"Bose finally doing something to take on Beats (colour customisation) "
I don't know why Bose has taken so long to do anything to limit the rise of Beats headphones but I guess Beats acquisition by Apple has forced Bose to change their style and business plan.
Personally, I own Bose QC15 and they are great for the noise cancelling and I use them a ton on public transport and flights but not that often otherwise.
I really want some cordless bluetooth in ear headphones with noise cancelling which to me would be the holy grail of headphones, anyone know if these are being sold by any company?
And for the news story behind it: Bose now lets you design headphones using a 'nearly limitless' combination of colors Customized QuietComfort 25 headphones cost an extra $100
Bose has announced a new iteration to its line of noise-cancelling QuietComfort headphones. Promising a host of improved features, the $300 QuietComfort 25 can also be personalized with a range of 52 colors — if you're willing to shell out an extra $100, that is.
"We improved nearly every dimension — greater noise reduction, lifelike audio, a striking new profile and styles, and a new earcup pivot to fold up smaller than ever," Bose Noise Reduction Technology Group's Sean Garrett said in a statement. Described as capable of "cancelling more noise than any other Bose consumer headphone in history," the QuietComfort 25 includes up to an estimated 35 hours of battery life. Orders open in November 2014 but potential customers can begin designing their very own headphones on the website today.
3. "bose seems to be the sideline headset of the nfl now" In response to Reply # 0 Thu Sep-04-14 08:07 PM by bearfield
at least they are in this season opener. i may be misremembering what coaches were wearing in the previous season but it's been motorola sets on the sidelines for as long as i can remember
gotta get that branding out there somehow. it must be tough to penetrate the marketplace that only knows beats by dre
Niggas who want to buy "premium" headphones, but don't have enough time to try or even read about the great sets that are out there.
Bose and Beats aren't really all that different, man. They're overpriced because people know their names. They're image the same damn way Beats are. Dre and Monster just marketed their shit better.
16. "Who are you arguing with?" In response to Reply # 7
Because we were never talking about the shit you just brought up.
MIT? Cool. Money going back? Cool. Beats were still marketed better. Unless marketing is that "silly shit" you were talking about, I don't know what one has to do with the other.
Those headphones really are just different from one another. One isn't really much better than the other. Drop those prices quite a bit on either, and you've got some decent enough headphones.
It's cool that you're all about the guy who made these headphones, or whatever, but anyone who actually does their research on headphones isn't going to end up buying either Bose or Beats.
19. "Aight, cool. Here's the thing" In response to Reply # 16
>It's cool that you're all about the guy who made these >headphones, or whatever, but anyone who actually does their >research on headphones isn't going to end up buying either >Bose or Beats.
All this shit is "overpriced."
For that reason, business ethics, the story behind it, etc, is an important part of my purchasing decisions.
Bose ain't perfect. I'm sure they tax dodge and all that
But I like feeling good about where I put my money.
That's all. ----------------------------
O_E: "Acts like an asshole and posts with imperial disdain"
8. "beats by dre has something 65% of the >$100 headphones market share" In response to Reply # 4
i think it's going to be tough for bose to cut into that audience in a meaningful way, especially with how much money beats spends on marketing. that said, beats may have softened up the market; people weren't really looking to spend $300 on headphones a 5 years ago. maybe bose can take advantage of this change in perception and start to shift their target audience from jet-setting "real job" havers to everyone else
bose getting the nfl sideline headset contract is probably one of the first steps of them starting to appeal to the average consumer. it's a good move. it's just about getting eyes on the bose logo
$300 is too much. For what you're getting, at least.
It's not even that Bose makes shitty headphones. I'll be the first to get up and say that anyone who says this doesn't know what the fuck they're talking about. Shit. Beats aren't even shitty headphones. They're both just overpriced (some of those models are waaaaaaaay overpriced).
You just want good headphones? Spend your money elsewhere.
17. "no they're shitty " In response to Reply # 15
Back when I first started making money like 10 years ago, the first thing I did was go out and buy some Bose headphones. I didn't know any better, I still thought that higher price meant better quality. So paying $180 for headphones that said Bose on them meant I was getting the best that circuit city and best buy had to offer. I got completely ripped off and I'd never go back to their products after that. I'm trying to save others from the headache.
The headphones completely broke and fell apart in very short time, two to three years of moderate use. The sliding ear plastic pieces that connect the ear pieces to the curved top part broke in the first year. The foam padding that felt so good on my ears at first degraded and started flaking off. Every time I put them on, it left little black pieces on my ears. I still have them to prove to other people how shitty they are. I can post up pictures if you want to see this example of how of Bose quality holds up over time. It isn't pretty.
18. "I can't speak on their build quality. " In response to Reply # 17
I'll give you that.
They don't sound like ass, is all I'm saying. They don't sound like what you paid for either, but you could do a whole lot worse as far as sound quality goes.
I admit, I never used noise canceling technology before, so I'm obviously naive.
What in the ENTIRE fuck!?!??
This is one of the best tech purchases I've ever made in my life.
I paid 300, feel like I got a discount
Whoever the fuck invented this technology is legitimately a magician
Size and form: People said the QC15s were flimsily built. I actually didn't mind them when I tried them on, but these shits?!?!? A work of ART. Solid, strong but LIGHT and extremely well built.
I'm not an audiophile, but these are without hesitation the best music-playing headphones I've ever had, which may/may not be saying anything (some of you guys get mad when a G-flat isn't the perfect tone during a Pink Floyd guitar riff)
And that's even with the NC OFF. Yeah -- you can play music without the NC feature on. So they are just dope headphones, even if your NC is off because of low battery
25. "I'd say roll with those, I was days away from copping the 15s" In response to Reply # 24 Wed Sep-10-14 02:26 PM by Orbit_Established
EDIT: Plus, the 20s are earbuds, so its a whole different animal..definitely stay with those
I just happened to be about to cop right when the 25s came out, so it was just timing
I googled and was like "wtf?" I decided to give them a try
TBH, I almost never buy new shit because there could be shit wrong with them, they haven't been tested
And you also gotta remember: My review is with no basis for comparison. I have a nice pair of Skull Candy over ears (Aviator), good quality sound, and have heard Beats, etc but have never used NC
The QC15s and 20s are such a quality product, time tested, that I would have been perfectly happy with them
The QC15s are a little bit lighter too (though the 25s are stupid light)
So this is not "ditch everything and cop these"
But they are something else
----------------------------
O_E: "Acts like an asshole and posts with imperial disdain"
26. "Most of the reviews say the same thing:" In response to Reply # 0
- slightly better sounding than the QC 15
- Slightly better noice canceling than the QC 15
- Much better looking, much more comfortable than the QC 15
- Can play music when the battery is dead, unlike the QC 15
Overall, if you have the QC 15, you should probably keep them, as they were pretty good as is
If you didn't....these are the shit.
Only ones I've been peeping other than this are those Parrot Ziks and I'm kinda good on those...cool, but don't need all those other bells and whistles
27. "I tried the QC25s this weekend in store" In response to Reply # 0 Mon Sep-22-14 05:45 AM by Rolo_Tomasi
I would say they are an excellent product and despite being similar to the QC15s the new product QC25s seem more refined.
They are slightly lighter and therefore more comfortable (i imagine even better for multi hour use), both the sound production and noise cancellation seem improved from the QC15s. There is an in-line remote which appears non adjustable which bugged me at the start but I could see it would be useful once you are get used to its presence. It was new to me so I found it off-putting, I was told this is for iphones/ipods and i'm not sure if it would work with other products.
The case is slightly more compact if that is important to people.
I've had my QC15s since August 2009 but I tend to only use them when flying (which can be often) and not at home. They were great for travelling on public transport too. My QC15s still work very well and i've kept them in great condition. However, I just purchased replacement ear pads so they look new and i'm going to sell my QC15s in order to buy the new QC25s.
28. "This is a fair assessment" In response to Reply # 27
They are not a major upgrade....but the 15s were selling well, and nobody was really complaining, so there was no reason to overhaul them substantially
I think the product is *slightly* better sounding, with s slightly better NC, and adding a more modern look with the chance for color customization was probably a good idea for people who care about that (I love the two colors they had available)
I must say -- people are whining about the quality of the headphone without the NC on...I get it, but I find the sound just fine for most purposes...probably because the over-ear design provides a goods seal
Overall, this was a great investment....probably mad I didn't get any NCs sooner tbh
I just traveled a whole bunch...my goodness my travel experience was completely different
29. "non-bose headphones now verboten during nfl broadcasts (swipe)" In response to Reply # 0 Sat Oct-04-14 03:53 PM by bearfield
step 2
also the nfl is on pushover status lately. anheuser-busch, microsoft, and fucking bose are all bullying the shit out of this multi-billion dollar operation
Many athletes pump themselves up before game time by slipping on a pair of headphones and cranking up the volume on their favorite songs. But players are going to have to make a change to that routine, at the behest of the NFL and its new sponsor, Bose. According to Recode, the NFL has banned players and coaches from wearing any brand of headphones — other than Bose — during televised interviews and other on-camera appearances. The restrictions are in place during all games, as well as pre-season training camps and practice sessions, and it extends from the pre-game through to post-game interviews in the locker room up to 90 minutes after the whistle is blown.
The far-reaching agreement is part of a new sponsorship deal signed with Bose over the offseason that saw it replace Motorola as the provider of sideline headsets. Bloomberg reported at the time that Motorola had paid roughly $40 million a season for the privilege during its 13-year run with the NFL. The terms of Bose's deal with the NFL have not been disclosed, but the audio company has clearly seen fit to extend the agreement beyond sideline headsets. Bose has wisely moved to cut off the free advertising that its rivals receive when players wear their competing headphones — often emblazoned with a massive red Beats logo — before the game and during interviews.
30. "Purchased the QC25s - my initial thoughts" In response to Reply # 0
A superior product to what has come before. When considering noise cancelling headphones these are going to be considered best in class for the foreseeable future.
The fit is close over the ears but does not feel like you are being trapped or having pressure applied to your head/temple area. The QC25s definitely feel lighter than the QC15s and this should allow for wearing an extended amount of time without your ears getting overly hot and sweaty which was one of the downsides I found with the QC15.
The small stuff I like: The inline remote is really useful and a pleasant addition to this product. I thought it would be superfluous or get in the way but it is great to be able to pause or skip track without fiddling in your pocket for whatever you are playing your music on. (This inline remote might only work with iPhones/ipods etc..)
I like the way the QC25s pack away smaller than the QC15s. A couple of times recently when I was out and about with my messenger bag for the day I felt the QC15s took up far too much room than they needed to. The QC25s are not a dramatic reduction in case size but it is a definite plus that they pack away smaller. I am going to have to get used to the way they pack away because the first couple of times I keep thinking i'm going to break one of the headphones cap off because of the way you need to twist it to pack it flat.
The noise cancelling is an improvement on anything i've used before. I took a long flight from London - Hong Kong this week and they worked perfectly blocking out the noise from the engine of the A380 and the 20 Chinese people I had chattering around me. If only it had a visual cancellation as well.
I'm currently in an apartment in Bangkok with much needed air-con blasting away to keep the humidity at manageable levels and I cannot hear the air-con with my QC25s on.
The sound quality is terrific - I'm not comparing the Bose to the best quality headphones because we all know Bose aren't in that race - but for great sound with fantastic noise cancelling I would heartily recommend these QC25s.
You can play the headphones without the noise cancelling but the audio sounds like ass so you wouldn't want to do this ever. But at least it does play without the noise cancelling which is something the QC15s would not.
I upgraded from the QC15 and theses are better but I had also had the QC15s for almost four years. I managed to ebay the QC15s for a decent amount of money which made the QC25s a cheap purchase. I thought getting four years use out of a product is good but when I can sell them for decent value too even better.
The QC25 come with a two year guarantee from Bose - what is not to like about that?
I'd recommend the QC25s for anyone looking for noise cancelling headphones especially anyone doing a lot of flying or public transport travel. It might not be worth it if you recently made a purchase of QC15s but I'd had mine for near four years. For the reasons above I am well satisfied I did upgrade. I chose the Black/Blue model which I think look modern and appeal to me far more than the White/Cream versions which to me would seem they're going to get dirty real quick.
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