[Pass]

   
That's a bit more subjective, hehe. I prefer the more elegant aesthetics of the QC15.
 
Are the ear cushions the same? I ask because mine have been torn apart after 2+ years of use.
 
Do you know if the QC15 cable can be used with the QC25? I would like the option of using a normal audio cable instead of a remote cable. (From my experience, remote cables seriously damage the sound quality.)
 
Check this out from the Bose FAQ page.
 
 
So it does do equalization in addition to the noise cancelling.
 
And here's the question everyone wants the answer to!
 
 

 

I wasn't able to compare 15s and 25s, because as soon as QC25's release, Bose seems to make the 15s disappear from their own shelves. Even if 15s are still available anywhere else. (Does Costco will soon has a lot of QC15s to liquidate?) So, I don't think local BestBuy yet has 25s in demo (I must check that soon, though), and I don't want to go there with mine around the neck.
 
As for the ear cushions, except to say that they're supremely comfortable, I can't tell about durability yet, nor compare to the QC15's, for the same reason as previous point.
 
"A more finely tuned Active EQ delivers a demonstrably smoother frequency response across the full spectrum of sound, regardless of listening level." I could not have better describe it!
 
Not for wet environements? Damn, I'll still have to find a headphones I could take shower with. If I would have one, I bet it won't be a battery-powered one anyway 

 

[Pass]

 

For NC, QC20 makes a continuous "hiss" that I found annoying. Others don't report that sound though. But, being an in-ear design, the total amount of sound it cancels is very impressive. More so than QC25.
 
I hadn't take too much time with QC20, since I really wanted the freshly released over-ear model. You can search for review of @dweaver in this thread :
http://www.head-fi.org/t/675196/bose-quietcomfort-20-s-vs-sennheiser-momentums-noise-canceling-vs-noise-isolating-final-wars (post 18 and up).
 
As for SQ, again, I can't tell. Sorry!

 

[Pass]

FYI, claimed battery life for a single AAA is 35 hours (alkaline) and 28 hours (rechargeable). Now that's impressive! More than just being effective, the chip/amp does not consume a lot of energy. The integrated li-ion battery of QC20s offers, I think, only 8 hours...

 

[bubsdaddy]

  FYI, claimed battery life for a single AAA is 35 hours (alkaline) and 28 hours (rechargeable). Now that's impressive! More than just being effective, the chip/amp does not consume a lot of energy. The integrated li-ion battery of QC20s offers, I think, only 8 hours...

Bose claims " up to16 hours." I have never used them that long without recharging so I have never tested that claim, but I have also never run out of battery on a flight or a trip. I have left them on by accident and run them down. 

 

[Music Alchemist]

  FYI, claimed battery life for a single AAA is 35 hours (alkaline) and 28 hours (rechargeable). Now that's impressive! More than just being effective, the chip/amp does not consume a lot of energy. The integrated li-ion battery of QC20s offers, I think, only 8 hours...

  Bose claims " up to16 hours." I have never used them that long without recharging so I have never tested that claim, but I have also never run out of battery on a flight or a trip. I have left them on by accident and run them down. 

 
From the official Bose pages for the QC15 and QC25:
 

You can expect an average of 35 hours of use per battery.

 
Official battery stats rarely live up to their claims, though. My rechargeable batteries do last a long time with the QC15, but the sound quality gradually declines, so I usually switch to the other battery in the middle of the day, then recharge them both the following day. My next headphone is the HD 800, and I don't normally listen to music in public, so I may not use the QC15 much after that.

 

[Pass]

I like maths, but I don't have a lot of electrical knowledge. If you could get 28 hours of use out of a 1.2 Volt rechargeable battery (better has 2500 mAh), so you get 3000 mWh of power reserve. It's like having an amp of 107 mW. As an example, my Dragonfly is rated at 150 mW. It is to say the amp in QC25s does a good job. I just don't know what part of that power is given to amplification. Active EQ must take some bites off it.

 

[MacedonianHero]

 

I posted this elsewhere but from memory (it's been a few months since I sold off my QC20i IEMs): QC25 = QC20i > QC15  
 
But I do remember a bit more hiss with the QC20i's.

 

[FatFergus]

My wife and I own 2 pairs of the QC15's. They are absolutely brilliant. So when I heard about the QC25, I expected a great upgrade so I went out and bought a pair today. What a disappointment - they are going back to the shop tomorrow. The only positives I can come up with is that the carry case is marginally smaller and you can listen to music without a battery BUT when the Power switch is turned OFF (no battery), the sound is quite muffled and of a lower volume. When turning the Power switch ON, the sound dynamic range certainly increases but the volume level is quite lower than the QC15. I could not detect any perceivable difference between the Noise Cancelling ability of the QC15's & the QC25's, so I will be sticking with the QC15's.

 

[blueangel2323]

My wife and I own 2 pairs of the QC15's. They are absolutely brilliant. So when I heard about the QC25, I expected a great upgrade so I went out and bought a pair today. What a disappointment - they are going back to the shop tomorrow. The only positives I can come up with is that the carry case is marginally smaller and you can listen to music without a battery BUT when the Power switch is turned OFF (no battery), the sound is quite muffled and of a lower volume. When turning the Power switch ON, the sound dynamic range certainly increases but the volume level is quite lower than the QC15. I could not detect any perceivable difference between the Noise Cancelling ability of the QC15's & the QC25's, so I will be sticking with the QC15's.

There is more to headphones than volume level. I'm not impressed with the sound of the QC15 - too harsh and grainy in the lower treble. Hopefully the QC25 sound more natural?

 

[FatFergus]

Yes I realise this. If the quality of the QC25 had been better, then I would have kept them but it wasn't. ANC headphones are usually going to be a compromise between sound quality and their ANC capability. The QC25's weren't "bad" but they just weren't any better and the lower volume level just dampened the experience.

 

[Gabe62]

Hi all,
 
Could you possibly tell us if the inner dimensions of the ear cups are the same (9.2cms x 4.2cms) as the QC15s ? I find the QC15s a little too small for my liking.
 
Thnx in advance.

 

[mrenvy]

Does QC25 have auto power off function or sleep timer? I don't want to waste battery when I use it on bed.

 

[Music Alchemist]

Could you possibly tell us if the inner dimensions of the ear cups are the same (9.2cms x 4.2cms) as the QC15s ? I find the QC15s a little too small for my liking.

 
This is all I could find:
 

The soft cushioned camel colored ear cups fully envelope the ear. I find them comfortable over extended wearing periods, although measuring only 3 ¾ inches from top to bottom with an internal cup of 2 ¼ inches, the larger eared of the listening world may find them irritating over longer sessions.

 
I just put a ruler to my QC15 and the dimensions are the same as in that quote for the QC25.
 
Also, here are the dimensions for the two headphones.
 


 

Does QC25 have auto power off function or sleep timer? I don't want to waste battery when I use it on bed.

 
I don't see how.

 

[Gabe62]

Yes, it appears the external dimensions (and I assume therefore the inner) are the same.
 
Shame really. They are literally the same size as "The Average Male Ear Size" - 9.3 cms top-to-bottom, which means 49.99% of use males, find them as irritating as hell.
 
I mean, either have them properly "around" the ears, or use a plush memory foam on-and-around design... like the AKG 550s or the new Blue Mo-Fi design.
 
Have to think about upgrading here... only had my QC 15s for 6 months.

 

[Music Alchemist]

  Yes, it appears the external dimensions (and I assume therefore the inner) are the same.
 
Shame really. They are literally the same size as "The Average Male Ear Size" - 9.3 cms top-to-bottom, which means 49.99% of use males, find them as irritating as hell.
 
I mean, either have them properly "around" the ears, or use a plush memory foam on-and-around design... like the AKG 550s or the new Blue Mo-Fi design.
 
Have to think about upgrading here... only had my QC 15s for 6 months.

 
I guess my ears are on the small-to-normal side, then, because there are no comfort issues for me aside from occasional sweating.
 
The ear cushion material is probably the same for both models as well. After 2+ years of use, mine are completely torn up. (Easily replaceable, at least.)