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Too expensive for their poor quality
By: Andreas
August 25, 2008 @ 9:43 PM
I had a set of Bose Quiet 2 for about 6 months before they broke around the earpieces. Searching through the internet, this is a very, very common complaint. I tried to exchange my broken headset with a new one, but they only wanted to get me upgraded to QC3 for $299. This was too much for me spending $650 on a headset. I decided to buy two headsets for $299 on Ebay (one for office and one for travel). However, despite being very, very careful, the plastic broke a gain at the same place a few weeks ago. I was able to fix them with plastic glue, but they are now unusable.
I do not recommend them, because of their poor quality and the very poor service ( in stores and online). The sound however is good and the noise canceling feature works as advertised. Too bad!
Rating: 4 :: 0 out of 0 people found this user review helpful. Was this user review helpful? Yes | No
Work great, but they all fail in the same way
By: Grant
April 15, 2008 @ 9:37 PM
I have used my QC2’s lightly since 2004. Like my coworker who used his more, mine developed cracks on the plastic covers near the swivels on both sides. Given the dozens of similar posts I have found here and elsewhere, this is clearly a design flaw. Bose should own up to this and repair any headphone that breaks. A discount is not sufficient – these cost $300 but were did in by a 10 cent piece of plastic. Bose could have spent double that on better plastic and these headphones would be good for many years. Bose was cheap in their design and manufacture – not in their price. This is Bose’s problem to fix.
Rating: 3 :: 0 out of 0 people found this user review helpful. Was this user review helpful? Yes | No
Breaks on Bose ear cups
By: Mike Penney
March 24, 2008 @ 12:05 PM
I’ve read about this elsewhere, but now both of the ear cups on my Bose noise cancelling headphones have broken off. I take good care of them, only using them on long-haul flights, and am very annoyed that the expensive units are obviously under engineered for normal use. It doesn’t seem right that $300 headphones should require superglue.
Rating: 5 :: 0 out of 0 people found this user review helpful. Was this user review helpful? Yes | No
Good performance audible, bad product design
By: Richard Crowson
March 13, 2008 @ 11:25 AM
I am a Certified Manufacturing engineer working in a noisy engineering office. The headphones are critical as I perform my structural, mechanism and fluid analysis function. My Bose QuietComfort2 headphones have done well, until now. Although I have treated them gently, the plastic cracked then transferred stress to weak areas and broke. My 35 years experience in product development and formal engineering training tells me that the structural loading induced by the internal spring steel was not considered. The insert seems to apply a concentrated load on the plastic from the inside, thus amplifying fatigue. I have reinforced my broken headphones with a very ugly clear packing tape and have warned co-workers of the potential for damage. A steel band applied to the outside of this headphone design could have prevented such an early failure. When I discussed the problem with the factory, they offered a new pair to me, if I paid $50.00 for the trade in. I paid too much initially to pay them to fix their error.
Rating: 4 :: 0 out of 0 people found this user review helpful. Was this user review helpful? Yes | No
QC2 Exchange
By: Robert O'Connor
February 18, 2008 @ 9:32 AM
I bought a pair of Bose QC2’s in late 2003 to replace my older QC1’s. After a year or so of average use the side brackets broke (like so many others have from what I have read). I used some thin shiny black electricians tape to repair them and they worked just like new and the tape was hardly noticeable even if you knew it was there. I had in fact forgotten they were ever broken…(I suppose I should have been a bit more cross about a pair of $300+ tax headphones breaking so easily, but for some reason, once I fixed them I wasn’t)
I recently received a pair of the new QC3’s as a gift and love them. I went to a local Bose Factory Store to buy an extra rechargeable battery and though about bringing my nearly 5 year old QC2’s (the ones with the broken headband) in to see if they would in fact fix them. Much to my surprise, the young man helping me informed me that Bose would give me a $250 credit toward either a brand new pair of QC2’s or QC3’s! I said to him “you mean for $50.00 I can get a brand new pair of QC2’s?” he said “yes”…
Needless to say I forked over my credit card and he handed me a brand new factory sealed box (not refurbished) containing the newer QC2SE’s (the box had a date of 2007) for my $50.00.
I can’t tell you how happy I was leaving that Bose store with my brand new QC2’s.
This was OUTSTANDING customer service and I am now a Bose customer for life. I would have been VERY satisfied had they just offered to fix my old and quite worn QC2’s but to get the new and improved version brand new factory sealed for a mere $50.00 was more than I ever thought I would get from Bose…
I am one happy QC2 and QC3 customer!
Rating: 8 :: 0 out of 0 people found this user review helpful. Was this user review helpful? Yes | No
Proud Owner
By: Pete
February 13, 2008 @ 9:41 AM
I am however in this review, the proud owner of a pair of Bose Quiet Comfort® 2 Headphones. These Headphones brand themselves on the fact that they can remove the background noise from the environment whilst providing some comfortable cans also.
Rating: 8 :: 0 out of 0 people found this user review helpful. Was this user review helpful? Yes | No
Very Good and Very Bad
By: Matthieu
January 4, 2008 @ 1:35 PM
I find these headphones excellent when they work. Will they block out everything? No, but they push back the outside world so much that it falls to the background. I use them in the office where–although the chatter of loud officemates still comes mutedly through–I am put into in a semi-serene environment where I can actually concentrate. On noise reduction, they are very good.
I am not an audiophile, but I find the sound quality very good as well.
However, there is an enormous drawback, which I have found from other reviews of the product: the plastic of the headband/ear connection breaks. I take extremely good care of my headphones. I rarely use them anywhere but at work, and I have never carried them except properly packed in their carrying case. They broke as I was putting them on one day. Nothing out of the ordinary. I called Bose, and they said I could replace them for $100, since I was out of warranty. No option for repair, which is absolutely infuriating given the fact that there is just this one little piece of plastic that I could (from the looks of it) change with a small screwdriver.
Hopefully, Bose will do something about this. In the meantime, they have told me that I can buy some sort of extended warranty to insure against this sort of thing in the future. I am not sure that I want to get into a relationship that essentially has me subscribing to a pair of headphones rather than just buying the things.
Rating: 7 :: 0 out of 0 people found this user review helpful. Was this user review helpful? Yes | No
Cheap plastic
By: Michael
May 14, 2007 @ 3:57 PM
My brother and I both bought a pair of the QuiteComfort 2s back in 2005. Both have broken plastic after careful use. My brother took his in to be repaired after the warrenty expired and Bose says they will no longer repair the QuietComfort 2 but will give a discount on buying another pair of the same. Sounds like the number of repairs were getting too expensive for Bose.
Rating: 4 :: 0 out of 0 people found this user review helpful. Was this user review helpful? Yes | No
Great sound but....
By: Dre
December 15, 2006 @ 4:12 PM
They don’t work at home without batteries which is expensive and mine have also just snapped after two years of minimal and careful use. Not what you’d expect for the price – avoid.
Rating: 5 :: 0 out of 0 people found this user review helpful. Was this user review helpful? Yes | No
Great sound, but poorly built
By: Phil
March 27, 2006 @ 11:36 PM
I bought mine in Christmas 2004 and the ear piece broke after nearly two years of delicate use at work. I fixed it with superglue, but it snapped again in a week. Now cracks are appearing on both arms, just above where the swivel is located (where everyone else seem to have them break). When I’ve taken them apart to fix them, I was surprised how thin the plastic was! I used a special plastic glue to build up the thickness of the plastic, but cracks continue. Its only a matter of time before another snap… out of warranty of course. BOSE certainly must know about this, but the problem continue (as you all can read in the reviews here).
Rating: 5 :: 0 out of 0 people found this user review helpful. Was this user review helpful? Yes | No
Sound A+ Noise Cancellation . A++
By: DW
March 25, 2006 @ 2:17 PM
Unlike some of the reviews on other sites, I am very happy with the sound quality of the QC2. These headphones defintely live up to the famous “bose” audio quality which is second to none. From Jazz to Classical and Rock to Hip-Hop, the QC2 can handle them all. When I listen to classical CD’s, especially the symphonic works, I feel like I’m acutally INSIDE THE HALL!
My apartment is right next to the chicago Redline, and I can barely hear the train noises when I have these on. Highly recommended
Rating: 10 :: 0 out of 0 people found this user review helpful. Was this user review helpful? Yes | No
Good Sound cancelling, great sound
By: Tom
January 23, 2006 @ 7:09 PM
These are used for a noisy computer room with fans and an AC unit. The drones and sound are filtered out nicely, but not like wearing ear plugs, where you’d hear nothing.
The sound: I am VERY picky with audio. I’ve had many brands, from cheap-o’s to expensive sony’s.
These are THE best sounding headphones I’ve ever owned. In sound, they are virtually the same as the triports.
The main difference is, the ear cuff fits nicely around the ear (unlike the triport). Also, the triport feels like it’s going to crack apart (which mine did 11 months later).
These feel a little more substantial. Still, you must handle them with care despite their more beefier design.
Bottom line: These headphones sound great. Did I mention how great the sound was?
Complaints: If the sound cancelling feature is turned off, it kills the headphones completely. So if your battery dies, so does the entire headphones.
Rating: 9 :: 0 out of 0 people found this user review helpful. Was this user review helpful? Yes | No
It works just fine...
By: Richard S
May 30, 2005 @ 10:51 AM
I think the best way to describe Bose is that they cater to people who
wish to throw money at a problem and be done with it, and the Quiet
Comfort 2 is the absolute epitome of this sensibility. The “active
noise reduction” definitely works, and my preference is for the
external headphones rather than the ones you have to shove down into
your ear canal. From an audiophile perspective I would classify these
as having a flat response (which you can take to be good or bad thing
depending on your taste). You should not buy these unless you have
the specific problem of wanting to listen to music or other audio in a
noisy environment and that noise is of a fixed, low-frequency nature
(planes, trains, computer rooms, etc.). There will always be those to
look down at Bose but, as I said, if you are the type who can drop
$300 on something in return for knowing you won’t have to worry about
this problem again, the QC2’s will do you fine for you.
Rating: 8 :: 0 out of 0 people found this user review helpful. Was this user review helpful? Yes | No
Far to little for the money
By: foobles
April 22, 2005 @ 8:36 AM
The bose gives nice noise cancellation, some of the best on the market, that much is true. However, the sound quality is just so poor it is unreasonable for the price.
If you are looking for reducing the noise of your bus and plane trips, look elsewhere. You can get the Sennheiser HD280 for 1/4 the price with far better sound quality, and good, passive noise reduction just from the isolation (32db, I’ve used it on planes sitting in jet engine seats with far better results than the bose as far as overall satisfaction goes). For so much less money, you simply can’t go wrong.
Also, Shure and Etymotic make canal phones that give excelent isolation on par with the HD280s when worn right, and they are the size of earbuds, great for trips. If you don’t find them uncomfortable, you will find yourself astonished by the sound quality.
If you just want to block out the noise and have the money to spare, go with the QC2. If you want quality audio, Bose is never, ever the best bang for your buck, or necessarilly the best at all. They just like to pretend they are. Don’t be fooled by marketting, it’s hard on your pocket. :)
Rating: 5 :: 0 out of 0 people found this user review helpful. Was this user review helpful? Yes | No
Fragile
By: Jon Rozhon
February 5, 2005 @ 12:04 AM
I have owned my QC2’s for about 8 months. Actually, I am on my fourth pair. The first pair had an annoying static background noise despite the battery strength, an obviously defective pair which Bose replaced. Then I broke the plastic near the earpiece (the area several other reviewers have rightfully complained about). I was extra-careful with the third pair, but the plastic broke again. Finally, when Bose sent me a fourth pair, I reinforced the fragile area with electrical tape. The phones are working fine now, and I hope my little tape job will ensure they don’t break once the warranty is up.
I guess this tells you that the Bose service here in Japan is pretty good (though they did want to charge me shipping on the last pair), but that design flaw has got to be fixed for the QC 3’s. Inexcusable that Bose is still marketing these poorly-built phones in places like Harper’s magazine.
As for sound, they are very good and work well on a train. The bass is resounding, and high notes are rendered nicely, too. You can hear the noise reduction hiss at times, especially in quiet moments in the music. Nevertheless, that is to be expected considering the nature of the technology.
If you like to hear movies on planes, or your computer on a train, buy a pair of these. But don’t forget to tape ‘em up.
Rating: 6 :: 0 out of 0 people found this user review helpful. Was this user review helpful? Yes | No
Perfect for traveling...
By: Sebastian
January 27, 2005 @ 12:49 AM
I use them where ever I travel , and they are really neat. I am no audiophile, but I think the sound is pretty good. I have tried them on flight, trains, ferries, cars, in a room full of computers and they to the trick – the noise is really reduced a lot, the sound is pretty good, and they are comfortable to wear. I bought them three months ago, and have used them maybe 30-40 hours now and I’m still using the original battery.
Rating: 10 :: 0 out of 0 people found this user review helpful. Was this user review helpful? Yes | No
Worked well until it broke
By: erik
January 26, 2005 @ 6:18 PM
I am a regular business traveler, and these headphones have greatly improved my qualilty of sleep on trains and planes. They do a great job of blocking out the white noise and the sound is good.
THey broke on me after about a year. Specifically there is an annoying beeping sound every once in a while and pieces of plastic on each headphone broke off so now they are each loosely attached to the top piece.
I still use them and they work Ok, but it is disappointing when $300 headphones break on you after a year of regular use. The snobby bose woman told me that i need to be instructed on how to put them on and it would likely cost $80 to fix.
Poor design, hopefully they fix it and come out with an improved model..
Rating: 7 :: 0 out of 0 people found this user review helpful. Was this user review helpful? Yes | No
Surprisingly flawed
By: Mike Czepi
January 26, 2005 @ 5:48 PM
I received the Bose Quiet Comfort 2 headphones last christmas. I would not be one to spend so much on a pair of headphones myself, but was thrilled to have such an exquisite set of headphones for commuting via train.
I have since gone through three pairs from Bose in an attempt to get one that actually works without fail.
To be frank, these are very convenient and do work. They really did cancel a good bulk of the noise form the amtrak air vents/rumbling outside. I actually came to rely on them to get some peace and quiet on my treks from Boston to Philadelphia every so often. Even elsewhere when I would need some quiet, these certainly fit the bill. Sound reproduction from my iPod was crisp and clear, though I am no audiophile.
Unfortunately, these seem to suffer from a problem Bose is well aware of, according to their tech support department, yet unable to give a timeline on a fix.
Not all cell phones do it. But if yo uare ever unlucky enough to be in range of certain cellphones actually in use, you will be unable to bear these headphones. The Quiet Comfort 2 for all it’s niceties has a horrendous electronic feedback from many cellphones that wrenches you out of your serene nirvana with a nauseating chirp.
I am very unhappy to report that just this past week I received my refund form Bose via check after returning the QC2 at a local store citing these problems.
As much as I liked the product and many of their other offerings, his glaring problem is embarrassing. Friends and family alike agreedthat a $300 pair o headphones intended to cancel out noise should not generate its own.
Arguably, this could be just as much a fault of certain cellphones as it is of the headphones, but there i no way I can control the cellphones around me on a daily basis.
Anyway I hope this review helps. From what I’ve noticed this seems to be very easy to reproduce even in the Bose stores themselves by simply placing a Sony Ericsson t610 near a headset and making a call.
Other phones also produce the problem, but this one in particular seems to be particularly obnoxious.
Rating: 3 :: 0 out of 0 people found this user review helpful. Was this user review helpful? Yes | No
QuietComfort 1
By: zahg
January 26, 2005 @ 4:47 PM
As far as design goes, the QuietComfort 1 styling is so much nicer than the blander looking QC2.
Take a look at :
http://www.watch.impress.co.jp/av/docs/20030811/bose07.jpg
Rating: 9 :: 0 out of 0 people found this user review helpful. Was this user review helpful? Yes | No
Buyers Remorse? I don't think so
By: Kayvan
January 26, 2005 @ 2:13 PM
I was excited to purchase my QC2’s and really thought hard on spending the 300 chavitos to get them. My first few plane trips, I’ll have to admit, I had buyers remorse. What did I do, ebay here I come. After a while, after the shell shock of spending the money, I realized how great these are. In the office (cubicle surroundings) I can’t hear any of the hacks around me, allowing me to complete my work in peace.
You do have to take care of these headsets though. As other reviewers mentioned, the plastic right above the ear piece is very fragil. Mine started to show signs of cracking so I took them back to bose (9 months after having them) and they were amazing. They gave me a brand new pair without question.
I highly recommend them, just be careful and take care of them.
Rating: 8 :: 0 out of 0 people found this user review helpful. Was this user review helpful? Yes | No
Poor plastics
By: AFJ
January 26, 2005 @ 12:07 PM
I know three people besides myself who purchased the Bose headphones. All four of us have experienced failures in the plastics holding the earpieces. In my case, the right earpiece snapped completely off. I replaced my headphones with a pair of Tri-Ports. Within a year, the plastic on the earpieces cracked or snapped on those, too. I’ll never buy another Bose product again.
Rating: 2 :: 0 out of 0 people found this user review helpful. Was this user review helpful? Yes | No
Not worth it
By: Phil
January 26, 2005 @ 8:01 AM
I tried some that a friend has. It was ok but I was not impressed for the price.
I bought EX-29 isolation headphone. They are bigger and heavier than the bose (they are basically 29db noise reduction earmuffs with speakers inside). But they sound ok, they are comfortable, they have a better noise reduction, and cost less than 1/3 of the price ($90 with shipping).
Rating: 3 :: 0 out of 0 people found this user review helpful. Was this user review helpful? Yes | No
Not bad cans but limited in areas
By: kevin b.
January 26, 2005 @ 2:11 AM
Having compared these Bose headphones to several others I own, all of which were less expensive (AKG 240, 271 and Sennheiser HD-497, HD-580), I still love their comfort and sound isolation. If I’m in a completely quiet environment with my stereo I’ll listen to the 240’s (their high impedance requires it) or the 580’s which sound even better and require much less power (but at twice the price). Thing is, both are open headphones and you can hear what’s around you (and others can hear you too).
When I’m at work with computer fans, a ventilation fan directly above my head and talking all around, it’s either the (closed) AKG 271’s or the Bose QC2 that I use. The 271’s sound better from a purist standpoint (more open and accurate) but the Bose QC2’s have better isolation and comfort. I’m a perfectionist – if there is no noise around I won’t use the Bose QC2’s – they add a slight bit of noise and sort of sound like you’re in a pressure vacuum (don’t let me scare you, but the noise-reduction experience is an artificial one in the sense that it sometimes doesn’t sound natural). However, since there usually is noise at work I would highly recommend the Bose headphones for those that need to get away from ambient noise – that is, if you can afford them. Don’t let me scare you – the Bose are great headphones. The AKG’s 271’s are also great (for $75 less), but for $150 less you can get a killer closed headphone in Sennheiser’s HD-280 Pro. I must say that the Bose cans really do kick out the ambient noise. I didn’t have to pay for mine (they were a gift) and their one of my favorite headphones, but if it’s dead silent the 580’s are the best.
Rating: 8 :: 0 out of 0 people found this user review helpful. Was this user review helpful? Yes | No
Good sound, slightly suspect build
By: Rolphus
January 25, 2005 @ 6:56 AM
I’ve owned a pair of these for a little under 2 years now, and while the sound quality is excellent in quiet surroundings, they really shine when walking down the street, or in a similar “fairly noisy” environment. My only complaint about them is that the plastic on sides of the headband (for size adjustment) is a little flimsy – not easily breakable, but it pays to be somewhat careful and not lend them to clumsy friends ;)
Bose’s support and returns policy is excellent, at least in the UK – any time 2 years after purchase, you can get them repaired or replaced, free of charge
Rating: 8 :: 0 out of 0 people found this user review helpful. Was this user review helpful? Yes | No
Better than expected
By: RJP
January 6, 2005 @ 8:19 AM
A lot of people offering reviews apparently expect these headphones to create a vacuum and completely eliminate all sounds in their environment. That would be great, but in the mean time this is the best one can hope for. I received them as a present from a frequent traveller who swears by them and knew I was envious. I cannot believe the difference on planes and subways. Without them, I refuse to go anywhere. Yes, they are big and people will look at you, especially when you don’t have them plugged into anything, but once you have tried them you will understand. And trying them out in a Bose store is not the same as using them on a plane, so don’t even bother with the in store demo. I also use them with my digital piano and the sound quality is stunning. If you can afford them, they will save your sanity next time you fly across the country, or across the world.
Rating: 9 :: 0 out of 0 people found this user review helpful. Was this user review helpful? Yes | No
Overpriced mediocrity
By: Joe Berger
December 23, 2004 @ 9:46 AM
Very ordinary sound, with only modest sound suppression. I think it’s very telling that in all 3 Bose stores I tried these, most of the headsets didn’t even work.
Rating: 2 :: 0 out of 0 people found this user review helpful. Was this user review helpful? Yes | No
Massively disappointed !
By: Nick L
December 13, 2004 @ 3:50 PM
I was seduced by the marketing and have come to regret it ever since. As headphones the performance is distinctly ordinary — a suppressed and characterless sound. Nor are they that well made — too much plastic — and bits are already falling off mine. The fact that Bose gives away a ‘free’ CD player in order to sell it should tell you a lot. So too, the small print, ‘engineered in the USA, assembled in China.’ For the money they are simply not worth it !
Rating: 3 :: 0 out of 0 people found this user review helpful. Was this user review helpful? Yes | No
Fantastic
By: Jo
June 4, 2004 @ 8:00 AM
What a quality pair of headphones. You can really notice the difference with the Noise Cancelling device on. The only fault i think is that you cannot listen to music without the noise canceller switched on. What happens if you run out of battery and do not have a spare? – you will not be able to use the headphones.
Overall a great pair of headphones – very comfortable with superb sound making listening enjoyable
Rating: 9 :: 0 out of 0 people found this user review helpful. Was this user review helpful? Yes | No
Just what I was hoping for.
By: Kenneth Wohlers
December 26, 2003 @ 10:27 AM
First of all…remember we all have different levels of hearing performance. I am in my late 60s and have abused my hearing when younger so my levels are much less than a lot of you. I am using my Bose Noise Cancelling 2 headphones as I write this summary. My granddaughter is watching cartoons and am listening to my listing of music on my powerbook and I cannot hear her TV cartoons (15 ft away.) I did have to re-program the equalizer on my powerbook at every level to conform to my hearing levels. I used the music from Bolero to do this since therre are so many instrument solos. This enabled me to change the dbs and ks to fit the true note quality of the headphones. When I completed this change I found that everything was perfect for vocals, guitar and piano as well. Truly an amazing quality headphone. I can also keep them over my ears for long periods of time because of the comfort and I could not do this with other headphones. Maybe not for everyone but you better try them before purchasing something else. Amazing what you can get from a DVD too.
Rating: 9 :: 0 out of 0 people found this user review helpful. Was this user review helpful? Yes | No