Bose QuietComfort 2 Headphones
- Design: Over the Head
- Usage: Consumer
- Sound Mode: Stereo
- Connectivity: Cable
- Compatibility: Home Audio Personal Audio
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expensive & worth it for the right usage
Pros
more effective sound suppression than competitive products across wide range of sounds
Cons
less portable than Koss. too much sound suppression is also slightly dangerous
Recommended it?
Yes
The Bottom Line:
Effective sound suppression across a wide range of sounds, but expensive and less portable than Koss.
The most harmful sounds are the low frequency ones--these are usually the loudest. Our ears adjust for the low frequency, but it damages the ear the most. I suffer from hyperacuity (sensititive to noise) and tinnitus, so sound suppression is important to me.
I've also tried Koss QZ2000, Sennheiser HDC451, Aiwa's product, Noisebuster, and Recton. Bose and Koss are the two best--the others really aren't competitive, so I'll focus on the differences between Koss and Bose. I use these primarily for sound suppression, as opposed to listening to music, and this review is written thus.
The Koss and Bose are equally effective at suppressing low frequency sounds. Bose is superior at other sound ranges, as Koss doesn't suppress these, except for very high frequencies.
Bose's advertising claims the user receives a "sound sanctuary"--this is untrue. One can clearly hear outside sounds--and this is usually good, because it's usually good to still hear one's environment.
Some common low frequency noises are airplane rumble, cars, trucks, buses, engine noise, broken muffler, air blowers, and low frequency noise at movies. Koss and Bose are equally effective at these.
Bose is effective at buffering the effect of certain type of midrange noise-- power saws, all kinds of loud movie theaters sound, construction noise. Koss does nothing here.
Koss buffers loud sirens (high frequency)--I don't know yet what Bose will do.
Koss's primary advantages are its portability, appearance, price, and warranty. It's a foldable, portable headphone that looks cool and works. I can easily wear it into a movie theater. The Bose looks funny wearing it into a theater, and is more difficult to carry.
Koss is less than half the price, and perhaps more importantly, carries a lifetime warranty. This warranty is important, as this is new technology, and I suspect easily damaged. I haven't used my Bose long enough to determine its durability.
I've also tried Koss QZ2000, Sennheiser HDC451, Aiwa's product, Noisebuster, and Recton. Bose and Koss are the two best--the others really aren't competitive, so I'll focus on the differences between Koss and Bose. I use these primarily for sound suppression, as opposed to listening to music, and this review is written thus.
The Koss and Bose are equally effective at suppressing low frequency sounds. Bose is superior at other sound ranges, as Koss doesn't suppress these, except for very high frequencies.
Bose's advertising claims the user receives a "sound sanctuary"--this is untrue. One can clearly hear outside sounds--and this is usually good, because it's usually good to still hear one's environment.
Some common low frequency noises are airplane rumble, cars, trucks, buses, engine noise, broken muffler, air blowers, and low frequency noise at movies. Koss and Bose are equally effective at these.
Bose is effective at buffering the effect of certain type of midrange noise-- power saws, all kinds of loud movie theaters sound, construction noise. Koss does nothing here.
Koss buffers loud sirens (high frequency)--I don't know yet what Bose will do.
Koss's primary advantages are its portability, appearance, price, and warranty. It's a foldable, portable headphone that looks cool and works. I can easily wear it into a movie theater. The Bose looks funny wearing it into a theater, and is more difficult to carry.
Koss is less than half the price, and perhaps more importantly, carries a lifetime warranty. This warranty is important, as this is new technology, and I suspect easily damaged. I haven't used my Bose long enough to determine its durability.
