[Zida]

Agreed, the clipping/distortion was very obvious when I heard it, and the bass was obviously boomy. Out of curiosity has anyone heard the Jabra C820?

 

[dandrewka]

Why is it these threads about Bose always slam them for being over-hyped?  Have these posters checked out the websites of Sennheiser, Etymotic or any of the higher-end headphone producers?  They are filled with the same bloated "hype" as Bose.  It's called marketing.  What do you expect Bose to do, stop advertising or claim their phones sound like crap?  They want their bottom line to improve, as do all the manufacturers.  It's NO reason to slam them.
 
That said, I own Sennheiser HD600 and the QC15.  The Senn's sound MUCH better - better highs, cleaner lows, and a much more defined presence and spatial quality.  But like all open ear phones, they need to be used in a -quiet- environment.  That's not always easy to do, especially in a household with three boys, two cats and a new puppy!  

 
 
Thus, the Bose has its place.  They do NOT sound terrible.  I use a bit of EQ for all my headphone listening, and I have presets for the type of music I am listening to AND the headphones I am wearing.  IF I were to use the same settings for the Bose that I use for the 600's, the Bose WOULD sound terrible.   With the proper setting, the QC's are better than adequate.  And if I should find myself in an airplane, train, bus or car... well nothing can beat it.  Let's also not forget they are quite efficient - no need to tag along a portable amp.
 
I'd love to take the QC's with me when I go to the gym.  But... a tad bit ostentatious.  So I have been using Ety ER-6i's... but recently ordered a pair of ER4p/s's.  If I can tolerate that in-ear experience with the ER4 as I have with the ER6, I might not have any more need for the Bose.  So make me an offer. 

 

[wind016]

I know just as well as anyone here how to use an EQ, but I mostly tested the Bose without EQ first. There was a lot of distortion in the treble when flat. Boosting the low end made the headphones sound more decent, but it is still a sacrifice in detail, though there wasn't much resolution in the first place.
 
I have been very positive about Bose and fair. I'm anything but bashing them.

 

[dandrewka]

Most here have been fair towards Bose.  They are what they are, and if you want decent sounding headphones that are OUTSTANDING at noise cancellation, these are for you.  Some may say they are over-priced, and I can't argue with that.
 
All I am trying to say:
 
1. Don't slam Bose (or any manufacturer) because they advertise.
2. Don't base your review on Bose based on what you hear standing in a Best Buy.
3. Understand that nearly any headphone will sound better with proper EQ (adjusted to personal preferences).
4. Always remember that individual tastes are just that.  To each his own.

 

[Zida]

What I have liked about this thread is how it's one of the first times I have actually seen a reasonable discussion of the sound and functionality of the bose QC's, and that it hadn't fallen to just bashing them. Instead we talk very specifically about what is wrong with their sound so that people who can't hear them themselves can determine whether or not they are worth their price. I think mostly everyone that has said something bad about them has also gone on to say something else to their credit, even if it is just in their NC and not their sound. There is only so nicely you can describe a headphone when it is as obviously flawed as they are.

 

[s0126471]

@wind016: have you tried the QC15 with a headphone amp?  It might help out a bit on the treble.  I use the Fiio E7 with mine, and it works fine.
 
The problem with the NC tech is they tend to use the low frequencies, so the bass and the treble will be affected.  Boosting it with an amp might help, however I am starting to think it wont.  
 
The problem with Bose is they are notorious for not producing a specification sheet

 

[dandrewka]

Was just listening to the QC 15, as the wife is vacuuming.  The song was "Where To Now St. Peter" by Elton John, in Apple Lossless Codec.  The Bose was hooked to FiiO E7/E9.  I thought it sounded pretty good.
 
She finished vacuuming, and I did a quick switch to the Senn HD600.  Not to belabor a point, but wow, what a difference.  If you are familiar with the song, there is a distorted guitar that come in and out - left right and center.  With the Senn, it was quite dramatic.  I could barely hear it with the Bose - no spatial feeling at all.  Also, there was that loss of highs and thumpy bass.
 
I think any headphone would sound better with a good DAC/Amp, and Bose is no different.  I would have been fine listening to that combo indefinitely, even with no vacuum cleaner noise in the room.  

 

[Zida]

It's possible I'm wrong, but it is my understanding that active noise cancelling such as the bose qc15 would be unaffected by having additional amping behind them since their battery is what is powering the drivers? *I might be wrong*. If someone here specializes more in electronics it would be good to have them comment.

My ANC7, though, sound rather dramatically better with an amp when playing in passive mode (NC off), and the bass gets nice and tight in comparison to the amp of my mp3 player.

edit: I shouldn't say the sound would be necessarily unaffected, just it wont have the effect that amping headphones is for. It might color them if the amp produces a colored tone.

 

[petmanboi]

I have bose qc 15 and ath-m50s (check my avatar picture), i have to say the sound quality are almost identical. i prefer the bass on qc15 because it feels more lively so are the trebles. on the other hand ath-m50 bring more volume so you could hear every details in the tracks , but im not saying that bose lacks details because it doesnt, both of them gives clarity sound. the only cons about bose is being overpriced, Im from UK and I bought it for £275, but I still feel  that it sould be £200 (sound quality: £150 and noise canceling £50)the noise cancelling of qc15 is top notch (sound quality is still better when your inside the room rather than out and about).
 
verdict:
sound quality: QC15= 8.5/10
                     M50=9/10
comfortability:QC15 
style: QC15
value:M50
portability:M50
 
if theyre saying bose sucks and this and that, it isnt true. I bought qc15 few months ago then I heard the M50s so I bought it because of good reviews from youtube and head-fi. I have to say qc15 dosnt suck at all because im not totaly blown away by the M50 after I used it because of my experience on bose. They only hate bose mainly because it is mainstream and overpriced. 
 
ta' for now 

 

[petmanboi]

I have qc15 and m50s check my avatar picture, they are really unfair towards bose. also check my "un-biased" review between the two

 

[petmanboi]

Quote:

I know just as well as anyone here how to use an EQ, but I mostly tested the Bose without EQ first. There was a lot of distortion in the treble when flat. Boosting the low end made the headphones sound more decent, but it is still a sacrifice in detail, though there wasn't much resolution in the first place.
 
I have been very positive about Bose and fair. I'm anything but bashing them.

I have qc15 and m50s check my avatar picture, they are really unfair towards bose. also check my "un-biased" review between the two 

 

[x838nwy]

Got mine yesterday and listening to them right now in a noisy car (passenger seat, diesel). NC is impressive. I still get rumbles but it's more of a physically transmitted thing which I guess the cans can't do much about. It's creepy when you take them off and realise how loud ambient noise really is. Overall comfort and nc are really good.

Sadly music now takes a back seat, however. It seems a monkey has been at the controls at the eq desk. Kindda inconsistent in fact. The lower bass is... not realy there. Upper bass is fluffy and there's a treble tilt. Up to a point where it's annoying sometimes.

best think of these as noise isolators that can play music rather thannthe other way around?

 

[x838nwy]

It's possible I'm wrong, but it is my understanding that active noise cancelling such as the bose qc15 would be unaffected by having additional amping behind them since their battery is what is powering the drivers? *I might be wrong*. If someone here specializes more in electronics it would be good to have them comment.


My ANC7, though, sound rather dramatically better with an amp when playing in passive mode (NC off), and the bass gets nice and tight in comparison to the amp of my mp3 player.


edit: I shouldn't say the sound would be necessarily unaffected, just it wont have the effect that amping headphones is for. It might color them if the amp produces a colored tone.

I'm no expert on this either, but looking at the impedance plot on inner fidelity, it must be the most funky plots I've ever seen. An amp should cope better with that than my iphone.

 

[Todams]

Hi, I have a job in a workshop with a lot of noise, and the QC 15 are excellent. I have lossless music on my iPhone and the music helps me get through the day. The only time they are a little bit insufficient is when I am using an air pistol for blowing parts. Air pistols a few meters away are no problem. I also have a small Dab radio but compressed music is rather boring and my foot never starts tapping the way it does with lossless music.