Range of sound

Price, Requires additionall batteries

This is a great product. It is a little over priced, but what products from Bose are not overpriced? The technology from Bose is always top of the line, and these do exactly what they say and perform just as they say they will; nothing more nothing less. The range of sound is amazing for headphones, and even listening to DVDs the voices are recognizable from all other sounds.

Similar Products Used:

Sennheiser, Sony, Koss

easily available

More expensive than Etymotic products. Raises noise floor only 'simulates' noise reduction.

I have used these things a couple of times on the airplane. So I decided to investigate the idea of noise canceling headphones. Tried my luck with some Etymotic er-6 for $130 at www.headphone.com So on a long flight to germany I did a comparison to the bose...so here is my comparison: 1. Isolation the Etymotic er-6 WIN. The Etymotic er-6 rely on earplug design which actually isolates you from the noise without a amp...so they work even when they are not powered. The bose headphones use a amplifier to amplify a signal that is oppisite to the noise, does not work perfectly so you still hear a little of the loud noises. BUT it made my ears tired of listening...because it raises the noise floor. 2. Sound the Etymotic er-6 WIN. The Etymotic er-6 use a very nice in ear headphone with fantastic response. The bose on ear headphones use a good quality speaker BUT the amplifier raises the noise floor and reduces the dynamics of the music. 3. Size and Use the Etymotic er-6 WIN. The Etymotic er-6 are tiny and do not require batteries. For any of us who travel know that carry on space is precious. The bose are bigger, bulkier and also require batteries. 4. Comfort Even The etymotic comes with a expanding foam plug and rubber plug. I cut a hole in the free plugs the airlines give you and love the fit. I do not like the on your ear pressure that the bose has. But some people perfer standard heaphones to in ear headphones. 5. Price Etymotic er-6 WIN. Etymotic er-6 cost $130 on the net...as a matter of fact even the better version Etymotic er-4p cost $270. the bose cost $299.

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Etymotic er-6 Etymotic er-4p Koss qz-99 (big bulky, average sound, very good isolation and only $60)

Light, comfortable, great sound, the noise cancelling is mindblowing, great bass, maybe the closest headphones to perfection on the market.

About the only thing i dont like is the fact that this tiny, light box is always needed to listen to music. But with the belt clip (provided) its not really a problem. Also them are a little on the expensive side, BUT WELL WORTH IT! (dont try searching the net for lower prices, i did for a week, there are no lower prices; at least when i wrote this)

I got these as a gift from my father who knew i was looking for headphones. To keep it short these are awsome. Expensive but i think worth it. On low you get good bass, on high the weak eared might think its too much, but for the young people who like bass; you gotta here this. Not only can these cancel out tons of sound that usually interfer with listening, they produce stunning sound. If you travel frequently, especially those who fly, these are the best headphones on the market that i have heard.You can use them to make a silent reading enviroment when you dont wanna listen to music. Go to a Bose store and try them, I bet if you have the money you'll buy them.

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AKG's, sony, philips, Bose TriPort some others.

i bought these from the bose store. i've read reviews about the white noise. yeah its there but with music on its not noticeable. however the base was sounded terrible because i couldn't get the headphones to make an adequate suction on my ears. thats what the salesperson said. the base sounded as if it was overdriven. noise cancellation was adequate. not worth 300 dollars though.

Great concept. I didn't have to buy a pair to audition them.

Extremely low quality/price ratio. May be a rip off.

I have had several opportunities to compare my friend's Bose Headphones with my Etymotic ER4Ps earphones and have reached this conclusion: When we sit on a plane, he hears noise, and I don't. I hear music and he doesn't. The Bose noise canceling circuit creates a curious sensation; you should borrow someone's pair to see what it feels like. But I wouldn't blow $300 to find out that these are just a novelty, and not even all that novel. The fact remains that occlusion of the ear canal is the best way to reduce noise, and my Etymotic ER4Ps do that in spades. The design of the Bose does not even come Close (rhyme intended). Furthermore, the Etymotics sound far, far better (to my friend's consternation). The Bose "noise canceling" headphone is a fascinating idea that doesn't live up to expectations, and costs alot, to boot. Noise reducing, yes, noise canceling, hardly. Musical, not in my book.

Good quality,great sound and the noise cancelling feature works well. You get a nice complete package with everything you need to hook up to anything you have that has a headphone jack.

Pricing is the only weakness. But when you buy a Bose product that should be expected. I think over time Bose should take a serious look at their pricing scheme on this product. But as long as people are paying the $299.00 like myself Bose will continue charging the high price for their headphones. It''s what the market will bear I suppose. Headphones cannot fold up.

Once you get passed the price of these headphones you will be extremely satisfied with there performance. If you fly every week like I do these headphones are worth every penny. I use them with my portable DVD player along with using them rather than those cheap headphones the airlines lend you. Although you can purchase cheaper noise cancelling headphones the Bose headphones are built better and frankly sound better and the noise reduction feature really does work well. The Bose headphones come with two types of carrying cases one a somewhat hard/soft case and another that is a soft carry bag with all the plug adapters needed to hook up to any source for headphones.

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Aiwa Noise Reduction Headphones. Really not a bad product for the price of $49.95 and they do fold up. However they don''t fit properly on your head.

Excellent bass, awesome sound cancelling

Price

I had purchased the Sony MDR-NC20 sound cancelling earphones and was enjoying using them. I was seated next to a man who had the Bose earphones and he kindly let me try them. What a disaster -- it made the Sony's pale by comparison. Engine noise was virtually absent and the spectrum of sound from my MP3 player was notably richer. I am a frequent flyer (circa 4-5 times per month) so I opted to buy the Bose unit. The price ($300) makes you want to cringe, but I am delighted with the unit. The Sony phones now rest at home.

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Sony MDR-NC20

Great noise cancelling

Slight hiss when listening in a very quiet room during quiet passages.

These are very comfortable to wear and block out a lot of noise.
I brought these into work; I thought my cubical was fairly quiet but after taking off the headphones I noticed a lot more noise such as the A/C fan, computer fans, people talking, etc.
One disadvantage is that there is a slight hiss when listening using these headphones in a quiet room. I don't really notice the hiss when listening to music unless there is a quiet passage or I'm wearing the headphones without listening to anything.

PS, if you're a first time buyer at Cruchfield you can enter my customer ID: 21524438 to get $25 off, making the total $275+S&H. (Yes, I'll also get a credit, too :)

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Koss

Sound, comfort

Price, a lot of cord,

There are two kinds of reviews here, love/hate. When I first ordered them I thought what junk, the bass was easily overdriven in the right ear. I insisted on a new pair even though the tech suggested that can happen. The second pair arrived without a hitch and have no overdriven problem, he was wrong. Now I understand the hipe. These baby's sing on a plane. They won't replace my beyer or Grados in a quiet room, but guess which ones make it to the airport. They are musical, solid bass, and make the flight much more enjoyable. Now the problem is who wants to be isolated to noise on a jet nowdays since 9/11, not me. These babies are packed until I see some sky marshalls, they are that good on noise cancelling.

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beyerdynamic DT990, Grado SR80

Comfort, noise cancelling, imagery.

low level hiss can be intrusive, headphones can only be used with noise cancelling active.

I saw the Bose phones in the American Airlines ad, and tried them at a Bose outlet. $300 is a lot for headphones, but buying them from Bose direct eased the pain with 12 monthly payments.

I am pleased with their comfort, and everyone that has tried them has been impressed. They were very effective on my flight from LA to London, cutting the background noise significantly. Unlike another reviwer, I found that because of the noise cancelling effect I found I could hear other passengers conversations more clearly (if I paid attention) as the distracting low level noise had effectively disappeared.

I've only ever used cheaper headphones, such as Sennheiser and Grado, and I haven't found them to be as comfortable. I felt they gave a decent bass response and reasonable stereo imagery, and I can definately live with them (otherwise I would have returned them). I will try the Sennheiser HD-580s though to see what everyone is raving about...

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Nothing quite this expensive.