Best Reviewed
Headphones
- Best-value full-size headphones Grado SR80i *Est. $100
- Lightweight headphones Koss PortaPro *Est. $35
- Budget headphones Koss KSC75 *Est. $15
- Best noise-canceling headphones Bose QuietComfort 15 *Est. $300
- Pro-quality headphones Sennheiser HD 650 *Est. $500
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- Good music quality
- Excellent active noise cancellation
- Comfort
- Inoperative when battery power dies
- Bulky
- Expensive
Among noise-canceling headphones, nothing beats the Bose QuietComfort series. Although the QuietComfort 2 noise-canceling headphones are larger and bulkier than the QuietComfort 3 (*Est. $350), reviewers say the QC 2s deliver better detail. Both models have active noise cancellation, which puts you beyond the reach of ambient noises such as jet engines. What differentiates the two models is that the QC 2 has a closed-back design that offers passive noise cancellation, which some reviewers like, while the QC 3 has an open-back design. Once battery power runs out (required for the active noise cancellation), the headphones won't work at all; there's no way to disable active noise canceling in order to conserve battery power. Both experts and users frown on the QC 2's premium price.
CNET and the Australian site Good Gear Guide give detailed reviews on the QuietComfort 2's performance. The British consumer magazine Which? also publishes a helpful review based on their testing. PCMag.com gives a short review that confirms the findings of other reviewers, while a couple hundred owners weigh in at Amazon.com.
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| Bose QuietComfort 2 Acoustic Noise Canceling Headphones | |
(311 reviews) In Stock. |
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Our Sources
1. CNET
David Carnoy of CNET compares Bose QuietComfort 2's sound quality to Grado SR60's and finds it "wonderfully rich and full," though he admits highs are more muted in the Bose model. They're bulky for travel and pricey, but noise canceling is excellent.
Review: Bose QuietComfort 2, David Carnoy, June 24, 2003
Reviewer David Jansen rates the QuietComfort 2 highly for their level of detail. While midranges aren't quite as impressive as highs and lows, the QuietComfort 2 still perform better than most other noise-canceling headphones. They're comfortable and worth the price, he says.
Review: Bose Quiet Comfort 2, Dave Jansen, Feb. 25, 2006
3. Which? magazineDetails/Subscribe
This British consumer magazine's listening panel rates the Bose QuietComfort 2 noise-canceling headphones, giving them a Best Buy designation because of sound quality, fit and ease of use. Reviewers are impressed with both active and passive noise cancellation, but disapprove of the high price.
Review: Bose QuietComfort 2 Review, Editors of Which?
In this brief review, Bill Machrone notes that the QuietComfort 2 noise-cancellation circuitry works well. He's disappointed with performance at low midranges and frequencies above 6.3 KHz, however. He finds the headphones comfortable, though bulky.
Review: Bose QuietComfort 2, Bill Machrone, June 22, 2005
5. Amazon.com
More than 140 Amazon users (out of just over 290) give the QuietComfort 2 headphones a perfect 5-star rating. They praise music quality, comfort and noise cancellation, but say they aren't as effective in blocking out voices. Those users who give the headphones a low rating complain about fragile construction, but most of these comments are several years old.
Review: Bose QuietComfort 2 Acoustic Noise Cancelling Headphones, Contributors to Amazon.com
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