| Bose® QuietComfort® 15 Acoustic Noise Cancelling® Headphones | 
| Brand: Bose
Category: CE
Department: Electronics
List Price: $299.95
Buy New: $287.99
as of 9/4/2010 20:07 MDT details
You Save: $11.96 (4%)
New (3) from $287.99
Seller: M&J Electronics
Rating:  176 reviews
Media: Electronics
Autographed: No
Memorabilia: No
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.5
Dimensions (in): 3 x 6.5 x 7.5
Fold-flat earcups
Detachable cable
AAA battery
Carry case
MPN: QuietComfort 15
UPC: 017817513463
EAN: 0017817513463
ASIN: B002M38I2U
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Features:
| • | The best Bose® headphones reduce more noise across a wider range of frequencies | | • | Enjoy your music and movies even more, with clear and lifelike Bose sound | | • | Comfortable, around-the-ear fit | | • | AAA battery: 35 hours average life | | • | Ideal for frequent flyers |
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| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
The headphones that pioneered an industry are now even better.
QuietComfort 15 headphones feature exclusive Bose advancements in noise reduction technology. You hear less noise than ever before, and even more of your music and movies--with the quality sound you expect from Bose. And their lightweight fit stays comfortable for hours. It's a combination of benefits unmatched in the industry.
Quieter than ever before
Bose was the first to introduce noise cancelling headphones over 20 years ago, for use specifically on airplanes. And the company has continuously improved the technology since then.
QC®15 headphones significantly reduce even more noise across the full spectrum of human hearing. Advanced electronics now use microphones both inside and outside each earcup to sense and reduce more of the sounds around you. The headphones also feature improvements to proprietary Bose ear cushion technology, further reducing unwanted noise. New cushion materials now block more noise before it enters the earcups, delivering an even quieter listening experience and a comfortable fit.
Concert hall sound--or peaceful sanctuary
QC15 headphones also have proprietary signal processing and audio reproduction technology for quality sound--including deep low notes--from small, lightweight earcups. You enjoy well-balanced and detailed audio, all made clearer by advanced noise reduction.
Even when not listening to music, you can use these headphones to quickly leave the noise behind--and relax.
For travel, work and home
When you fly with QC15 headphones, engine roar fades even further away. When you listen at home or at work, fewer distractions get in the way. When you're on the move, an optional mobile kit lets you use these headphones with a cell phone, too.
What's in the box
--QuietComfort 15 headphones
--Detachable audio cable
--AAA battery
--Airline adapter
--Carrying case
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| Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 176
 Shut off the World August 28, 2009
K. Jones (Lummi Island, WA)
418 out of 424 found this review helpful
Frankly, I think these new Bose headphones put the QC-2 to shame!
I've owned both QC-2 and QC-3 headphones for for a couple years, and their predecessor before that. My home is in a rural area that over time has become increasingly noisy with automobile traffic, chain saws, weed whackers, air travel, boats, etc, so have become a great fan of noise-cancelling headphones, which for me provide respite against all this sonic assault.
When I read the specs of the QC-15, I thought, if these are an improvement over the QC-2, I'll have to try them. This in the face of feeling sheepish about blowing another $300 for what I feared might be a trivial difference in quality.
I needn't have worried. When I turned on the QC-15, it was like shutting off the world. The loud rushing sound emitted by the air filter running 15 feet away became nearly inaudible, the low rumble of distant boat, air, and automobile traffic disappeared altogether. The background hiss generated by the QC-15 is noticeably quieter than the QC-2, and the noise cancellation, as Bose advertises, covers much more of the audio range. My QC-2 headset doesn't do nearly as good job at cancelling the white noise from the air filter as the QC-15, for example.
As for sound quality, the QC-15, to my ear, has better response in the deep bass, from 25-35 hz, and les resonance in the 80-150 hz range. The bass is generally tighter as well. If you're used to the mild boominess of the QC-2, as I was, it might take you a bit of listening to appreciate the difference. In higher frequency ranges, the QC-15 seems comparable to the QC-2. My 64 year-old ears cut off arount 8 khz, so I'd defer to the judgement of younger listeners in this area.
All-in-all, I'm very happy with the improvements manifest in this new version of the Bose headphones and feel that even at $300 they're well worth it.
The only negative criticism I can make so-far is that the headphones emit a rather loud click when you turn them on, compared to the QC-2. This is not a big deal- I just make sure to throw the ON switch before putting the phones on my head.
By the way, many users of Bose (and other) noise-cancelling headphones complain , sometimes bitterly, about he sensation of "ear pressure" when the noise-cancelletion is activated. This is an illusion that arises because actual pressure on un-equalized eardrums (as when climbing or descending in an aircraft) has the effect of reducing the low frequency response of the eardrums. That loss of low-frequency sensitivity is read by the brain as pressure, which, in the case of altitude change, it actually is. Noise cancelling headphones drastically attenuate ambient low frequency sounds, many of which we register unconsciously. The brain interprets this as pressure on the eardrum, even though this is not actually the case. The sensation of pressure produced by noise cancellation is actually an indication of just how much very low frequency background sound we tolerate under normal circumstances. Research indicates that such low-frequency sounds can actually be a source of low-grade anxiety. Hence you may find that these headphones attenuate your nagging anxiety along with the background rumble generated by the pervasive combustion of fossil fuel all around us.
Blissful Solitude August 25, 2009
Bob Dole (WA United States)
151 out of 155 found this review helpful
Update:
After 4 months of daily use these Headphones are holding up very well (especially the headband and earcups which were crap on the QC2's). I am still super pleased with this purchase.
Exec Summary
- I highly recommend these headphones.
- Good in any situation where you need to concentrate. I could have really used these when I was in college for studying in dorms, libraries, etc.
- Battery life is excellent. I am pretty sure I have used them more than 24 hours on the original battery that came in the package and it is still going.
- Music sounds great. I have just started running thru my mp3 library but have hit on several songs that I know push the drivers pretty hard and they sound pretty damn good.
- Detachable cable. If you just want the noise cancelling, you can detach the cable and be cable free.
If you want to know why I am giving such a positive review after only having the headphones for 6 days, read on.
I spent a long time (weeks) researching Noise Cancelling headphones after getting moved to an office across from a computer lab with over 1000 rack mounted servers and right under its very large ceiling mounted HVAC unit. I tried a friend's QC3's for a day and things were better (I could concentrate and not get headaches), but I found the on-ear not as comfortable and not as good at blocking the sound as I had expected for the money. Then last Wednesday, I happened to read a Gizmodo article about how Bose was updating its Headphone lines and the 15's were arriving in store on Thursday. So first thing Thursday morning I dropped by the local mall and tried out a pair. I was sold after five minutes of wearing them and went straight to work to put them to work. After installing the battery I turned them on without the cable connected and put them on. Ah, quiet - Even the high pitch whine of the server fans was reduced by 90%. I was able to play some background music at a very low level and I now I could hear no environmental noise what so ever. I was still feeling guilty about spending $300; however I fell ill on Friday and had to be hospitalized. I was placed in a room that was right next to the nurse's station (great for service, awful for noise levels). Luckily I had brought along my Zune and my QC15's. I spent most of my three day hospital stay listening to E-Books in blissful silence. No bells, whistles, intercom pages, visitors talking, next door neighbors coughing, etc. Needless to say, it's the best $300 I have ever spent.
Bose Ups the Ante August 22, 2009
Paul Noble
63 out of 67 found this review helpful
The QuietComfort 15 looks virtually identical to the 2. Only visible difference: mic holes on the chrome accents, green LED instead of red when on, different molding on the 3.5mm jack and a distinctively sculptured case of slightly different overall dimensions. Otherwise absolutely identical to the eye.
Performance improvements, per the PC Magazine and C/Net reviews: noticeably better noise cancellation (several db better suppression of an AC unit is my only test to date), tighter bass. I believe the rated battery life is better. There does seem a tad more negative pressure.
Certainly not a huge upgrade over the already excellent 2, but noticeable. If you can find a new home for your 2, no downside to upgrade. If you are a first time Quietcomfort buyer, a no brainer, at the same price, and superior to the 3 in my view: less comfortable to wear and I see rechargeable as a real negative - when you get on the plane and find your headphones need recharging - especially when the 15 lasts over 30 hours on a single AAA. I always carry a couple of spare AAAs in the case.
Hot Tip: I am now using my 2 on my treadmill. My issue is my LCD TV doesn't have a headphone jack, only line out (RCA). I researched headphone amps and they are expensive to very expensive and volume control is of course on the amp itself. Bose makes an RCA to 3.5mm jack extension cable for their Wave unit, that includes volume control at the headphone end. $15. Works perfectly! Product code: 029100. Style code: HSACQA. Our local Bose store said they are in short supply, so if you like the idea, buy now!
The most comfortable headphones I've ever put on, hands down. September 27, 2009
D. Flaugher (Bloomington, IL)
37 out of 38 found this review helpful
First off... I want potential buyers to be aware that the people downgrading (1 star) these headphones for their quality are complaining that the headphones CRACKED after YEARS of owning them... The only problem, is that these headphones have only been out for a little over a month. I suspect that they made an honest mistake, and have the old Bose QC2's (QC15's are the newer version) which were notorious for their cheap construction on the headband. I have only had mine for a few weeks so I cannot comment on the durability, but [...] wrote in their review that Bose had made adjustments to the headband (new design + materials I believe), and that the durability should no longer be an issue. Hopefully that is that case.
On to the review:
I went on a little shopping spree and bought the JVC HA-NC250, Klispch Image S4, and these guys (QC15) to compare them. I don't consider myself an audiophile, but I am really picky about electronics purchases... even to a fault. I am a medical school student, and obviously don't travel extensively, but I want to be able to study at home without being distracted by my wife's music/tv/neighbors/etc, so I was in the market for some noise cancelling/isolating headphones. The reason I chose these three headphones: JVC were cheaper noise cancelling with decent reviews ($[...] now), the Klipsch Image S4 ($[...]) got AMAZING reviews on CNET for sound quality, so I had to see if they blocked noise sufficiently, and these were the "top of the line" headphones that I wanted to try to see if they were worth the money.
Regarding the comfort of these headphones... ohhh baby. The material that they use for the earcups is AMAZING. No clue what it is, but it is extremely plush, without being obnoxiously huge and pillowy. I have worn the headphones for 3+ hours listening to music while studying with no discomfort, although my ears do get a little warm. It is not really uncomfortable to me, but I could imagine if I were in a really warm room, it might be a nuisance. I have used multiple types of earbuds, on ear headphones, and over ear headphones, and these are by far the most comfortable I've tried. Klipsch are earbuds, and fit VERY securely, but after a while they just annoy me (30+ min). JVC are more comfy than the Klipsch, but get destroyed by the Bose. QC15 win, hands down.
Sound quality: In my opinion, the Klipsch earbuds sounded the best, but I think that is partly due to the extremely secure fit and tight base that is produced as a result of having them jammed in your ear canal. The obvious downside is that those bug the crap out of me after 30 minutes of use. JVC sound quality is NOTICEABLY worse when the noise cancelling is off, and good when it's on, but I found the base kind of shallow (the battery compartment is not a pain to access like some people seem to complain about... unless you have gorilla hands). Bose sound quality seems VERY balanced. Exceptionaly clarity, responsive/tight base, and no hissing in the background. I did notice a little hissing when I was listening to classical music at near max volumes, but who listens to classical music at really high volumes... and it was most likely due to the sound quality of the song (download from Itunes) and not the headphones. Overall, outstanding sound quality for the QC15.
Noise cancelling: Bose > JVC > Klipsch. Obviously the klipsch aren't designed to eliminate sounds, just muffle them, and they do that well, but not well enough, and as I said before, I find earbuds slightly uncomfortable. The JVC headphones had notably worse sound-cancelling than the Bose. It is partially due to the fact that they are on-ear instead of over-ear headphones (bose). With the same song at equal levels I tested out both headphones while vacuuming (obviously VERY loud sound). JVC probably knocked out about 50-60% of the sound. The eleminate LOW frequency/pitch sounds very well, but ALL of the high ones that aren't muffled from wearing the headphones get through. As a result, I could hear the whine of the vacuum extremely clearly. QC15's easily eliminated 80+% of the noise. All of the low frequency sounds were dropped, and the higher frequency sounds were noticably reduced, but not gone. Of the 3 headphones, the bose is the clear winner.
Summary:
While I know these are obnoxiously expensive ([...] bucks for headphones is ridiculous...), I have been very impressed with these headphones. Only gripe other than price is that noise-cancelling technology in general is unable to reduce high frequency sounds as much as I would like. With that said, I believe that these Bose headphones provide OUTSTANDING comfort, exceptional sound (aparently some audiophile people complain that they don't match up to their 500+ dollar shures, but w/e), and among the best noise cancelling money can buy. Also, it's wonderful that they changed over to a AAA instead of the stupid proprietary bose battery. If I were a frequent flyer, these headphones would be a no brainer.
Kept the Bose, and the other two got the boot.
(Quick side note... I have a pair of Sennheiser CX300's [earbuds], and for < 20 bucks you WILL NOT find a better pair of headphones. Comfortable by earbud standards, amazing base, clear mids/highs, unbeatable price. I use those for running, and the Bose when studying)
Sweeps the Field in Noise Cancellation September 19, 2009
C. A. Bayko (Kingsport, TN)
33 out of 34 found this review helpful
I bought the second generation Quiet Comfort 2 headphones when they came out over 5 years ago. While excellent, I never thought the Noise Reduction effect, was more than good. So about 2 years ago I switched to the Sennheiser 450 Noise Guard. While I thought the Sennheiser audio quality was a bit better than the Bose; the noise reduction was about the same or slightly not as good as the Bose. I recently started WEEKLY air travel again in January, after 2 years of driving to a client. I became intrigued when I heard Bose had a new version of Quiet Comfort. I purchased the QC 15 on Tuesday Sept 14th & received the QC 15 Wed Sept 15th . I tried them for about 2 hours comparing them to my Sennheiser 450s; and then Thursday wore them from 6 PM - 3 AM Friday during a Flight on a 757 from Philly, and while being marooned at Atlanta's airport due to weather. The QC 15 are ASTOUNDING! I was watching a movie at Midnight on my PC; and was totally unaware, that a Gate Change was announced, and luckily during a moment when I looked around, realized everyone was gone, and the area I was in was deserted! On both my flights, the QC 15 reduced the noise, to a faint sound; and once I put music on, the background noise was 100% GONE! I read numerous reviews about the "Bose" sound, that there's slight Base and High Distortion at very high personal listening levels, with the QC 15 headphones, and that they are average audio quality. For my general purposes, I noticed NO distortion, and really enjoyed the bright, large Bose soundstage, the really great high end, pleasant audio in my opinoin; very clear track separation, no muddiness of sound. I also noticed I had to keep the volume 1 to 2 notches below any other headphones, because Bose sounded equally as loud as other headphones at a lower volume. After more in-depth reading, I discovered that the Bose warranty Department would let me trade up my 5 year old QC 2s, due to a crack in the right plastic joint of that model which was a known issue. I also learned that while the QC 15s look essentially the same as the original QC 2s; there has been iterative model changes to the material and reinforcement, over the last 5 years, that make the QC 15s a quality construction, for truly lasting enjoyment. Bose stands behind their products ANYTIME there is a failure. Bose is not perfect, nor are their products perfect, but they strive for PERFECT customer satisfaction. Despite all you read in any review, I truly believe the QC 15s are a solid product; that anyone would be happy to own; and are a near flawless implementation of Noise Cancelling technology; when compared to Sennheiser, Shure, Sony and Panasonic. I own or have extensively used all of the competing products, and with each of the other brands, I am comparing the high end models of the Sony NC 500 at $399. and the Shure 530 at originally $500. There is no white noise, no pops, great sound, light weight, secure fit, comfort with longtime wearing of the Bose headphones, when compared to the other brands. You would save money when compared to all other brands, even at the $299 price. You do get what you pay for! Enjoy!
Showing reviews 1-5 of 176
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