[s002wjh]

just curious for its price how good is it compare to other brand with the same prize?

 

[DoubleB123]

I've never heard them, but in a few minutes there will be posts saying Bose are overpriced. Generally they aren't liked around here.

 

[BluFalcon]

Noise canceling was excellent.  Second to none. Sound quality fluctuated between decent and horrible.  I ended up selling them. 
 
IEMs seem to be the ideal solution for both blocking noise and better SQ.  However, they may not be your cup of tea if you can't stand to have things shoved in your ears. 

 

[catsndogs]

Now that I have tried them, I have a problem.
 
Many other headphones have better sound quality in absolute terms, but now that I have experienced listening with the noise cancelling, I can't go back!
When I try A/B-ing them with one of my higher-end 'phones (A900s , for example), all the various household noises like the HVAC and the washing machine drive me nuts during the quiet passages. With the QCs, all of that is utterly nonexistent and everything I hear has a background of pristine silence. This makes them subjectively sound better regardless of how they  "actually" compare. (I originally bought them for travel, but tried them at home and was instantly hooked.)
 
What we need is for one of the better headphone manufacturers to make a seriously high-end pair of noise cancelling headphones for audiophiles.
Until that happens, I may find it impossible to upgrade (and I am already thinking of selling all my other headphones because these are all I really enjoy listening to now. I do love my Sennheisers and Audio Technicas, but I need a silent room to fully appreciate them in, and that is rarely attainable in my house.)

 

[Goymer]

If you can find an apple store they often have them in there to demo

 

[s0126471]

I have the QC15.  Not the best value for money (there are other NC head- and earphones out there that are better value for money), but I cannot complain about my purchase.  

 

[catsndogs]

Quote:

I have the QC15.  Not the best value for money (there are other NC head- and earphones out there that are better value for money), but I cannot complain about my purchase.  

 Examples?
 
What about performance when price is not an issue?
 
I would love some tuly audiophile NC 'phones.

 

[s0126471]

Heres a list of good NC head and earphones I've either tested/tried or bought:
 - Audio Technica ATH-ANC7b & JVC HA-NC250:  I read somewhere years ago that these two are actually made in the same factory, with similar components, just branded differently.  Needless to say, they are both good, but not the best value for money.
 - Sennheiser PXC 350  & 450:  The 350 is the cheaper version of the 450, with a worse headband and no talkthrough.  The noise cancelling is the same.  I own the 450, and if you can get them for £200, they are a bargain.
 
 
Best value for money right now:
Headphones: Goldring NS1000 (they are very good for £50) - I never owned them but I've tried them and were impressed
Earphones: Panasonic RP-HC55E (noise cancelling earphones with a fatal design flaw but very good for £40) - battery compartment needs a radical redesign, but they are great otherwise
 
 
I own the Panasonics and they are very good for long haul flights when you can rest your head on the side of the seat or on a pillow.
 
Worst value for money right now:
Headphones: Monster Beats by Dr Dre.  I tried them a year ago and I thought the construction was poor - I honestly thought that Fisher Price used a better plastic.  The sound quality is okay (a lot of low/bass end of the spectrum) and the noise cancellation is so-so.  For the price you are, in my humble opinion, best off getting the QC15's than these.
 
I also do not like on-ear headphones, so I am not a particular fan of the PC3's, PXC 250 series etc.
 
 
 
 

 

[catsndogs]

Quote:

Noise canceling was excellent.  Second to none. Sound quality fluctuated between decent and horrible.  I ended up selling them. 
 
IEMs seem to be the ideal solution for both blocking noise and better SQ.  However, they may not be your cup of tea if you can't stand to have things shoved in your ears. 

I have always had difficulty understanding opinions like this one. Granted, the Bose 'phones can be bettered by some high-end models, but they strike me as a very long way from "horrible". In fact, I think one would have to spend  more to get better sound, even without noise cancelling.
I wonder if the anti-Bose bias I encounter here is simply because they are mass marketed and not an "insider" product like (for example) Sennheiser.
 
 

 

[Ra97oR]

No, Bose are often bashed for the poor return of what you pay. The is a long list of headphones that are better than them at a far lower price point. Another point is, just like the Beats, many Bose users think what they got are the best of the best, most people dislike the reaction.

 

[Dubstep Girl]

Quote:

No, Bose are often bashed for the poor return of what you pay. The is a long list of headphones that are better than them at a far lower price point. Another point is, just like the Beats, many Bose users think what they got are the best of the best, most people dislike the reaction.

totally agree, i thought i had the best of the best when i bought my bose on-ears. sold them a couple months later and bought hd 650s, never looked back

 

[golf4fun12]

I also am happy I didn't go the bose route. I got the audio technica ath-m50 instead. listening to my dad's bose qc compared to my half priced audio techinca's, I would never buy bose ever.
 
now, if I did happen to win a pair of qc15, I wouldn't turn them down. I would just sell them on CL or ebay.

 

[Dubstep Girl]

just goes to show it all comes back to the 2 wise old sayings:
 
BOSE = Buy. Other. Sound. Equipment.
 
No highs...no lows...must be Bose.

 

[b0wl1ng]

I have them, bought for travel purposes, isolation and comfort is second to none, straight out of an ipod they are average sound wise, though when I use them with my stepdance and imod they are suprisingly good.

 

[Gwarmi]

Bose will always a retain a status factor for some that many of us on here will never relate to. Thankfully 

 
A good friend of mine from Punjab in India explained that back home, a lot of middle class family men dream
of coming home one day with a big cardboard box with 'BOSE' on the side.
 
Nothing to do with sonic fidelity, heck he went on to explain that it might not even be used for music.
Rather as a mantle-piece. Everyone who steps into that house will see a Bose system in the corner
and think 'Ooooo...you've done well'.
 
Status.