[ryanjsoo]

So, can anyone tell me what iems these are comparable to in terms of sound (noise cancelling ability aside), I would be happy if they had similar sound quality to the Klipsch x10, which can now be found for around $100-150, and that I really enjoy. I also have a set of ie800`s so sq is not overly important, as I just need a set for commuting that isolate better. That being said they have set my standards pretty high and I`m no longer content with something like the Klipsch s4`s, how do they compare to anything in the <200 price range?, any feedback would be greatly appreciated, thanks.

 

[dweaver]

If at all possible I suggest you go to Bose store and have a listen for yourself.

Having said that. I found they have a pleasant but not audiophile grade of sound. I would say sonically speaking they are about the equivalent of a $100 run of the mill IEM.

Signature wise they have strong bass but not great sub bass extension, a very pleasant midrange, and pleasant but slightly rolled off treble. Actually they might (based off supposition about the capability of a single BA speaker versus actual listening experience) be similar in this regard to the X10 but the X10 might have a bit more detail.

The best way of describing the sound is that it doesn't do anything wrong but it also doesn't really stand out a lot either.

Having said all that. The QC20 absolutely slays from a NC stand point and they are easily one of the most comfortable earphones on the market.

 

[usp1]

After using the QC20 for several months, I purchased Shure 535s. I have  had the Shures for several months now and I think the as audiophile headphones they sound much much better than the QC20. Music is much more involving with them than the QC20. The Bose are fine for occasional music playing but the sound is listless. Of course, one buys the QC20 for noise cancellation, at which they are incredible. The QC20 are also incredibly comfortable. So if you need headphones for air travel where you basically want to sleep peacefully( with to without music playing) the QC20 are simply fantastic. If you want to seriously listen to music then they are not the best. The Shure 535 are simply in a different league for playing music. With a proper seal, even the bass is good (although not loud and boomy like beats) and they will also eliminate almost all external noise. Without a proper seal, the bass is a bit lacking but they still sound very good (better than QC20). Of course, it is a lot harder to get them properly situated in your ear-canals.

 

[heatofamatch]

What I've come to discover is that you will need different means of noise isolation depending on your physical condition and the nature of the noise.
 
I've gradually recovered from being very weak and fatigued in the last few years, and I find myself needing less and less isolation. When I was frail I really needed active NC - shure or any other passive means of isolation was a joke to my ears at that time. At one point I wouldn't ride the subway without a good IEM inside a QC15... However as I regain my energy I've been able to suffice myself more often with just passive forms of isolation.
 
The QC20's trump card is comfort, in the sense that you do not need to obsess over getting a good seal, or getting your outer ear friction burn? from the tips. Airline travel is also its primary forte. Board a relatively new aircraft like a 777-300ER or newer A330, and you'll notice the QC20 has been tuned to cover exactly their cabin noises. The sense of the NC envelope fitting around the engine drone and wind noise like a glove is probably more impressive than any positive impression you get from using the QC20 in everyday life.
 
ryanjsoo, noise cancelling aside, I think the QC20 is probably still most similar to Bose's own $100 open-ear earbuds from both past and present (although they call them in-ear). I would recommend that you don't expect the SQ of the Klipsch X10 just because that happens to be coincidentally at $100 for now.

 

[AnnaReviewer]

Amazingly, Bose has succeeded in fixing pretty much all of my complaints with the 20.
After wearing them on a few recent trips, I've found them to be very comfortable, even when sleeping; I can keep them in the whole way from ORD-NRT without any pain or discomfort.
The ability to recharge over Micro-USB is great, as it means I can recharge pretty much anywhere without having to add new junk to my carry-on. 
 

 

[Joe99]

Two battery questions :
 
(1)  I'm usually running the QC20 while it's plugged into my computer.  Is that saving the battery?  
(2) When I am using the battery, should I just top it off; or run it all the way down to red?
 
Thanks very much!
Joe99
-

 

[ryanjsoo]

1. It`s generally bad for the battery to charge whilst in use simultaneously but it will charge faster than it consumes power, so it is able to charge off a conventional 500mah USB port. 
 
2. Lithium batteries don`t require draining to 0 and charging to 100 because they have no memory effect, they`ll actually last longest if you keep the charge between around 40-75% (varies with cell). The electronics should have low voltage protection and similar protective measures built in to retain capacity for as many charge cycles as possible. I would charge them when the battery light begins to blink and take it off when it`s solid green and let the circuitry handle the rest. 
 
Hope this helps 

 

[Joe99]

Thank you very much. 
 
I did find the below on the Bose website re: another product, and while it doesn't concern the QC20 directly, it's consistent with your response to #2 and the battery used in the QC20.  The one thing that concerns me is that I'm using the headphones 12 hrs/day at my computer, and it seems a little wasteful to be running it off the battery when i can have it plugged in.  Seems like if I unplug the headphones at the end of the day and power them off, I'm unlikely to be damaging the battery, and will be saving myself cycles for when I really do need to be mobile. (As an aside, people report there being a hiss when using the headphones while being charged, but I find that is only the case if I'm using a USB hub or audio extension. Otherwise there's no problem.)
 
Best,
Joe
 
FROM BOSE:
 
The Bose® SoundDock Portable system uses a rechargeable Lithium-ion battery. This battery technology prefers to be "topped off" rather than a full discharge every time, so you can charge it whenever it's convenient. Make sure you charge the battery before leaving it in storage for any extended period of time.

 

[HiphopHipHop]

I heard since you can't replace the rechargeable batteries they end up dying out. So then you wont be able to use the noise cancellation feature. Is this true?

 

[ryanjsoo]

Yes, that is true, but they are rated at 500 charge cycles at full capacity, this is not the life of the battery, but the standard of performance. After these 500 cycles, they will still function, but at reduced capacity, ie not as long. Basically, the battery will last ~3 years at full capacity and another 1 and a half to 2 at reduced capacity, perhaps even more. Of course it is disappointing, but this is the nature of current battery technology and a modular battery would definitely make the Bose either more expensive or bulkier, either of which people would prefer. 

 

[bubsdaddy]

I wonder if Bose will offer a battery replacement program.

 

[nbourbaki]

Before my recent purchase of the Bose QC20i, I had never owned a Bose product.  I travel for work and I've struggled with IEMs which really hurt to wear for more than 5 hours straight and headphones that take up a lot of space in my carry on, interfere with wearing my glasses and will also be painful if worn for more than 8 hours straight.  I had a really long series of flights (24 hours) and after reading the review on inner fidelity I decided to give them a try.  They were fantastic.  Not uncomfortable at all.  Slept with them in my ears and had them on for nearly the entire 24 hours series of flights.  On the ground the sound signature is nothing to write home about, but once in the air they sound much better.
 
They will accompany me on all my trips going forward.  I just wish I had bought them when the first came out.  I'm very happy with this purchase

 

[whsbuss]

I stopped over my local Bose store the other day to get a fresh listen to their line of headphones. I've tried the SoundLink on-ear BT a few times and just can't get comfortable with them. Sound is good but ear fatigue sets in too soon for me. My goal is and will continue to be finding a good everyday BT headphone, in-ear or over-ear.
 
That said I thought the QC25s really sounded blah and weak in overall sound quality. I always plug my iPhone in when doing testing there so I can compare what I know sound right. Bass and sub-bass really lacks energy on the QC25s. NC is very, very good but my normal listening environ is not a noisy place so NC is not overly important.
 
Next I tried the QC20i and I thought they had the absolute best sound of all their headphones. So I picked up a pair at their sale price of $250. Had them now for 2 days and they are very comfortable and have a balanced, yet bass enhanced sound. Since I use headphones every day (my go-to is Apple earbuds Gen.2) I find the battery/electronics dongle a real pain in the butt. Getting it in and out of my pocket is a real drag. Having to be sure I orient it so the headphone jack sits on the bottom of my pocket is very awkward.
 
I'm also not a real fan of the wire. I know it take a while for the cord to relax but I find the rubbery feel a bit much when hanging down from my ears. I'll give it a few more days before deciding to return them or not. NOW if these were wireless, my search would be totally over. Sound wise they hit my sweet spot.

 

[MacedonianHero]

  I stopped over my local Bose store the other day to get a fresh listen to their line of headphones. I've tried the SoundLink on-ear BT a few times and just can't get comfortable with them. Sound is good but ear fatigue sets in too soon for me. My goal is and will continue to be finding a good everyday BT headphone, in-ear or over-ear.
 
That said I thought the QC25s really sounded blah and weak in overall sound quality. I always plug my iPhone in when doing testing there so I can compare what I know sound right. Bass and sub-bass really lacks energy on the QC25s. NC is very, very good but my normal listening environ is not a noisy place so NC is not overly important.
 
Next I tried the QC20i and I thought they had the absolute best sound of all their headphones. So I picked up a pair at their sale price of $250. Had them now for 2 days and they are very comfortable and have a balanced, yet bass enhanced sound. Since I use headphones every day (my go-to is Apple earbuds Gen.2) I find the battery/electronics dongle a real pain in the butt. Getting it in and out of my pocket is a real drag. Having to be sure I orient it so the headphone jack sits on the bottom of my pocket is very awkward.
 
I'm also not a real fan of the wire. I know it take a while for the cord to relax but I find the rubbery feel a bit much when hanging down from my ears. I'll give it a few more days before deciding to return them or not. NOW if these were wireless, my search would be totally over. Sound wise they hit my sweet spot.

 
Actually the bass/sub-bass is about the same on both the QC20i and QC25 from when I had both at the same time. I still have the QC25s though as I prefer their more open sound:
 
http://www.innerfidelity.com/images/BoseQuietComfort20.pdf
 
http://www.innerfidelity.com/images/BoseQuietComfort25.pdf
 
Actually, there's a smidge more sub-bass on the QC25s. 

 

[usp1]

To update to my comparisons between QC20i and the Shure 535 while traveling - I recently took both on a transatlantic trip. The source was an I-phone mini with no other amplification. And once again the differences were very obvious. The Shure were much more musical and involving but not very comfortable for extended periods. Moreover, it is very difficult to maintain the seal when you are trying to sleep so noise isolation is a bit of a problem. The Bose were the opposite. Adequate for the music - not very involving - but simply fantastic for noise cancellation and comfort. So I ended up using the Shure for the periods I was awake and the Bose for the rest of the time.