by Steve:
Definetly try out anything before you buy it.



There are 3 within an hours drive of where I live, and they are all throughout the country. Their salesmen are basically taught how to "lie to customers" and use deceiving tactics to sell their equipment.



Which Sennheiser headphones are you talking about? I'm not sure what "aviation headsets" are... Anyways, Sennheiser has one of the best names in the headphones business for a reason; quality components for a fair price. The Bose headphones (doesn't matter which model) are all overpriced and under performed when compared to similar items. That's just a fact. Period.



Ever read magazines? Watch TV? Their advertising is plastered all OVER the place. The only thing that Bose has going for them is name recognition. That is how they sell their items. Ask anyone this question: "What kind of stereo do you wish you had?" Answer? Bose, 9/10 times. Why? Because it's the only name the uninformed masses know about.



As I mentioned before, Sony makes a couple decent headphones (their "street-style" and earbuds are not one of these...). If you are looking at earbuds, nothing, at all, can compare to Etymotics (especially the ER-6s). For a much cheaper price, the Sennheiser MX500s do fairly well (I own a pair of both). BTW, Bang & Olufsen is even worse than Bose when it comes to price/performance. They are sold to rich people who like the way they look, and really don't know squat about sound or quality .



Completely disagree.

For more information on Bose, see this website.

You can disagree without being so rude. Of course I read magazines and watch TV! According to you I don't know squat about sound quality. Thanks Mr. Moderator.

Aviation headsets are for pilots. I am a pilot. Ever heard of a pilot? They are all OVER the place!

You have obviously never used the Bose headset I am referring to, even though you claim to know all about Bose headphones and have discounted them all as junk. Ever owned one? It is an amazing product, they did not lie to me, and it has NO match. Does Sennheiser guarantee their products? I have owned several of these kinds of headsets from other manufacturers and NONE of them are on par with the Bose.

Mine was stolen a week after I got it. Their customer service is excellent. I needed another copy of the purchase order and when I called them, I spoke to a human within seconds.

[sideus]

I have Bose 901 speakers. They rock.

[Stradlater]

Bose, while not terrible, is definitely not worth the money they charge. They are overrated and there are DEFINITELY better headphones and speakers out there. Grados and Sennheiser are pretty much the best for headphones, and Klipsch, McIntosh, and a bunch of other speaker companies top Bose.

[Macpilot]

Originally posted by Stradlater:
Bose, while not terrible, is definitely not worth the money they charge. They are overrated and there are DEFINITELY better headphones and speakers out there. Grados and Sennheiser are pretty much the best for headphones, and Klipsch, McIntosh, and a bunch of other speaker companies top Bose.

Is this what you have read, or what you know by experience?

[Steve]

Originally posted by Macpilot:
You can disagree without being so rude. Of course I read magazines and watch TV! According to you I don't know squat about sound quality. Thanks Mr. Moderator.

I don't see how I came off as rude, unless my "Ever watch TV?" statement didn't come off as a joke... I don't see where I said you didn't know squat about sound quality, but it is apparent that you haven't owned, auditioned, or directly compared some Bose products with some other brands that I have mentioned in the same price range.

Aviation headsets are for pilots. I am a pilot. Ever heard of a pilot? They are all OVER the place!

Do pilots really use these headsets in the air? I am not a pilot, but I would obviously know what aviation refers to. It could be describing the style of headphones (ones that look similar to what a pilot uses) or it could be referring to the technology used in headphones that pilots used. Sorry if there was any confusion there, but there's no need to be an ass about it.

You have obviously never used the Bose headset I am referring to, even though you claim to know all about Bose headphones and have discounted them all as junk. Ever owned one? It is an amazing product, they did not lie to me, and it has NO match. Does Sennheiser guarantee their products? I have owned several of these kinds of headsets from other manufacturers and NONE of them are on par with the Bose.

I haven't auditioned the headset that YOU are referring to, but this thread isn't about the "aviation x" headset; it is about the Quiet Comfort 2 headphones, which I have used (not owned, of course...). The Bose product probably does not have a match, because most other headphones in the price range are exponentially better than it.

Mine was stolen a week after I got it. Their customer service is excellent. I needed another copy of the purchase order and when I called them, I spoke to a human within seconds.

It's always great when a company has good customer service, but it still doesn't diminish the fact that Bose products are not inline, price or performance wise, with similar equipment.

If you like spending an extra few hundred (or thousands..) dollars to get better customer support, but a worse product, more power to you.

[Socially Awkward Solo]

So does it still have that separate box along the cord to put the battery in?

[G4ME]

okay back to the issue at hand,

LISTEN TO THEM BEFORE BUYING

don't just go from what a review says, each person likes different things from product, ca$h likes his cheap and fast. Most people (generalization) like sound to have deep rich bass, but what they lack is definition and clairity. Low frequincies are very prone to distortions but many don't notice it.

But go in to a retaill or factory store and try one out if you think the sound is worth the 300 bucks IE the price of a new iPod then by all means go for it.

I would just never spend that much on headphones unless i get head from them

[G4ME]

Originally posted by Socially Awkward Solo:
So does it still have that separate box along the cord to put the battery in?

check out the PDF, i seems like the battery is in the head phones

[Steve]

Originally posted by Socially Awkward Solo:
So does it still have that separate box along the cord to put the battery in?

Nope. They managed to shove it into the headset now.

[Severed Hand of Skywalker]

Originally posted by Steve:
Nope. They managed to shove it into the headset now.

Kewl. That is the only thing that bugged me about the old one.

I wonder how heavy the headset is though with batteries in it.

[Eug Wanker]

I got the Sennheiser HD 570 headphones. They are very light and pretty comfortable, and seem to be loud enough even with the iPod's jack. It's not as loud with the TiBook. It doesn't provide a sensitivity rating, but rates the 570 and 580 different. The former is 102 dB and latter is 97 dB.

The 570 seems to lack a bit of bass both on my TiBook and on my iPod. It seems a bit bright on the TiBook, but on the iPod it seems better matched.

The sound volume on my Sony MDR-G56 is way louder, but the quality is way worse too, which isn't surprising since they cost 1/4 of the price. And of course the included iPod earbuds are completely useless.

One drawback though the open design. It lets in a fair amount of ambient noise, and lets out a fair amount of music noise. Not ideal for the plane.

I'm wondering if I should just get myself a pair of Etymotics.

---

Edit:

---

Returned the Sennheisers. I'm gonna get Etymotics. Which to get? Thread.

[billybob128]

ok not to dis a mod or anything but the only crap bose product out there is the wave radio

they are worth the price just like apple computers are and my 321 system is better than any other system i have heard/tried and the Bose speaker we hav downstairs mak LP's soud like tape quality ok not amazing but tapes are better than LP's

i think it all comes down to personal preferance i prefer B&O and Bose as the quality build and sound (old B&O system is at least 17Yrs old and is still perfect)
but some prefer others it all depens on the person

and lets not forget that every company makes at least one thing badly on the production line like the alinement of the iBooks mine is a really crap finish my borthers is perfect so some may have heard a defected product

so id say go for the Bose you get wat you pay for again just like apple

(i have heard multiple headphones and sterios so i can compare them fairly)

[striker100]

I think Bose has something like a 90 day return policy.
If your not satisfied within 90 days you can return them for a full refund.
You can confirm this by calling any Bose retail store.

[tonewheel]

Tried numerous phones before buing the QuietComfort 2's. There is no equal, particularly if you fly...and I fly a lot.

Crappy service? I bought mine wile in L.A. in November of 2003. Last week, returning from Memphis, I was taking them off when the left wishbone sprung a clip and cracked. The "click" adjustment was gone, and they were unusable. I called the Bose 800 number, told them what happened, and that they were 5 weeks out of warranty. The rep found my registration, gave me an RMA number, and told me to send back the phone (only the phones, no cords or accesories), and when received, they would send me a brand new pair with accesories and all. I sent them back on Monday, and got the new pair this afternoon, three days later.

To answer an earlier question...
The unit takes one AAA battery, and adds virtually no weight. 35 hours on a fresh battery.

The design is excellent, they fold (very) flat, come with a custom case, assorted pin adapters (1/8. 1/4. dual airline plug, etc), hi-lo boost switch for unamplified sources, and more.

They are not cheap, and I am certain that their markup amounts to highway robbery. But in my educated opinion (having taken the time to try 'em all), they have no equal.

BTW, I, too, purchased a set of the Sony in-ear buds. Comfortable, good sound, and the bass surprised the h-ll out of me!

[Charles Bouldin]

If you don't object to "canal phones", ie, phones that are inserted in your ears, then I suggest etymotics. These will noise isolate better than any noise cancelling phones. The ER6i is a good match to the iPod, they are compact (very compact) and sound terrific. About $120. When I fly, these things are in my ears and it is almost like I'm not on the plane. You can buy these with a great return policy from
http://www.headphone.com/.

[Macpilot]

Originally posted by Steve:
I don't see how I came off as rude, unless my "Ever watch TV?" statement didn't come off as a joke... I don't see where I said you didn't know squat about sound quality, but it is apparent that you haven't owned, auditioned, or directly compared some Bose products with some other brands that I have mentioned in the same price range.



Do pilots really use these headsets in the air? I am not a pilot, but I would obviously know what aviation refers to. It could be describing the style of headphones (ones that look similar to what a pilot uses) or it could be referring to the technology used in headphones that pilots used. Sorry if there was any confusion there, but there's no need to be an ass about it.



I haven't auditioned the headset that YOU are referring to, but this thread isn't about the "aviation x" headset; it is about the Quiet Comfort 2 headphones, which I have used (not owned, of course...). The Bose product probably does not have a match, because most other headphones in the price range are exponentially better than it.



It's always great when a company has good customer service, but it still doesn't diminish the fact that Bose products are not inline, price or performance wise, with similar equipment.

If you like spending an extra few hundred (or thousands..) dollars to get better customer support, but a worse product, more power to you.

This thread is about Bose products when you start to make ill-informed comments about ALL their products.

When you make a blanket statement like "Bose products are...." that is a pure ignorance. I am sure you could get a group of 15" Powerbook owners who experienced the defective screens (a lot of them) to all say that "Apple products suck" and of course that would be an ignorant statement as well. Also, the Aviation Headset X is $1000. It is about $200 more than competing headsets of this type. It is well-worth the extra money, but you would not know this.

Yes, pilots really use these headsets. You don't just spend $1000 on something for the hell of it. Many airplanes, from pistons, to turboprops, to turbofans, have very noise cockpits. ANR is a great asset, especially for turboprops. The smaller jets, CRJ and ERJ specifically, have a lot of wind noise.

Now, some guys use the in-ear solution, but these can be a pain to get working right, because the gain adjustment can not play well with the airplane communication system.

A little update for you. My Bose was just sent back to them for some cosmetic touch up and a loose wire (after 3 and a 1/2 years of heavy use and a lot of abuse). Well out of warranty. I expected to have to pay the $200 to service them. I got them back, completely rebuilt with the majority of the parts new, and was charged $0. And yes, as a previous poster noted, they do have a money-back guarantee that has no competition. I wonder how many people have taken them up on that deal? Probably between zero and a handful.

I will take the Bose, thank you very much. Now, if somebody makes a better headset for this application, then I would try it out. Nobody does.

I also recently purchased the ER-6i for my iPod. They are spectacular. Did not consider the Bose Quiet Comfort because I wanted an in-ear solution and they don't make one. Tried them out and they were very nice.

As far as the Bose home stereo products, I have listened and played around with them, and they don't appear to be worth the money.