The Bose QuietComfort 25 Acoustic Noise Cancelling Headphones come in white or in black
The new Bose QuietComfort 25 over ear noise cancelling headphones are the end result of decades of work that Bose has directed toward noise cancellation headphones.
I’ve tested out every variety of noise cancelling headphones that Bose has manufactured over the years, but I really didn’t know the history behind these headphones until a recent visit to New York to attend the celebration of Bose’s 50 years in business.
The idea for noise cancellation headphones came straight from Dr. Bose, the founder of the company. On a flight from Switzerland to the USA in the late seventies, Dr. Bose was thrilled to hear that Swissair were the first airline to provide customers with electronic earphones. Up to then, the “earphones” airlines provided were plastic tubes with little cups you stuck into your ears. I’m old enough to remember them and I still remember that it was like listening to music played inside a tin can – but it was better than nothing. When Dr. Bose tried the new electric earphones out, he found the music was better but that there was so much ambient noise on the airplane that it was very difficult to hear music. Being a professor at MIT, by the time his plane landed in the USA he had the basic mathematical formula written out to produce noise cancelling headphones.
The first set were designed for use by the Voyager crew, who were the first to fly a propeller driven plane around the world – doctors had told them that the constant noise from the propellers would damage their hearing, so Bose gave them noise cancellation headsets to use.
The Bose QuietComfort 25 Acoustic Noise Cancelling Headphones in black
In 2003 Bose introduced the fist consumer noise cancelling headphones, the QuietComfort Noise Cancelling Headphones.
Retailing in Canada for $329.99, the new Bose QuietComfort 25 Acoustic Noise Cancelling Headphones are the best ones yet from Bose.
The noise cancellation is first rate; I’ve worn them in some pretty noisy environments and I can attest to the silence. The design is a bit more modern that the QC15s they replace, the noise reduction is better and the new fit of the headband and the earcups makes for a more comfortable listening experience. Available in black and white, it a;so marks the departure from the metal and black of previous QuietComfort headphones.
The inline microphone/remote doesn’t just control an iPhone – it offers features that are compatible with many of today’s top smartphones, from Samsung, Nokia, Huawei and others.
The QC25s are over-ear headphones that are 19.1cm H x 15.2cm W x 2.3cm D and they weigh only 195.6 grams. They come with their own carrying case and a 1.4m cable. For power, they use a single AAA battery which is provided, and the case has a little spot in it to tuck a spare battery away.
The Bose QuietComfort 25 Acoustic Noise Cancelling Headphones in white
The QC25s are completely redesigned with higher quality materials and finishes. The headband is closer to the top of your bean for a more comfortable fit, and the earcups rotate now, so you can get a better fit than ever before.
The sound is the thing with QuietComfort 25s. It’s crisp, clean and resonant, with crystal clear highs and mids, and deep, beautiful bass. I prefer a more bassy sound and these headphones deliver in spades.
Bose has even reduced the issue of users figuring out which earcup goes over each ear – the pad on the inside has a great big ‘L’ or ‘R’ on it.
The carry case is a lot smaller than previous versions of the QuietComfort headphones, because of the new hinges to allow the earcups to be fold up more. In my view, a smaller carrying case is a definite advantage – it makes them easier to pack in carry-on luggage.
According to Bose, the QuietComfort 25 headphones “feature audio advancements to reproduce music with improved clarity and accuracy. A more finely tuned active EQ delivers a demonstrably smoother frequency response across the full spectrum of sound.”
There’s little of the ‘hiss’ that pretty well all noise cancelling headphones have when there’s no sound coming through the speakers, and the whole experience of wearing these headphones is to shut you out from a noisy world to let you enjoy your music which is reproduced as accurately as possible. That’s a pretty high goal to aim for and the folks at Bose have put three decades of noise cancellation research to use in these new QuietComfort 25 headphones to accomplish that goal.
The Bose QuietComfort 25 Acoustic Noise Cancelling Headphones have the smallest carrying case yet
If you’re a traveller, then these are the best noise cancellation headphones on the market.
PROS: Amazing noise cancellation; great fit and finish, new design folds up much smaller than ever before; crystal clear and resonant sound.
CONS: Expensive; It’d be great if they were Bluetooth so we could lose the cable.
TO SUM IT UP: If you’re in the market for a good set of over ear noise cancelling headphones, then look no further than the Bose QuietComfort 25 Noise Cancellation Headphones. They’re good value for the price, offer terrific sound quality and noise cancellation and are comfortable enough to wear for those long flights.
Murray Hill is lead tech writer at communicatto.com. You can reach Murray by email at murray@communicatto.com or on Twitter at @MurrayDHill
Tech Talk: New Bose QC25 Noise Cancelling Headphones are the best yet is a post from communicatto, a social media agency. Need a social media speaker, strategist or trainer? We have that!
About Murray Hill
Murray Hill has been a freelance columnist appearing regularly in some of the most prominent Canadian newspapers since 1974. He began writing about technology over twenty-four years ago and he still maintains the belief that there's a gadget or gizmo for every situation and application. His fascination with technology and gadgets has endured for over fifty years, and has led to many familial discussions about the the difference between the words "need" and "want" when referring to tech. Based in Saskatoon, connect with Murray at: murray@communicatto.com
Author's Note: I write a column on a single product, rather than comparing products. I do this because what I write is my personal opinion on a particular product. Sometimes I get something sent to me automatically, but mostly I ask manufacturers for a particular product to review. I usually have these products for a period of a few weeks to a few months, then they are returned. I get to keep some products - usually the ones that would cost more to ship back than they are worth - and most of those items get given away. I do get an honorarium from Communicatto for writing, but get no compensation from manufacturers or the firms representing them - so nobody buys my opinion! I also try to use photos and graphics provided, mostly because I'm a terrible photographer!
Mail | Web | Twitter | More Posts (121)