Bose Quiet Comfort 3 Headphones Live Up to Their Name

Author's Rating:

Pros: Incredibly quiet, excellent sound, very comfortable

Cons: Very pricey; don’t need these unless you’re on an airplane a lot

The Bottom Line: 
The Bose Quiet Comfort 3 Headphones live up to their name - they are great headphones. At $349, however, if you don't fly a lot, you don't need them.

Author's Review
The first time you put on a pair of Bose Quiet Comfort 3 headphones you will be happy with the sound, which is excellent. You will likely be in a Bose store. At some point, you’ll wonder how they sound on an airplane. “Where is the simulated airplane noise? “ you’ll ask. Then you’ll take off the headphones. “Oh. It was there all the time.” Your next reaction will be a loud ”Wow!

Since I travel quite a bit for my job, my next reaction was to say “I’ll take one.” I’ve been on several trips since I bought them and am very happy so far. They put quite a dent in my wallet, but they are worth it. Using these headphones on a plane is like upgrading from coach to first class.

The Bose Quiet Comfort 3 headphones are amazing in their noise reduction capabilities. Every time I put on a pair, I am amazed. The sound is great, but the noise reduction is absolutely amazing. The best analogy I can use is being inside on a very windy winter day. When you open the door, you hear the wind howling. Close it, and you don’t hear it. No wind sound. That’s what putting these headphones on is like. I essentially feel enveloped in a cocoon of whatever I am listening to, with very little outside noise. On an airplane, I can hear a little noise, but it’s so much lower than it would be normally, I’m not bothered by it. In fact, I feel it more than I hear it.

It doesn’t matter what the sound source is. I have a 5G 60GB Video iPod with more than 4,000 songs on it. It sounds fantastic, much better than my excellent Sennheiser PX-200 headphones (http://www.epinions.com/content_235355082372). More important, I mainly hear the music with little background noise.

I’ve also watched movies and TV on planes using the airplane’s audio/video system. While still really good, I’ve felt limited by the relatively lousy audio system on the airplane, as well as the sound source (TV).

Basics

The Bose Quiet Comfort 3 headphones are expensive. They cost $349, making them one of the most expensive headphones available. They boast an on-ear design, with a smaller earcup than their predecessor, The Bose Quiet Comfort 2 headphones, which cost $299.

The Bose Quiet Comfort 3 headphones come with a nice carrying case to bring them on the road, lots of adapters to work in a variety of headphone jacks, an extension cord, and a 30 day money back guarantee. They use a nifty rechargeable battery that plugs into a compact charging station. The battery typically works for 20 hours.

Bose also often has promotions that include something extra with purchase. In my case, I got an MP3 player that included some songs on it. Bose claims it’s a $50 value, but it’s really a pretty lame addition.

Pros

Great sound. At the end of the day, these are great headphones. The sound is excellent.
Amazing noise reduction. The sound on these headphones is excellent, but not much better than the Bose Triport headphones, which are about one-half the price. However, the Triport do not have noise reduction.

Comfortable. The Bose Quiet Comfort 3 headphones are lightweight, have nice cushioning and are very comfortable. I can wear them for hours at a time with no fatigue. Plus, after using them for awhile, the cushions are replaceable.

Cons

There’s really only one con when it comes to the Bose Quiet Comfort 3 headphones - they are extremely expensive. At $349, they are well beyond the range of most people and hard to justify for people who can afford it. If you’re not a frequent air traveler, you probably don’t need these headphones.

Bottom Line

The Bose Quiet Comfort 3 headphones live up to their name. They are quiet, comfortable and sound excellent. While they are very expensive, they are well worth the price.

Statistics

Price: $349
Included Accessories:
Battery and Battery charger
Headphones audio cord
Dual plug adapter
¼ in. stereo phone plug adapter
5 ft. audio extension cord
Carrying case