What sets the $299 Bose QuietComfort2 Noise-Cancelling Headphones apart from the herd is revealed in their long name. Noise-cancelling technology is, in theory, very simple. Here’s how it works: Ambient sound is captured by a built-in microphone, and the audio equivalent of a mirror image of that sound is amplified and played back through the headset, either along with music or by itself. In either case, the mirror image cancels out the ambient noise, or at least reduce it to a significant degree. It’s especially effective in eliminating the enervating low-frequency drone that’s somehow part-and-parcel of air, train, and bus travel.
What sets these headphones apart from the rest of the noise-cancelling headphones I’ve tried — which is plenty — is revealed by the “Comfort” part of the model designation. Noise-cancellation technology means very little if it feels like your brain has been pierced on both sides after you’ve been wearing the headset for half an hour. The QuietComfort2′s soft cushions surround the ears without pressing on them, eliminating the “my head’s in a vice” effect delivered by much of the competition.
You can use the QuietComfort2 in stand-alone mode, creating a peaceful environment when you’re surrounded by chaos. Or you can plug in the supplied signal cable and listen to your iPod. In music mode the QuietComfort2 delivers first-class sound, the quality of which is enhanced by the effect of the still-working noise cancellation circuit system.
You can buy cheaper — lots cheaper — noise-cancelling headphones, but I daresay you won’t find any that deliver nearly as good a mix of sound and comfort.