I’ve owned a few different noise canceling/isolating headphones and earphones in the past, a set of Bose QuietComfort 2s, a pair of Ultimate Ears SuperFi 5pros and now the Bose QC15s.
I wanted to hold off on this review until I had racked up a few dozen hours with the QC15s. Now that I’ve had enough time with them it’s time for the final verdict.
Noise canceling headphones come in many shapes, sizes and price these days, so do your research. Decide if you want passive or active noise canceling, on ear, in ear or over ear and then your price limits.
A Little History
Just before getting these QC15s I had relied on my Ultimate Ears SuperFi 5Pro Noise Isolating earphones to get me through long flights, until I decided to replace them with the QC15s. The decision to replace them was not based on sound quality though, because they sound fantastic. The decision was more based on long-term comfort. Since we live overseas, most of our flights are 10-15 hours in length and by the end of those journeys my ear canals were starting to get sore. That never happened with the QC2s, but I wasn’t too impressed with the sound quality which lead me to the UEs.
Now that Bose has updated their Quiet Comfort line I thought it was time to give them another try, especially since I had been reading about how significantly they had increased the level of noise suppression. It was also good news to hear how they had remedied the sound quality. The QC2s had lows that were overpowering the already weak mids and highs. Fortunately though, Bose did not touch the near perfect design.
Comfort
Clearly when you are shopping for headphones in the $300 range you’d expect excellent sound quality, but just as important to the traveler is long term comfort which unfortunately can’t be experienced while just trying them on in the store for 3-5 minutes. For this, you’ll just have to trust me; the QC15s are just as comfortable to wear as the QC2s. After 32 hours of flying on a recent trip I did not experience any soreness on or around my ears. For this reason alone the Bose are worth the price.
Noise Canceling
The passive noise canceling of the Ulitmate Ears was very good, but at a cost of comfort from having the foam inserts sitting in your ear canal for so long. Bose uses active noise canceling to overcome the drone of jet engines, air conditioners, fans, road noise, etc. When listening to the QC2s and the QC15s back to back the difference in noise suppression was stunning, the QC15s were that much better.
Once the plastic packing is removed there is plenty of room to throw in a spare battery, your iPhone, Zune, iPod...
Battery Life
The battery is supposed to last about 35 hours, and I have no reason to doubt that. I didn’t time the amount of use, but the AAA battery easily lasted the 32+ hours of flying. It should be noted that when your battery dies so does your music. So, since there is plenty of room inside the headphone case you might as well throw in a spare AAA battery.
Sound Quality
I’ll say this up front, I love my music and high quality sound, but I’m not an audiophile in the purest sense of the word. No, I don’t own $1000 power cords for my audio gear, but that doesn’t mean I love my music any less. Ok, on to the sound quality of the QC15s. The QC2s were always good enough to make me happy, but I did notice the overpowering bass and the lack of mids and highs. The QC15s have a much more balanced sound. Sufficient bass for the times I’m listening to Thievery Corporation and delicate enough for Jeff Buckley’s vocals.
Drawbacks
One of the best benefits of the Ultimate Ears was their diminutive size. They easily packed up into a bag half the size of a deck of cards, while the Bose are considerably larger. The price is another factor you’ll need to consider. At $300 they aren’t the cheapest option so you’ll have to decide what’s your comfort worth.
Final Verdict
Our household now has two pair of Bose QuietComfort 15s and we wouldn’t ever think about packing for a flight without them.
GNAR Rating 5-Stars
