Bose QuietComfort 2

Who's It For

Audiophiles

Audiophiles, as a general rule, already dislike Bose. Even if an audiophile somehow hasn’t been corrupted by this bias, he or she simply won’t find the sound quality on these headphones to be up to snuff.

Portable User

Portable users will find the Bose headphones to be a bit unwieldy. Though they come with a nice traveling case, the case itself will still displace a lot of volume.

Airplane Traveler

Our advice to airplane travelers is to consider the QuietComfort2 headphones, but to do so with caution. On one hand, the travel case certainly helps (providing there’s room in your carry-on), and the noise cancellation is great even without audio playback if you want to get some shut-eye. On the other hand, the battery dependence is an issue. Assuming you remember to keep the battery charged, or you just want to use them as expensive ear plugs to help you fall asleep, they’ll accommodate your needs. Otherwise, you’ll need to invest in a spare battery or two.

Home / Office Use

Your home or office are probably the best environments for the QC2s. The battery dependency is much less of an issue with a wall socket available at all times. Also, the cord and its extension should help close the gap between your sofa and stereo.

Conclusion

The Bose QuietComfort2 headphones are certainly a great-looking pair of headphones. It’s probably a good idea to look at these like a luxury model: they have a professional appearance and noise cancellation, which is the latest buzzword feature, and offer better sound quality than included-in-box headphones.

Of course, like most luxury devices, the aesthetics come at the cost of quality. The QC2s don’t offer good sound quality. Also, while a great feature, the noise cancellation is mandatory and requires a battery. The inability to function as regular headphones without a battery is very limiting, and should definitely be a consideration to anyone looking to buy these.

To summarize, these are headphones made for mainstream consumption. As such, most of the ticket price goes towards the ‘shiny new high-end gadget’ look, the noise cancelling feature and a carrying case full of goodies.