OT: Bose QCII and QCIII
 

The time has come. I want to buy a pair.

First question: Which should I buy QC3 appears to be 'on ear' unlike QC2 which is 'around ear'. Is one better than the other?

Second question: Where can I buy some?

The next 6 weeks sees me at GLA, EDI, LHR T3, DOH, BKK, SIN, KUL, CNS, BNE, SYD. Can I pick them up at any of these airports?

Where are they the cheapest? And what do they cost? Bose want £225 or £275 (QC2 / QC3). I reckon I can beat that.

My experience with QC2 is mixed. In BA flat beds they become uncomfortable if I lie on my side, as the pillow is pressing the headphone hard against my head. My ears also become a bit hot after several hours and I often take them (the QC2s that is) off after the first few hours of drink-induced sleep then sleep another two or three hours without the phones. All in all I'm not sure they really add much value in the lie-flat seats. As headphones for using to listen to an ipod or whatever they are great. I haven't tried to sleep with them in a more upright position but imagine at lying on my side problem at least wouldn't happen. I'd have expected similar effects with the QC3s.

Bose are very protective of their RRP. It's unlikely that you'll find a UK source any cheaper than Bose themselves. They even have a snout on E-Bay that reports any UK sales of 'new' items. I got suspended from E-Bay when I bought 6 pairs in the US for $299 each, and sold them on for 220 quid (a good saving on the UK price).

You can buy them retail at the Apple stores. I also think that Selfridges sell them (but I can't be sure).

The best place is definately the US. They have stores at most of the outlet villages.

As for QC2 or QC3, I prefer the QC2. I already had a pair, and teh QC3's didn't seem quite as comfortable when I tried them.

Cheers,
Rick

I am a fan of the QC2s and I do wear them on long haul flights for the majority of the flight. If you do buy from eBay be careful. The early models had a design fault that meant they broke easily. I was lucky in that Bose replaced mine foc, but then I did say I got them on ebay ;-)

Regards

John

The QC2s are very good. As you can tell, it will be a matter of personal preference, so it will be useful if you could try both pairs on. I personally prefer the "around the ear" ones and I think they would do a better job at cancelling out aircraft noise than "on ear" ones but I'm sure the QC3s must surely do the job well.

They QC2s are quite bulky so, as someone pointed out, it would be difficult if you choose to lie on your side in a flat bed. As I adopt the soldier position in the flat bed this isn't so much of an issue for me.

I'd also recommend the QC2s over the QC3s. Had a pair for just over a year and they're great for music etc. Mine were bought in the US which was considerably cheaper than buying them in the UK.

As others have said, they're not great if you sleep on your side. Unfortunately I can't get to sleep unless I'm on my side. In the past I have slept with them just resting on the ear not against the pillow which works reasonably well but no doubt looks pretty stupid.

I have just bought a second set of QC2's for my wife - and we are great fans - although I'd say if their primary use is sound then the 2's win over 3's hands down.

Two points:

1. Buy via Quidco and you will get a rebate of 3% ie £5.47! Not much but it is the principle!

http://www.quidco.com/?search=bose

2. I am suprised at the difference between her set and mine which are a year or so older and conclude that they need to break in and will loosen and improve over time.

The QC2 are much better than the QC3 (in terms of quality), but a also much bulkier and heavier. AA used to have QC2 and has switched over to QC3 headsets, and after about 40 flights with QC3s I'm quite sure I prefer the QC2. Also about 25% of the QC3 headsets that I've tried on those flights have been defective (generally a buzz, but sometimes one channel is dead); the QC2s rarely if ever failed. An interesting case of a newer, more expensive product being inferior to the prior generation. I'd say the choice is between QC2 or Sony in-ear (which has its own set of advantages and disadvantages). With NC headsets it seems to boil down to individual preference, you really have to try to know what is best for you. There is little correlation between price and quality, and there are a half dozen different products that each have some merit (all the way down to USD 30 -- some of the cheapest ones are the best). My personal favourite is the John Deere headsets (a farm equipment manufacturer, their NC headsets are for driving tractors on the prairie), costing USD 90 and competitive with the Bose but with the cool Deere logo.

i have tried both and i own the QC3. as others have said, the QC2 has better sound and is more comfortable - the QC3 can get sweaty after a while and it does squash your ears a bit. but saying that, the 3s are still a fantastic product, and the smaller size makes them a better choice for the traveller. they easily fit into a jacket pocket without sticking out conspicuously.

wish i had known about the john deere's tho, they sound well cool. the shure in-ear products are also getting good reviews which would be a better solution for sleeping on your side.

IMO, the biggest problem with the QC3 is the rechargeable battery. If your battery dies in flight, then you are out-of-luck unless you have a way of recharging it. I never have this problem with the QC2 because I always have a spare AAA battery in the pouch.

There is an outlet mall/designer village in Ashford, just off the M20 with a Bose shop. From what I recall the saving is around 10%. Not worth a trip from London really as most of the shops are street fashion rather than couture.

I just tried out the QC3s for 30 days. I truly believe the noise cancelation is better than the QC2s. The big downside is that it takes some adjusting to get the phones focused into my ear canals, otherwise it let's a lot of noise seep in. Hence, if you fall asleep, it's easy to get the headset askew. Other than that, they were terrific (just not $349 terrific, IMO :))

The QC2s will stay on your ear, even if you nod off.

The perfect headset would be QC3 circuitry in a QC2 housing.

Bicester Village also has an outlet. The reason I bought mine in the first place was that i didnt like those provided by the airlines which are normally on ear and caused my ears too much pressure on long haul flights. as such QC2s anyday.

I have a pair of QC3 - finally decided to buy them in March time - I have to say they I love them. I am not travelling nearly as much as I used to, down to once/twice a month as opposed to every/twice a week but I still use them, and find them very comfortable.

Big advantage over QC2 in my opionion is the size. QC3 can also be used fairly effectively on the tube as their size does not make them ungainly.

P

A very timely NY Times review of noise-cancelling headphones here:
http://tinyurl.com/37hr7l