Bose QuietComfort 20 Acoustic Noise Cancelling Headphones for Apple Devices (Black)

Product Information

There are two lights: an Earbud status light inside the case between the earbuds, and a Charging Case status light on the outside of the case. In my opinion, this points out what I take to be a design flaw in the Bose QuietComfort 20 earphones. So currently, at best, this device can only cancel persistent and consistent noise. There might still be hope for the future, however. So the technology may never be able to actively “cancel” unique and sporadic sounds as they enter your ear canal.

Until then, if you must have music at safe SPLs for the safety of your long-term hearing, the best you could do would be the Bose QuietComfort 20 earphones paired with larger over-the-ear sound-isolating headphones. Note that you do not need to have the QC20 system attached to a device to get the noise reducing function.

Since 1982, PCMag has tested and rated thousands of products to help you make better buying decisions. See how we test. And a few more noise reducing earbud systems were evaluated but never reviewed, simply because they didn’t add anything to the discussion (i.e., they didn’t work). You missed a very important aspect introduced that differentiate the Ultra for the II which is the support for hi res audio using Qualcomm aptX Adaptive for compatible devices. There’s comfort in quiet. You can feel it the minute you put them on. The soft, plush cushions seal you in. You press the button and whoosh — the world fades, the music starts, and it’s love at first listen. That’s the power of our QuietComfort 45 Headphones with signature active noise cancelling technology and premium comfort. Bose QuietComfort 45 Headphones also deliver proprietary acoustic technology for deep, clear audio with adjustable EQ so you can tune your music to your liking. They're wireless headphones with a perfect balance of quiet, comfort, and sound you’ll enjoy all day long.

From “K.I.” (March 2014): “Another honest, detailed, intelligent review from webBikeWorld.com. Thank you “Mad Dog” Earle.The lithium-ion battery (located inside the module) charges in just 2 hours with the included USB cable, and delivers up to 16 hours playing time per charge. A battery indicator light displays power status. And, even if the battery dies your music still plays with performance equal to that of our regular in-ear headphones. It’s also possible that earphone driver design will have to mature to be able to produce SPLs high enough to cancel the high noise levels found in a motorcycle helmet. We found that the Bose QuietComfort 20 headphones do reduce the overall sound levels, but not as much as we had hoped.

So I am comparing the Bose QuietComfort 20 in-ear headphones to other noise cancelling earbuds we have reviewed on webBikeWorld and also to the Moldex PuraFit 6800 ear plugs that are a favorite around here. Shut out the world and lose yourself in your music—or let the world in. It’s your choice with the first in-ear noise cancelling headphones from Bose. The QuietComfort 20 Acoustic Noise Cancelling headphones let you enjoy better sound every day, everywhere you go. Turn on noise cancelling to reduce surrounding distractions and focus on your music. Or, at the touch of a button, activate Aware mode to hear what’s happening around you. Proprietary StayHear®+ tips provide a soft, secure fit. The inline microphone and remote let you switch easily to calls and control of certain functions. Choose either the QC®20 Apple device model or the QC20 Samsung and Android™ model to use with your respective device. The closer the mic is to your eardrum, the more accurate the measurement of what the wave will look like when it actually hits your eardrum. You would thus be amplifying the ambient high frequency noise. That would obviously be counter productive.

Bose QuietComfort 20 and Motorcycle Exhaust Noise

But I’m certainly not blown away by the sound quality of the Bose system. It’s OK — better than most earbuds — but not superlative, in my opinion. But after riding a few different types of motorcycles and the BMW C 650 GT scooter (blog), we’re a little disappointed that the noise reduction seems about the equivalent of wearing a good pair of foam disposable ear plugs. As I get older, I discover the importance of all of the hearing I lost by being ‘tough’ and cranking up the sound to shout above the wind noise or the earplug in between. The fit and finish and the wiring all seems first rate and the connections or joints between the wires and the headphones and battery seem strong enough to last, with some care. I don’t think their implementation of active noise-cancellation technology is any better than Bose.

The button or buttons (for the 20i version) on the mic allows you to answer and hang up on a cell phone call if the headphones are attached to it. I’m assuming that the Bose noise cancelling headphones of both the over-the-ear and in-ear type will be used mostly by airplane passengers. I see Bose headphones quite often on flights. It’s timed 180 degrees out of phase, such that the highest peaks of the ambient sound waves coincide with the lowest valleys of the processor-produced “cancelling” sound waves.This means that the battery will remain very close to whatever device you have the QC20 system connected to. When riding a motorcycle, however, the system only dampens noise to about the same level as a good pair of disposable ear plugs.