technolicious's Full Review: Bose QuietComfort 2 Consumer Headphones
I work at a university, in systems support. The office I work in is full of white noise, mostly from the server room nearby. One day, one of the professors came in wearing these Bose headphones plugged into an Apple iPod. I was curious to try out the headphones, and he handed them to me. I put them on, and the acoustics of the room sort of dropped out of existence; I hadn't realized how much white noise there was in the room until it disappeared. Over the next few days, I was obsessed over how the headphones would work in various places that I frequented, like my favorite cafe. Finally, I purchase a pair online from Bose directly. The make it much too easy, by offering a 12 month interest-free payment plan. The headphones come in a lovely package, with a carrying case and a carrying bag. Included is an extension cord, an adapter for 1/4" plugs, and an odd adapter for airlines. Batteries are included, and the dang thing doesn't seem to run its two AAA batteries out, ever.
So - the noise cancellation? Well, in a somewhat noisy place, the headphones are really stunning. They passively muffle out the entire range of sound fairly well, better than my old Sony V6 headphones by quite a lot. If you put them on without powering them, it sounds very much like pressing your hands over your ears. The active noise canceling only affects mid-low frequency sounds that are regular and constant. Washing machines, vacuums, lawn mowers, jet engines, air conditioners and the like are all hushed down very well by the Bose headphones. Other sounds are passively muffled.
In a quiet place like a library, you will hear a mid-high frequency white noise from the noise cancellation system. It sounds a bit like cassette tape hiss, and is independent of music volume. In quiet listening environments, use Grado headphones! (Or whatever you like - I'm obviously a Grado fan.)
In a cafe with people yammering about this and that, along with dishwashers and air conditioning running, even music playing over the crummy speakers, the Bose headphones help tremendously to give you a peaceful listening environment, and the sound quality is good enough that you'll enjoy the quiet that they provide. I'm looking forward to testing them on a plane, and I'll have to update this review when I take a trip in the next few months.
These headphones are no Grados, but the fact that they sound good to me should say a lot, since I am used to listening to Grado SR225 headphones. The bass is strong, and the treble has reasonably good detail. They sound far better than any headphones that would come with a discman, of course. See mthemaniac's review for an excellent overview of that quirky Bose sound.
The comfort is extraordinary. The headband is padded, the headphones are very light, and the padded ear cups go around your ears completely. Even larger ears (like mine)fit comfortably within the ear cups, and the cups rest against your head, right around your ears.
Beware if you try some out in noisy places. You might find yourself on the 12 month interest-free payment plan. Bose is so confident that they offer a 30 day trial period. If you "can part with them within 30 days", Bose will refund the cost, complete with shipping!
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