Quiet Comfort 2 Provides Ultimate Quietness

Author's Rating:

Pros: Really eliminates background noise, portable, battery efficient, lightweight, comfortable, 30 day guarantee

Cons: Very pricey costing $300, must be on to hear sound

The Bottom Line: 
Buy it and try it with a 30 day guarantee, especially if you're a frequent traveler or a music fanatic. You'll love this product -- I did!

Author's Review
Note: bose.com has a new promotion on their website which offers a Bose® portable CD player and free found shipping if a QuietComfort 2 is purchased prior to February 29, 2004.

As a frequent traveler between Honolulu and the East Coast, I needed to find alternatives to fall asleep at night in such a noisy environment. After trying a few other noise canceling headphones, I finally dished out the $300+ in cash and bought the Bose Quiet Comfort 2 headphones and they’ve been a jewel ever since. Please note that this review is about the QuietComfort 2 Headphones only and not the Quiet Comfort Headphones originally listed on Epinions. The newer version has yet to receive its own page.

What’s the difference?
The Quiet Comfort 2 Headphones are not all that different than its predecessor but does include a few more convenient features. The first feature is its fold design which allows for a more compact traveling case. The two ear cups fold into the carrying case, which is unlike the original bulky design. Secondly, instead of there being a battery pack, the battery, which is only one AAA battery, for the Quiet Comfort 2s are placed right into the right ear cup. Other than this, I have not noticed any considerable difference in the sound quality, although some others believe there is a remarkable difference.

Sound Quality
It has often been said that Bose had problems with low notes. I’m no music expert, so I’m afraid I haven’t noticed anything remarkably wrong with my product. In fact, when listening to music in a very noisy area, I’ve found that I’m able to hear almost everything – even when characters in a movie are whispering! Therefore, I’m not picky enough to point out any poor performance by my Bose. In fact, everything sounds crisp, clear and perfect – something I’ve always expected from a Bose product. According to the Bose website, they utilize something called the TriPort headphone technology, which “utilizes three small ports in the ear cups to produce a rich audio performance that’s remarkable for headphones this small.”

Noise Canceling Ability
As a frequent traveler, the product’s noise canceling ability is most important to me. Although it cannot block out the noise a jet engine entirely, it does go as far as to block out about 70% of the background noise. In addition, if you’re playing music or listening to a soundtrack of a movie, you’ll find that you will stop hearing the engine noise. Even on the noisiest aircraft, I’ve managed to plug in my Bose, turn on my CD player or the in-flight entertainment system, and the engines are dulled to a hum. It’s helped me fall asleep on the many red-eyes out of Honolulu and also helped me concentrate on my work during times when things needed to get done. In addition, I’ve had no problems hearing flight attendants when they come by to ask for drink or meal orders. I’ve noticed that flights attendants are also aware of the Bose’s noise canceling ability and make an effort to speak up when speaking to you.

Comfort
Like I’ve said, this product is very effective when blocking out noise, but is it comfortable when worn for a very long time? The past few noise canceling headphones I’ve owned often made my ears hurt when work for more than two hours, but the Quiet Comfort 2s only made my ears sweaty. In fact, they were so comfortable, I forgot I was wearing them (which is what Bose advertises). The longest I’ve worn this product has probably been on a 10 hour flight, and I had no need to remove these headphones off my ear until the plane landed. The headphones feel very light and do not weigh down your ears as do some other headphones (please see below for weight specifications). It’s actually pretty amazing how light the headphones are given the size of the ear cups. Sleeping with these headphones, however, is just a tad bit of a problem, however. When rolling on to one side, the cup (since it is pretty large) often gets in the way. To combat this problem, I’ve learned to sleep without resting my head on one side.

Battery Life
Since this product only requires one AAA battery, you’d think that it wouldn’t last very long; however, to my surprise, this one battery probably has kept the Quiet Comfort 2s running for a very long time. I originally purchased this product in August of 2003 and had only needed to replace the battery a few days ago (November 2003), which means that the battery has lasted for 3 months and especially being used very frequently (probably three times a week and a few times for over 10 hours straight). It’s amazing how one little AAA battery would keep such running for so long, but I’m not complaining. Running this product is cheap.

Carrying Case and Portability
Since this product’s redesign to make the ear cups foldable, this product has been extremely portable. In fact, it takes up little room in my TravelPro 22 inch suiter (it sits in the front pocket). I don’t mind taking this one anywhere as opposed to the original QuietComforts which took up a lot of room in my suitcase. The carrying case that’s included is also packed with good features as well. The shell of the case pretty durable and hard (even though the straps have broken off on mines, which I’m very disappointed about) and there are straps so that you can sling this product over your shoulder. Included in the case is a zipper pouch which comes with different types of connectors (which are all gold-plated!) and there is a name card which includes “courtesy cards” as well. The carrying case complements the QuietComfort 2s very well! Although, I do wish there was an extra zipper on the front side of the carrying case to place boarding passes, etc.

What about for other uses besides in-flight?
The Quiet Comfort 2s are designed to be used in various places, unlike its predecessor. I’ve used it in a very busy street like setting and on the Boston’s T (the subway) which helps to eliminate the horrible screeching noise emitted by the train. In addition, even in very quiet areas, I use the Quiet Comfort 2s to hear my music because it has become the only pair of headphones I use. The one downside to this product, however, is that the headphones must be in the on position whenever you want to use it – meaning if the headphones are not on, then you won’t be able to hear anything.

Who is this product designed for?
This product is designed for people who love music, those who want to make the airline environment quieter or those who just want to escape to a quieter world. I think those who live or work in nosier environments would appreciate this product more (and those who fly more often as well).

Bottom Line
Despite the steep $300 price, buy it and try it if you think it would help to make your music experience more enjoyable. Bose offers a 30 day unconditional guarantee on their product, which means if you don’t like it, just return it! I think buying this product changed the way I view riding airplanes forever!

Product Specifications
This product specs are taken off the Bose website:
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.