Bose QuietComfort 2 Acoustic Noise Cancelling Headset review

4 November 2004 8:32 GMT / By Stuart Miles

For most, the excitement of travelling to far away lands is brought to an abrupt stop when you realise that you have to sit on an airplane with that annoying aircraft drone for six hours or more.

Bose thinks it has the answer and like other headset manufacturers has designed a pair of noise-cancelling headphones called the The Bose QuietComfort 2 Acoustic Noise Cancelling Headset.

The idea behind noise cancelling headphones is that the headphones monitor and then create a signal that opposes outside noise, giving you the impression that the outside noise has been cancelled. What this means is that you can either use them for cancelling noise (for example on an airplane), or simply to make your music sound better without the hustle and bustle of the outside world.

The over-the-ear banded headset comes packed in a zip-up case for travelling, and offers a non-cable option if you're just trying to get a bit of peace and quiet or a host of cables so you can connect to portable audio devices and airplane seats.

At £275, the case comes complete with padding and zip and is an obvious touch when you're paying as much as this, however while nice, does present any business traveller with a problem. How do you pack for hand luggage only, yet still fit this large bulky, albeit protective zipped case in the bag?

While the case is a nice idea it really only serves to cover up the only real problem with the set, that when it comes to travelling they are large, bulky and won't fold in on themselves like other ear-muff models normally do.

So what do you do? Packing for the trip we were on, we ending up ditching the case and stuffing them in the bag, opening up the opportunities of scratching or even worse, damage that any warranty might not cover.

Verdict

When it comes to doing what it says they do, the QC2s are very good, sound was amazing and noise cancelling, as long as there is noise to cancel works every time. However, all this does come at a price and we are not sure that for the money they are worth the investment.

If you are a frequent long distance flyer then you could probably justify the outlay based on a number of flights you take a year and the peace and quiet that this headset will offer you. If however you are an infrequent long distance flyer, perhaps just once a year to take the kids to Disney World then you might have trouble justifying them to your partner.

This product is only available from Bose tel:08000 85 85 72

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Review Recap

Made by: Bose
Price as reviewed: £275
Latest price: Compare prices
The good: Cancels noise dead
The bad: Expensive
Quick verdict: Great piece of kit that does everything it says it will, only problem is the price
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