Think about getting these today. Are they worth the $300?
Bose QuietComfort 15
- Thread starter DaveAri
- Start date
I would hope so.
only you can decide what they're worth, but here's some food for thought:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQdbcDTiIas
at least it shows that bose isn't the only game in town in terms of noise canceling
noise canceling headphones use batteries to power the noise cancellation system. most other brands will continue to play music normally but lose the noise canceling feature when they run out of batteries. bose headphones will not produce any sound at all, making them unusable, when they run out of batteries. that alone would be a deal-breaker for me.
also note the price difference
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Audio-Tec...0000003142050&ci_src=14110944&ci_sku=13055828
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQdbcDTiIas
at least it shows that bose isn't the only game in town in terms of noise canceling
noise canceling headphones use batteries to power the noise cancellation system. most other brands will continue to play music normally but lose the noise canceling feature when they run out of batteries. bose headphones will not produce any sound at all, making them unusable, when they run out of batteries. that alone would be a deal-breaker for me.
also note the price difference
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Audio-Tec...0000003142050&ci_src=14110944&ci_sku=13055828
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I have the AT-ATHANC7B's and they serve me well. From doing a side-by-side comparison with the Bose 15's the Bose sound a little bit fuller off the bat but if you tweak the EQ on your MP3 player or computer or whatever you're using you can get pretty damn close to the same with the AT's.
Noise-Canceling wise they are both about the same, although I think the ATs work with the noise-canceling off while the Bose do not.
And at almost 50% the price of the Bose, why not?
Hope this helps.
-ice
Noise-Canceling wise they are both about the same, although I think the ATs work with the noise-canceling off while the Bose do not.
And at almost 50% the price of the Bose, why not?
Hope this helps.
-ice
For the general consumer, Bose seem to be a good brand.... But they arent all that flash imo. I am one of those people who went through the whole head-fi.org phase! If you want some good info on a pair of headphones, head over there and have a browse around on the forums. You will honestly get some great opinions on headphones! There are alot of cheaper phones that will perform better.
My wife and I have had a set of Bose headphones for several years and really liked them. Recently I won a set of Sony headphones that cost $190 and I can't tell a difference between the two.
Dangerous, dangerous advice
Personally, I have pretty good high-range hearing still, and noise-cancelling headphones create sound artifacts that bother me. I prefer ear-canal headphones, which seem more effective, as well.
While they don't have the noise canceling feature, I absolutely love my Sennheiser HD555s and would strongly recommend Sennheiser to anyone looking for a top quality head set.
I would recommend getting something that isolates vs cancels sound. Getting a nice pair of Shure or Etymotic isolating ear buds work very well, (I wear them on my motorcycle).
They have less to break, and are much smaller for travel use.
My opinion is slanted though. As a home theater enthusiast, I hate Bose. But I have heard good things about their headphones.
They have less to break, and are much smaller for travel use.
My opinion is slanted though. As a home theater enthusiast, I hate Bose. But I have heard good things about their headphones.
Can't comment on Quiet Comfort 15s, but I have the Quiet Comfort 3's and they are the best noise-cancelling phones I've ever used, and I've tried Sony, Sensheimers and others. While it's true that they're pricey, they're worth it if you really want to cancel out as much noise as possible. It is true that the Comfort 3 at least uses a rechargeable battery and if it does out you can't listen with it. However, I've found that the battery lasts around 30 hours and begins to blink when power is hitting low levels. Even then, you still end up having several hours left on it.
You can often find new ones on Ebay for far less than the standard price. Also, the Skymall site sometimes offers 25% off deals off everything, including the Bose headphones.
Jeff in Boston
Among headphone enthusiasts, Bose has a poor reputation. They're sort of the Gillette Fusion of headphones. Very expensive, insane amounts spent on marketing and and you can get superior performance and quality for a lot less.
I've never owned Bose headphones, but I've listened to their range numerous times at the store in the mall across from work. I own or have listened to all the top headphones from Sennheiser, AKG, Beyerdynamic, Grado, Sony, and Stax. Bose doesn't compare to the good headphones. The problem is that most stores don't stock good headphones and the brands and models are unfamiliar to the normal consumer. But like B&B, there's an entire subculture of headphones.
If you haven't visited www.head-fi.org, take a look at what they recommend for isolation and noise canceling.
I'm an active member at Head-Fi (same handle), but my listening trends towards open, full-sized headphones and loudspeakers. When I travel, I either use closed headphones without noise cancellation or IEMs. IEMs give you the most isolation without compromising the sound. Closed headphones don't isolate as well, but every noise-canceling set I've listened to has a way of also removing sounds that you want to hear.
So pay Head-Fi a visit and check out what the people seriously into IEMs and closed headphones recommend. Be careful - the unofficial motto and welcome to new members is "sorry about your wallet."
I've never owned Bose headphones, but I've listened to their range numerous times at the store in the mall across from work. I own or have listened to all the top headphones from Sennheiser, AKG, Beyerdynamic, Grado, Sony, and Stax. Bose doesn't compare to the good headphones. The problem is that most stores don't stock good headphones and the brands and models are unfamiliar to the normal consumer. But like B&B, there's an entire subculture of headphones.
If you haven't visited www.head-fi.org, take a look at what they recommend for isolation and noise canceling.
I'm an active member at Head-Fi (same handle), but my listening trends towards open, full-sized headphones and loudspeakers. When I travel, I either use closed headphones without noise cancellation or IEMs. IEMs give you the most isolation without compromising the sound. Closed headphones don't isolate as well, but every noise-canceling set I've listened to has a way of also removing sounds that you want to hear.
So pay Head-Fi a visit and check out what the people seriously into IEMs and closed headphones recommend. Be careful - the unofficial motto and welcome to new members is "sorry about your wallet."
I've had a set of Quiet Comfort 2's for several years and I've been very happy with them. I also have a pair of Ars Technica noise-reducing headphones. The noise cancellation was similar to the Bose, but the ear cups were a little small for my ears so I couldn't wear them for very long.
I still use my Bose at home but for traveling by plane or motorcycle, I use a pair of custom molded ear plugs that have built-in speakers. Good noise reduction, good sound and a lot smaller package than any noise-reducing headphones.
I still use my Bose at home but for traveling by plane or motorcycle, I use a pair of custom molded ear plugs that have built-in speakers. Good noise reduction, good sound and a lot smaller package than any noise-reducing headphones.
Can you please substantiate this claim? I have listened to numerous pairs of headphones from Bose vs. other brands and found that, while a bit expensive, the Bose noise-cancelling headphones, at least, exceed anything else within or outside of their price range short of aviation headphones.
Jeff in Boston
Uncle Erik is correct. If you look at any professional reviews on stereo music/headphones, Bose does not fair that well.
They sell a lot because they spend money on advertising. This is why people actually think Bose makes good home speakers.
Don't get me wrong, they are very good headphones, and I am sure most people are very happy with them. But research will show better options for less money.
They sell a lot because they spend money on advertising. This is why people actually think Bose makes good home speakers.
Don't get me wrong, they are very good headphones, and I am sure most people are very happy with them. But research will show better options for less money.
Hey Raisin: ultimately, audio is subjective and nobody can tell you what to like. Precisely what you've had the opportunity to try out and their relative price-levels are important to the equation, though; before you said you've tried out Sonys and Sennheiser, but you didn't mention any model numbers. Personally, I'd count Sony out as another brand that is mostly hype, and focus on Senn; could it be that you only had the opportunity to check out their entry-level noise-canceling headphones? I'm not sure how the prices go in the U.S., but here in Canada most retailers have Senns selling for 3-4x their fair price. If you were checking them out at a Best Buy or similar that may have been the case, and in that case you may have been looking at headphones that were similarly priced in that store but not what a Head-Fi reader would consider the natural competitor for that particular Bose unit.
That's my best guess.
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