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Bose QuietComfort 20i Acoustic Noise Cancelling Headphones
Brand | Bose |
Model Name | Quietcomfort 20 |
Color | Black |
Form Factor | In Ear |
Connectivity Technology | Wired |
About this item
- Ideal for iPhone, iPod and iPad.Connectivity Technology: Wired
- Advanced noise reduction rivaling any full sized headphone
- Aware mode for hearing what's around you while enjoying your music
- Notable audio performance from exclusive Bose technologies
- Long lasting comfort plus stability from proprietary Stay Hear+ tips
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Price | $244.00$244.00 | $211.72$211.72 | $29.99$29.99 | -25% $29.99$29.99 List: $39.99 | -5% $17.98$17.98 List: $19.00 | $199.00$199.00 |
Delivery | — | — | Get it as soon as Monday, Apr 1 | Get it as soon as Monday, Apr 1 | Get it as soon as Monday, Apr 1 | Get it as soon as Monday, Apr 1 |
Customer Ratings | ||||||
Sound quality | 4.3 | 3.6 | 3.7 | 4.1 | 4.3 | 4.3 |
Noise cancellation | 4.3 | 3.6 | 3.5 | 3.9 | 3.8 | 4.2 |
Battery life | 4.5 | 3.6 | 3.9 | — | 4.2 | 4.3 |
Comfort | — | — | 3.8 | 4.3 | 4.4 | 4.0 |
Sold By | dB Direct | Adorama | suyuz | Audiovance | Amazon.com | Amazon.com |
connectivity tech | Wired | वायरलस | Wired | Wired | Wired | Wireless, Bluetooth, Apple H1 Chip, NFC |
headphones form factor | In Ear | In Ear | In Ear | In Ear | In Ear | In Ear |
connector type | 3.5mm Jack | usb | 3.5mm Jack | 3.5mm Jack | — | USB Type C |
noise control | active noise cancellation | active noise cancellation | sound isolation | sound isolation | — | active noise cancellation |
headphones jack | 3.5 mm Jack | USB | 3.5 mm Jack | 3.5 mm Jack, Lightning | — | USB |
cable feature | Retractable | Without Cable | Retractable | Tangle Free | Retractable | Without Cable |
control type | Volume Control | — | Noise Control | Media Control | Media Control | Call Control,Volume Control,Media Control,App Control,Voice Control,Noise Control |
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Product information
Product Dimensions | 52 x 1 x 1.75 inches |
---|---|
Item Weight | 1.55 ounces |
Manufacturer | Bose Corporation |
ASIN | B00D429Y12 |
Item model number | 362544-0010 |
Batteries | 1 Lithium Polymer batteries required. (included) |
Customer Reviews |
4.1 out of 5 stars |
Best Sellers Rank | #34,837 in Electronics (See Top 100 in Electronics) #2,267 in Earbud & In-Ear Headphones |
Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
Date First Available | June 5, 2013 |
Item Weight | 44 Grams |
Units | 1.0 Count |
Number Of Items | 1 |
Warranty & Support
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Product Description
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 Quiet Comfort 20i Acoustic Noise Cancelling headphones are engineered to let you enjoy better sound every day, everywhere you go. Turn on noise cancelling to reduce surrounding distractions and focus on your music. Or choose Aware mode to continue enjoying your music while also hearing what's going on around you. Inside these advanced headphones, exclusive Tri Port technology brings your music to life. Additional exclusive technologies provide dramatic noise cancellation rivaling any full-sized headphone on the market today. The proprietary Stay Hear+ tips create a soft, secure fit - with no need to force them into your ears. The inline mic/remote lets you easily control your iPhone, iPod or iPad. The rechargeable lithium-ion battery provides up to 16 hours of use, and a USB charging cable is included. And even when the power is off or the battery runs out, you can still use these headphones to enjoy Bose quality sound. What's in the Box: Quiet Comfort 20i Acoustic Noise Cancelling headphones, 3 pairs Stay Hear+ tips (S, M, L), Clothing clip, Rechargeable lithium-ion battery, USB charging cable and Carrying case.
Customer reviews
Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.
To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.
Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonCustomers say
Customers like the sound quality, performance, comfort, fit and quality of the headphones. For example, they mention that it does an excellent job of drowning out the noise, works great while driving and that the effect works quite well. They also appreciate the compact size and the overall definition for a small headphone.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
Customers like the sound quality of the headphones. They say that they do an excellent job of drowning out noise, and the noise cancelling feature is the best. They also appreciate the volume control, saying that the volume from these is better than from the ME2i's. Customers also mention that the bass is better, and that the mids are clear and tame.
"...is the strong suite of these ear buds as they do an excellent job of drowning out the noise around you and the feature which allows temporary hear..." Read more
"...In short, the AKG has better bass. If you're like me and end up losing these things more often than you'd like, then go with the cheaper one...." Read more
"...No way was I going to get exceptional sound quality and solid noise canceling from an in ear headphone that would be comfortable and compact...." Read more
"...High level of extended comfort, and superior noise cancelation makes this 5 stars -- even for the $299...." Read more
Customers are satisfied with the performance of the headphones. They mention that they work wonderfully, are very effective, and are great for places like airplanes. They also say that the effect works quite well, making the earbuds great for driving in a noisy diesel truck. Overall, customers are happy with the headphones' performance and recommend them to others.
"Absolutely amazing in every way! For years I used a now-discontinued Bose noise canceling on-ear headphone (I believe they were the OE2)...." Read more
"...They are so practical and so effective that I now use them every day on my commute.- Noise canceling prowess...." Read more
"...thing i like about them is the noise cancellation which works very very good...." Read more
"...The best noise canceling headphone I’ve ever tried. It works very well. It does work better than QC15, especially in the lower frequencies-..." Read more
Customers like the comfort of the headphones. For example, they say they are very comfortable, soft, and fit well. Some say that the headphones are safer on their ears and sit right on the ear canal.
"...Comfort is excellent for in-ear. You don't have to jam them deep into your ears and they stay in place perfectly, even if the cord gets pulled on...." Read more
"...That's a bit cramped though. And, while the bar is covered in very soft, gentle rubber, I do worry about whether it should be rubbing up against my..." Read more
"...The added microphone and very comfortable silicone ear nibs fit quite well and there are S,M, and L versions for all types of users...." Read more
"...The AKG is comfortable but in my right ear the metal part was touching the inside of my ear...." Read more
Customers like the fit of the headphones. They say that they fit perfectly in their ear buds, are small enough so that they can still sleep on their side, and are compact. Customers also say that the headphone has excellent bass and overall definition for a small headphone. The battery is perfect size and stays in place perfectly. Overall, customers find the headphones to be a very portable and lightweight option for noise canceling.
"...You don't have to jam them deep into your ears and they stay in place perfectly, even if the cord gets pulled on...." Read more
"...They create a space that is mine. There are days where I've just turned them on with no music, just to give me my own bubble in a busy, hectic world...." Read more
"...The Bose has excellent bass and overall definition for a small headphone. It picks up where the MiE2i mobile headset leaves off...." Read more
"...Small are way too small and big are way too big for me. Plastic is kind of a gray/brown color with black cables, and silver accents...." Read more
Customers like the quality of the headphones. They say it's well-built, has a natural tone, and is engineered just right. Customers also say the low end is very nicely done and the sound is open, well-defined, and musical. They also appreciate the multi-language instructional set that clearly lays out how to control the headphones' functions.
"...Overall it's a fantastic piece of technology. They are expensive, but well worth the price in my opinion. Oh yeah, sound quality is fantastic...." Read more
"...It sounded fantastic. Wide stereo space, good definition for all the instruments, lots of space and resonance for the drums..." Read more
"...plastic clip designed to attach to a collar or piece of clothing is really weak -- when I would accidentally pull my headphones w/o realizing the..." Read more
"...The controls are fairly universal. Bose has provided a multi-language instructional set that clearly lays out how to control your device through..." Read more
Customers find the headphones to be very portable and convenient for traveling. They say it's the only way to travel. Customers also say the headphones are excellent when walking around the city or town, and can be carried in a pocket.
"...is excellent when walking around the city or town, or even on a bus or plane...." Read more
"...In the box, you'll also find a small carrying pouch (so you won't need to spend an extra $15 on a separate case like I did) and small & large in-ear..." Read more
"...Good:These are excellent for use on airplanes and Superb on trains - I also use them for bike riding sometimes, with the passthrough sound..." Read more
"...Much smaller, much more portable for travellers than the QC3s, not boiling hot on your ears like the over ear QC15s...." Read more
Customers are mixed about the value of the headphones. Some mention that they're well worth the expense, the quality is great for the price, and the technology is worth it. They say that the earbuds are comfortable and do not require any extra effort to jam them into your ear. However, some customers feel that the headphones are somewhat pricey and not worth $300.
"...R for the corresponding left and right ear pieces which are very easy to figure out yet trying to see the L and R on the ear nibs themselves almost..." Read more
"...Overall it's a fantastic piece of technology. They are expensive, but well worth the price in my opinion. Oh yeah, sound quality is fantastic...." Read more
"...Audio quality. Not as good as my Grados, obviously, but Bose quality is great for the price...." Read more
"...and this has been the best investment I've made all year, well worth the $300 (seriously expensive, but it brought me sanity)...." Read more
Customers are mixed about the battery life of the headphones. Some mention that it lasts a long time, while others say that it sucks. The battery charges fast and lasts quite a while. However, some customers report that the batteries will eventually stop taking a charge and the headphones will either stop working or require a battery pack.
"...Battery life is amazing. I've used it on four flights now (plus time during layovers) and have yet to see the low battery indicator...." Read more
"...- Rechargeable battery. The battery lasts a good 10+ hours, more than enough for a cross-country flight...." Read more
"...are or how much you baby these $300 ear buds, the batteries will eventually stop taking a charge and the headphones will either be thrown away or..." Read more
"...just to ensure that they wouldn't die and they didn't... so battery life is Very good...." Read more
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Enter the QC20i - every problem above has been solved and then some! First the noise canceling feature - it's just amazing. The combination of the in-ear design complimented by the actual noise canceling feature means that 95%-100% of outside noise is blocked, particularly when playing music. It's almost eerie to be in a crowded airport or in the back of a noisy plane and be almost totally cut off from the world right around you. Of course it can't block every last sound, so some frequencies do make it through a little bit, but the vast majority of outside sounds are gone. At very low volume or without music, there is a very slight white noise hiss but that's the case with all noise canceling headphones and disappears as soon as you turn on music. I found myself missing multiple PA announcements at the gate and on the plane when noise canceling was turned on. It seems as if the noise canceling technology itself is far superior to what was in my old headphones.
Enter "Aware" mode. It basically either turns off or significantly reduces the noise canceling feature but also allows in outside sounds. So at the press of a button you can hear the person next to you speaking or the announcement over the PA. I have also found the Aware mode to be optimal when you use the earphones to talk on the phone. With noise canceling turned on, you really can't hear yourself speak and it's very awkward to have a conversation with no active feedback from yourself. With aware mode on, it mitigates that problem and allows you to have a much more normal conversation. I love being able to turn on Aware mode if I quickly need to hear something, want to have a conversation (on or off the phone) or like the name suggests, be aware of whats going on around me like in a crowded airport. Much better than having to take our headphones out every single time.
The music controls I have found to be a little wonky but I'm not sure yet if it's user error, software/app conflict or QC20i hardware. Usually it seems to work fine but occasionally I had trouble skipping a track for instance. A quick two button click of the middle button is supposed to skip to the next track. Sometimes that works. Sometimes it would fast forward the track (which is supposed to happen with a quick click+click-hold) and it would just keep fast forwarding on it own. Other times it would activate voice command. I found similar issues with the rewind/skip back sequence of three clicks. Note, this was all with Spotify on my iPhone, have not had a chance to try it out with other music apps. It's a minor annoyance and not a deal killer since none of those are features I've had with any other headphones. And it works just fine to stop/play and to answer calls. Volume works fine.
Battery life is amazing. I've used it on four flights now (plus time during layovers) and have yet to see the low battery indicator. Comfort is excellent for in-ear. You don't have to jam them deep into your ears and they stay in place perfectly, even if the cord gets pulled on. The battery pack/main electronics are housed in a device a little larger than a stick of gum and maybe 1/8 inch thick. It's about 1 inch from the plug that goes into your phone. This also houses the on/off switch. The downside of this location on the cord is that it pretty much requires you to hold this component in your hand behind the phone (which is not really a problem). But it does seem to get in the way in the pocket or if you lay the phone down when you're plugged in. On the flip side, if this component was up higher on the cord the above issues might go away, but due to the slight weight it might pull on the cord (and then the earphones in your ear), so this is more of an observation that a real complaint. The jack itself is a traditional right angle jack vs the inline jacks that Apple would provide. This causes the cord to bend right back to it's normal inline position and does make me worry that over years of use could cause stress or damage to this short little section of the cord due to constant bending.
Size is just great, especially compared to my old headphones. They wrap up along with the micro USB charger into a nice little neoprene zip case about the size of a small cell phone. Fits perfectly just about anywhere.
Overall it's a fantastic piece of technology. They are expensive, but well worth the price in my opinion. Oh yeah, sound quality is fantastic. I'm no audiophile but I enjoy listening to music a lot and have zero complaints with sound quality. 99.9% of people in this world should not have any complaints about sound quality.
Get them!! You won't be disappointed.
Okay, so let's get two things settled right off the bat. First, these are noise cancelling headphones first, and good sounding headphones second. They excel at the task of noise cancelling and manage to sound great doing so. But they are not audiophile headphones. They are meant to be used in environments where you want to create your own space, your own sanctuary. Airplanes, noisy public transit, that sort of thing. If the primary environment that you are looking for headphones to use in is a quiet office space or home, there are certainly much cheaper options that sound excellent. Plenty of headphones do a fantastic job of isolating you off from a good deal of environmental noise passively, so if your environment isn't loud, you can do just fine without the active noise cancelling feature.
Second, these are Bose headphones. Which means you are going to find forums full of self-professed audiophiles who will tell you they are garbage, they are a marketing gimmick, they are overpriced and only a fool would buy them. And then there will be a lot of people who will tell you that everything Bose makes is gold. I think of it a lot like the iPhone versus Android debate. Ultimately, those of us who aren't interested in brand allegiance and just want the product that does what we want it to do for our usage model have the task of wading through all the irrelevant brand proselytizing to find actually useful information. So, all of this is to say, if you hate Bose as a matter of principle, don't buy these. And if you love Bose as a matter of principle, you're going to buy these regardless of the reviews. For everyone else, what follows is a report of my experience with these headphones.
My usage model for headphones has changed over the years. Back in college, when I lived in a dingy, poorly insulated apartment with 3 other people and their various significant others, headphones were a constant must for anything audio related. That was my "big can" era. I primarily used my headphones at home, so I invested in good cans (a pair of Sennheisers). I only had a 10 minute walk to campus and work, so inexpensive, lightweight earbuds were fine for out and about, when I didn't want to lug around a heavy set of full cans. But now I'm out of college, I live on my own in a "grownup" apartment, and my building actually spent money so as to provide excellent sound insulation between units. As such, at home, I never need headphones. I can watch an action flick at 3am with regular speakers and my neighbors don't hear a thing. What I have now is much more commuting. Loud subways, busy downtown streets, and much more flying. And honestly, commuting gets exhausting. I had been using a pair of Klipsch Image S4 noise isolating headphones for the commuting (which are excellent value headphones in my humblest of opinions), but there was still lots of background noise that would bleed through and I would arrive at my destination exhausted from the commute. This led me to start looking into active noise cancelling headphones. But the market didn't have anything for me. The Bose QuietComfort 15s (which many would argue are the gold standard for active noise cancelling consumer headphones) were always fun to try on, but I didn't want huge cans on the subway. And earbud options were just lackluster. Then Bose released these QuietComfort 20 phones. I was intrigued, so I figured I'd check them out.
When I first tried these headphones on, I was absolutely stunned. I hadn't plugged them into a music player yet, I just wanted to see how they did at taking care of background noise with the active noise cancellation engaged. I tried them on in an office environment with a loud AC unit, a fan, an air purifier, and a fridge. Everything just faded to become a barely audible, gentle breeze in the background. Wow. I was expecting them to work, but I guess I wasn't expecting them to work as well as they do. I then put on some music. I started with Dave Brubeck's "Take 5." It sounded fantastic. Wide stereo space, good definition for all the instruments, lots of space and resonance for the drums (I actually held my breath during Joe Morello's 5/4 drum solo, I felt like I was right there in the room with him). I then moved to "Rope" by the Foo Fighters and leaned into the crunch of good, solid rock. Next up, "Giorgio by Moroder) off of Daft Punk's Random Access Memories. Solid bass response, great balance, made me want to dance. I could go on, but, needless to say, I was happy with how everything sounded. I find the sound far fuller, warmer, and wider than my old Klipsch Image S4s and my Sennheiser cans. And what I really love is, on the subway, on noisy city streets, on airplanes, these phones push all the noise to the far background. They create a space that is mine. There are days where I've just turned them on with no music, just to give me my own bubble in a busy, hectic world. And they do so with great comfort. That alone is worth the price of admission.
Okay, so what could be better about these headphones? Like I said, they aren't perfect. To me, the elephant in the room is the external battery bar. It is very lightweight. But it is still in the way. I plug these into my phone in my pocket. But then I don't know what to do with the battery pack. It really has to go in the pocket with my phone. That's a bit cramped though. And, while the bar is covered in very soft, gentle rubber, I do worry about whether it should be rubbing up against my phone in my pocket (maybe I'm just being neurotic though). Now, this is the limit of current technology. These are earbuds, so there wasn't room for Bose to stick a big enough battery into the earpieces like they do on the QC 15s. So I can't fault Bose for this. But their marketing material clearly tries to NOT focus on how the battery pack works. And I know why they do this. It is a bit of a nuisance. Not a deal breaker, but still, a nuisance.
What is perhaps more of a potential issue is durability. The cable is of decent thickness. But with how it has to sit in a pocket next to a phone, I'm worried about the cord getting crimped in the places where it goes into the battery pack. It doesn't appear that this cord is replaceable, so that could lead to expensive repairs if things break. And Bose only provides a 1 year warranty. Which was a bit of a tough sell for me on a $299 pair of phones. I'm gentle with my technology and don't have a history of wearing technology out, so I'm hoping these phones will last too. But I do want to note my concern.
One last thing for the "cons" side of the product: it's a small issue, but the cord is short. I am around 5'10" and the cord is long enough to go from the pocket in my pants to my ears just fine, but there isn't much more length than that. It would have been nice if Bose had added maybe an extra 12 inches or so to offer some more freedom.
Finally, I've seen in other reviews that people have complained of hearing loud pops when doors slam, and of generally hearing a hiss. I have tried to recreate the popping with my headphones but have been unable to do so. I've slammed doors, windows, cabinets, banged on tables, run coffee grinders, and dropped pots on the floor (this last one was accidentally), and I have yet to get a loud pop in my headphones following these events. I wonder if the reviewers who posted about this issue might have had a bad pair of phones. As for the hiss, I don't hear a hiss, so much as I hear something that sounds like very faint, distant radio static. I don't notice it at all if music is playing. And, if there is no music, the faint background sound is still far quieter than the sound of the environment without the phones on, assuming there is noise in the environment. But if the environment is totally quiet, then active noise cancellation really isn't warranted anyway. I should note, I don't experience any pressure on my eardrum when using these phones, versus when I've tried on other noise cancelling headphones (such as the Bose QC15s), I have definitely felt the pressure.
So, the final question. Are these worth $299? Well... that depends on your budget I suppose. But there was one reviewer who made the point that, if you're a daily commuter, how much is it worth to you to be able to create your own sense of space and peace? If you commute a lot (I figure I spend over 330 hours per year on noisy public transit, not including flying), and start thinking of the "per commute" price of these phones, they might start sounding a lot more affordable. I guess ultimately their worth is a function of your budget, how much time you spend in noisy public locations where it is socially acceptable to not be engaged, and how exhausting you find these situations. For me, $300 for headphones is definitely spendy. But I have no regrets. I consider this money well spent.