Bose QuietComfort 25 Acoustic Noise Cancelling Headphones

Although these headphones are pricey, they are well worth it. They are a marked improvement in sound quality and design from the QC 15's. Prior to the QC 25's, my primary headphones were the Bose AE2 headphones, which I absolutely loved. They sounded great and they were very comfortable, however, when in a loud environment the sound quality diminished greatly. With the QC 25's. this simply is not so. The 25's provide excellent sound quality no matter how loud it is around you. Design: The design of these headphones is absolutely superb. They plastics feel very sturdy, and they have yet to be scratched. I never worry about these headphone getting damaged simply because of how solid they feel. The headphone cups rotate to lay flat when around your neck, but they only rotate about half that in the other direction. This has never been a problem in any way for me. One thing that I really like about these headphones is that when I use them just for the noise cancelling, there isn't a massive gap on the side of my headphones where the cable plugs in. It does not effect anything except for the aesthetics. The outside of the headphone (with the Bose label) is made of some sort of metal, presumably aluminum. This also adds to the overall aura of quality that surrounds these headphones. Another thing that I really like about these headphones is that the headband no longer has leather wrapped on the top. While it looks and feels great at first, after a few years this leather starts to break down and flake off. Again, it's not the end of the world, but it doesn't look the greatest when it happens. The cloth on headband of the 25's feels very high quality and seems like it would be very easy and simple to clean, if need be. Although these headphones are slightly heavier than my old AE2's, even after 6+ hours I can barely tell that they are there. As is with all Bose around-ear headphones, there cups feel heavenly, and are easily replaceable. These headphones definitely feel like they are designed to last. Sound Quality: As I mentioned earlier, these headphone are a marked improvement in terms of sound quality over its predecessor. They don't feel "closed off ", as the 15's do, and they are definitely louder. When the noise cancelling is off the sound quality definitely drops, but it is still better than a lot of headphones on the market. The biggest difference between having the noise cancelling off and on was the volume of the music. I would definitely recommend listening to music with the noise cancelling on, otherwise, what's the point? Overall these headphones sounds great. I am not saying that they are the best sounding $300 on headphones are the market, but they are way up there. An important note is that while there are better sounding headphones out there, none of them can boast the level of noise cancelling that the 25's do, and that is a huge deal when yours on a bus or plane, or somewhere generally loud. Noise Cancelling: When compared to the 15's you would be hard pressed to notice a difference with the noise cancelling. Not to say that the noise cancelling needed improvement, but if you're buying these headphone just for the noise cancelling you might want to consider the 15's if the $300 price tag seems just a tad too high. That being said, I love the noise cancelling on these headphones. They block out all of the low frequencies, and drastically reduce the volume of higher frequencies. The result is that you will most likely be able to have a normal conversation with someone while wearing these (no music of course). I use these headphones at work when I am down in the shop, and I never cease to be impressed by these headphones. When I traveled to London a couple years ago my girlfriend and I could have a normal conversation while wearing these (she has the 15's), when no one else could hear us. I also wear these headphones a lot in the car (not when I'm driving, of course), and they make a long car ride a heck of a lot more bearable. Also, as I mentioned earlier, the greatest thing about the 25's is that your music always sounds great, no matter how loud it is around you. When is comes to noise cancelling, Bose is the best. Battery and Case: As for the battery, I seem to get right around 35 hours on a AAA. The case also has a very convenient spot for a spare battery. The case is the perfect size, and it fits almost anywhere just perfectly. It is much better than the QC 15 case. It is a semi-hard case, which is good for finding a place to put it, and since the headphones are so durable themselves, the case definitely does not need to be hard. Overall these headphones are great. The design, sound quality, battery life, cable and case are all superb. I would definitely recommend these headphones for anyone who loves music, and ever has to be in a noisy environment (i.e. everyone). This is definitely one of the best purchases, and I look forward to using these headphones for years to come.