Bose - QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen) - Wireless, Over Ear, Active Noise Cancelling, Immersive Audio, USB-C Charging - Dewdrop Mint

The price is exactly the same as last generation which was a pleasant surprise. The design roughly is the same but with updated hardware/internals. As an entry point to the Bose ecosystem it’s a solid choice. It honestly gives the 2nd Gen Ultras some thought. The performance gap is close when you compare the difference in cost. Plus those colors really stand out & shine. Dewdrop Mint & Eucalyptus Green were tied but ultimately chose the latter. Very happy with these headphones.

Comfort --------------------------- The Bose Quietcomfort headphones are comfortable to wear for a prolonged period. I was able to watch through a whole movie without having to adjust it once. It stays put on the ears and the insulation provides a perfect seal eliminating the outer noise. Noise Cancelling and various modes -------------------------------------------------------- The Bose QuietComfort headphones offers one of the best noise cancellation feature. It totally blocks outside noise (like the loud rumble from the HVAC) and I was just able to enjoy the music. And the 2nd Gen QuietComfort comes with the Immersive mode on the non-ultra model. Immersive mode offers a notable difference to music lovers and feels like we are in the middle of it and the Cinema mode offers an amazing experience and puts us right into the movie. The difference between Immersive and Cinema modes is the Still and Motion feature. Immersive puts you in the center even when you are moving around; whereas in the Cinema mode, when you move away from the source, the audio moves accordingly. There are so many other modes to choose from based on the need, like the outdoor mode which blocks the wind noise or the workout mode. This also let users create custom mode to hear the music just the way we like for every environment we are in. There is a dedicated shortcut button, which is customizable to cycle through the various modes of our choice or to summon the voice assistant or invoke Spotify. The most awesome feature of this headphone is it lets users set the custom level of noise cancellation offering a balance of anywhere between total isolation and complete awareness of the outside environment suiting to every need. Sound Quality ---------------------------- There is a lot of difference between hearing a loud high bass sound and a rich acoustic sound with highest level of clarity. We cannot feel the difference unless we actually try it. And once we do, there is no going back. The sound clarity is so rich and every instrument sounds very clear and this completely elevates the listening experience. And when this is coupled with the noise cancellation, it is a serene experience. Call quality ---------------------------- The call quality is extremely good and the person at the other end can hear me loud and clear even in a noisy environment. The noise cancellation isolated the outside sound and we were able to converse very clearly. Multipoint --------------------------------------- The Multipoint connectivity feature is pretty useful as I was able to answer my phone calls while watching a movie on the TV without having to juggle around for my other set of earbuds. It can pair to two devices at once and store quite a lot of devices, so it just connect to the ones that’s on and already saved. Battery Life and foldable design ------------------------------------------- Battery life is pretty awesome. After using it for around 10 hours with mixed use for music, movie and calls, there is still 70% battery life remaining; this easily will last more than 24 hours. The headphones fold into a cute little box (provided) making it handy to carry around. Conclusion ------------------------------- The Bose QuietComfort 2nd Gen headphones has an amazing sound, noise cancellation, comfort and lasting battery making it a perfect choice for all day usage for a rich, clear sound. Listening in this headphones helps us isolate from the outside world when needed. The immersive, cinema and other modes are now available in the Bose's base model of QuietComfort Gen 2 making this an excellent choice.

The Bose QuietComfort Headphones 2nd Gen. deliver very good sound quality, excellent noise canceling, and the familiar comfort Bose is known for. They’re easy to enjoy right out of the box, but they do have a few quirks worth mentioning. Overall, they’re a solid pair of headphones that should satisfy Bose fans. Sound Quality and Listening Modes - Sound quality is very good, and Bose includes four listening modes: Quiet, Immersion, Cinema, and Aware. “Immersion” accomplishes what the name implies. It seems that volume is slightly boosted and, after calibration, the Bose QuietComfort Headphones track head movement to the point of putting the sound source behind you if you turn completely around. It’s a very cool effect and sounds good. “Cinema” is new to me, and I had the chance to try it after connecting the headphones to my television. It’s an illuminating way to experience a movie soundtrack. I suggest watching something you’re familiar with; I was picking up on details for the first time. The movie seems to come alive, and noise canceling makes a big difference in keeping me focused on the action. Out of the box, Bose headphones are very bass forward. If that’s not your thing, sound can be adjusted to taste, and I believe adjusting the EQ is a must. I do wish the Bose app offered more granular equalization. It’s limited to a three band Bass, Mid, Treble EQ, and finer controls would be appreciated. Separation is good, but not great. Listening to the Dave Brubeck Quartet’s Take Five, the musicians were difficult to place, and it sometimes felt like they were all everywhere at once. It’s enjoyable, but imaging could be better. App Experience - The Bose app is where things get a little frustrating. Connecting the QuietComfort Headphones to the app is hit or miss. Initially, the app refused to see my new headphones, and I had to uninstall and reinstall the app before it finally worked. I still haven’t figured out how to connect reliably. The app finds my Bose earbuds without issue, so I’m hopeful a future update resolves this problem for these headphones. Once connected, the app works fine and provides access to a plethora of settings. I do love the customizability. Battery Life - Battery life is excellent. The power connection is the now-ubiquitous USB-C, and I fully charged the headphones before first use. After approximately four hours of listening, the battery was still at 85%. That’s impressive and suggests these will easily handle long listening sessions or travel days without needing a recharge. Comfort - Comfort is one of Bose’s strengths, and these headphones are no exception. They are very comfortable for extended listening. However, they do hold heat, and my ears get a little warm after a while. Also, I wish the earcup padding were a little deeper; my ears make contact with the inside of the headphones. It’s not uncomfortable, but it’s noticeable. Overall Impression - The Bose QuietComfort Headphones 2nd Gen. sound good, offer excellent noise cancellation, and include useful listening modes, especially Cinema which presents a new option for late-night movie viewing. They’re comfortable, battery life is outstanding, and they deliver the listening experience I have come to expect from Bose. There are a few drawbacks: The app connection is unreliable (so far), the EQ is limited, and the earcups could be deeper, but none of these issues are dealbreakers. If you are a Bose fan, the QuietComfort Headphones 2nd Gen. will not disappoint and are easy to recommend.

I’ve had quite a few Bose products over the years and the 2nd Gen QuietComfort headphones are another great addition to their over-ear headphone lineup. I had a late night flight the day mine were delivered, which gave me an immediate opportunity to put the noise cancellation to the test. Of course it worked excellently. The plane’s cabin noise was dramatically reduced, making the flight much more enjoyable and making it easy to focus on listening to Ariana’s new album and work my way through the second Dungeon Crawler Carl audiobook (a weird combination I know). I actually almost fell asleep, which is not typical for me on a plane. Out of all the over-ear headphone brands I’ve used, Bose is the most comfortable for me personally. The earcups are nice and deep, so my ears don’t touch the inside of the cups. They are also lightweight and do not dig into my scalp, which makes long listening sessions possible. The physical controls on the earcups work well. Like the HVAC controls in my car, I prefer the tactility of physical buttons to touch screen or capacitive controls. The buttons are easy to find while the headphones are on your head, and functionality is intuitive. I especially appreciate that the mode button actually calls out which mode you’re switching to, so there’s no need to guess. Like most over-ear headphones, battery life is unreal. With moderate use, I haven’t had to charge them in two weeks. When charging is needed, these do charge quickly via USB C. Sound quality has been excellent. The sound profile feels balanced and works really well across a wide range of content. I’ve enjoyed them with everything from pop and rock to classical music and audiobooks, and they’ve performed great across the board. If you prefer to make tweaks, EQ settings can be adjusted in the Bose app. Finally, the included hardshell case deserves some praise. It feels premium and has held up nicely while being tossed around in my backpack. There’s a dedicated pouch inside for the included charging and aux cables, which keeps everything nicely organized. Overall, these headphones have checked pretty much every box for me. For all that you’re getting, they’re easy to recommend, especially when some other brands charge much more than these are going for.

I was curious about the Bose Quiet Comfort (2nd Gen) (QC2) yet assumed it was another “me too” mid-priced headphone. After using them, I realized it’s unique and serves a different purpose than its similar priced competitors, and I own most of those to know firsthand. The QC2’s trim, airy frame and superior noise cancellation make it, by far, the best travel headphone I’ve ever owned. Those are its core skills and if that’s what you need most in a headphone read on. AUDIO QUALITY Then there is the QC2’s music abilities, which is the tradeoff here. It’s good, but it’s not on the same level as its larger, heavier, less comfortable competitors. And some of the excellent features of those models, like a substantial multi-band equalizer, is missing in the QC too. I liken the QC2 as headphones for people who don’t like earbuds because they provide that same “invisible” feel without having to stick a tube in your ear canal for decent noise cancelation. As a bonus, the QC2’s noise cancellation blocks out more distractions. My conclusion on the QC2’s baseline audio is tuned for casual listening in that it has adds a little energy to pop songs. By that I mean anything composed in the past 100 years. To my ears audio quality sweet spot is when my iPhone’s volume is between 35-55%. Lower than that and it begins to hollow out and loose punch. Higher and it’s just too much of everything. There is a “but” here. Even at reasonable volume levels the highs and lows of more naturally livelier songs can get extreme. For example, Songs like Sergio Mendes & Brasil’s [THE BULL], with prominent horns sound brassier than intended. I noticed a similar over enthusiasm in EDM/Dance artist Sofi Tukker’s Spiral which was both boomier and brighter than I recall and ran over the vocals rather than enhanced them. I later confirmed by playing on other headphones. This intensity didn’t seem to infiltrate into more average to mellow compositions. APP & FEATURES (ABSENT) Normally attenuating these highs and lows is as simple as adjusting the in-app equalizer. Surprisingly though, even if the face of stiff competition, Bose chose to only supply an inadequate 3-band version. Most of the QC2’s competitors have at minimum 5-band. In my fiddling, it only slightly altered the default sound and seems to be in the app for marketing purposes only. The rest of the app features are lackluster too, many duplicating controls on the QC2. For example, there’s virtual switches for sound modes (noise cancellation, transparency) and immersive audio patterns. For the most part though the app is only essential to change the amount of noise cancellation and equalization, to install firmware updates, and to set the function of the QC2’s physical “action” button. But default, pressing it toggles between noise canceling, transparency, and immersion modes, but it can be set to activate a voice assistant like Siri, or to turn on Spotify (Spotify app must be installed, user logged in). The oddest feature no-show to me is the QC2’s does not immediately pause or sleep either when you remove them or put them down. All my other headphones do at least one of these. As a consolation, the app does offer an auto-off timer that can be set anywhere from 5 minutes to a full day. The QC2 is also missing compatibility with hi-res aptX Bluetooth codecs. As an iPhone user this isn’t a big deal to me since Apple doesn’t support them either. But if you have an aptX compatible Android it could factor in. The good news on the lossless music front is, the QC2 does provide lossless playback via its USB-C port when used with the supplied cable. Naturally, the app wants you to use it for pairing to your phone, but it’s not required. I was able to pair using the Bluetooth panel on my iPhone. On first launch, the app asks you to sign in to an account, but the no-sign in guest option works just as well. The app will also ask for lots of permissions and it won’t work initially without granting all of them. After setup I turned off permissions except for Bluetooth and it continued working fine. NC, TRANSPARENCY, & IMMERSION MODES Noise cancelling while walking around the city and on a path next to a busy parkway was impeccable, well impeccable*. Listening to AAC 320 songs from my iPhone, between 30-40% volume, was like I was in a recording studio. I heard nothing but the music. I walk this route almost daily and this is by far the best noise cancellation experience I’ve ever had. I’m confident the QC2s will crush the noise of an airplane cabin. Physics demands that noise cancellation worsens audio quality, but it’s only a slight degradation toggling from “Aware to “Quiet” mode, what Bose calls its transparency and noise cancellation modes, respectively. Quiet mode was hiss and white noise free and the frequencies sounded just a tiny bit pinched. That’s to be expected, and the reality is, in a noise location any added benefit of “Aware” mode is negated by background noise. Back to that “*”. While “Quiet” mode is excellent with music playing, I noticed it steps down a notch when listening to podcasts or during outdoor phone conversations. In a city setting, for example, some traffic whispers intrude as if I was in slightly “Aware” mode. Even in that situation though it still matches my other headphone’s NC performance. The QC2 does an acceptable job at cancelling wind noise. I ran into 12ish MPH gusts and while it was audible it wasn’t distracting. Wind noise cancellation is automatic and can’t be adjusted. It seems the latest and greatest headphone feature is immersion, and it’s a nice feature if when watching movies. But for music I don’t get the appeal. It unnecessarily alters the artist’s intended arrangement without providing any sonic improvement. It’s like a bad remake of a classic movie in this use. If it’s your cup of tea though, it works. BUILD AND BUTTONS It may seem paradoxical but the QC2’s toyish feel is one of my favorite qualities about it. Yes, it’s mostly plastic, but so are all my other headphones, some even more expensive ones. But those are still noticeably heavier, and you notice it, especially on an hours long flight or walk. And no way could I run or work out in those because they are so weighty. And while they are small and feel slight in-hand, on head they are amazing. No part is uncomfortable. There’s amble cushion in the synthetic leather headband and earpads, and the clamping force is less than a baby’s bite. It has a near-invisible presence and at the same time it doesn’t attempt to shift or slip even when aggressively walking or lightly jogging. In addition to travel, I think these would be ideal for the gym or trail too. For context, my head is on the adult small side with proportionally sized ears that poke out. They fit perfectly inside the ear cups, both in width and depth. My guess is the only people who might experience discomfort are ballers who wear the top hat or helmet size. My ruler measured a max 6” spread from end of pad to end of pad. Bottom of the headband pad to the center of the earpad is about 5” and the yokes extend an additional 2”. Then there’s the physical buttons. Ah, physical buttons, how do I adore thee. The QC2’s are near perfect, being both large and spaced well so that you can find the right button by memory, but also when gloved, well maybe not ski gloved. The main control cluster is three buttons, with the center button performing the tasks of muting and song transport, based on how many taps you make. The outer two buttons are dedicated to volume. So, while this is a multi-function arrangement, it’s easy on the muscle memory. All the other buttons are dedicated, and as mentioned, the action button is partially assignable. Placement is also perfect. I’m constantly amazed at the effort some companies go to insure headphone buttons in the most awkward area. Smartly, the QCs are all in an intuitive area and each reach. All-in-all the buttons, layout, and functionality make for a pleasant, frustration free user experience. I have the black version, which I call “stealth” because every bit of it, even the Bose logo is that color. While a splash of color can be fun, sometimes you don’t want to attract attention, and these won’t. They look like headphones. End of story. No walking billboard, no “look how much I spent.” BATTERY I find the QC2’s 24 hours battery life with noise cancellation on to be accurate. It loses about 5% per hour in my use playing AAC 320 tracks from my iPhone at mid-volume. Spec sheet readers may point out 24 hours is low, but that’s a tradeoff for comfort. The bigger, brawnier headphones simply have more space to pack in a larger battery. But it’s not like 24 hours is nothing. That’s a flight from NY to Australia and I’m not wearing my headphones the entire trip. So longer battery life is convenient but not a showstopper or single reason for me. STORAGE CASE The last touch that makes the QC2 travel perfect is its narrower case, with help of a little ear cup folding. I measured it against the next small headphone case I own. The QC2’s case saves an additional 1.5” width, which is considerable in my business-style backpack that’s only 11.5” internally at its widest point. Bose accomplishes this space savings by requiring some ear cup folding to fit it in the case. That’s a bit of a faff, especially in a hurry, compared to cases that let you drop the headphones in. The left side of the case has a pocket to store the included USB-C and Mini-headphone cables plus a few other small items you might add. The zipper pull has a loop if you want to hook it to a carabiner clip on your pack. There’s no handle or indention to aid griping and grabbing from a bag.