Bose QuietComfort 15 review

In designing its fourth-generation consumer-focused noise-cancelling headphones, the QuietComfort 15s, Bose has done something interesting. Instead of coming up with a whole new look for its headphones, as it did with the QuietComfort 3s, Bose has left the basic design of its popular but now discontinued QuietComfort 2s intact and simply redesigned them on the inside, adding even more effective noise-cancelling circuitry and improving their sound quality. The QuietComfort 15 headphones are available for around £280.

Cut off the outside world
The 15s look identical to the 2s, with the same over-the-ear design, including earcups that swivel and fold flat to fit in a stylish case. Bose has redesigned the case so that it's easier to put the headphones in it and close it up. The resulting package is slightly bigger than a CD wallet. It's easy to tote, although it's not terribly compact.

Even without the noise-cancelling capability engaged, the earcups' deliciously soft cushions effectively sealed off our ears from our noisy environment. While the 2s only had noise-cancelling microphones (for detecting ambient noise) on the inside of the earcups, the 15s have them on the inside and outside, which is said to increase their effectiveness. Flipping on the noise-cancellation function -- which pumps out 'anti-noise' to proactively counteract environmental sounds -- dampens down the noise even further.

The 15s are extremely comfortable, offer highly effective noise-cancellation capabilities, and deliver great sound quality

There's a catch, though. Like all other noise-cancelling headsets we've reviewed, the 15s produce a sensation of pressure on the eardrum. Listeners sensitive to this effect may find it anywhere from mildly annoying to distractingly uncomfortable. Most of the former group will tend to forget about it as soon they start playing music or movies. If your experience leans more towards the latter, noise-cancelling headphones aren't for you -- stick with noise-isolating, in-ear headphones instead.

There's a very loud air-conditioning system in the office that we use for testing noise-cancelling headphones. The 15s were able to almost completely block out the sound of the rumbling fan. The impact of engaging the circuitry may seem rather odd at first -- it almost feels as if you're at the bottom of a pool, completely shut off from the sounds above.

While there may not be a huge difference between this model's noise-cancelling prowess and that of the 2s, a distinction is definitely noticeable. According to Bose, the 15s are designed to defeat a wider range of frequencies, going up to over 90dB, while the 2s peaked more in the 84-85dB range.

No battery, no music
As with all of Bose's noise-cancelling headphones, you have to engage the noise-cancelling function to listen to music. When the battery dies, so does the music. Luckily, battery life is good. Bose rates it at 35 hours, and the single AAA battery, which resides in the right earcup, was still going strong after we left our tunes in a loop overnight. Those looking for a rechargeable option can either opt for the 3s, or invest in their own third-party battery and charger. On the plus side, sticking with standard alkalines means there's no wall charger or AC cord to worry about when travelling.