- Average user rating: 3.5 stars out of 61 reviews Back to product review
- My rating: 0 stars
Full user review
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75 out of 75 people found this review helpful
3.5 stars
"A/B Comparison of QC-2 vs. QC-3"
Pros: Strong Noise Reduction
Cons: Lower High Frequency Response (to music)
Summary: I have used the Bose QuietComfort QC-2 headphones for about a year, and have traveled to Asia over 5 times with them, and domestic travel as well. About 120 hours of air time. Never took them off. Vastly reduces my jetlag. A pleasure to own and use.
On an impulse buy, I bought the QC-3's after a demo at the local Bose store. 30-day return policy. Compared them side-by-side... both on the airplane, home, with and without sound.
My impressions (your mileage may vary
Noise Cancellation:
The QC-3 has impressive noise cancellation, I think it's incrementally better than the QC-2. Perhaps it's a little too 'aggressive'. Let me explain. I feel a little uncomfortable from a (perceived) pressure on my ear. Note: this is not physical pressure from the ear-pieces, nor is it air-pressure, but rather a physco-acoustic result of noise cancellation. I felt this only slightly with the QC-2's. Bose did an amazing job of noise cancellation given the challenges of an "on-the-ear" design which offers less physical noise isolation due to lack of cups. Everyone has a different tolerance to this pressure, the only way to tell is to try them out. Vote: QC-3 for noise cancellation, QC-2 for comfort (again, will vary from person to person).
Audio Quality:
Using MP3's encoded at 192 kbps, and CD audio, the difference in the two headphones is clear (excuse the pun). The QC-2's are brighter sounding with adequate bass. The QC-3's are a little heavy on the low-end, to the point of sounding muddy. Vote: QC-2.
Construction:
Some have complained about the QC-2's breaking at the stem that attaches each earpiece. I never had this problem, but I am also very careful, especially given their cost. I did notice a person break a QC-2 on the plane trying to turn the earpieces to hard. The build quality of the QC-3 is about the same, the stem may be somewhat narrower, so they could be more prone to breaking, however I do not think it's an issue if you treat them with respect. Vote: equal.
Comfort:
The QC-3's are lighter, but I still prefer the "over-the-ear" type of headphone. They feel like they stay in place better. I would be upset if the QC-3's fell off my head while loading luggage in the overhead bin, only to have someone step on them. I never felt that could happen with the QC-2's. I also would rather have a little physical pressure around my ear, instead of on my ear. Vote: QC-2.
Power:
The battery on the QC-2 is a LiION rechargaable that has approx 20hr. operation time. The QC-3 simply takes a AAA battery and lasts over 30 hours. The low battery light is also brighter and easier to see on the QC-2. QC-3 extra batteries cost over $50 USD. Vote: QC-2
Accessories:
The QC-3 has a less complicated jack that attaches to the headphone (it's detachable, just like the QC-2's). The QC-2 has a hi/low volume control on the jack stem, while the QC-3 has no adjustment and is adjusted somewhere in between (which is why they are not quite as loud as the QC-2's, given the same volume setting from your MP3, DVD, computer, or stereo). The airplance adapter does serve to attenuate the audio further, if needed. The QC-3 carrying case is a little smaller than the QC-2, but not a significant difference. The covering on the QC-3 case is smooth, which I prefer over the QC-2 case. I do not like the way the QC-3's fit in the case, the ear-pieces do not sit firmly where they are supposed to go. With the QC-2, you know exactly how they fit in the case, it just seems like a better fit. Vote: averages to equal.
I hope this quick review is helpful. I elected to stay with the QC-2. Rgds, GregUpdated
The power paragraph above has QC-2 and QC-3 switched on the first two sentences. It should read:
Power:
The battery on the QC-3 is a LiION rechargaable that has approx 20hr. operation time. The QC-2 simply takes a AAA battery and lasts over 30 hours. The low battery light is also brighter and easier to see on the QC-2. QC-3 extra batteries cost over $50 USD. Vote: QC-2
- 7 replies to this review
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Great comparison of the two headphones. I have the QC2s, and was thinking the smaller footprint of the QC3 would allow my ears to breath easier - since the QC3 does not completely cover the ear, I was thinking that would allow ear sweat to more easily evaporate. What do you think?
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Your comparison on Power is very confusing. I believe that you have mixed up the two models.
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Made my decision on which one to choose. Thanks Greg.
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A good review which helps me to decide if I need to upgrade to QC3.
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You covered all of the bases, Bose or other hardware vendors should hire you as a professional product tester . . .
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Thank you; your review is very helpful.
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... I just used your suggestion and purchased the QC2 instead of the QC3.
Where to buy
Bose QuietComfort 3:
$349.00 - $349.95
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$349.00 | Yes |
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Amazon.com Marketplace
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$349.95 | Yes |
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$349.95 | Yes |
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