13 out of 13 people found this review helpful.
QuietComfort 2 Offers Comfort With Reduced Noise
Date of Review: Oct 22, 2009
The Bottom Line: Very comfortable headphones with great noise canceling which reduces noise not block it. I didn't like turning on headphones for music listening. Supports mobile phones with communications kit (extra).
Please read review here: http://bit.ly/1sjFCq
Please read through the review and check out my full detailed review ( http://bit.ly/1sjFCq ) which offers videos, photos, and sound tests before going with the rest of others' Helpful rating. Compared to other "Very Helpful" reviews which didn't offer all these extra details, I believe mine is much better. I hope you will find it as well. Thanks.
I recently purchased the Bose QuietComfort 2 Acoustic Noise Canceling Headphone after years of watching the commercials on TV at a retail store in Vancouver. Much like most people, I expected the headphones to block out all noise and was slightly disappointed that it didn't. Now, when you really start to think about it, how likely would it be to put on a set of earphones and expect it to block out all sounds? Even if you plugged your ears with noise reduction plugs, you'd still hear the noise but at a reduced level. Why should we expect that a set of headphones will miraculously block it out? With that in mind, what the QuietComfort 2 headphones will do is REDUCE the amount of background noise you may hear with it on, as it will detect the sound waves and "cancel" it out. What you will get is a reduced level of the noise, and in some cases, to such that you don't even notice it. And that's the honest truth. You're not going to not hear anything but a lot of the noise will likely be reduced to a lower level.
What they are
The headphones are "around the ear", meaning they cup and cover the entire ear, as opposed to the "on the ear" headphones which simply rest on the ears. I believe that this design already physically blocks out some noise which may be better than the QC3 "on the ear" headphones since some noise may bounce off other parts of the ear that isn't covered by the QC3. For that reason, I chose the "around the ear" headphones over the "on the ear".
The headphones have a fully adjustable headband with soft foam along the top of the headband. The earcups can rotate to a flat position for easy storage in its carrying case ensuring proper storage and protection. There's a very soft set of foam on the earcups for comfort. I could put it on for hours (and I have) and still feel comfortable. The noise canceling is powered by a single AAA battery (included in package). There's a battery compartment in the right earcup near the top. Press on the latch and pull up to open the compartment. Put a AAA battery inside and close up the compartment. To turn on the noise canceling, flick on the switch near the right earcup. The RED LED light will turn on to indicate it's on. If you are wearing the headphones and turn it on, you will notice this slight "blip" sound and suddenly, the background noise has dramatically reduced. When I originally got the headphones, I would turn it on and off a few times to hear the difference.
Used with or without audio cable
The headphones can be used by itself or you can attach the supplied audio cable on the bottom left earcup and plug into your music source (stereo, mp3 player, etc). If you purchase the mobile communications kit (sold separately), you can also enjoy the QC2 headphones on your cell phone, smartphone, mp3 player or other supported mobile devices. It is a single cable design, something a bit different from the typical Y design with only one cable that runs down from the bottom of the left earcup to your audio source.
Package
The package includes the headphones, the audio cable, book style design carrying case, adjustable carrying strap, an airline audio adapter, extension cable. The newer QC15 which is its replacement that offers better noise canceling only includes the audio cable, carrying case and airline audio adapter.
The carrying case is in a bookstyle design. The zipper starts near the top left at the start of the circular curve, runs all around the top, along the sides, down along the bottom and ends at the bottom left. The case opens up book style with the top flap opening to the left.
The left flap contains a removeable velcro backed courtesy card holder. The holder looks like a faux leather with transparent window luggage tag (side opened) and fitted with a few courtesy (word of mouth) cards. The entire back of the holder is fitted with the hook or rough side of velcro and sticks very well to the brushed inner lining of the case.
The other flap holds the headphone which rests with its earcups flat on a pair of molded cups that stick out from the inside. There's a mesh zippered pocket that can hold small items like coins, battery, etc. It is also velcro backed so you can also fit and stick it anywhere on the inside of the case, even on the other side/flap where the courtesy card is located.
Specs and Details
Product Description
Experience the innovative combination of the best noise reduction technology and the best headphone audio performance with the QuietComfort 2 Acoustic Noise Cancelling headphones. The premium headphones dramatically reduce unwanted noise, and advances in Bose technology make what you want to hear sound even better. Their ergonomic design allows for a comfortable fit and the fold-flat feature makes storage of these lightweight headphones even easier.
Slip on a pair of QuietComfort 2 headphones and hear your music come alive. Decades of Bose research combine with the Acoustic Noise Cancelling headphone technology to deliver the ultimate in audio performance. This award-winning technology electronically identifies and reduces the unwanted noise around you. So you hear more of what you want to hear? and less of the tiresome sounds that have so often distracted you.
Proprietary TriPort headphone technology also helps give you the best headphone audio performance while keeping the design compact and streamlined. Unlike conventional, bulky noise reduction headphones, QuietComfort 2 headphones are lightweight and comfortable. Listening to your favorite music, you may even forget you have them on.
Whether you take them on a trip or to the office, your QuietComfort 2 headphones will fold flat to store easily in a bag or briefcase. A single detachable audio cable gives you easy access to portable players, home stereos and in-flight entertainment systems, all with less tangling than two-cable designs. That same cable can be removed so your headphones can go “cordless” when you simply want the benefits of noise reduction.
Patented Acoustic Noise Cancelling® headphone technology
Electronically identifies and reduces noise while faithfully preserving the music, speech or silence that you desire.
TriPort® headphone technology
Enjoy full balanced low notes from a small headphone design. Proprietary Bose technology utilizes three small ports in the earcups to produce a richness of audio performance remarkable for headphones this small.
Active equalization
Electronically tunes the frequency response, enabling outstanding audio performance for improved speech intelligibility.
Single earcup audio cable
Connect to a variety of audio sources with more convenience and ease than afforded by “Y” two-earcup cables.
Detachable audio cable with built-in Hi/Lo switch
Remove the audio cable from the earcup; you’ll still enjoy the benefits of noise reduction with the flip of a switch. A simple integrated control allows adjustment depending on the audio source you’re listening to: Lo for in-flight entertainment; Hi for others.
Right earcup rotation
The earcup rotates downward for easy access to the battery door.
QuietComfort® ear cushions
Proprietary cushion design establishes a critical acoustical seal between the headphones and your head, enhancing noise reduction and helping to maximize sound quality.
Adjustable headband
Comfortable settings for a wide variety of head sizes give you up to three inches of adjustment in headband length.
Low battery life indicator
Flashing light gives ample notification of remaining battery power, letting you know when remaining battery life is approximately five hours.
Dual plug adapter
Single headphone plug converts to dual jacks to connect to a variety of airline audio sources.
¼” audio cable adapter
Convert headphone plug to the jacks used on home stereo equipment.
Extension cable
An additional five-foot cable allows freedom of movement and increased accessibility to audio sources.
Portable carry case
This sleek, compact case allows you to protect your headphones and store your accessories easily and safely.
Check out a video I made of the QC2 on Youtube here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AvbCcCOqq58
Full review at: http://bit.ly/1sjFCq
Since I've already provided a very detailed review at my Palm Discovery website: http://palmdiscovery.com QC 2 Review: http://bit.ly/1sjFCq, I won't go through it here. I've got videos, test recordings and photos posted there. Please check out the review for more information on the headphones.
I Liked:
* noise canceling feature
* quality sound
* soft foam on earcups
* single cable design
* extra accessories included
* uses AAA battery
* enjoy music on mobile (mobile kit)
* enjoy FM radio (mobile kit)
* place and receive calls (mobile kit)
I Didn’t Like:
* must be turned on for music listening
* not wireless
* earcups seal too well
* not all background noise reduced
* no noise canceling for mobile kit microphone (mobile kit)
* lengthy cable (mobile kit)
Quickly going through the Likes: I like its noise canceling feature which reduces (not eliminate) a lot of background noise although it doesn't completely block it out. But it's still amazing at reducing a lot of noise. The sound quality is also great. I love being able to pick out new sounds that I didn't hear before for songs I've heard all my life. It's quite something to suddenly discover something new in a song you've heard all your life. I really like the soft foam on the earcups as it allows the headphones to lightly rest on the side of my face and feels comfortable even hours after having it on. The single cable design which comes from the bottom left earcup to the audio source ensure that I don't have to worry about getting myself tangled in the typical Y cable desing of most headphones. The extra accessories: airline audio adapter, extension cable, adjustable carrying strap are nice to have and are included in the package. The QC2 uses one single AAA battery which lasts quite a number of hours and is lightweight and portable. Also, should I run out of power, I either simply either buy a AAA battery or use a spare one that I carry around with me. Since a single AAA hardly takes up much space or weight, running out of battery on the QC2 is no big deal. The QC3, on the other hand, would require either an extra LiOn battery or you'd have to bring along the charging accessories and wait for it to be charged. The extra mobile communications kit which I purchased separately, allows me to listen to FM radio (if supported), answer and place calls and enjoy music.
My Dislikes: I don't like having to use valuable battery life to listen to music, even if I don't want to turn on noise canceling. Unfortunately, I am forced to use up the battery to listen to music or the radio (using the mobile communications kit cable). I would really like a wireless version of this headphone so that I can enjoy music without wires. That means that I can put on the headphones and walk around the house and still enjoy the music. The earcups seem to seal too well, as I find that the ears can get too hot after a while of wearing them. As I've mentioned, the QC2 doesn't reduce all background noise like voices but it does reduce a lot of it. With respect to the mobile communications kit, the cable can be a bit lengthy for my taste but I simply wrap it around with a twist tie to keep it manageable. Plus, it's unfortunate for a noise canceling headphone to not have noise canceling microphone for the mobile communications kit.
Regardless, I really like my Bose QuietComfort 2 headphones, even when comparing it to the QuietComfort 15, although the QC15 offers much better noise canceling. I found the QC2 much more comfortable. I originally decided to return my QC2 headphones and pay the extra for the QC15 for the better noise canceling. But, after trying the QC15, I went back to the QC2 for the comfort even though I LOVED the much better noise canceling.
If you think about it, what good is a set of expensive (they aren't cheap by any stretch of the imagination) headphones that may work great at blocking and canceling noise if they aren't comfortable enough to wear that I won't wear it all that often? With that in mind, I decided to go back to the QC2 even though it wasn't as good at blocking noise but it was very comfortable for me. And that's where I stand. I've got the QC2 and I'm very happy. Keep in mind that the discomfort is very much my personal preference and feeling and many won't feel any discomfort at all.
Check out my Epinions review of the QuietComfort 15 which compares it to the QC2: http://urlm.in/dhmx
