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Noise Cancellation

Bose QuietComfort 25 Review (QC-25)

GeneralEdward Kiledjian

TL;DR: I have tested dozens of headphones over the last 12 months and the QuietComfort (QC-25) 25 is still the most comfortable headphone with excellent noise cancellation and good sound reproduction. 

Comparing the QC-25 to the QC-35

The QuietComfort 35 (QC-35) is the wireless bluetooth version of the QC-25. The QuietComfort 35 (QC-35) offers slightly better noise cancellation and a slightly different noise profile. If you need bluetooth (iphone 7 or iphone 7 Plus) then get the QC-35 otherwise I would recommend getting the cheaper QC-25.

Not for everyone

Noise cancellation headphones are not ideal for people that need noise-cancellation sometimes. Noise cancellation headphones are not a replacement for regular headphones. If you need good all around headphones then don't get this (or any other noise cancelling headphone) or you will be disappointed. 

The golden rule is that noise cancellation headphones add about $100-150 to the cost of headphones and typically deliver worse overall sound quality when compared to non noise-cancellation models. I can't stress that enough. 

Noise cancellation works extremely well for low frequency (machine style) sounds like train on a track or airplane engine noise. They don't work as well for higher frequency sounds like voices or crying babies on a plane.

If you only need noise reduction occasionally, then you may be better served by a good pair of sealed headphones. You would get better sound quality and would probably pay a lot less.

Who should buy the QC-25

I just wrote 4 paragraphs of who shouldn't buy the QuietComfort 25 (Qc-25). It is important to note that anyone who is a frequent traveler (plane or train) will definitely benefit from these headphones. By making your travel a little bit quieter, you will arrive less stressed and more refreshed.  

Quietcomfort 25 (QC-25) versus in-ear headphones

The best question I need to address is the eternal debate between these types of on-ear headphones and in-ear headphones. The truth is that there is no golden rule that is right for everyone.

Some people opt for in-ear headphones because they are smaller and lighter. Many people who wear glasses also prefer in-ear headphones because their frames may prevent the headphones from sealing properly this allowing the dreaded noise in.

Bose, likely due to owning several important noise-cancellation patents, currently makes our picks for the best over-ear and best in-ear noise-cancelling headphones. Which one should you choose? There’s no simple answer, as it depends on what you’re looking for.

The third reason I have found some travelers prefer in-ear headphones is that they find them better to sleep with on flights.

The fourth reason is that some people find that on-ear headphones make their ear hot after extended use. 

The fifth and final point is on noise cancellation for low frequency sound. From a sound quality, the Bose noise cancelling headphones (QC-30) tend to reduce low frequency noises a little more and offer some noise-isolation which makes things just a little bit quieter. Mid and high sound reproduction is always better with bigger headphones for the QC-25/QC-35 takes the crown here.

Additionally some people just can't stand having anything inserted into their ears. They find it annoying and bothersome. Obviously if you fall into this category, go with the QC-25/QC-35.

Conclusion

If you are looking for amazing sounding, super comfortable wired on-ear noise cancelling headphones then get this. The sound is good enough, it is comfortable (even on a long haul Toronto to Hong Kong flight) and it fits in a relatively smallish case for easy carry.

It offers good low frequency sound reproduction (40Hz or below) and the rest is a little muddied (which is normal for noise cancelling headphones). You can use the QuietComfort 25 even when the batteries die (which is a nice upgrade from previous models) but the sound is pretty bad but at least you aren't stranded witout entertainment. 

If you need bluetooth because you can't live with wires or your smartphone got rid of the headphone port (looking at you Apple), then go with the QuietComfort 35 (QC-35).

First look at the Bose QC-30 Bluetooth noise-cancelling earphones

GeneralEdward Kiledjian

Apple hates ports and will kill each and every one of them come hell or high water. The iPhone 7 / 7 Plus pushed the market away from wired headphones into the loving arms of Bluetooth. Audiophiles will explain that Bluetooth has limited bandwidth which means audio fidelity is severely compromised and they are right. Bluetooth can't match the quality of a good set of wired headphones, but let's be honest, most people aren't listening to high quality audio tracks fed through a good headphone amp and $1000 headphones. Most people are streaming their music via Google Play Music, Apple Music, Spotify or Pandora at 128/256 kbps (some are now streaming 320kbps). 

For the geeky reader, a CD ... Yes that plastic disk us old people use to play music from ;-)  So a music CD was 44.1 kHz x 16 bits x 2 channels = 1411.2 kbps, just for comparison.  

Let's dive into the new in-ear Bluetooth noise cancelling champ from Bose. 

This is more of a first look at the QC30 and a more in depth review will come later. The Qc30 seems to beat the QC35 when strictly comparing noise cancellation quality.  The QC35 has a 12 step noise cancellation intensity control. Where is this useful? When you may want "some" noise cancellation but still need situational awareness (e.g. using these while walking on a busy street). 

“QC use to mean QuietComfort buy now means QuietControl. A slight branding update undertaken by Bose”

So the branding change was done because you now (for the first time) have that variable noise cancellation strength. 

Design

Most users assume wireless and light weight go hand in hand but not when it comes to the QC30. The QC30 has that strange neckband that connects to the earbuds. When passing the device around, people liked the headband, were indifferent about it or absolutely ragefully hated it. Regardless of how you feel about it, itis universally regarded as ugly.

The ugly spaceship around your neck is the lifeline of the product housing the battery. Bose promises 10 hours of use per charge which is good for most situations (except the long haul overseas flights to Asia). 

Remember that the QC20 had that in line battery compartment which itself was ugly and relatively heavy. 

The other noticeable improvement is fit. I have normal medium sized ear canals and rarely have fit problems with in-ear headphones. The QC30 seem to fit better than the QC20 did which means improved sound quality and noise isolation

The audio control module has all of the standard controls you expect plus additional buttons to control the level of noise cancellation. After a couple of days, you can control everything by feel because of the unique shape of the control module. 

Sound Quality

Let's cut to the chase,  the noise cancellation delivered by the QC30 is truly spectacular. The noise cancellation of the QC30 is as good as the full sized (over the ear) QC35. The only difference is the QC35 benefits from much better noise isolation in addition to active noise cancellation.

I cannot stress how useful the variable noise cancellation strength feature is. It means you can use this on the plane, on the train or while walking on the street. 

Like every other noise cancellation headphone I have ever tried, sound reproduction typically suffers. The QC30 offer clean and clear low/mid ranges. The highs are were it suffers. Highs are drowned out by the other ranges and don't sound as clean as I had hoped. 

The Bose QC30 offers better sound reproduction than the QC20/20i and the sound-stage is more open and airy. So when comparing it to good headphones, sound quality suffers but is a step up when compared to its older sibling.

The bad

Sound is more bass heavy which may impact your enjoyment of some types of more balanced music.  The on/off slider is badly designed (difficult to figure out if the device is on or off when you aren't using the earbuds. 

The ugly UGLY neckband. 

I have to add the price here. At $299 its a rather considerable investment. Not surprising as this is typically the price range for Bose noise cancellation headphones but still....

Conclusion

There is no perfect device. The truth is that this type of noise cancelling headphone has always catered to a specific affluent customer base. Unlike previous years, the in-ear earbuds now offer noise cancellation on par with the on-ear big brother. 

Sound reproduction is good for noise cancelling headphones/earphone but not as good as "normal" ones. If your primary use isn't while on noisy transit and sound quality is important to you, you may want to look at a non noise-cancelling product. If you need noise cancellation, the QC30 offers sound quality better than its noise-cancelling competitors.

If you are looking for standard in-ear bluetooth headphones with decent sound quality and good battery life, take a look at the JLAB Epic 2. 

Best wired in-ear noise cancelling headphones

GeneralEdward Kiledjian

A question I receive regularly is "What in-ear noise cancelling headphone do you recommend for travel?" In 2013 my recommendation was the QC20/20i and that recommendation is still valid. The QC20/20i offers the best wired noise cancellation when comparing it to others in the same price category (and of course being wired).

From a pure noise cancellation perspective, the QC20/20i does a better noise cancellation job than my QC25 but the QC25 does an overall better job because it benefits from over-ear noise isolation. When I originally recommended it, the QC20/20i was priced at $299 but can now be bought for $199. 

Usually the next question I receive is regarding sound quality. Let me be crystal clear. I have never used a good sound cancelling (active) headphone (on or in-ear) that also offered amazing sound quality. The Bose QC20/20i is no exception. It offers amazing noise cancellation and acceptable sound reproduction. 

Size matters

I have taken  both (QC25 & QC20) on flights to test the differences and the most striking difference is overall size. Even with the origami fold of the QC25, it is massive compared to the QC20. 

I don't wear glasses but if you do, the QC20 is even more attractive because it allows you to get a good seal (not so with the QC25 and the headband).

Love at first listen

The real test is how much you use it. Several dozen readers have purchased the QC20/20i (based on emails I received) and everyone of them I contacted as a follow-up said they never leave home without it. One reader is a tech exec that travels over 350K miles a year and said "this is the most used and useful travel tool I have ever bought".

Comparing the QC20/20i to the QC30

I will be testing and reviewing the QC30 soon. Stay tuned but remember the QC30 is bluetooth and therefore it needs batteries.

A fantastic $60 headphone amp

ReviewEdward Kiledjian

If you are wondering why you may need a headphone amplifier (amp) then take a look at my previous blog entry here.

After buying a decent pair of headphones, a headphone amp is the next best investment if you want to get the best possible sound quality out of your media player (e.g. iphone, Android, ipad, Cowon media player or other).

Chu Moy headphone amp

The Chu Moy (CMoy) headphone amp is an extremely popular do-it-yourself headphone amplifier project that can be fun and easily customized to your equipments specifications. Like most other open source do-it-yourself projects, creative entrepreneurs have taken the basic cmoy concept and have made significant improvements. This is where the JDS Labs cMoyBB headphone amplifier comes in. 

Design and build

The product I am reviewing here is the JDS Labs cMoyBB v2.03 headphone amplifier.  As Chu Moy type amps go, this is considered to be the best designed product currently available.

 

As you can see, the amp is built into an Altoids mint tin which makes the entire product surprisingly sturdy. The kit I received was flawless (do dings or scratches) and even after normal wear will definitely hold up well. If seems to attract attention wherever I used it and people always asked me what it was, what it did and where they could get one.

As a frequent business traveler, I was concerned about how this would be perceived at the security checkpoint but I haven’t had too many issues. There was only one situation where the agent asked me to power the device, and prove that it was actually an audio device.

The device is powered by (an included) 9 volt battery which makes it portable and easy to replace. However you can also power it via a wall plug which can be purchased from any local electronics retailers. JDS Labs provide the plug specifications here.

The external power plug connects here (next to the blue power LED).

The device is smart enough to auto-shutdown when you unplug your headphones which is a nice battery saving feature. I tested the unit with a full new Duracell battery and the device powered by Ultimate Ears Triple-Fi 10 for about 12 hours straight.

There is a little switch on the board that turns on (or off) the build in bass boost feature to ensure you get the sound signature you want. The first thing I notices is the custom board they used. Many CMoy amp resellers build their products using generic proto-boards (breadboards) whereas the JDS Labs one uses a custom designed and manufactured board. Just goes to show how much care went into the design and production of the product.

A common complaint from many headphone amp buyers is that the units aren’t tuned for their headphones thus cause distortion or end up being underpowered for the really high end headphones. No issues here with the cMoyBB from JDS Labs. When you place your order, make sure to specific the brand and model of your headphones so the team can custom tune the amp for you. This means you get the best possible performance from the amp for your specific setup.

Bring on the sound 

Like everything else in the wonderful world of audio, garbage in equals garbage out. To get the best possible result from the cMoyBB, you have to use it with quality headphones and quality recordings.

In order to test the sound reproduction quality, I use the following setup: 

  • an iPhone 4S (with and without the FIIO L3 Line Out Dock)
  • Cowon i7 audio player
  • stock Apple original headphone (not the new EarPod)
  • various headphones including the Etymotic ER-6, Etymotic HF3, Ultimate Ears Triple-Fi 10, Sennheiser PXC-250, Sennheiser HD515, Audio Tecnica ATH-ANC7b and the Audio Tecnica ATH-A700x.
  • MP3 files encoded directly from the original CDs in various bit rates from 128 to 320  kbit/s
  • audio files stored in the Apple lossless codec format 

The songs I used were: 

  • Bizet – Carmen Suite No. 1 - chosen because of the various instruments included such as flute, harp and worn.
  • Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart – Clarinet Concerto in A  - a song that represent a full symphony range.
  • Pink Floyd – Mother - this song includes both guitar and drums. A great way to find out how clean sound reproduction actually is.
  • AC/DC – Back In Black - this is an excellent representation of rock music, and a fantastic way to test the lows in the mids.
  • The ultimate demonstration disc  (difficult to find but worth it).
  • Some spoken word from Audible using the highest quality format available.

Regardless of the headphone and song combination, the device performed very well. The best results came when I used my higher end headphones with the Apple lossless (or 320bit encoded) songs and the FIIO L3 LOD cable. The amp had no issues. Even when I was listening to extremely wide sound stage songs with small nuances with a fast tempo, the device kept up wonderfully. To be honest, it shamed some other (more expensive) headphone amps I have previously tested. The important point was that it kept all of the audio details, provided the beautiful wide sound stage my headphones support and didn’t introduce any distortion or other audio artifacts. 

The sound signature of the amp was a bit warm but just slightly. All the frequency ranges were clear and without distortion. I kept the bass boost off because I prefer a more balanced sound. I found that the bass boost modified the soundstage too much for some songs making these sound less natural but for others (songs made for bass) it provided a nice clear boost to the low end.  This is where the quality and sound signature of your headphones is important. It will accentuate the characteristics of your headphone so you may want to experiment with bass boost and see how it performed with your cans.

There are other headphone amps that provide better performance but not at this price point. Few people want to invest $300-500 just for a headphone amplifier.  Again the JDS Labs cMoyBB  blew away the competition in the $50-$150 range.

If you are slightly more geeky and want to further improve on a great design, you can replace the stock OPA2227 opamp with a faster one but for most users, this would be overkill.

Verdict 

After having spent a couple of weeks with the device, my preferred setup became my Ultimate Ears Triple-fi 10, the FIIO L3 LOD, 320bit encoded MP3s and my iPhone 4s. I love this thing and recommend it highly. It is well built, can be customized by the factory for your headphones and a very good value (quality/price).

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