grumbler

This is correct. The Bose marketing strategy is effective, but there are much better products out there. I prefer the Sennheisers. It is true that in the ear (or noise isolating earphones) can be more effective in blocking out ambient noise - but many people (read these boards) find the "sealed in" feeling to be a bit uncomfortable, unless you get a pair of Etys that are customized.

ScottC

I've had QC1's, QC2's, most Shures, Sony's and Sennheiser. But I've been using my cheap ($100) Etymotic e6i's for the past year. They fit me perfectly, isolate better than anything else I've tried and a nice and small. The cord is too weak (broke one already) and their customer service is downright dreadful, but at that price I guess I can't complain...

ShaneCulver

A cheap pair of Creative Labs and a much better Sennheiser. I bought both on sale, great deals. The Sennheiser beat the Creative Labs hands down.

..... SC

EasternTraveler

I spent some time looking at the sennheiser site and found that the PXC450 are quite a bit more expensive than the QC2 and the 250's appear to be on ear headphones which is not the same as the QC2 but is similar to the QC3. It also looks to me like they are similar in price at Crutchfield but higher when bought direct than the Bose.

I have also seen some bonus promos in the past where you get a better price and extra stuff or airline miles. Does anyone know about any of these currently?

ShopAround

Count me in as another happy Sennheiser 250 owner, for reasons already stated by previous posters.

bitburgr

Looks like I'm the cheapskate of the bunch. Shure E2c's here. I couldn't possible justify any of the more expensive ones and these do pretty darn good. I just wore them on a trip from PHL - LGW and they were in the whole time...and they were comfortable. Slept with them just fine. I use foam sleeves that are just a little small...it makes them more comfortable but allows just a little bit of sound to come through. I used to have a cheapo pair of noise cancelling headphones, but they were hard to sleep in and if I wore them for too long, my ears would start to get sweaty.

CessnaJock

Ever wonder why Bose outsells all other brands combined? Because they spend most of their revenue on advertising instead of engineering.

Sennheiser makes technology. Bose makes commercials.

anrkitec

First, let's be honest here, Stax and Grado are the only two companies making headphones worth owning for their audio fidelity - period.

And while it is true that generally Bose achieves 'better sound through marketing' the fact is that Bose does make two decent products - the QC-2 and the Wave radio. Both of which this hard-core audiophile has no qualms about recommending.

The Wave is unbeatable. It's just a freaking table-top radio and clock but it is hip and sexy and sounds great relative to its Sony/Radio Shack/Panasonic et al counterparts.

The QC-2s are not the best noise cancellers nor do they have the best fidelity, but IMHO they do multiple things well enough to be worth their price and are generally better over all then the rest of the over-ear competition.

I also have a pair of Shure 5s. The Shure's both sound better and block more noise but owing to my apparently sensitive ear canals I cannot wear in-ears for more than an hour at most, clearly no good for any 8-12 hour flights.

I have tried most of the newer over-ears models out there, Sennheiser, Beyerdynamics, etc. and while they are very good, maybe even as good as the QC-2s overall, I didn’t see [hear?] enough improvement to warrant dumping the Boses. Then again most is not all so perhaps there is a better solution out there currently.

I tell you though, the first company that provides at least QC-2 sound quality and noise canceling, along with a ubiquitous battery type [none of this QC-3 proprietary rechargeable battery BS] in a smaller but still over/on ear package than the QC-2’s will get my business. Many is a time I have considered leaving the QC-2s behind because of the size of the case – my how we all grow fickle over time…

ralfp

Etymotic ER 6i
1. Type: In the ear
2. Size: Tiny
3. Battery: The ear wax filters need occasional replacement.
4. Airplane: Block both airplane and people noise (unlike noise cancelling sets)
5. Listening: Much better sound than most $100 over the ear sets
6. Sleeping: Can rest on side of head.
7. Case: A little pocket thing that's smaller than a wallet.
8. Accessories: Several different ear thingies, including rubber and foam (a la earplugs)
9. Features: They block sound.
10. Price: Great deal. Paid less than $100, plus $15 for several replacement filters. Still going after 1.5 years. I'm rough with my stuff, so that says a lot.

bdjohns1

And another vote for them. Unless Shure somehow raises the bar beyond these, I can't imagine needing to upgrade. This is audiophile-level gear. The only way you can do better in the realm of noise-isolating/reducing audio is a custom-molded canal phone like the Ultimate Ears UE10 (which comes with a ~$1000 price tag)

Jimmie76

I now have some Sony NC50's which I bought just before my last flight and really found them to be excellent. Especially when combined with earplugs to block out nearly all the noise.

Madhouse24

Add yet another vote for the Shure's!! ^


I use the E4's now and just purchased the E500PTH's/SE530's which are garnering rave reviews across the board! Can't wait to try them out this weekend BWI-SFO....

I must admit, I have been curious about the Audio-Technica ATH-ANC7 and if they are as good as I have heard plus if they are comfortable for long flights...

Robt760

Bose QC2
1. Type: Over ear or on ear? Over Ear
2. Size: Were they too big for storage, did they fold flat? They fold and come in a carrying case that's sometimes cumbersome.
3. Battery: How was the battery life and did they work when the battery died? Def requires batteries, best with Energizer E2
4. Airplane: Did they cancel out the airplane lows and highs? Newer version comes with a switch for High/Low
5. Listening: How did they do for listening to the airplane IFE and your MP3. Works well for all audio, definate improvement over standard h-phones.
6. Sleeping: How did they do for aiding your sleep? This is the major downfall, if you sleep on your side you stress the brackets on the unit and they crack and break. You have to sleep on your back. (ie not good for sleeping)
7. Case: Was the case sturdy, with extra pockets, stylish? Fairly compact case with pockets.
8. Accessories: What accessories came with it? Extension cord, adapter for 2-prong, High/Low Switch.
9. Features: Volume control, Talk Through, Power Switch, Cord (retractable or detachable or coilded), cell phone connector. See Above.
10. Price: What value did you perceive? Were they worth the money?[/QUOTE] Got them from somebody on Craigslist. They received as a gift but didn't want, bought for $225 cash. Seems like a good deal.

joanek

I've been using the Bose WC2 since they were released and love them. Their stats have already been listed here, so I won't repeat all that.

I've worked in radio for eons, and am very fussy about how things sound and feel, and I really do like the Bose for NC ones. ( I like sennheiser cans for studio stuff)

I am about to purchase a pair of Shure SE530PTH, this after trying them at a music festival earlier this year. I tried four or five shure models, and used each to listen to the same songs. I liked the 400 series also, but the 5's were amazing.

I've always found in-the-ear uncomfortable, and was also worried about potential hearing problems as a result of using them....even though I'm very careful about levels.

However, I've changed my mind about them after talking with audiologist...she's custom made tips for me to use, and they make an amazing difference. I think they cost about 100 bucks (i can't remember the exact figure, I had a pair of custom ear plugs made at the same time.)

Custom tips is something in-ear headphone users might want to consider, they make a huge difference in comfort and sound.

lpeterman

FYI..

Sorry if this link has been posted before..

URL removed just to be safe...