Bose® QuietComfort® 3 Acoustic Noise Cancelling® Headphones Reviews

• QC-3 vs. QC-2 (side by side comparison)

  
  By A3G8MS3LF4UPN9 on 2006-07-13
  I have used the Bose QuietComfort QC-2 headphones for about a year, and have traveled to Asia over 5 times with them, and domestic travel as well. About 120 hours of air time. Never took them off. Vastly reduces my jetlag. A pleasure to own and use.
  
  On an impulse buy, I bought the QC-3's after a demo at the local Bose store. 30-day return policy. Compared them side-by-side... both on the airplane, home, with and without sound.
  
  My impressions (your mileage may vary :-)
  
  Noise Cancellation:
  The QC-3 has impressive noise cancellation, I think it's incrementally better than the QC-2. Perhaps it's a little too 'aggressive'. Let me explain. I feel a little uncomfortable from a (perceived) pressure on my ear. Note: this is not physical pressure from the ear-pieces, nor is it air-pressure, but rather a physco-acoustic result of noise cancellation. I felt this only slightly with the QC-2's. Bose did an amazing job of noise cancellation given the challenges of an "on-the-ear" design which offers less physical noise isolation due to lack of cups. Everyone has a different tolerance to this pressure, the only way to tell is to try them out. Vote: QC-3 for noise cancellation, QC-2 for comfort (again, will vary from person to person).
  
  Audio Quality:
  Using MP3's encoded at 192 kbps, and CD audio, the difference in the two headphones is clear (excuse the pun). The QC-2's are brighter sounding with adequate bass. The QC-3's are a little heavy on the low-end, to the point of sounding muddy. Vote: QC-2.
  
  Construction:
  Some have complained about the QC-2's breaking at the stem that attaches each earpiece. I never had this problem, but I am also very careful, especially given their cost. I did notice a person break a QC-2 on the plane trying to turn the earpieces to hard. The build quality of the QC-3 is about the same, the stem may be somewhat narrower, so they could be more prone to breaking, however I do not think it's an issue if you treat them with respect. Vote: equal.
  
  Comfort:
  The QC-3's are lighter, but I still prefer the "over-the-ear" type of headphone. They feel like they stay in place better. I would be upset if the QC-3's fell off my head while loading luggage in the overhead bin, only to have someone step on them. I never felt that could happen with the QC-2's. I also would rather have a little physical pressure around my ear, instead of on my ear. Vote: QC-2.
  
  Accessories:
  The QC-3 has a less complicated jack that attaches to the headphone (it's detachable, just like the QC-2's). The QC-2 has a hi/low volume control on the jack stem, while the QC-3 has no adjustment and is adjusted somewhere in between (which is why they are not quite as loud as the QC-2's, given the same volume setting from your MP3, DVD, computer, or stereo). The airplance adapter does serve to attenuate the audio further, if needed. The QC-3 carrying case is a little smaller than the QC-2, but not a significant difference. The covering on the QC-3 case is smooth, which I prefer over the QC-2 case. I do not like the way the QC-3's fit in the case, the ear-pieces do not sit firmly where they are supposed to go. With the QC-2, you know exactly how they fit in the case, it just seems like a better fit. Vote: averages to equal.
  
  I hope this quick review is helpful. I elected to stay with the QC-2. Rgds,
  
  
  

• QC-2 v QC-3 Comparison

  
  By ANCKRR9QYQ1JR on 2006-06-24
  I did a fairly comprehensive A/B test this evening at our local Bose store (their first stock arrived today).
  
  I had given my QC-2s to my wife and bought ER 6i's because of the bulk of the QC-2 case when travelling, but have never been wholly comfortable with the ER 6i's stuffed in my ear canals.
  
  I saw the QC-3 ads and since I am travelling to Europe next week I hoped to secure a pair before leaving.
  
  What I found physically: QC-3s are for me less comfortable with the required pressure on the ear. The QC-2s feel 'lighter' to wear, though they are actually around 20% heavier. The QC-3 case is slightly smaller and thinner, but not significantly, and with the battery charger, if anything slightly heavier.
  
  A small, but potentially critical design flaw: the QC-3 'on' light is incorporated into the switch, rather dull and much easier to miss, certainly under store lighting. But if you leave them on from your last use, since they use a rechargeable battery requiring a mains charger, you will be out of luck on that long flight! With the QC-2, the risk is far less and the remedy a single spare AA battery (30 hours of use with the QC-2s v 20 hours per charge with the QC-3 rechargeable battery).
  
  What I found aurally: to my ears, and those of a Bose staff member who joined me in the test, the QC-2's are slightly more detailed, with slightly more depth. This is in a quiet store, not an airplane, mind you, and listening to a CD not (a compressed) iPod source. I would guess that any aural difference would be much harder to hear on a plane.
  
  Fact is, in a store one has no way of knowing just what the acoustic differences will be on a plane. Evidently the QC-3s have stronger noice cancellation to compensate for their open design. What is the net effect of this?
  
  I was tempted to purchase the QC-3's to allow an on flight comparison with my wife's QC-2's (and of course to be the 'first kid on the block'!)
  
  But just on a comfort level alone, for me, the QC-2's win out and I purchased another pair (albeit the recently updated version).
  
  So why didn't I buy them on Amazon? If it hadn't been for the 4-5 day initial shipment delay and my imminent departure for Europe, I would have One-Clicked my way to the QC-3's but in this case I'm glad I didn't!
  
  

• QT 3 vs QT 2 vs Sony NC50 vs Shure E4c

  
  By A33FS5H3CPDR6D on 2006-10-07
  Quick Note --- I have tried all four headphones (QT 2, QT 3, Sony NC50, Shure E4c) while travelling on airplanes, so I've taken them to the best noise challenge possible --- my comparisons of all four are below --- I DO NOT RECOMMEND PURCHASING the QT 3 --- my reasons below -
  
  The QT 3 have an excellent sound, are very portable, and very comfy --- but I'm going to be comparing them head-to-head to the Shure E4c and the Sony MDR-NC50 (my other favorite headphones)
  
  1. SOUND --- The Shure E4c clearly has the best sound, mostly because they are engineered to allow for the highest amount of fidelity to come through, whereas the Sony NC50 and QT 3 muffle their sounds with way too much bass, in an attempt to cover up the loss of fidelity --- still, the sound of QT 3 is very good, but it's not better than the Sony MDR NC50, which is is probably a bit better
  
  2. COMFORT --- I was impressed with the QT 3's fit and comfort, mainly because their sound seems to be just as good as the QT 2, yet its clearly smaller and much lighter ---- the Sony MDR NC50 is bigger, and the Shure E4c is buds --- if you like headsets (not buds) then I would prefer the QT 3 over the Sony MDR NC50 when it comes to size/comfort, only because they are much smaller and more portable - but not by a lot
  
  3. NOISE CANCELLING --- the noise cancelling is pretty solid on the QT 3, but I'm more impressed with the Sony NC50 noise cancelling ability --- I found the Sony NC50 to have better sound and noise cancelling ability, but more importantly is the fact that the Sony NC50 has a MONITOR button that allows one to interrupt the music and hear outside noises, in case someone is trying to talk to you --- the fact that Bose couldn't include this feature is a bit disappointing ---- the Shure E4c, of course, are buds and do not have noise cancelling abilities, but their proximity to one's earlobe makes noise cancelling unnecessary
  
  4. PRICE --- believe me --- the QT 3's are not worth $350 --- the Sony NC50 has better sound quality, better noise cancelling, and better features (MONITOR button) --- the only reason the QT 3 would be better than the NC50 is because of size and portability (but that's only by a little - the NC50 is not huge) --- with that said, you can get better headphones for 1/3 the price --- if you are game for going to the $350 price range, then go for the Shure E4c or E5c, as their sound quality is TERRIFIC (but granted, you'll have to like 'buds')
  
  Don't be afraid to spend over $300 for great headphones --- they do make an AWESOME difference --- but the QT 3 is a ripoff because Sony has produced a better, all-around, pair of headphones for 1/3 the price
  
  And clearly, the best sound is found in a company like Shure --- believe me, even though the Shure headphones lack 'noise cancelling' it is a feature that should not deceive you --- I've often used the Shure E4c on many airplane rides and have always been very pleased
  
  So in conclusion --- the QT 3 is not bad --- it's actually good --- but it's not worth the price when there are so many better products out there
  
  HAPPY BUYING!!!! LOVE AND PEACE!!!!
  
  

• Proprietary Rechargable Battery!?!?!?!

  
  By A1CPRP3VFJRS1R on 2006-11-27
  All you need to know about these is that they unnecessarily use a proprietary rechargeable battery.
  
  That means that when you are on the plane and the battery dies, you're stuck, unless you happened to buy and charge a second, very expensive battery.
  
  There's no reason why these headphones need a proprietary rechargeable battery. The QC 2's and many other choices use a standard AAA battery that provides 40-60 hours of use.
  
  The only product that I've ever seen that needed a rechargeable battery is a digital camera, which draw so much power when you use the flash that a standard alkaline won't work.
  
  Shame on Bose for trying to pull this on consumers! If you want a Bose, buy the QC 2!
  
  

• Amazing Product with Service to Match

  
  By AYZPD5UDIFRWC on 2007-02-04
  Let me tell you why I am a devoted fan of Bose and will be well into the near future. I have a pair of both the QC3s as well as the QC2s. While the QC2s are great from a sound perspective, I did find them bulky for frequent travel. In fact, my travels had put wear and tear on the QC2s to the point where they cracked at the screws, meaning they no longer tightly fit, a prerequisite for noise cancellation. So I decided to spring for the QC3s with the intention of getting the QC2s repaired. The Bose salesperson who sold me the QC3s dutifully gave me a card and a 800 number to see about attending to the QC2s.
  
  I called several weeks ago about having the QC2s repaired; I'd had my QC3s for a few months and loved them but thought it would be nice to have the QC2s as the "at-home" pair and the QC3s for travel. I explained the damage to the young man who took my call, and he said, "Well, unfortunately, we don't repair the units, sir." I'm sitting there thinking, "Great. Just great. Nice bait and switch."
  
  He continues, "I see your warranty has expired as well."
  
  Yep. That guy that sold me the QC3s totally did a number on me.
  
  The young man continues unabated. "Here's what I'd like you to do. Send the QC2s to this address, and we'll send you a replacement pair, seeing as we don't offer repairs."
  
  You could have knocked me over with a feather, at that very moment as well as the moment I unboxed a shiny new pair of QC2s a week or so later - but it gets better.
  
  I often use the QC3s purely for noise cancellation on airplanes. In fact, I put in earplugs, then the QC3s, and it's like I'm floating in space - almost no sound at all (and until you have a pair of these, you have NO IDEA how much airplane noise contributes to general travel fatigue). Because the headphone jack is then loose, I sometimes just take it out and put it in my pocket or wherever, just so it's not just dangling. Well, sure enough, I put it "wherever" and effectively lost it.
  
  I went into the Bose store here in Century City, CA this afternoon after being unable to find a replacement cord on the Bose website. I figured I might be able to order one. I explain my situation to a salesperson, and he says, "Well, we usually have a few around here..." Within 2 minutes, he's found one and hands it over to me. "Here you go."
  
  For free. Not for $19.95. Not for some service charge. Free.
  
  It's obvious to me Bose stands behind their products, and they can afford to -- you pay top dollar for them. But when you combine an excellent product (I haven't even written much about the sound, but that's a given -- you'll hear things in your favorite songs you've never even known were there) and top-notch customer service like I experienced on these two separate occasions, then I'm a lifelong customer.
  
  Are there better headphones out there? Maybe. Cheaper? Definitely. But to my mind, the "Bose Experience" is unmatched, and I'm willing to fork over my hard-earned cash to be a part of it. People sometimes look at me cross-eyed when they realize how much I've invested in Bose products, but if the perfect blend of quality, service, and performance is important to you, don't hesitate -- start enjoying your music (or just more peace and quiet) by ordering your Bose headphones today.
  
  (And, no, I'm not being paid or a Bose employee -- I'm just seriously stunned by how well I've been treated by Bose and think service like this should be praised from the rooftops. It's incredibly rare at any price point.)
  
  
• My experience with Bose QC3--excellent noise cancelling; not so good sound quality for the price.
  By A3RCGRXYBRKSRC on 2006-10-20
  I've been looking for a pair of noise cancelling headphones for working out at the gym. As much as I love my $20 Koss KSC75 portable stereo headphones, I find it hard to hear my own music over the gym's music. (And since the gym basically plays the worst songs of every genre over an ancient loudspeaker system, I had no intention of giving up and just listening to their music.) Also, the sound of treadmills, clanking weight equipment, and people talking compete with my MP3 player for the attention of my ears. I have wanted to solve the problem for a while, but the reviews saying the 'hissing' sounds of most noise cancelling headphones were more distracting that the actual sounds they block made me very hesistant to invest in a pair. And unfortunately, most in the ear headphones don't actually fit in my ear (I have very small ears, I guess) and the ones that do are extremely uncomfortable (one pair made my ear canals bleed they were so tight). So, as much as people have been raving over the Shure's and the Etymotic's in the ear headphones, I have to have over the ear headphones.
  
  So, I visited a Bose store recently and they told me I could try out a pair of their noise cancelling headphones for a month, and then return them, no questions asked. Of course, I jumped at the chance. I've been using them for two weeks so far and here's what I think:
  
  Noise cancelling: I've never used any other brand of noise cancelling headphones before, so I have nothing esle to compare it to, but I must say that my expectations were more than exceeded. Actually, I was totally blown away by how much noise they blocked out. I could hear no hissing sound at all, for one. I also expected that just the low, droning noises would be blocked--that I would still be able to hear about fifty percent of the noises around me. It is actually more like ninety percent of the noises were blocked out. At my very noisy gym, their very loud music sounded like a distant hum with just the noise cancelling on. With my own music on, I couldn't hear it at all. The air conditioning system, the drone of the exercise machines were completely blocked with just the noise cancelling on. I could only hear the chattering of the people closest to me, and I couldn't understand a word they were saying. The only thing I could still hear was the occasional clinking of the weight machines. With just the noise cancelling on, it felt like the gym had only two other people in it instead of twenty. With the music on, I felt like I was virtually by myself. It works well at home too; my very noisy fridge was silenced and for the first time I could listen to music while vaccuuming (which was impossible with my other ear phones.) I can still hear the vacuum, of course, but it's only a humming sound in the background instead of roar right next to me. Actually, I find the noise cancelling feature so handy that I find myself using it for other things too--like reading and gardening. I am EXTREMELY impressed with noise cancelling feature. I don't know if all noise cancelling headphones work this well, but they definitely should.
  
  Comfort: I was expecting them to be heavy and uncomfortable, since my only experience with headphones close to this size were my Dad's full size Aiwa headphones from 1972 (they still work and sound terrific, but they weigh about fifteen pounds and they're very uncomfortable.) Actually, despite their size, they are very lightweight and comfortable. They are maybe a little heavier than my Koss headphones, but not by much. The fake leather earcups didn't make my ears sweaty, nor did they press very tightly on my ears. The only thing that was maybe the slightest bit uncomfortable was the 'pressure' in my ears when I turned the noise cancelling on. After a while though, I became used to it.
  
  Sound quality: Since I've never bought headphones for more that thirty dollars, I expected the sound to be at least ten times better than my Koss headphones. Actually, the salesperson at the store said I would 'throw my old headphones away after listening to these'. Uhh...not exactly. The sound quality is good, don't get me wrong, but it wasn't a good as I expected. It was definitely not $350 good, that's for sure. A lot of the other reviews describe the sound as muddy or like listening to music underwater. I definitely agree. The bass was a lot better than on my other headphones, but it was so strong, it drowned the other sounds out. It was sort of like listening to one those stereo systems in one of those 'pimped out' cars--except it's right next to your ears. I like bass, but not that much. So, on this count, I was pretty disappointed. So I'm definitely not going to be throwing my old headphones out, which overall, sound much better.
  
  Price: Well, what can I say, they're definitely overpriced. Most of the noise cancelling headphones are in the 100-200 dollar range. I doubt they're THAT superior to the Sennheisers or the Sony's. Actually, this is my main turnoff to them. If they were 150 dollars instead of 350, I'd probably keep them. But 350 is WAY too much to spend on headphones.
  
  Other features: Another thing I don't like is that if the battery dies, the headphones die--you can still use the other noise cancelling headphones even if they battery wears out. You also can't use the headphones without the noise cancelling on--whereas other headphones you can. I like the case it comes with though--nice--and how streamlined the battery is.
  
  Overall, I'd recommend these headphones if you prefer the noise cancelling over the sound quality, and are willing to drop 350 dollars on a pair of headphones. If not, I'd try other noise cancelling headphones first, before deciding on these.
  
  
• QC2's Sound Better to Me...
  By A3ZP7LADWMPUC on 2006-07-11
  I have owned QuietComfort headphones (both series 1 and 2) for quite some time due to my job requiring me to make many overseas flights that last in excess of 10 hours. The Bose phones were the only ones I could find that were not painful after 3-4 hours of wear, and they sounded great to boot. So I was naturally intriqued by the new QC3's smaller size - the '2's are rather bulky and bothersome to carry around - and auditioned them in the Bose store using their music source. The noise reduction was very impressive considering these are "on-the-ear" phones that do not surround your ears. You put them on, and background noise goes down to a remarkably low level, very similar to the QC2's, if not better in this respect. So I took a pair home and compared them with my QC2's.
  
  Careful A/B testing at home is where I found that the QC3's do not sound quite as clear and well defined to me as the QC2's. I used an iPod with 320kbps encoding (this is what I use on trips), and found that if I turned on the treble boost in the iPod's EQ settings, it more closely approximated the QC2's sound. I would have been okay with this if the phones weren't so expensive - at $349, these cost $50 more than the QC2s. For that much, I expected better sound without having to compensate with an EQ setting. Granted, this may have to do with the type of music I listen to (lots of jazz these days), but even Supertramp albums sounded a bit mushy to me compared with the QC2's.
  
  Another issue for me is the rechargeable battery. Many seem to consider this a beneficial feature, but to me it would have been another $50 for a spare since it's always a possibiity that there won't be time to recharge the battery after a long flight and short stay somewhere (who wants the battery to die midway through a return flight?). The QC2's allow you to use a standard AAA battery in a pinch, and I usually have a couple of long-lasting alkalines in my bag that cost a couple of dollars at most. So for me this brought the total price to $400 -- quite a lot for headphones that didn't sound quite as nice (to me, at least) as what I already have. So I reluctantly decided to return them.
  
  Strangely enough, when I returned the phones to the Bose store, the guys at the counter didn't ask me a single question about why I didn't like them. Disappointing, as I really wanted to like them (really!), and would have been happy to tell them as constructively as possible. Oh, well.
  
  All that being said, I must say that Bose did a remarkable job designing these for physical comfort and noise reduction. On-the-ear phones are usually pretty uncomfortable after extended wear, but I felt these would be fine for 8-10 hours. If they ever make another version that sounds more like the older phones, I would buy them in a heartbeat.
  
  
• The QC-3s on the subway, buses and trains
  By ACXPRSPIVAS6H on 2006-11-29
  As a NYC commuter I am subjected to the very loud sounds of the subway system up to 80 to 100 decibels at times. And I want to use my iPod without going deaf. For a while a set of in ear headphones worked really well. The problem being is they aren't large enough to produce an expansive sound and wide dynamic range. I gave the QC-3s a try. I got everything I wanted with one or two tradeoffs. The sound quality is excellent. It reproduces AAC files ranging from 128 to 192 kps with superb fidelity in the bass, midtones and higher ranges. The sound is very clear and perhaps just a bit warm as Bose seems to prefer its audio products to sound. The noise cancellation is impressive performing at 15% of the effectiveness of the in ear headphones without the hassel of sticking something into my ears. All continuous low frequency sounds are eliminated entirely. You can hear other people speaking but if they aren't right next to you and/or speaking loudly they will be pleasantly muffled out as are other higher frequency noises. The build quality of the headphones is excellent but I would use the included case if you are throwing them into a bag with a lot of other stuff in them. They are substantially smaller than the QC-2 and lighter. They seem to stay on place on my somewhat round and a bit large head well. Only after 8 to 10 hours of use in a 24 hour period did I feel some discomfort on my ears. The lithium battery charges very fast and seems to have good battery life. The charger is very small. The headphones come with a larger stereo plug adapter and an adapter for planes. The headphone cord is adequately long for a commuter such as myself. So there are a few tradeoffs with this headphone. The first is the proprietary battery. If you run out of juice then no sound. Fortunately the battery seems to charge pretty quickly and the charger is very small. The second is that the headphones though less bulky than the QC-2, they are not as compact as my Shures. Certain individuals may not find them comfortable because of the way the headphones rest on the ears and the head. Others may not like the warm sound that is trademark of Bose. So I would recommend you try before buying these fine headphones.
  
  
• very nice, but check the sound quality
  By A2J0ZZPEN3ZEC5 on 2006-07-26
  I've enjoyed using the original QC for years and needed another pair, so I bought the QC3. The ear cup design tends to flatten your ear after a while, so if you have sensitive ears and a long flight, expect some pain. I was disappointed with the sound quality -- very muffled on the high end, leaden on the low. I returned it to the store to swap for a QC2, but decided on a whim to try another pair of QC3s. The new pair sounded much crisper on the highs and significantly richer on the lows, and to my surprise, the salesman agreed.
  
  So there appears to be a quality control problem with the QC3. It is possible (as in my case) to get one with poor sound quality, especially for $350 headphones, but then the very next one you try can be spectacular. I'm glad I bought this in a store so I had a chance to easily swap it.
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Rethink about the rechargeables before you buy
  By A1JQTGE8YW6I48 on 2006-11-26
  I tend to think the Bose 2 is still better in as much as you can replace the battery any time. while the Bose 3 requires recharging. If you would want to keep using your "expensive" Bose for a long, long, time think twice about rechargeables. Rechargeable batteries do not last forever. With the Bose 2 all you have to do is carry an extra AAA battery. Good news about the Bose 3 coming out, they may have the better Bose 2 on sale now. By the way, no need to lug a battery charger that my be damaged or lost. The Bose 2 does not need one (obviously).
  
  
• Get the QuietComfort 2 instead!!
  By A24WWXB3VLQHXI on 2006-12-25
  I was given the QC3 for christmas right before my 7 hour flight to London. Perfect chance to try them out.
  Pro: They do work well at cancelling out the noise.
  Con: But I had to take the headphones off after a couple hours because my ears hurt so much. Even three days later, simply putting the headphones on for a minute, my ears started to hurt again. The pressure is simply too much.
  Con: The second problem with the QC3 is the batteries. There is no way that the rechargeable Bose batteries would have lasted my 24 hour flight to Australia. Also, you have to worry about having the proper plug adapter for all the different countries you visit. I'd much prefer the QC2 where you only need to pick up one AAA battery.
  Pro: If you want the headphones for a short while, say for a subway ride in NYC, the QC3 are great. And they are small so they look like normal headphones and you don't look like too much of a freak.
  
  In summary, if you're going to travel long distances and to foreign countries, stick with the QC2!
  
  
• terrible sound quality and WAY overpriced
  By A1E49FXO0ABL65 on 2006-07-25
  I received a pair of quietcomfort 3s for free last week for getting a bunch of points on a credit card of mine. I was really unimpressed-
  
  The good:
  
  The fit is comfortable- I like the noise-deadening foam that sits flat on your ears. It feels comfortable, they're light and soft.
  
  The carrying case is pretty nice- they're very easily portable.
  
  They do a good job deadening outside noise.
  
  The bad:
  
  The sound quality is really really terrible. Way too much low end and it's muddy and not accurate. The mids and highs aren't accurate either- I was shocked at how awful they sounded. I did a side by side comparison with a pair of Sennheiser HD595s (retail $180) and a pair of Sennheiser PXC250 noise-cancelling headphones (got refurbed for $90.) The 595s blew the QC3's away (which isn't a shock as they are really great), but the real shock was the PXC250s! They provided a much fuller, deeper, more accurate sound than the QC3s and it wasn't even close. I decided to ask my father (who really knows nothing about audio or headphones) to do the same side-by-side comparison without telling him what I thought, and he agreed as well and he didn't think it was close.
  
  This was a big surprise to me- I have heard some 'audio elitists' complain about Bose sound quality, but I really thought at a retail price of $350 they wouldn't sound like garbage.
  
  My recommendation is to take that $350 you'd spend on these and buy the Senny 595s for $180 (great for home listening, but not noise cancelling and not in public), the PXC 250s for $90(pretty good noise cancelling, way better sound quality) and a little dot tube amp for $80 or so. All those combined equals the price of this set of headphones. It's a much more functional, better sounding setup than you will get with the QC3s.
  
  Again, I'm not an audio snob, but I know what sounds good. These sound terrible.
  
  
  
  
• Great noise reduction, but painful form factor
  By A9G29NYH38032 on 2006-07-17
  This review applies only to my experience and of course your mileage may vary. I had been looking at the QuietComfort 2s for a while and when the QC3s came out I decided to go with them instead for the smaller size and the rechareable battery.
  
  I have no complaints about the noise reduction, in fact, in side by side tests I thought it was slightly superior to the QC2s. The sound quality of music coming through the headphones was excellent. My problem with these was the on ear design (which was a reason i purchsed them in the first place ironically enough). After a couple of hours of use, my ears would hurt...a lot.
  
  I ended up returning them and exchanging for the QC2s because of this issue.
  
  I would imagine if you are used to an on ear design and don't find that painful after extended use then you will love the QC3s and would probably consider them a 5 star product. I thought they were great, but anything that becomes physically painful after a while has to go back.
  
  I love the QC2s though. The seem to be the right noise cancelling headphones for me.
  
  
• Great one for classical and vocal music
  By A1UD0FA4MH5XK0 on 2006-11-24
  My Panasonic noise cancelling earphone was broken and I need a new one. I read the reviews here before I decided on the SHURE E4C ($299) earphone. It sounds fine with the store demo CD player, but when I tried it on my laptop on the airplane, that earphone really sounded cheap. When I played the "Prelude to Act I of Carmen", the bass was totally cut-off, I decided that is definitely not the one for me.
  
  I brought my laptop to the Bose store and have a set of testing music. I mainly tried the QC2 and QC3. As many other mentioned, the QC3 has a little stronger bass, and the QC2 has a little clearity (but very hard to tell the difference). But the noise cancelling on the QC3 is a lot better than the QC2, you can very easily tell the difference. Although, I strongly prefer the QC2's regular battery, but I decided to try the QC3 first.
  
  My first in flight try was about 4 hours, long enough to see if the on-ear design cause any problem for me. I have to say that I don't feel tightness at all. Everything feel good, and the sound quality is better than I expected (because I read a lot nagative feedback here :)
  
  The music type I like covers vocal, instrumental, classical, pop/disco, rock&roll. The classical music is the most challengign to speakers/earphones. The QC3 performs well on all account so far. The bass is just right, I didn't feel it is over amplified as other mentioned. The high frequency was reproduced acurately, and vocal is very beautiful.
  
  There is a free Lexar MP3 player, which is a plus for me since I don't have one. I love the Lexar design, which allows me to add SD card. I ordered a 2GB Kingston for $26, it will give me enough space to put all the music I need to store. The build, on the other hand, feel quite cheap.
  
  I highly recommend this headphone. Yes the price is high, and I hope it will drop to a more reasonable level.
  
  ======================================================================
  
  I have it for a while now, and took it on two bus trip in Mexico, this thing works even better on bus! The noise cancelling worked so well, that you hear the noise from your own mouse all the time :) I have to say I like it more and more. And luckly, none of the problem people complaint about here happens to me. The bass is just right for me. I don't get the "too much" feeling at all. If I'd got the QC2, I might complaint about a "weak bass" by now.
  
  Battery Life:
  1. The headset battery runs 20+ hours as advertised. But I do perfer a regular AAA battery, which is cheap and easy to find anywhere in the world.
  2. The MP3 player uses AAA battery. A regular AAA runs 4-5 hours, a rechargable runs 5+ hours. An interesting thing to use rechargable is that the battery indicator on the player never shows "Full", I guess the rechargable has a lower voltage than the regular, but it runs longer.
  
  
• If you want the best, you have to pay
  By A1JKNXMD3VQ9DR on 2006-07-25
  I recently ordered the Bose QC3s and am using them at present. I personally own a pair of Sennheiser 250s, and have also used the QC2s.
  
  Let me start by saying first that my Sennheiser 250s WERE awesome. I loved the portability and sound they put out. They are the best value headphones out there. However, the battery exploded in my noise canceller, and now there is static that goes with the noise canceller.
  
  The Quiet Comfort 2s are simply amazing. If you are using headphones for home use and airplanes strictly, I would probably take these over the QC3s. However, I needed to be a lot more portable, as I am a college student, and I wear my headphones everywhere. The QC2s were a little too bulky for me. The extra $50 is a bit rough, but the sound is priceless.
  
  I love the portability of the QC3s. The noise cancelling is excellent, and better than my Senn250s. I would not recommend wearing them anywhere an emergency may be imminent, as you really can not hear people call your name from about 10 feet away (unless your volume is really low). I personally think the QC3s are overpriced, but if you can stomach the $350, you will love these headphones. There is definitely a feeling of prestige when you open the box. I would only recommend these headphones to die hard music lovers, as I think anyone who only uses them once a week will regret the purchase. I use them everyday :).
  
  
• Ouch!
  By A13WEXW3OX4ZE0 on 2006-09-29
  I love the sound quality of these headphones, but they kill my ears! The headphones squeeze in so tight on my head that my ears hurt after about 15-20 minutes of use. I have to take them off for 5-10 minutes until the pain goes away, then I put them on again for another 15-20 minutes. That's really my only major complaint with these headphones. I love the noise cancelling feature - it really does silence all the noise around you. I have noticed the same thing with the pressure in my eardrums when there's a break in the music or if a particular song is only playing out of one speaker for a few seconds. It is a strange phenomenon. Other than that, I've found the acoustics to be great. The pain I feel when wearing them is a real drawback though. Bose should have fixed that before releasing this product.
  
  
• Nice earphones, probably wouldn't pay full price for them tho'
  By A52GJZQZMWBHJ on 2006-09-23
  i was lucky enough to win of pair of these QC-3s recently. i've tried them both on two transamerica flights and iin the office.
  
  so for comfort, i would say that they're okay; the fact that the sit on top of your ears applies slight pressure which can be discomforting. however, i was able to keep them on me head for the entire 7 hours of my flight without any problems - i guess my ears were a little 'warm' after, but nothing serious.
  
  the noise cancellation is okay; i have a pair of shure e3g's which i like very much. i don't think that there's too much difference between the active and passive noise cancellation - in fact i would argue that the high end noises are better isolated with the shure's. as others have noted, it does feel like there's a pressure on your ears when the noise cancellation is on; i didn't find it uncomfortable, but it is a little unsettling initially. the pressure does seem to be less apparent when there's music on.
  
  another thing is that in order to hear anything from the earphones, you have to have the noise cancellation on; which means unless the battery is charged, you're a goner.
  
  the design is good; build quality is good; it doesn't feel like it will break off or fall off easily. there is a supplied cord which connects from the earphones to the audio source which fixes firmly; there's been occassions when i've accidently yanked the cable and the earphones have stayed on my head, releasing only the connector - which is good.
  
  now for the sound. i'm no high end audiophile, but i do notice that the bass is a bit strong. i'm wouldn't say that it's muffled - it's controlled and the other frequencies are still fine... considering i listen to a lot of hip hop and r&b, it can be a bit too much after a while. most of the music i listen to is from the ipod, most of my collection is at 160+ AAC from cd. compared to the shure's, i would say the quality is inferior generally, although better in the high end.
  
  
• Way overpriced
  By A1PE33NZVFKS62 on 2006-09-07
  Once you get over the shock of an extra battery costing $50 (!!!) and not available for 4-6 weeks, you may start thinking, hey, they could charge anything. There's a marketing genius in there somewhere. Or not. Maybe it's a pack of 10?
  
  Quality is fine if you've never put on decent headphones. Makes everything sound like FM radio, played through speakers in a swimming pool. Bass is really muddled. I'm no audiophile, I mean really muddled, or extra deep, or something. Like mud. Definitely worse than my old iPod standard buds (and I think one of them is blown, and they still sound better). This from the same company that makes the Wave radio? Unbelievable. Voices sound good, though, so depends what you listen to.
  
  Did I mention that the custom battery is really annoying? Gotta carry the charger around. What's the point of smaller headphones if you gotta carry more stuff? Charger's only $40, go figure. Maybe it comes with a battery? You wish, sucka!
  
  Two points for style. The guys on the plane are gonna stare. Required for business-class. Plus, my wife likes them. 5 stars for watching TV.
  
  
• Might not be the best headphones ever but they are awesome in a plane
  By A29T0MHHEUXNY2 on 2006-11-12
  Living in Australia but still having family in Europe I do fly frequently and for long hours. A couple of years ago I bought noise canceling headsets from Sennheiser, and having them has certainly made a difference, enabling me to actually understand what is being said in the movies shown during the flight. On my last trip I purchased the new Bose Quiet Comfort 3 headsets on a stop over in Japan. And they are a totally different ballpark, filtering out much more of the hissing air sound, actually delivering clear sound and crisp voices.
  For airplane travel I can defiantly recommend them.
  
  
• QC3 left much to be hoped for, but nonetheless great
  By A15MRXRSRZMRKN on 2006-08-20
  I've been wearing a $20 pair of headphones for the past two years (Sennheiser HD 202), and frankly I'd prepared myself to be astonished by the QC3 noise-cancelling feature and audio quality.
  
  Comfort: After over 20 hours of airplane hours and train rides, including one period of 8 hours of non-stop listening, I was impressed by neither the noise cancelling nor the audio quality. They were very good, but I had expected outstanding. What left me impressed was that my ears were only slightly red after 8 straight hours of music. One hour later, I put the QC3 on again for the next leg of my journey.
  
  Noise-cancelling: When I tried on the QC3 for the very first time, the first thing I thought was that it doesn't seem to cancel out high frequencies as well as the low ones. Putting them on for the very first time, with and without music playing, I was left thinking that only half of the noise was gone. In the Parisian subway system there are plenty of screetching sounds that still put the same chill up my spine as before. The good thing is that if the QC3 is well-fitted on my ears, it will cancel out most constant background noise so I can lose myself in my music.
  
  Audio quality: I detected only a small difference in quality between the QC3 and my $20 Sennheiser HD 202 headphones listening to Aaron Copland's Appalachian Spring concert suite directed by Leonard Bernstein in MP3 format at 192kb/s. I didn't appreciate the lower frequencies in the QC3, which had lost some of their quality. Some of the low frequencies seemed to be missing. Overall though, the QC3 seemed truer to what it might sound like in concert.
  
  
• QC2 vs QC3
  By ARACFER5IVXIP on 2007-02-24
  I own both headphones and even though the QC3 are smaller and much easier to pack in carry on bags, the QC2 are my preferred headphones.. the QC3 headphones HURT my ears after a very short time where the QC2 headphones cover my ears and are completely comfortable. I'm using the QC2s and putting the QC3 headphones away.. kind of a shame considering they are Bose and the price!
  
  
• Wanna know a secret?
  By A18274GTV9K6QV on 2007-04-26
  The Audio Technica ATH-ANC7 QuietPoint(tm) Active Noise-Cancelling Headphones for $140 completely and totally crush the overpriced Bose cans. Thank me later.
  
  Audio-Technica ATH-ANC7 QuietPoint Active Noise-Cancelling Headphones
  
  
• quiet when you need it travelling Bose QC 3 vs Audiotechnica ATH ANC7
  By A34RLV8RAH5KDD on 2007-06-08
  Both of these headphones are very good. Very useful on a plane to eliminate the white noise from the engines and the air speeding by, as well as to eliminate almost all the noise from the kids behind you that are yelling or the couple in front of you that wanna talk as loud as they can, etc. This makes a noise-cancelling headphone set a must for anyone who travels on a plane. I've showed off these headphones to some of my fellow travelers--they are amazed at the absence of sound.
  
  This review compares to the Audio Technica ATH-ANC7. Both are very good.
  
  AudioTechnica advantages--uses AAA battery instead of Bose's proprietary battery, cost is $200 vs Bose $350, slightly larger earcups, a bit quieter than the Bose, plays sound from your iPod even when turned off (or battery dead) whereas Bose must be turned on to have any sound come through, although sound on ATH-ANC7 is a bit muddier when turned off vs when turned on.
  
  Bose QC 3advantages--a bit lighter at 5 ounces instead of 7 ounces. Better comfort on the ear, and a bit fuller sound esp in lower registers.
  
  I have ignored carrying cases, since both are a plastic shell 8 " by 8" by 2", in generous approximation, and it's a lot easier to stuff the headphones in your carryon bag without using the carrying case, cuz it takes up a lot less room that way.
  
  
  Also, spend $50 for Bose backup battery (although rechargeable) vs $1 for a backup AAA battery for Audio Techica.
  
  I have no financial or other interest in any products I review.
  
  
• Son prefers 2 Acoustics Noise Cancelling
  By A14M1VVKGG1C7U on 2007-02-06
  I purchase these as a gift for my son.
  
  He said that they performed well but he did not like the pressure on his ears. He returned them to Bose and I bought him older Bose model 2 which he likes very much. The model 2 goes over the ears instead of on the ears.
  
  
• Not remotely worth the price
  By A18HNUFRORB0BK on 2006-12-13
  The noise cancellation kills much of the quality of the sound. There is no mode to listen to your music undistorted by the noise cancellation. In the "off" mode no sound at all is present from your music source. The cords with the unit are thin and chintzy. The unit picks up a lot of his and static sound when I try it with my Mac desktop. It doesn't have this static hiss when plugged into my laptop instead. But the sound quality is really muffled from all sources tried.
  
  Shure in the ear headphones at less price are vastly superior in sound quality.
  
  
• Superb product, but watch out for the breaking left stem and ear pressure
  By A1GBVCADZBO8YG on 2008-04-22
  I am an experienced frequent air traveler (in average I do a bit more than 100K miles per year), including frequent 8 to 10 hours overnight international flights, and also 2 to 3 hours hops. So, I do lot of reading and really couldn't take that much travel without my Bose® QuietComfort® 2 Acoustic Noise Cancelling® Headphones to listen to my iPod, including sleeping with the headphones. My first QC-2 broke at the left stem a bit less than a year, but Bose replaced them with no questions asked. The second QC-2 lasted for a bit more of two years, completely worn out, and officially pronounced death when the left stem broke again. So I was facing the decision to go again for the QC-2 or switch for the QC-3. The smaller size of the new model was key for going for the QC-3, but I was very concerned about the recurring breaking of the left stem in any of the two models.
  
  I came to the QC-3 Amazon reviews for advice. I found several useful reviews, but the review entitled "QC-3 vs. QC-2 (side by side comparison)", dated July 12, 2006, is really outstanding above all, this is an excellent and thorough side-by-side comparison of both models. Even though that review was fundamental to make my decision, I still have four unresolved issues, so I decided to go to a BOSE store to try both models (sorry Amazon). Because the salesman promised me to exchange them for the other model within 30 days, I ended up buying the QC-3, and so far I am happy with my decision. So, after four months of almost every week air travel, I want to share my experience, mainly, regarding these four issues:
  
  ***Sound and noise cancelling***
  I am no sound expert, so I left that to any of the good reviews below. When listening music from my iPod at a decent volume level, the QC-3 allows you to enjoy the same virtual sanctuary as the QC-2, not only from the jet engines, but from cabin noise, and even your neighbors' chit chat. With my new QC-3 I realized how much I was missing this level of tranquility. Besides, the smaller ear cups are much more comfortable, particularly to sleep, with the same sound quality and noise cancelling.
  ***Alleged ear pain***
  As reported by some fellow Amazon reviewers, ear pressure from the more pro-active noise cancelling of the QC-3 was a key concern. The signal to cancel out the noise is stronger on the QC-3 to compensate for the smaller ear cups. The salesman confirmed this. So far, I have not had this problem at cruising altitude, which often is 6 to 7 hours long. However, my ears have always been very sensible to changes in air pressure during a flight, particularly at the beginning and during the descending phase, so I do get a minor ear pain, but the pain did worsen very often with the QC3. Sometimes the pain has also happened when climbing to cruising altitude. Fortunately, descend almost coincides with the time to turn off all electronic devices, so it became more of a wake up call for me. Anyway, the sales guy said they were not aware of this problem, but I had the 30-day trial to exchange them for the QC2 if the problem arises. I rather enjoy the comfortable smaller size, so I decided to live with this small inconvenience and kept the QC-3. I strongly recommend you do ask for the trial period, clearly this issue depends on how sensible your ears are to air pressure.
  ***Batteries***
  I rather prefer to have a spare battery just in case I do run out of juice in the middle of a long-distance flight, as you do with the QC-2. And a spare for the QC-3 will cost you an extra 50 bucks. Since I went for the QC-3 without the spare, so far I have been getting at least between 16 to 18 hours. So, now I am not so concerned about the rechargeable QC-3 batteries, and you can charge it on any regular plug. Furthermore, even for a frequent air traveler like me, the promised 500 charges should be enough for several years.
  ***Tear and wear***
  I was very concerned about the QC-2 breaking at the stem that attaches to each earpiece, particularly the left one. It happened to me twice in three years. The salesman told me BOSE is aware of the problem, and both the QC-2 and QC-3 have a new reinforced design to avoid the problem. However, he warned me of being more careful anyway, so his advice is to use both hands to take them off, as you should do with your eyeglasses. Well, my glasses always get loose and twisted, and I take them with one hand, so I think he might be right. The stem reinforcement might not be enough if you don't treat your headphones as they deserve and accordingly with the price you pay. So far I have been trying hard to get used to take the QC-3 with both hands, but by instinct I tend to do it with one hand, and now that I am aware of the problem I have no doubt a one-hand pull produces lots of torsion on the left stem since I am right handed. I will report back to you with a PS if the left stem breaks before a year on the QC-3.
  
  
• Impressed...so far.
  By A2V3V3JX0X1QKY on 2006-08-26
  I should preface that I am far from an expert (just a normal user), but (so far) I have been impressed with the QC3 headsets. I have a reasonable amount of experience with theQC2's & (personally) prefer the QC3's from a comfort & fit standpoint although the QC2's will give you better ambient noise/sound isolation/insulation because of the over-ear design. It all depends on individual need...I think the packaging & overall quality of the product although, granted, they do not come cheaply! I just got them this week & will have much more experience with them soon as I have a few upcoming trips, but even using them at the office I am finding them very capable in keeping the distractions out of earshot.
  
  
• Hearing Problems? Maybe these are for you....
  By A1V7C7N042RZH2 on 2007-03-09
  I'd just like to add my comments on the Bose Quiet Comfort 3 Acoustic Noise Canceling Heaphones.
  
  I have a very annoying hearing problem; whereas I get distorted sound in my right ear triggered by sounds either directly entering the ear, or through the middle ear. This occurs when I wear an earplug on the right side, but not the left.
  These sounds then trigger a high pitched, loud tone that doesn't go away for a few hours afterwards.
  
  I tried these Headphones to strictly cut out the noise and eliminate distracting sounds. In a busy house, with dishwashers running, dinner cooking, TVs on and a CD player going in the kitchen, there is plenty of noise to trigger a ringing sound in my ear. They also seem reduce the fan noise of routers, switches and server room products. I wear these at home, in labs at work, in the home and work offices.
  
  I am not saying these headphones solve the constant ringing. But they eliminate the triggers effectively and I don't have to deal with the ringing occurring, and re-occurring because most of the noises that trigger it in a are reduced drastically.
  
  They also are effective in the subway/train, the Accela, and of course with jet engine noise- real or simulated.
  
  These are very good headphones for listening to music, but plenty of folks have already testified to that attribute. I'm saying if you like peace and quiet, but would still like to hear conversations going on in the room, as well as eliminate the 'junk' noise- do not hesitate to buy these headphones.
  
  I am very pleased with all the features and benefits, but of course they are expensive. I tried a good friends' pair before making the plunge. They are worth every dime (to me... maybe even to you too!).
  
  
• the best but expensive
  By A21KCIDPCDTX5 on 2007-04-12
  I have purchased many noise canceling headphones before but I decided to invest in the bose qc3 and to tell you the truth these are the best noise canceling headsets for flight I have ever heard, recently traveled on a 13hr flight with them on all 13hrs with no problems. I read a lot of reviews about the on the ear design being bad but I guess it just depends how you like to wear you headsets. I recommend these for flight.
  
  
• Pretty good headphones
  By A30JLOW0MN5XS6 on 2007-03-19
  I own these headphones and have no regret. If you want to know if these headphones are worth it I would say go to an electronic store that sells them and try them out because looking at reviews doesn't help much. Reason why is half are saying it's good and half saying its bad and both have reasonable arguments. My opinion on these headphones is its comfortable (My ears are small for that reason which the cushion covers), light, and sound quality is good. Sound quality varies on how music is recorded because some of the music I've listened to have good rich tone of sound and others sound bad with too much bass or the voice is muffled. Downside is buying another battery for $50 dollars eventually. My overall opinion on these headphones is that it's good, but you shouldn't take my word for it because individuals have different want in sound... There are many outstanding headphones that fits everyones category, so before you start spending that money on these headphones, go and try them in a nearest Bose store or electronic store to see if these are the ones for you because its worth 349 dollars plus tax X.X
  
  

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