Customer Reviews:
 Outstanding performance October 28, 2008
These noise cancelling headphones work exactly as advertised. I recently flew with someone that had a different brand that was an "on-ear" design rather than the "over-ear" design of these Bose headphones. I found these to be much more comfortable and more efficient at sealing out extraneous sound. They also sound great when I plug in my Microsoft Zune when listening to music. The ONLY thing I don't care a lot for is the size of the hard case that comes with them... but it works, and it protects the headphones. I definitely recommend them.
 A headphone for specialised use only October 27, 2008
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
This isn't my first pair of decent headphones and this is likely why my review would be like this. I bought this one mainly because I was looking for headphones with good portability, to be used while flying, when at work, and for use at home, all while maintaining great quality sound. A tall order, then I bought a BOSE product!
For those who have been using earbuds or similar quality earphones as that which come with the Apple iPod, or those who have been using low budget headphones, these BOSE noise cancelling head phones will blow you away. :)
I purchased mine about a month ago and have been giving it a good workout. These are my impressions:
- It's comfortable for a headphone and I have no problem wearing it for extended periods. The cups are big and deep enough for my ears to not be in contact with any of the headphone. It's an also relatively light unit which is a plus.
- The noise cancelling ability is quite good and does come in handy when travelling on a plane or where there's a steady background ambient noise. It doesn't really affect unpredictable noises. Additionally, when activated, you feel a sensation of increased pressure in your ears. Initially, it's a bit uncomfortabe, but the sensation disappears once you start playing something.
- The sound quality is very good, and as I said, will blow the minds of those who haven't tried decent headphones before. I can understand the many Wow responses. However, I have an old set of Sony headphones and those sound distinctly better. The BOSE has subpar high frequency response and the bass is boomy with subpar definition. There's also not that good spacial distribution for music that takes full advantage of stereo. For this reason, I'd recommend these headphones only for those who really need the noise cancelling feature.
- It uses a single AAA battery for noise cancelling and probably some sound amplification. The battery life is very decent, but it would be useful having a spare battery along, in case the one you're using runs out.
- The workmanship is quite good. The battery compartment opening is unobtrusive to the point where I had to check the manual to see where to put the battery. The plug wire is detachable from the headphones. The Hi/Lo settings switch is at the end that plugs into the phones and when plugged in, the Hi/Lo switch part is neatly hidden in the headphones. A detachable plug wire is perhaps advantageous since it's replaceable, but then again, one could lose it.
- This version seems to be more sturdily built, clearly after all the complaints about early breakage. Additionally, it comes with a nice carrying case that can easily fit in a bag and which makes it nicely portable.
So, it's an excellent solution for those who need noise cancelling abilities with very good sound, and easy portability. I would have given it a 4 star, one off for sound quality considering the price, but I gave it 3 overall, one more star being taken away, again for the price. I can't understand why it costs so much. It could be name brand hype. It also could be the "If it costs so much then it must be good" sort of marketing tactics.
 That great sound you hear is the cheap plastic breaking..... October 25, 2008
3 out of 4 found this review helpful
I originally bought a pair of QC2 headphones 2 years ago after experiencing them first hand on an international flight. I would agree with the other reviewers that the sound quality is top notch. But after some rather normal usage, the problems began.
My first pair failed with a crack in the plastic where the headphones attach to the headband. At that time Bose was offering free replacements. I thought that this was a very good sign that Bose cared about their customers.
Now, 1 year later the replacement headphones that they sent me cracked in the exact same place. Bose is no longer offering free replacements, but $100 trade in on a new pair of $300+ headphones. What a joke!
Bose clearly knows that there is an issue. Almost everybody I know that has purchased these headphones has had the same problem. If you search the internet you will find hundreds of posts which describe the same problem.
This is a clear case of shoddy engineering. Given the number of reports of problems, it would only make sense that they would use a more durable material at this location. (how about metal?) From what I can tell they continue to sell the headphones with the same plastic parts which will continue to fail.
Given the number of people impacted and the high price tag for each pair, I am surprised some eager young lawyer has jumped all over this with a class action lawsuit.
DON'T BUY THESE HEADPHONES...THEY WILL BREAK WITHIN 12 MONTHS!
Don't believe me? Look at the 3 pictures that I uploaded in the Customer Photo Area. Its plain as day.....
Bose Blows... October 23, 2008
3 out of 4 found this review helpful
We bought our first pair when we lived in New York City - it was a big investment for us - as rent is so large there! We received the second pair as a gift. BOTH PAIRS BROKE! AT THE EAR PIECE... We're leaving Bose for Audio Technica and from the massive amount positive reviews there - lower price and better construction - we're excited to head to a new world of better quality and lower prices!
Don't buy BOSE unless you don't want quality and longevity! Bose knows about this and doesn't care because they are getting away with fraud!
Flying in Comfort September 29, 2008
I have heard from friends how much difference it makes to have a set of Noise Canceling Headphones. My flights are 3+ hours or better. I arrive much more rested than I have in the past, add to that, the sound quality you get with Bose and you can't ask for better. I now use the headphones at work to cut down on the noise so that I can really focus on what I need to accomplish. I choose the over the ear style which helps even more than on the ear, also doesn't push directly on the ear itself.Bose QuietComfort 2 Acoustic Noise Cancelling Headphones
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