Customer Ratings & Reviews

These were purchased after I returned a different brand. The sound is very rich and full. Also the noise canceling is pretty good for ear buds. I prefer the corded version to use with in flight entertainment systems as well as my personal devices. Love these ear buds.

I purchased these headphones primarily for work. We have an open work plan, and I sit near an area with high traffic during the day. My manager has a pair of these and talked me into the purchase due to the merits of the device. The noise cancelling properties are great. While it's still possible to hear your surroundings slightly when music is quiet or off, it's amazing what the difference is when listening to music at a reasonable volume. You don't need to blast the volume to drown out your surroundings, which is great. You can also turn on an awareness mode for reduced noise cancelling if you need to be more aware of your surroundings. I've also used this at the gym with great results. I've even worn them while cutting the grass. While I can still hear a slight noise from the lawn mower, the difference in volume is astounding when turning the noise cancelling off. I've been impressed with the battery life as well. There is a box on the cord where you switch on the noise cancelling that also allows you to charge it. I can go through at least a week at work (not constant use) without having to charge. While the price is high, Bose offers best in class noise cancelling and I have not regretted my purchase.

Very compact and perfect for air travel, reducing engine noise.

I just got back from a 22 hour flight and boy, what would I have done without this earphone. It nearly completely drowned out the aircraft engine noise and all the crying babies. So much so, that when I took a nap, I didn't even plug it in my phone. I just turned on the noise cancellation and enjoyed a peaceful travel. Must have if you ever fly.

I have been looking for a good pair of noise canceling headphones for the past month. I've purchased models from various other companies, including Bose, only to return them less than a week later because they didn't meet my needs. I often work in a noisy environment with multiple pumps and air compressors operating continuously. The combined noises are louder than those experienced on airplanes so I needed a pair of noise canceling headphones that would let me tune everything out. I tried earbuds from Audio-Technica, over-the-ear headphones from Sony, earbuds from AKG, and even the Bose QuietComfort 25 over-the-ear headphones. None of them were able to match the noise canceling of the QuietComfort 20 (QC20) earbuds. Most noise canceling headphones only focus on canceling out constant, lower frequency sound. That's typical of what you would find in an airplane but they don't help with higher pitched noises or conversations within a shared office. Not only did the QC20s cancel out all constant, lower frequency sound but they also cancel out higher pitched noises. I cannot hear my office-mates talking with one another, I cannot hear the clacking of my PC keyboard, I can't even hear my office phone ring. All other noise canceling headphones, including the QC25s, would let a lot more noise in. The QC20s come with three sets of StayHear+ tips so you should be able to find a size that fits you. These are extremely comfortable to wear for hours on end and even allow you to lay on your side without discomfort. Unlike the QC25 headphones, these come with a built-in rechargeable battery that easily lasts for 16 hours. In fact, I typically experience about 19 hours of audio playback with noise canceling activated. The earbuds still work when the battery dies and it takes about 2 hours to completely recharge them using a standard micro USB connection. The earbuds also come with a small carrying case that holds an included micro USB charging cable and can also house a backup pair of StayHear+ tips (which you can order directly from Bose, on Amazon, or even off of eBay though you have to watch out for 3rd party tips). The whole travel package takes up less space than an iPhone 4 and can easily fit in any bag, backpack, purse, or even pants pocket. The only area where I have to knock the QC20s is in sound quality. My review would reflect a 4.5 out of 5 star rating if I could use half stars, so I rounded up. I think they sound great and even better than the often muddy QC25s but the QC20s aren't balanced. Like other Bose products, they focus on the lower and higher ends of music while somewhat dropping out the mids. These definitely aren't going to give you a flat, accurate sound like so many other IEMs in the same price. The only thing is that those won't cancel out noise nearly as well as the QC20s. In my experience, noise canceling headphones (even from Audio-Technica) aren't focused on sound quality anyway. Overall, these are the best noise canceling headphones currently on the market. Bose recently updated them with two new color combinations: black/blue and white/blue. I prefer the black and blue models as they hide dirt better and white headphones, no matter what brand they are, never tend to age well. Bose support is top notch as well and you can buy replacement parts from their stores or their website. If you are on the market for a pair of noise canceling headphones, do yourself a favor and pay the higher price for these. They outperform every other noise canceling headphone on the market including Bose's own QC25 over-the-ear flagship headphones. It may sound hard to believe but it's true.

If you are in market for noise cancelling, you can't go wrong with this. Sound quality is good. Really comfortable for extended listening.

The beanie cap with LED lights is a unique gift. It is also very practical especially if you are walking outside at night.

I don't know how they work, but the noise cancellation feature is incredible. It is almost magical how wonderful the silence is with them on. The sound through the headphones is also first rate. Much better than the boom, boom, boom of excessive bass you get with Beats. I really nice full range sound reproduction. Great product.

If you are looking for Corded Noise Canceling Ear Buds there is no other choice. Admittedly the universe of available options is small but Bose are the best by an incredibly wide margain. Whether you want to use these for jogging, working out, with your phone or on the plane they are the perfect choice for noice cancelling ear buds.

I have an older Bose over the ear model (QC2) that I have used and enjoyed on flights for many years. I even took them along on a recent international flight "just in case" the new QC20's were not adequate. Needless to say, the QC 20's were great, and the old over the ear model never left the case. I may give them to my son!

As always, I'm amazed by the quality of engineering that went into these Bose earbuds. The noise cancellation is excellent. Everyone that has tried mine on have been extremely impressed with how well they filter out outside sounds. I listen to a wide variety of music and they have great quality sound for many different genres.

I did a lot of research on these, and at the $200+ mark it was a lot of money to consider spending, but the first time I used them on a plane, I realized it was the best thing I could have bought for traveling. Never realized how loud a plane was even when I was using my other headphones. Truly worth every dime.

If you do not have it, you will not feel any different. At that time when you use it, it is no longer leave without it！

Great sound and better than expected noise cancelling. Its also worth nothing that the battery can be connected USB and will accept a charge while in use (this has come in handy several times during international flights). While the over ear versions sound marginally better, the trade-off is worth it for the convenience these offer.

Love these headphones! Incredibly cancel out sound and impressively, the sound is contained to the ears and others around me can't hear what music I'm listening to. The only downer is that the control box is very close to the input jack and therefore the bulk of its weight is right where it plugs into your phone. Still a great product!

We own 3 pairs of these Bose QC-20 and the reason I bought the the 2 extra pairs for my wife and daughter is because I had already owned mine for 1.5 years and the quality is superb, the sound is Incredible and the noise cancellation works like it should. Solid buy!

Sounds good and hold a charge. Music is clear and crispt.

I LOVE these earbuds! I can turn on/off the noise cancelling feature on the spot. They are the first thing I put in my carry on when traveling! AND,....if I really need to concentrate in my cubicle at work, I sometimes use them with the noise cancelling on.

LIke all the other Bose headphones I own, these perform very well. Sound quality is good, and noise cancelling performance is surprisingly good given the size of the headphones. I have not compared them side by side to the over the ears Bose NC headphones I also own, but they seem to have very similar performance. My only concern at this point is how comfortable it will be to use them on long trips (transatlantic) given the in-ear design. Other than that really happy with the headphones!

I was considering the Over-Ear Bose Noise Cancelling Headphone but, I didn't like the bulkiness of them. I highly recommend these to anyone who wants noise cancelling headphones without the bulk. I'm sure the over-ear have better noise cancellation but, these do the trick for me and do a great job with the noise cancellation.