Bose Quiet Comfort 3 Headphones

http://www.bose.com/controller?event=VIEW_PRODUCT_PAGE_EVENT&product=qc3_headphones_index&ck=0

I was wondering if anyone tried these yet. Look a bit expensive, but so far are getting very good ratings.

 

Amazing!

I happened to be trapped for a connecting flight at Denver Airport last week, and Bose had a booth set up to demo these.

Having about EIGHT FRIGGIN HOURS (sorry... flashback) to kill, I played around with them.

They blew me away! They had a recording of a plane taking off....LOUD.

Put the headphones on, turn on noise canceling feature, and you almost couldn't hear the engine roar!

They then turned on music, and it really was wonderful. I also like how the headphones swivel so that they lay flat, and can be stored easily.

Now, $350 bucks for headphones, if you travel alot, I guess it's worth it... I just wasn't about to spend that kind of money on headphones.

But I'd be lieing if I didn't admit to having a minor arguement with myself, trying to convince myself why my life would be incomplete, if I didn't purchase a set!

Unfortunately, I lost the arguement, and walked away empty handed.

 

I have the Bose Headphones those cost about $150. These are incredible headphones. The bass is superior to anything i've heard They are probraly the same quality as the ones you are looking at but aren't nose cancling. When I put the triport on I can't ear anything else and thats putting the volume to medium. I think they are worth every penny. I bought one for $78 had a friend working at Bestbuy, but ran over the cord so I had to buy it for the $150. If your not willing to shell out $350 the Triport is the way to go!

 

I have the QC2's and they are awsom, great noise canceling in a plane, and nice deep bass, and good sounding mids, and highs. I would rate them 9/10, 1 of because I have to buy AAA batteries every 30hours of use, but that is fixed in the qc3's!

 

Bose manufacturers subpar overpriced audio equipment. You're paying entirely too much for junk. Head over to http://www.head-fi.org if you're seriously interested in high quality personal audio. You'll find plenty of reviews and forum posts on actual decent audio equipment. Bose is quite the laughing stock in comparison And you won't need to pay obscene prices to get it either.

Bose has a marketing department that claims they are the best.

Couldn't be any farther from the truth.

 

I also have the TriPorts, they are spectacular.

I will take a look at that link Kestrel.

Thanks for everyone's input, it is appreciated.

 

In the real audio world, Bose is a bit of a joke (and I'm being very kind...). The sound is very inaccurate, with bloated bass, strange echo-ey mids, and recessed highs. Here is a comparison between the Bose QC2 and etymotic er4, which have a very accurate frequency response.

They are also constructed of cheap plastic that breaks wayy too easily, and the driver cone is made of paper, something you should never find on $150 headphones. If you want good headphones, there are many other options out there with much higher audio quality for much less money.

However, if the bose headphones float your boat, then go for it. Regardless of the numbers, all that really matters is that the person listening to them enjoys them. Just thought I'd give you the other side, and say that you can't always trust online reviews.

 

He probably has a point in that Bose headphones aren't the most accurate things. I've tried out a friend's $300 Grados with an amp and you definitely get the sense that they're more accurate than my Triports. Note though that at this level I'm talking about details to the level of how a guitar string twangs. On the triports it sounds nice and well-defined but on the grados, well, you get that pleasant "woody" sound that a nice guitar makes.

But see, I'm a pianist and I care alot about sound quality. What matters to me is that they sound good, not that they are perfectly accurate. You will hear all of the details, just maybe not in quite as balanced a fashion as with other headphones. I think mine sound great. Triports aren't very durable but they're lightweight and very comfortable. Everyone I've met who has tried them has been thoroughly impressed. I haven't personally seen a lightweight, full-size set of headphones that blocks out noise quite as well as these do despite the lack of active noise cancelling.

When he says the "real audio" world he's talking serious audiophiles. Would you consider using an amp? Can you hear the difference between a 224 and 256kbps MP3? Does buying a $1000 receiver seem reasonable (and to my knowledge that's not particularly expensive by audiophile standards)? If not then these will do you just fine.

That said I'm on my second set and these look like they'll break soon. The attachment of the headband to the cup is an extremely stupid design. If you twist it just a little too much (which is extraordinarily easy) there's an internal part that will push on the plastic covering and it'll eventually get loose and fall out. Service is good though, they cover shipping both ways and their agents speak good English.

Getting back to the Quietcomforts though, you should look up some information on noise cancelling. From my experience active cancelling cuts out low frequency noises, making them perfect for planes/buses/trains etc. The headphones themselves serve to isolate you from the mid to high range and my passive Triports do a great job at that.

If you don't mind batteries and don't mind having something pretty far in your ear then Etymotic or Shure in-ears may be a good choice. I'm not so big on having to yank them out of my ears though or cleaning my earwax out of their filters, so I went for full-size headphones. They're certainly alot cheaper for the most part than the QC3s, but have more potential to hurt your ears.

 

The review I saw was from Cnet, so I took that with 10^23 grains of salt and a glass of water, don't worry.

I doubt I would notice the difference; my MP3's are probably not the best quality (either 128kbps or 192/256). I feel a bit embarrased, but I do not even know what an amp is (short for amplifier I presume). For $1,000, audio would be the last item on my mind.

Never was a fan of the 'earbuds', they feel unsafe to listen to in my opinion, and also can get uncomfortable. What I really like about my TriPorts is that I can wear them for hours on end for a movie and never feel uncomfortable.

I'm essentially looking for 'good sounding' earphones with noise cancellation features. I won't always be using them for music; reading a book and having it perfectly quiet is, without a doubt, pleasant. Since I had my TriPorts, I'm inclined to go with Bose again. As far as I know, Bose has the best noise cancellation earphones out there.

My thanks again to everyone who responded; very helpful.

 

Wow, I just noticed that you're a mod and in the state I'll be headed to next year!

 

What are wrong with your triports?

Bose doesn't really manufacture the best products, to put it nicely. While other companies spend a lot on R&D, Bose invests in good old advertisement. It may be perceived as a quality product, but it's just because they push the name and market it as quality so much....$350.00 is a lot to spend on headphones that aren't that great. You're paying for the Bose logo on the sides, and the advertisements. Notice how on google, the search results page for "noise canceling headphones" bears a large advertisement for the quiet comfort 3s above the results.