Bose QuietComfort 25 Acoustic Noise Cancelling Headphones Black Reviews - Wired

Bose QuietComfort 25 Acoustic Noise Cancelling Headphones Technical Details

Significant noise reduction for travel, work and anywhere in between

Deep, powerful sound for the music you love

Lightweight, comfortable around-ear fit you can wear all day long

Control your music and calls on Apple devices with inline mic/remote. Distinctive design in Black or White with carrying case included.

This product is NOT Bluetooth compatible.

These headphones are great for airplane travel as well as general use. I do a lot of airplane travel and recently decided to upgrade from my $25 JVC memory foam earbuds (which are awesome, by the way). I tried these and the Beats Studio 2.0.

QC25s compared to Beats Studio:
-QC25s have better noise cancellation. The Beats work well, but when you try them back to back the Bose headphones are clearly better.

-Beats have better low end. If you are a basshead you will prefer the Beats. The Bose headphones have excellent bass, but the Beats are obviously tuned for the low end.
-Both headphones have a hard case that they fold into. The Beats case is a little narrower, but thicker. Since the Bose earcups twist, they lay flat. The Bose case is about the size of a Harry Potter book and fits well in a backpack or suitcase. The Beats case is rounder and a little more awkward.

-The Beats are rechargeable. The Bose use a AAA battery. I think that the replaceable battery is a better choice since it lets you replace it midflight if your battery dies. Beats advertises a 20 hour life, Bose a 30 hour life. There is a spot for an extra battery in the Bose case.

-Beats come with Apple and Android cables as well as a cable with no mic or control. Bose comes with one or the other. For about $25-30 you can purchase an extra cable if you have an Android phone and Apple tablet or something. Sound goes through both cables just fine, the difference is if you can control the volume. I wish that Bose would include two cables with their headphones.

-The main difference for me is how they feel. I have a large head (size 7 5/8 hat) and the Beats gave me a headache after about 10 minutes of wear. I recently wore the Bose on an 8 hour plane trip without removing them once. They are about 30% lighter, the earcups are softer, and the padding on the top is softer.
-Bose will keep playing with no battery, and you can choose to listen with the power off (although sound quality suffers). The Beats will not play music without power.

I purchased the Beats for $100 (normally $250) and I will be giving them to my 12 year old daughter (with a smaller head). The sound quality is excellent, but I have no use for headphones I can't wear more than 10-15 minutes. The QC25s were more expensive, about $250, but the comfort is worth it.

Sound quality on the Bose headphones is excellent. You will read different things about the need to burn in headphones. Based on what I've read and heard I don't believe that there is really a difference after you use the headphones for awhile. If there is I can't hear a difference.