- Average user rating: 3.0 stars out of 182 reviews Back to product review
- My rating: 0 stars
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0 out of 1 people found this review helpful
0.5 stars
"Worthless and VASTLY OVERPRICED stay away!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Pros: Clever marketing will make you think they're good
Cons: Overpriced, pathetic midrange, huge and bulky
Summary: Without a doubt the worst headphones money can buy. The folks at Bose should be truly embarassed to charge 300 dollars for headphones that produce lower quality sound than models other companies sell for 100 dollars. The only reason people buy these headphones is because they're suckered in by Bose marketing. These headphones are no more portable than a small stereo either. They are big and ugly, and will make you sweat.
Now, on to their sound quality. When I read the comments of people on here who say these are the best headphones ever, I don't know whether to laugh or vomit. People who say that fit into one of two categories:
1. People who have never listened to headphones costing more than twenty bucks before and therefore have absolutely no idea what good headphones are.
2. Employees of Bose
Yes, the bose headphones do produce sound that is better than the two dollar throw away headphones that come with an ipod. However, their bass is overstated and boomy, not in any way natural. The treble on the Bose headphones is also seriously lacking, there is little or no natural decay. If you like classical music, orchestra, or multi instrument latin music, forget about it, the Bose phones lack the precision to give you any sense of placement.
I now have a sad confession to make - a year ago, I was taken in by the Bose marketing, and without doing my research, wasted $300 dollars on these mobile pieces of dung.
As the owner of some electrostatic phones with a preamp, I was looking for something I could travel with. I quickly realized my error, and fortunately I was able to sell my crappy Bose phones to some moron on Ebay for about what I paid for them.
I then made the best decision I have made in a while. I got a pair of Shure e5c earbud phones, which provide a level of sound isolation equal to the noise canceling of the bose phones. They also don't have the sound distortion produced by the noise cancelling in the bose phones. Most importantly, they are actually studio quality, and while they can't match my $1500 electrostatic rig, they are really impressive, with dual drivers (a bass and a treble driver) somehow minaturized enough to fit into a little earbud thing.
Sensaphonics and ultimate ears also make good heaphones that are actually worth the money the cost. To repeat, if you are willing to spend a few hundred dollars on headphones, the absolute worst choice you can make is Bose.
- 22 replies to this review
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I have a Bose audio system in my car and it's pretty crappy. It seems Bose spends their effort on creating the impression of a quality product rather than the real thing.
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I have to laugh at the people who hate Bose just for the sake of hating them. Their reviews seem to share two things:
1- They can't give a rational negative review. Tech products are very subjective, and virtually every product has negative reviews. They just don't post a negative review and leave it at that.
2- They also attack anyone else who doesn't hate Bose. -
what credentials do you have that makes you the authority on sound quality other than the fact that you spent a ridiculous amount of money on a home headphone setup? I agree that the QC2 phones are overpriced, but if you really think it's appropriate to compare these to your 1500 dollar setup (which I challenge you to carry on a plain) you are missing the point completely.
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Fact: the headphones cost $299
Fact: Buy from Bose and you have 30-days to decide whether or not you like them. Full refund upon return.
Fact: Marketing is how a company generates interest and business in a capitalistic system - have problem with that?
Question: Did the writer of this post forget this information? -
I just love it when audiophiles make comments like this. It was obvious when he makes reference to "natural decay", etc. Look when you in a plane listening to. dare I say, music that non-audiophiles listen to then you get a definite appreciation for Bose headphones. Are they the most "natural" sounding? No they're not. Do they sound good? Heck yes. Do they sound good at 32,000 ft with screaming babies and the drone of jet engines? Heck yes. Do Shure headphones sound better? Yes they do but the ones that I've tried literally have to be inserted into your ears. I prefer to keep things out of my ears thank you.
Enough said -
I have tried the Bose QuietComfort 2 and had my own doubts prior to that. Initially I thought they might be crap, but as soon as I tried them on in Duty Free, I was corrected. I own a pair of in-ear Sennheisers so I know what high quality sounds like. The QC 2s were so comfortable, when I put them on I could barely make out what people were saying, and it was in the middle of the airport ! The sound had a luxurious quality to it, I can't quite describe it. The leather on the ear cups is very soft and imperceptible once you put them on. I am seriously thinking of buying these. I can't imagine what they're like on an airplane. I didn't experience any pressure in my ears from the bass, and thought the treble was crisp and detailed. TRY THEM OUT !
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ok.Simply put these BOSE headphones are for people that :
1.Have the money and can simply afford
2.Just want the BOSE brand
3.Want the sound cancelling technology
4.Dont know nothing about headphones or sound quality etc (like me).
I have these headphones and i think there great for my personal preference but maybe no so great for someone that knows what there talking about. You can bag BOSE and the products all you want but it really comes down to personal preference, what you know and what you want. -
I think the comments have just saved me from myself..i was a click away from quiet comfort 2 purchase....thank you for your honesty.....dc
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I just bought a pair of the Bose. They are awesome! They are expensive. You pay for quality.
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i heard a pair of no name $85 studio phones that sounded as good
i listened to bose' whole line for at least 10 sec in a rock song before i left, i must have good ears if these are good, im guessing it was the quiet comfort series based on 3 models going up to like 350, it was way overpriced -
These headphones are, to be fair, not the BEST in sound quality (but also to be fair if you want to whine about price your touted Shure e5c earbud phones are about $500) but they do have excellent noise reduction, which you chose to not mention at all (Noise Reduction is their primary feature! Bose doesn't sell them to be concert halls on your ears!) On flights I've simply slippped these on after we hit cruise altitude out of CVG and woken up for descent into Heathrow. Fine they don't make it sound like the band is sitting next to you, but when the engines of the plane are thundering and the noise cancelling feature is flipped on, with the music flowing, I find my wallet not particularly missing the $300. Good sound quality and excellent noise reduction are a combo no earbuds will ever be able to have.
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This guy is completly right. Why pay 300 for this piece of crap headphones? Let me tell you the triports are as good as the $20 headphone Sennheiser hd201 (that's right, a $20 headphone beats out a $150 or at least ties it). Anyone who doesn't believe this guy is obviously a moron as well. He owns electrostats which are very expensive, top-notch headphones that requires an expensive amp to use. Do not buy these for these reasons. I know the Triports headphone band breaks so I assume this one would too. Just goes to show that Cnet is way too biased because they are all over design, rather than the sound quality of these phones. DO NOT BUY THESE! They maybe comfortable but you can still buy full-size headphones for $200 that are just as comfortable. If you do not believe me go to head-fi.com and search for these headphones. You will find a lot of people trashing these crappy headphones. Also do not trust Cnet for their reviews, go to head-fi to find the right headphone for you.
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Your rather adolescent rant leaves me annoyed. The Bose QC2's are overpriced, as is everything Bose, but their cost is based not so much on their sound quality (which is just fine, by the way, even if it's not as good as similarly priced, non-noise cancelling phones) as on their active noise reduction, which is astounding. That really has to be experienced to appreciate. There's nothing else like it. Make just one flight with these Bose and you'll never know how you endured flying without them. They'll also make a noisy room sleep quiet. The effect is truly profound. I often use them just for that, no music. It's like you were plopped down in the middle of a desert island. The fact that you say nothing of this most unique aspect of the QC2's makes me wonder why on earth you bought them in the first place. Talk about morons!
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don't necessarily have to compare them to e5c. an e3c is considerably superior to QC2s.
i like the comfort though. -
I am not sure why you would buy "noisecancelling" phones and then compare them to top of the line headphones without that feature. The phones main feature is noise cancelling and you make no mention of it.
I use these on international travel, wear them 18 hours and can not tell they are on (until I turn them off and the roar of the pplane jumps at me).
WELL worth the cost just for the nlise reduction feature. As for sound, they greatly improve the sound on the plane. I would bet that yuor 1500 phones would be a distant second in the environment they are made for. -
I bought the e5c today in Las Vegas and returned them in SF. Sound quality was nice BUT they became uncomfortable quickly and sound isolation was less than desirable. I'll sacrifice a little quality for the comfort and peace provided by Bose.
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Well you can't just throw a comment without testing them properly. I don't own them but I have had a one hour demo of those at an apple shop. They could be a little over priced (I agree) but their sound quality is almost at the top line with others. As the people at Bose say you don't have to go for any bass boost functions or equaliser settings. And regarding the volume, are you people mad or what to listen at max volumes. I think you might have become deaf over the years. At max I can go for 40% volume only if I am in a real noisy & busy environment (Not even once I had to). Switch off the bass boost function and equalisers and then evaluate them. I agree that e5c might provide more noise attenuation, but ear phones are ear phones and headphones are headphones. Please don't write reviews with a grudge. I don't agree with your review.
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Anyone who calls their buyer on an eBay sale a "moron" pretty much tells the rest of the world they are small and unimportant. I own these headphones and love them. Do I use them every day? No. Can I live without them? Yes. Do I believe there are better and also lesser products out there? Of course. Chareser22, don't waste our time with your useless hate and lambasting.
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I disagree with your assessment entirely. I have Shure E5c headphones and a $120K+ high-end system. Yes, the Bose are not as good as the E5c but they are still excellent headphones. I give them a 9 overall, not 1. Want to know why? Read my review on 1/14/2006.
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For $200 dollars more the Shure e5c headphones you mention should be a superior product. How does the Bose QC2 stack up against product in the same price range? That is the true test. Anyone care to comment?
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Bose have always sounded that way to me (fluffy bass). I was wondering if their headphones would be as bad. Maybe your other expectations were a bit much - you do have some pretty nice gear with which to compare.
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I believe the Bose headphones are primarily for people who need to cut down the noise in their environments, and not for music afficionados. Yes, they're overpriced, but the earbuds that cost $300 or more are also overpriced. I question the validity of any rating that so far deviates from the average. Whenever someone has a big complaint about the sound not beign loud enough, I wonder about their hearing - maybe they've gone a little deaf from years of "loud music". Or concerning complaints of poor fidelity. this may be due to the nature of the recording itself: vinyl, MP3,etc. If you're playing back MP3's on a high quality headphone/earbud, can you even expect supurb sound? Is it possible the Bose headphones simply expose the weakness of the MP3 standard? I bought a pair yesterday (which I may return simply because they're so expensive) and hooked them into 2 stereo systems I have, and got different results, one better than the other, but with my "good" stereo, the sound (of a Henry Mancini vinyl LP) was impressive and satisfying - I got goose bumps. But maybe that's just because I like Mancini. Does one really have to pay a thousand dollars to get good portable sound reproduction?
Where to buy
Bose QuietComfort 2:
$399.99
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Amazon.com Marketplace
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$399.99 | See Site |
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