QuietComfort

There is quiet, and then there is Bose QuietComfort 2. At least that is what I have found today. I’m not sure what was the particular trigger this morning, but not long after waking up, I was determined that I was going to get a pair of noise canceling headphones. As a huge fan of the headphones I bought back in April, I also knew I was hooked on Bose. If you fly, this style of headphone is a Godsend.

The executive summary of how they work is that they sample the ambient noise around the headphones while they are on and produce a sound wave opposite to that noise. The net effect is that the two sounds cancel each other out and provide your ear with silence. Real silence. I thought my deserted office today was quiet, but when I turned these new headphones on–wow!

Granted they are pricey, and I do have another perfectly good set of headphones at home, but now I don’t need to tote them back and forth to work, or settle for less than excellent at either location. Plus when it comes time to fly again, which I suspect will be fairly soon, I’ll be ready.

Some things to note for anyone considering these over the other around-the-ear from Bose. These require a battery–a single AAA. They are single-side corded which is detachable at that in case you just want the noise canceling. All the connectors are gold plated for conductivity. They come with an airplane adapter, a five foot extension cable, a 1/4” adapter and a hard case. The other headphones only come with the extension and 1/4” adapter and a soft carrying bag. These ones are obviously intended for people who fly.

As an interesting side note regarding audio on planes: Air Canada’s newer entertainment system, the one with personal touch screens, don’t take the traditional double plugs, but instead allow you to use your normal 1/8” headphone plug.