Bose QuietComfort 25 Acoustic Noise Cancelling Headphones (Apple Devices, Black)

Although these headphones are pricey, they are well worth it. They are a marked improvement in sound quality and design from the QC 15's. Prior to the QC 25's, my primary headphones were the Bose AE2 headphones, which I absolutely loved. They sounded great and they were very comfortable, however, when in a loud environment the sound quality diminished greatly. With the QC 25's. this simply is not so. The 25's provide excellent sound quality no matter how loud it is around you.Design:The design of these headphones is absolutely superb. They plastics feel very sturdy, and they have yet to be scratched. I never worry about these headphone getting damaged simply because of how solid they feel. The headphone cups rotate to lay flat when around your neck, but they only rotate about half that in the other direction. This has never been a problem in any way for me. One thing that I really like about these headphones is that when I use them just for the noise cancelling, there isn't a massive gap on the side of my headphones where the cable plugs in. It does not effect anything except for the aesthetics. The outside of the headphone (with the Bose label) is made of some sort of metal, presumably aluminum. This also adds to the overall aura of quality that surrounds these headphones. Another thing that I really like about these headphones is that the headband no longer has leather wrapped on the top. While it looks and feels great at first, after a few years this leather starts to break down and flake off. Again, it's not the end of the world, but it doesn't look the greatest when it happens. The cloth on headband of the 25's feels very high quality and seems like it would be very easy and simple to clean, if need be. Although these headphones are slightly heavier than my old AE2's, even after 6+ hours I can barely tell that they are there. As is with all Bose around-ear headphones, there cups feel heavenly, and are easily replaceable. These headphones definitely feel like they are designed to last.Sound Quality:As I mentioned earlier, these headphone are a marked improvement in terms of sound quality over its predecessor. They don't feel "closed off ", as the 15's do, and they are definitely louder. When the noise cancelling is off the sound quality definitely drops, but it is still better than a lot of headphones on the market. The biggest difference between having the noise cancelling off and on was the volume of the music. I would definitely recommend listening to music with the noise cancelling on, otherwise, what's the point? Overall these headphones sounds great. I am not saying that they are the best sounding $300 on headphones are the market, but they are way up there. An important note is that while there are better sounding headphones out there, none of them can boast the level of noise cancelling that the 25's do, and that is a huge deal when yours on a bus or plane, or somewhere generally loud.Noise Cancelling:When compared to the 15's you would be hard pressed to notice a difference with the noise cancelling. Not to say that the noise cancelling needed improvement, but if you're buying these headphone just for the noise cancelling you might want to consider the 15's if the $300 price tag seems just a tad too high. That being said, I love the noise cancelling on these headphones. They block out all of the low frequencies, and drastically reduce the volume of higher frequencies. The result is that you will most likely be able to have a normal conversation with someone while wearing these (no music of course). I use these headphones at work when I am down in the shop, and I never cease to be impressed by these headphones. When I traveled to London a couple years ago my girlfriend and I could have a normal conversation while wearing these (she has the 15's), when no one else could hear us. I also wear these headphones a lot in the car (not when I'm driving, of course), and they make a long car ride a heck of a lot more bearable. Also, as I mentioned earlier, the greatest thing about the 25's is that your music always sounds great, no matter how loud it is around you. When is comes to noise cancelling, Bose is the best.Battery and Case:As for the battery, I seem to get right around 35 hours on a AAA. The case also has a very convenient spot for a spare battery. The case is the perfect size, and it fits almost anywhere just perfectly. It is much better than the QC 15 case. It is a semi-hard case, which is good for finding a place to put it, and since the headphones are so durable themselves, the case definitely does not need to be hard.Overall these headphones are great. The design, sound quality, battery life, cable and case are all superb. I would definitely recommend these headphones for anyone who loves music, and ever has to be in a noisy environment (i.e. everyone). This is definitely one of the best purchases, and I look forward to using these headphones for years to come.

As a frequent flier, I depend heavily on noise cancelling headphones to get me through long flights, and I purchased these Bose headphones to replace an older Sennheiser in-ear set. I knew what I was getting, more or less, because I had purchased a pair of QC15s for my husband a few years ago, and I had used those. With my own headphones on a couple of transatlantic flights, however, I fell in love with these. The active noise cancellation cuts out what seems like 95% of engine whine -- the sound inside the airplane seems deafening when I take them off. That said, there's a decided difference between choosing an over-ear set and an in-ear one -- and, as much as I love these, I'm not sure I made the right choice. Scroll down for more on that topic.If you've never used active noise cancelling headphones, then it helps to understand what you're getting. Active noise cancelling technology uses an electronic hiss, powered by a battery, to cancel out a specific noise frequency, one that is created by engine whine or other mechanical sounds. These are not soundproof headphones or ear protection. You can hear the voices around you, albeit muffled. For instance, when the pilot comes on over the PA system, I can hear it and might even be able to hear exactly what's being said, even if I'm listening to music or a movie. (I don't use a high volume, though.) The kicker, though, is how much engine whine is filtered out. Most people aren't aware of just how loud the inside of a plane cabin is -- and you won't, probably, unless you use noise-cancelling headphones. Bose is unparalleled in noise cancellation technology -- my Sennheisers were good, but not this effective -- and, as a result, I turned these on without sound for a couple of hours just to protect my ears.Although the audio quality is very good, I prefer other headphones while on the ground, mostly because these aren't as precise as some others that I own. They do reproduce a full range, from bass to treble, though, so if you can only afford one set and need noise cancellation features as well as excellent sound, then don't hesitate with the Bose. You won't find another headphone with this quality of noise cancellation, period, so you'll end up disappointed by compromising. Flicking the noise cancellation on improves the sound, even without engine whine, by giving it more depth, although, again, the sound is fine even in regular mode. Still, at the price, I wouldn't recommend these unless you need the noise cancellation.The build quality is good, with comfortable padding around the ears. The ear cups float on articulated joints to adjust to a variety of head shapes. That said, these headphones pose certain problems for women in particular. I cannot wear earrings, even studs, without some discomfort, and the articulated part over the ear cups sometimes catches my hair and pulls out a few strands. Those of us with smaller heads don't get the same contact of the headphones against the head. My husband tried on mine, and the cups made full contact around his ears while I had a slight, almost impercepible gap. The headpiece is adjustable for larger heads. I have to use mine on the smallest setting. The inside of the ear cups is blue with huge R and L on the fabric. It looks tacky but it's extremely useful, and I see it only when I first take them out of the case.For those who are contemplating whether to get over-the-head or in-ear headphones: in-ear models tend to block out more ambient sound. They plug your ears in ways an over-ear one will not. Bose makes an in-ear noise cancelling set (QC20) that I was considering before I bought these, and I now wonder if they would have been better for me since in-ear doesn't bug me the way that it does other people. My Ultimate Ears in-ear set blocks out sound better, although not engine noise. I went for the known quantity, however, since I had tried my husband's. As I said earlier, I'm not sure I made the right choice even though I'm extremely happy with the performance of the QC25.The case for the QuietComfort 25 is more compact that the one for the QC15, and so takes up less room in my bag, something I was initially worried about since space is always at a premium. It comes with one AAA battery, an airplane adapter, and the detachable cable with in-line mic and music controls.-- Debbie Lee Wesselmann