Bose QuietComfort 20 Noise Cancelling In-ear headphones, Apple

I bought the quiet 20 a year ago. I ride a custom motorcycle with shortie pipes. I put the earplugs in and hit the noise canceling switch and I hear nothing but the music I've chosen. Great for long rides, taking in the scenery while listening to my favorite tunes. On a 1 to 5 I would rate them a 5. Keep up the great work Bose.

Although these headphones come with a rather large price tag, the overall quality of the product is extremely good and is arguably worth the price. The headphones come with a USB charger, a handy travel case and also different sized ear pieces to ensure maximum comfort when in use. As somebody who regularly listens to music on-the-go for long periods of time, this product is almost perfect. The ear pieces are very comfortable and can be used for hours on end without any irritation. The noise cancelling feature is also incredible and completely wipes out any background noises that you'd usually experience when listening with earphones in noisy environments. I've even used this feature without any music playing as it's so good! Although the main features are pretty flawless, I've given the product 4/5 stars as I believe there are a couple of small downsides. When listening to music quietly there is a slight audible hiss due to how the technology works using outside frequencies, but this can be fixed by turning the noise cancelling setting off. My main problem with the product is that the battery pack is not detachable. Although it's essential for the noise cancelling feature, it's not always convenient to have a battery pack attached to your headphones and iPod, and so there are times when I'll use different earphones for certain activities. In my opinion, this feature would definitely bump rating up to a 5/5 and make this product generally flawless! Either way, this product is still extremely good and they'll blow your mind when you first use them. Both the sound quality and physical quality of the product is excellent and I'd definitely recommend!

I have owned these for 3 years. I cannot fault the sound quality delivered by the well fitting ear buds. The noise cancelling makes airplane, train journeys and general commuting through crowds feel like a different world, eliminating almost all of the surrounding noise. I get a few pops when train doors close which is very surprising the first time but bearable, although this still a surprise when a particularly loud one occurs. Unfortunately my problems are with the unit build quality. I carry my phone and battery in my trouser or coat pocket. Due to the design of the phone (headphones jack on the bottom) I carry the phone upside down and the lead has always been bent around to correct the earbud orientation out of my pocket. This has caused the lead to split, exposing the insides. The second issue is the thin plastic covering over the battery which has split at both ends and has now torn off completely in places. I can only put this down to friction when carrying the battery in a pocket. Lastly, the monitor button stopped working, although this was before the lead insides were exposed. I guess wireless is the only solution to these problems unless they've been redesigned.

I purchased my QC20i headphones/ear buds in March for travel, usually long international travel. I promptly took a trip. Then a few weeks later I travelled domestically. The headphones were used a lot for the air travel and typically at the pool or beach. I found getting the earpieces properly fitted to my ear relatively easy and an important step. If they fit properly, they work properly. The noise canceling was incredible. You can block out that jet engine roar and other noise very well. I really like the control to switch it off so you can hear flight attendants when they come by. Once the earpieces are in my ear I forget about them. They are that comfortable and you just get used to being into your own world. The sound quality is superior. They are very rugged and I particularly like the fact they don't retain the wire curl when rolled up and stored. When stood in the case you have a small package which makes it easy to carry. I use the headphones on my iPods, iPad and iPhone, sometimes with the airline entertainment systems. Here's where my issues come in. The module at the end of the cord,,,, poorly designed. The distance from the plug to the module body is 2 inches. That means that module will be maximum of 2" away from whatever it is plugged into. This is troublesome particularly when plugging into the audio port on the inside of the arm rest. It's a good thing these headphones are rugged! When plugged into an iPod or iPhone you now have this module hanging awkwardly from the audio plug. To deal with that I use a velcro strap and wrap the 2 units together. That solution can lead to the strap inadvertently changing the controls on the phone or iPod. On an iPad it's hopeless, just get used to it dangling. Another issue is the size of the carry case. It is so small that the cords have to do a sharp bend at the module and we all know this will result in broken cords and intermittent connections over time. It's just too small. I absolutely love my QC20i headphones and they are a pleasure to wear and use. Excellently engineered except for the short lead to the module.

[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] I've had these headphones for nearly 4 years now (I have the original ones) and I've convinced many friends to get their own. Overall, these are amazing and make flying and commuting so much more enjoyable. My only complaint is that the rubberized cord is tearing at bottom of the power pack and where the cord connects to the jack. I've tried to keep these headphones in excellent condition and always use the case, so this is disappointing. I suppose it's considered "wear and tear" but I would have hoped my $300 headphones lasted longer than the headphones that came with my phone (and that I use daily and do not keep in a case). Otherwise, the noise-cancelling still works well, but I'm starting to hear some feedback which can be fixed if i wiggle the cord a bit. Hopefully they fix this issue in later designs.

I bought the white version a year ago and use them daily for work and listening to podcasts/music/etc. This is my first Bose headphone product and I was instantly in love it and thought the noise cancelling was fantastic. However, I've learned over the past year that the quality/durability is terrible for the price. Although I'm careful with storing them in the nice zipper pouch that comes with the product, within 9 months the rubber connecting the cord with the piece that plugs into the phone has worn away, exposing the wires inside. Additionally, there's a rubbery film that covers the rectangular battery part that has torn and is falling away. I've had the wires becoming exposed with other headphone products, but they were a tenth of the price of these headphones so less of an investment. I'd consider other options for headphones unless you're ok with buying a new pair of these each year.

The sound of the headphones is quite good and they do block the noise... the problem is that they are made of cheap materials or the design isn't good. The thing is, that they break easily. The first pair was replaced over a year after I bought it, because the cable broke and there was a constant noise. The second pair lasted 18 months.. and again the cable broke in the joints and the left headphone stopped working. But this time the headphones were out of warranty. I think the price is quite high for a pair of headphones which won't last more than 2 years...

I purchase these headphones a couple of years ago in the hope I would be investing in a quality product. The headphones work well as far as sound and cancelling noise, but the craftsmanship has a lot to be desired. Unlike most headphones, it's usually the cable that fails first -- I haven't had that issue with these. What has happened is the glue for the speaker casing failed with both earbuds (about 2 months apart), which makes the noise cancelling useless, because there is now a high-pitched noise when I try to use it. The speakers (without noise cancelling) still work.

I like this premium ear buds and since I bought this in 2014 this is essential for trans-Pacific travels, which QC20 had made comfortable with great cancelling of white noise during the flights and long battery life. BUT, the cable connection to both sides of the unit is too fragile. I am keeping it working by putting tapes after starting to have this issue 1.5 yrs later, but this is really ugly for a piece costing a few hundred bucks. Also the rubber cover for the unit is also torn, which is ok without affecting function. But this cable issue is really annoying and make it a piece of junk if I put take not at a right angle. This must improved with a newer version and hopefully Bose offers replacing this poorly functioning unit with a new one.

I loved the head phones the first year or so! Noise canceling was great. Charging and run-time was great (7 hrs no problem). I don't use the head phones daily but I do travel so find myself using them a couple times a month. Bose provides a nice travel case for them as well. I might question the design of the case now that I see what it has slowing done to my wires. Headphones cut in and out now and I'm in the market for a new pair I guess. I expected a high quality sound which I feel I got but they were not made with same same consideration. I'd have to question the amount paid for product received.