EmailBest Reviewed
Headphones
- Best value full-size headphones Grado SR60i *Est. $80
- Lightweight headphones Sennheiser PX 100 *Est. $50
- Budget headphones Koss KSC75 *Est. $20
- Best noise-canceling headphones Bose QuietComfort 3 *Est. $350
- Pro-quality headphones AKG K702 *Est. $400
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Best noise-canceling headphones
- Good music quality
- Excellent active noise cancelation
- Battery and charger included
- Portable
- Inoperative when battery power dies
- Expensive
- Negligible passive noise cancelation
You'd be hard pressed to find better active noise-canceling headphones than the Bose QuietComfort series. Although some reviewers say the closed-back Bose QuietComfort 2 (*Est. $300) headphones do a better job of canceling noise (because they physically block more sound), those who have tested both say the open-back QC3 model is superior. The QuietComfort 3s are also slimmer and more portable; for convenience, Bose includes a battery pack and charger. Both experts and users find the premium price of Bose headsets to be the main drawback.
CNET and the Australian site GoodGearGuide.com offer detailed reviews on the QuietComfort 3's performance. If you have subscription access to Which?, Choice or Consumer magazines, all three have helpful reviews based on their testing. PCMag.com also has a write-up that confirms the findings of other reviewers, while more than 150 owners provide feedback at Amazon.com.
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Our Sources
1. CNET
David Carnoy of CNET compares Bose QuietComfort 3's sound quality to the equally well-regarded QuietComfort 2. He says they have fuller bass than their predecessors, although detail isn't as good. However, Carnoy likes the battery pack and other minor improvements, such as memory-foam earpads, and notes that the difference in sound quality between the two Bose models is negligible for the average listener.
Review: Bose QuietComfort 3, David Carnoy, June 30, 2006
GoodGearGuide.com's James Dickinson rates the QuietComfort 3 highly for noise cancelation, saying that they "really can transform a flight from a hellish experience to one merely of mild discomfort." Although sound quality isn't quite as good as other headphones in their price range, it's far from bad, and the price is the only downside for Dickinson.
Review: Bose QuietComfort 3, James Dickinson, Nov. 23, 2006
3. Which? (UK)Details/Subscribe
A listening panel rates the Bose QuietComfort 3 noise-canceling headphones. While they feel that the QC2s are slightly better, the panel likes the design improvements, comfort and sound quality of the QC3s, which features "good balanced sound reproduction." As with the other Bose model, the only real complaint is the price.
Review: Bose QuietComfort 3 Review, Editors of Which?
Reviewer Mike Kobrin prefers the noise-cancelation circuitry and design of this model over the QC2s, but says there is a slight trade-off in sound quality. He also wishes they were more portable, and says he would appreciate an on-off switch for noise cancelation that would allow the headset to function without battery power.
Review: Bose QuietComfort 3, Mike Kobrin, July 14, 2006
5. Choice.com.auDetails/Subscribe
This Australian site rigorously tests 15 noise-canceling headphones, giving scores for comfort, ease of use, passive and active noise cancelation as well as sound quality. The Bose QuietComfort 2 and QuietComfort 3 score highest out of the models still in production, as they are comfortable and perform well with active noise reduction. Testers frown on their prices, though.
Review: Test: Noise-Canceling Headphones, Editors of Choice, May 2008
6. Consumer magazineDetails/Subscribe
This New Zealand-based consumer site tests 12 noise-canceling headphones under controlled conditions. They evaluate noise-cancelation ability, sound quality, comfort and ease of use. The Bose QuietComfort 3 are top-rated, praised for their active noise reduction and audio quality. But Consumer doesn't like the high price.
Review: Noise-Canceling Headphones, Editors of Consumer.org.nz, Sept. 21, 2007
7. Amazon.com
More than 150 users rate the QuietComfort 3 headphones, and about half give them a perfect score of five stars. They praise music quality, comfort and noise cancelation, but users are split over whether the QC2s or QC3s are better. Some owners say they are uncomfortable with the sensations caused by the noise-canceling technology, while others complain about headphones breaking.
Review: Bose QuietComfort 3 Acoustic Noise Cancelling Headphones, Contributors to Amazon.com
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