Bose QuietComfort 20 Acoustic Noise Cancelling Headphones, Apple Devices (Black)

I don't know if I would consider myself an audiophile, but I am always on the search for a better sound. Over the past five years I have purchased numerous headphones. If I could only keep one pair of headphones out of all my headsets, which includes the following: - JVC HA-FW01 - VModa Crossfade M-100 - Sennheiser HD 558 - Sennheiser HD 650 - Bose QuiteComfort 15 - Bose QuiteComfort 35 - Bose TriPort - Audio-Technia BPHS1 - Sony MDR1RNC I would take the Bose QuietComfort 20, hands down. No, they do not sound the best. That award would go to the JVC HA-FW01 (with the VModa Crossfade M-100 and Sennheiser HD 650 coming in 2nd and 3rd, respectively). But they sound good enough that I enjoy listening to them as much as my other headphones, especially if I am coding and the music is background noise to help me work. Unlike most Bose noise-cancelling products, these actually sound decent with the noise cancelling off. In fact, that is how I use them 99% of the time. It is not that charging is a hassle (if I want to leave the noise cancelling on I just run a USB cable to them and they power up just fine; unlike most other Bose products these do not experience much if any interference while charging). It is that I prefer the sound without all the noise-cancelling DSP enhancements. However, if you need noise cancelling these are the best noise-cancelling headphones in Bose's lineup, for under $300. I feel they do a much better job of cancelling noise than the QC 15 or 35's. Works great if you are in an office building with a loud HVAC system or noisy computer. Next, these are the most portable headphones I have owned. Yes, I have headphones with a smaller case (e.g. the Bose TriPort) and they are always clunky to use. With these I can coil up the cord, put it in a case, and be on my way in 15-30 seconds. Easy peasy. Quality wise they are on par with other products. I have on more than one occasion gotten up from my desk, and got the cord tangled up and pulled the jack out of whatever device it is in. Never had the cord fray or break, and I am on my 3rd pair of these headphones (lost one pair commuting on a motorcycle; bought two pair more for work/home so I would not lose them during the commute). Never had any quality issues. The ear tips stay in place, unlike the Bose TriPort headphones. But the real reason I would pick these over anything else: Comfort. These are the most comfortable headphones, bar none. Even other Bose headphones pale in comparison (except the TriPort, which are equally comfortable). All over the ear headphones get sweaty eventually, and the faux leather on Bose products typically goes bad after 6 to 18 months. Never had the silicone go bad on these headphones, even after several years of 8 hour a day, 5 day a week abuse. In fact, although my JVC HA-FW01 sound better, the only way I can stand to use them for more than a few hours is by using the extra silicone ear tips that come with the QuietComfort 20 headphones. Overall, these are the headphones that stay on my desk. Other headphones come out on special occasions, or if I am listening to certain types of music. But if I am going to be wearing headphones for 8, 12, or even 16+ hours, these are the puppies I am using. Also, even though I do not use the feature, it is worth mentioning that there is a microphone built into these headphones, where the volume buttons are, and if you get a splitter jack from Bose, you can use these as a headset. I have a co-worker who does that. He sounds pretty good most of the time.

This is an item worth splurging on even if you're not a frequent traveler. I've always written off Bose as being overpriced. Thankfully I gave these a shot because they surpass all the hype. "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic." The noise reduction in these headphones are magic. Not only do they block steady droning sounds, like all noise-reducing headphones do, but they do it extremely well. They're also fairly good at unsteady sounds like voices which most headphones cannot compensate for. These are also the most comfortable earbuds I've ever worn. Most earbuds, especially noise-cancelling ones, try to plug up your ear to block out even more sound than what the electronics can handle which can become uncomfortable after an hour or two and are impossible to sleep on. Bose forgoes that trick and allows the earpiece to simply rest gently in your ear without attempting to form a seal. You can barely feel that they're there. After 8 hours of continuous use you won't feel fatigued by them. The first drawback is that the electronics-and-battery pack is a little too close to the headphone jack. If you're sitting on a plane or train and rest your phone in your lap it's not an issue, but if you want to leave your phone in your pocket (to listen to music) or hold the phone up front of you (to watch a video) you will find the pack often dangles awkwardly. You can usually find a way to grip it so it's out of the way, but if the distance between the pack and the jack was 1-2 inches longer it would help significantly. A clip on the pack to attach it to your pocket or waistline would also help. That said, the electronics pack is very lightweight and slim in profile compared to many other noise-cancelling headphones. The battery lasts longer than I need (I haven't tested it, but Bose's claims seem to hold true). The second drawback is that the sound isn't great unless the noise cancelling is turned on. There is zero bass and the mids are a little low as well. You could probably listen to a podcast just fine, but for music it doesn't sound good. With the noise cancelling switched on the sound is fantastic—not bassy, not tinny, just right. The iPhone clicker works well. There's a shirt clip in a good place that's easy to attach and detach. Overall, these headphones are best in class. They are just about worth the $300. At $200 they'd be an absolute steal. I only travel once a year (round trip flight plus many trains) and I found them worth the cost. I bought them just before a trip with the intent of selling them afterward, but I'm definitely keeping them for the long haul.