20.11.2015

This is my first go around with Noise Cancelling earbuds/headphones so I really didn't know what to expect. I received the black and blue pair of QuiteComfort 20 earbuds for free from Bose as part of their Test and Review program so I thought there was no better way to give these a try.Currently I have the Bose Freestyle earbuds and have been using them for working out, yard work, and travel. They have been working great and the sound quality is excellent. I am not an audiophile by any means...but I do love my music. So needless to say I was a tad bit skeptical at trying new headphones and really didn't think these would replace my daily earbuds.Starting with the packaging, it's typical Bose.Very nice. Great looking box, earbuds are packaged very nice and secure, you just know you are opening up a nice product. Once opened and unpacked I was able to get a better idea of what I was dealing with. Since this is an "active" system, you are going to have the outside battery that you switch on and off for the noise cancellation. At first I thought this would be pretty obtrusive but I was pleasantly surprised to see what it fit right in the palm of my hand and is a really thin design. There is a nice rubbery texture to it so I didn't have to worry about it sliding around on surfaces.Once out of the package I decided to give them the try out on a trip to the gym. Today was a full body and cardio day, so a perfect "test" to see how well they would perform and how difficult and bulky they would be. The included clip works great and held the earbud wire up nicely. The battery is much smaller than the profile of my Samsung Galaxy, so after lugging that phone with me when I work out, I figured this should be easy. I was right, it really was. With the 90 degree jack the battery sat in my pocket right up against my Galaxy and I really didn't notice it was there. The wires made it a bit more tricky to get it in and out of my pocket for changing songs or moving past one that I didn't want to listed to. However, it wasn't enough that I would sideline them. If you have never used Noise Cancelling technology...prepare to be AMAZED!!! I turned the music all the way down and flipped the switch...WOW! In a busy gym the sound basically vanished. There was a small amount that you can hear...but the majority of the sound goes away. This left just me and the music to start my workout. I was so amazed I made my wife try them on. She's not amused with technology...but I can tell you one thing, we are going out to buy her a pair to work out with! She loved them. I was also able to use them with my iPod Shuffle just fine. From my understanding the difference between this and the Apple model is the ability to use them with the phones and take calls correctly from the controller on the earbud wires.During my workout I have no issues with the earbuds. They are easy to swap out size wise and they fit perfectly in your ear. The earbuds rest in your ear but give you a nice, soft seal with the upgraded (included) tips. My workout went without a hitch, the only reason I knew my headphones were in is that I spend most of the time hitting the button on the side of the volume control to turn on and off the sound cancellation. It was amazing.The included case is very nice and fits everything you need for your earbuds without taking up much space. I am able to toss them into my small gym bag with no issues. The extra bonus that I found is that I don't have to have the earbuds plugged into my phone to take advantage of the sound cancellation feature. Just pop them in your ears and turn on the battery...sound goes away. This was great for sitting in my house and doing some work that needed to get done while not being distracted by anyone. I am actually using them for that purpose while I fill out this review! Very comfortable, easy to use, great build quality, excellent sound, and great sound. Very excited to take my plane ride with them!!

21.11.2015

Those were the first words I said after wearing the QC20 for an hour. The noise cancellation is insane. The sound is deep and rich in texture. And of course just like any other Bose earbuds, they are ridiculously comfortable. Bose graciously sent me these for free so that I can review, so after four days of use, I'd like to elaborate on each aspect of the earbuds.ACTIVE NC: Practically flawless. It transforms the world around you, and works exactly as Bose says. My favorite experience with these was on a bus ride. There was probably something loose inside the bus that caused a deep rumbling and headache-inducing rattling. While my friends were covering their ears in agony,

21.11.2015

One headset was kindly provided by Bose USA for testing it.I own a QC3 since three years back and are very pleased with it. The QC3 always gave me relaxing flights around the globe.Now, lets see how the in-ear QC 20 is.When you open the package you see a well packed small headset which is easy to take out of the box. Inside the box is apart from the headset,a one foot long USB cable with micro USB plug to th the headset battery. A pouch to store the item is also included.Three set of ear buds in three different sizes where the mid size is installed on the headset. These mid size fit for me. If the user need theother sizes, just pull them off and install the desired size.Close by the audio plug is the battery pack.

27.11.2015

So I just my headphones a week ago and did not get a chance to really use them until a few days ago. I wore them while doing some chores around the house and outside. They worked great! The sound is amazing which is as expected with any Bose product and I listened to a little bit of everything the other day. Talk Radio, music, a movie and even took a phone call while wearing them. No matter what I was doing the sound was great.The noise cancelling feature works like a charm its kinda like having a full headphone set on when you turn this on. I wore them today Thanksgiving while I made homemade ice cream and my ice cream maker is old and LOUD. Now it did not cut out the noise completely,

25.11.2015

As a member of the test&review program, I had a chance to use a pair of QC20 for almost a week and here are some notes for those who're thinking about spending $300+ on a set of noise-cancelling headphones.First of all, I find it funny that Bose did not want me to compare the QC20 against competitors. The sad reality is that in real world the biggest competitor is not made by company owned by Apple and which name also starts with a "B". The main and the only competitor is Bose's superb QC25.Unarguably, as an engineering achievement the QC20 is a mind-blowing product and kudos to those who managed to squeeze so much technology in such a tiny size.But instead of talking about everything that normal people/users don't really care,

4.10.2016

Finally! A pair of earphones that stay in my ears and have great sound, oh, and not to mention they are extremely comfortable for long hours. When working out, cleaning, working or simply relaxing I don’t have to constantly adjust them; no ear aches either. The noise cancellation is very good with extremely good battery life! I went for a few runs outside during prime traffic hours (don’t worry the sidewalk and highway are separated by trees, so I don’t have to be on high alert.). Five minutes into my run I turned on noise cancellation and was amazed how the busy world around me came to an abrupt end. Noise cancellation really focuses you into whatever task you’re doing. It’s just you,

6.7.2017

I purchased these headphones after review of multiple products online through external review companies, and Bose came out on top for quality of noise cancellation. I was looking for a set that are light, small, and easy to travel with since I do a lot of traveling both domestic and international. Sleeping on planes is usually a requirement for me, so silence is imperative. Additionally, I work in a warehouse where there is constant noise, and was hoping they would help tamper some of the background. The portability of the item is what caused me to choose it over the bulkier, over-ear headphones offered by Bose and other companies. The product is incredibly easy to operate.

26.9.2016

I was given these headphones as a gift over the summer. I ride a Kawasaki Ninja as my main source of transportation. Oftentimes I've been rained on with these in my ears. They never stop working. I'm not saying their water proof, but they've definitely taken my rough lifestyle. Though not without showing wear, the material around the rechargeable battery started to peel off, though I know its because they've gotten wet so many times.I recently lost the tips, and called in to see how I could buy more. I informed the representative that my friend also got me Apple ones instead of Samsung, as I have Samsung. They're not only sending me an entirely new pair, new tips and everything,

21.11.2015

These headphones are above and beyond the Soundsports I currently have, and those sound great.The best thing about the earbuds is that I don't notice them being in my ear. When I went for my usual walk after work I found that they're so snug that they don't become loose when I go walking at the park.As for the noise-cancelling, when you flip the switch, it's as if your ear immediately goes into it's own studio. All of a sudden the only thing you hear is what matters, the music. The outside world immediately goes away, be it if you're outside, inside, or in your car. Actually they're so good that if you're using them in the car you won't ever have to worry about road noise again.Now to the sound.

26.8.2015

I just got a pair of Bose QC20 and tested them right away on a 10 hour flight. The noise cancelling is quite good. Most engine noise is cancelled and instead you hear very quiet white noise. However, (loud) talking and non-monotonous noise is not cancelled, but can then be heard clearer, since the otherwise drowning plane noise is cancelled out.However, I have two negative experiences:1) I wanted to charge the headphones during the flight, but when plugging the USB charger into the USB port on the plane, there was this pretty loud humming sound. That was no good. Luckily the headphones were charged enough to last for two movies.2) During the flight I noticed,

23.2.2016

I purchased these primarily for air travel. I don't only fly on the normal airline aircraft, some of which can be very noisy themselves, but also regularly fly on military aircraft (such as the C-17 Globemaster III and the LC-130 Hercules). While the technology to completely muffle/eliminate these beasts' engines noise isn't available, the Bose QC20 earbuds make the experience much nicer (and healthier).In the past, I either had to use in-ear plugs and forego listening to music or movies, or use regular earbuds and wear over-the-ear hearing protection - neither of which was ideal.The batteries last long enough for pretty much any trip - and can be quickly recharged from any USB power source.

18.9.2015

I have owned probably 10-15 sets of headphones for various uses. I never had such a great head phones (QC20 - the old model where the controller has only one play/call control button in addition to the 'aware" button). The new one seems to have three buttons which is even better (when used with Samsung and other select phones).I also own Quiet Comfort 25 (the over-the-ear noise cancelling head phones) which I used to use everywhere (esp. planes) until I bought these in-ear ones. The performance of these ear-phones is in-line if not better compared to its bigger sibling. Sounds quality is great and you will hear every and all parts of the music even on the road.My only complaint with these ear phones is with the ease of use (only the battery part).

11.3.2019

Bought these to allow me to work in peace in a busy office. And when other reviews talk about turning on noise-cancelling and getting silence, they are not exaggerating. They are bloody brilliant. Working in the office is heaven, flights and public transport are no longer a riot on the sense. Calm has descended.My only issue is that I have now had my set for just less than 2 years (this may be a record). I have used Sugru to support all weak points and they have withstood daily usage brilliantly. However, to remove an ear bud I hold the cable below the ear bud and pull it out and I think this is what resulted in violent whistling in that ear bud during removal because some wiring has been loosened.

21.6.2018

I bought these almost a month ago. I have been very happy with them in regards to noise cancelling power. I am a truck driver and there is lots of noise the cab and sleeper so using these earbuds really helps cut down noise levels. I even use them sleeping while in the truck. I have been sleeping a whole lot better as a result. I clip it to my shirt collar then run the wire down inside my shirt and put the battery end in my pocket. There are cons. First of all, I do not like 90 degree plug, I wish they made it with a straight plug. Secondly, the audio quality for calls on other end is poor. People often complain they cannot hear me, there too much background noise or I sound like I am talking through a tunnel.

18.5.2018

I am getting ready to buy my third set of these, and it's because I use them so much I wear them out. Both previous sets lasted over a year and I wear them every single day, for up to 8 hours a day. The quality is unbeatable, and I put them through the gamut of hard use out on my farm. I live in an extremely quiet country setting, so when I don't want to use noise cancellation, I can turn it off and hear pure silence in the background, unlike the noisy wind sound that comes with the wireless set when you turn off noise cancellation (I had to return those). When I travel, the noise cancellation is unbeatable for helping me sleep on overnight flights, and the batteries have lasted on 14-hour flights.

Bose QuietComfort 20 - Reviews

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