Bose QuietComfort 20 Acoustic Noise Cancelling Headphones, Samsung and Android Devices, Black

These Bose Noise Cancelling earbuds provide an amazing amount of noise reduction. I used them on a recent flight on a mid-size plane and they cut out enough engine and flying noise to make the flight bearable. I was able to listen to a movie without having to turn the volume up really loud. They come with three size inserts and I ended up using the largest size. Getting the right fit is important as it impacts how much noise reduction you will experience. For a previous flight I had purchased and tried out the Bose SoundLink around-ear wireless headphones that were not active noise canceling. Although they had appeared to have good passive noise blocking in the store and I really liked the Bluetooth as well as slightly lower price, they were nowhere nearly good enough to block out the general din in the the airport terminal, and, in the plane itself they were virtually useless. So I switched to my 33 DB earplugs and returned the headphones when I got back home. I also found the around-the-ear style hot for me after about an hour of listening in the plane so I decided not to switch to around-the-ear noise canceling headphones but try the earbuds. After reading numerous reviews and lab tests that said that despite the high cost the Bose Earbuds were the best-by-far -- especially for low frequency noise such as jet engines -- I decided to buy them and I was not disappointed -- they worked! They actually do not go far into the ear so they aren't as uncomfortable as some earplugs. I kept them in for about 4 hours straight without any significant discomfort. Note -- these active noise reducing ear buds block out a huge amount of noise - the impact is quite significant once you get them properly fitted into your ear. However, they do not block out all sound. If you want to truly block out all sound and you aren't worried about sweating, you might try the over-the-ear noise cancelling versions. Or, you can try an over-the-ear passive sound reducing ear muff for construction and gun firing and then use either a regular (i.e. non-noise reducing earbud) or a noise reducing earbud for music. The ear muffs are inexpensive -- amazon has one for $18 for a 34+DB reduction -- and they truly isolate the noise. With that level of reduction just regular earbuds might be enough at a lot less overall cost. However, when combined with a good noise reduction earphones, the outside world would be completely quiet. They charged reasonably quickly using a standard charger and while I have not tested the maximum use time I have not had any problems during my 4-6 hours traveling. And, if you were truly traveling a long time you could re-charge it while in use using a standard USB external power pack. The only thing missing from this model is Bluetooth for which I originally deducted one star. I am not a fan of cords and I find they are really inconvenient when active. So I followed the advice of one of the other reviewers and purchased a Bluetooth receiver at the same time. That combination has worked well -- I used rubber bands to attach all the extra cord to the small Bose control/battery unit, plug it into the bluetooth receiver with a really short 3.5mm male-to-male adapter cord, and then put it into my shirt pocket with the Bluetooth receiver hanging off the pocket by its clip. In summary, if you fly enough on long flights to justify spending $300 for noise canceling headphones, then these ear buds work. Update 08-2017: I now see that there is a newer model that now has wireless Bluetooth so that's an option. In addition, I have now used these for over a year and I love them even more so I have added back the star I removed for not having Bluetooth. In particular, I have found several new unanticipated uses for them. For one, sleeping in hotel rooms with noisy HVAC. I am very sensitive to noise and hate the window HVAC units most hotels use. And many hotels are installing more powerful (and noisy) hall and bathroom ventilation fans, resulting in a constant drone all night. And then there are hotels I end up in for a night or two that are too close to a major highway with trucks and cars going all night. Some people consider this "white noise" and sleep fine, but it drives me crazy so that I wake up and can't fall back to sleep. Now I just put in my Bose QuietComfort and it almost completely shuts out that noise. I no longer have to search for the very few hotels with quiet HVAC or that are far from the road. And they are reasonably comfortable even when I use them all night (I have learned to arrange my pillow so that I don't rest my ear with the earplug directly on it). Another unexpected use is countering early morning neighborhood power tool noises (e.g. lawn-mowing, weed-wacking, sawing, drilling, grinding, sanding) that can start as early at 8AM and go on for hours. I put in the Bose earplugs, turn on the power switch, and the noise(s) miraculously disappear. With these uses I can now know that I can find restful peace-and-quiet even when the world around me is not. It is very freeing and worth every penny of the $250 (This model) -$200 (with USB).

March 2019 Update - the first set of these i picked up more than four years ago. i damaged those and replaced them shortly thereafter. since i've dealt with near non-stop perpetual noise from the adjacent mcmanision construction that won't end until our sun turns into a red giant. or at least that's what it feels like at our end of things. so these earbuds were a "save my sanity and get some sleep" act of desperation. these things not only saved my sanity they made doing something so mundane as watching tv with sound possible. yes it gets that bad. i still have the bose over-the-ear noise cancelling headphones but they don't even come close to cutting out the low frequency stuff these do. this last set i've used every day these past couple of years. i have had not one problem and they have out performed by highest expectations. simply put for blocking out the worst noise there is nothing better on the market today based on my own experiences. i have had bose qc15's, still do. however they aren't comfortable to wear for a long period of time and the noise cancellation for lower frequencies was not as good as i needed. that due to a seemingly perpetual construction project going on next door! from jack hammers to the low frequency noise put out by all those running diesel engines. so i tried a couple other under $100 earbuds with active noise cancellation but found none worked nearly as well as my old over-the-ear qc15's. so i begged for a pair of these for Christmas and that was back in 2016. what i found was the professional audio reviewers were right, nothing even comes close to blocking out lower frequency sound that these do. at the top end they are a little less efficient than their over the ear models, like the qc15's but not by much. as for comfort due to the way the tips are designed i can wear these for eight hours and forget i have them in. you'd think again due to the design you wouldn't get a good seal to block out noise but you do. in fact it is good enough that even with noise cancelling off they still block out as much noise as those sub hundred dollar models i tried initially. the sound quality is very good. the 'character' changes with the power off but still not bad. it does exceptionally well with bass, okay with mids and good with highs. as to the battery, even after a couple of years i have noticed no degradation. my sister has a pair she got back in 2012 and her battery is also still good too. the buds comes with three sets, different sizes of ear tips. i purchased spares at the outset but didn't need them until recently. in fact just yesterday while removing one to clean it did the silicone crack. so nearly after a couple years of near daily use and didn't need to replace a tip till as said yesterday. fyi you also get a nice zipper carrying case, usb charging cable. in the end though these earbuds sound very good i only bought them as a means to save my ears from the constant construction noise. they did the job and much better than expected. for lower frequency noise these are nothing short of miraculous in how much they block. i mentioned construction noise and diesel engines but there's more! our neighbors son just got an old harley and put straight pipes on. when he idles it you can hear it easily 1/4 mile off. not exaggerating wish i was. with these powered on i can't hear him idle it. as to quality no complaints just as i've always experienced with bose products. priced a bit on the high side but you get what you pay for. fyi bose has several models of active noise cancelling products. as i found first hand they each have their strengths and weakenesses in how and what they block out. as i mentioned here the older qc15's are better blocking top end noise but the qc20's were much better at the lower end. point being know what sounds you are most wanting to block out prior to choosing which model of active earbuds/headphones you're going to get. in conclusion the longer i have these the more i find them to be more of a necessity rather than a 'splurge.' i'd sooner give up my toothbrush than my bose earbuds, though not long term lol. those sentiments are why i recently purchased a second set to keep on hand for that day in the future when i either accidentally kill mine or they finally die from old age. these are simply the best based on other products used let alone a few thousand hours of personal use. Tip - if you really need EXTREME noise blocking put these on then put a pair of bose qc15 over-the-ear or newer model. with both active noise cancelling systems on you get the best of both worlds so to speak. by double layering in this method you can't get more isolated from noise where extreme situations warrant. *on the chart pictured the BLUE line is noise cancellation for the QC20's the other line is for the QC15 over-the-ear model. surprising to see the 20's perform a good deal better blocking low frequencies than do the older, larger QC15's. sorry no chart with anc23's.

I am very sensitive to sounds around me. I bought these for the excellent reviews about the noise cancelling (NC) feature. The first time I put them on my furnace happened to be running. When I turned on NC I was amazed that I couldn't hear the furnace. It felt like silent relief! I have had these for a month and have worn them about 22 hours a day every day. I take them off to recharge for about an hour each morning and evening. I have had to learn to sleep on my back mostly, or use a blanket to create a cushion for sleeping on my side. That is a small price to pay for the improved sleep and relief of anxiety that I've gotten. I am very pleased with the quality of all of the components. The cords are thick enough so they don't tangle and cause little noise when moved. The connection points all seem very sturdy so I'm not concerned about breakage from being bent. The silicon ear pieces are very well designed for comfort; they fit very well and snuggly. The sound quality and phone features are great. These sound so much better than anything I've had before, though I've only had low end products before. I use these to make phone calls and online video calls. They cancel out the background sound for me while giving clear audio quality for both me and the person I'm talking with. The only minor drawback to these is the cord. However I am very happy having chosen these over the Bluetooth version. I haven't found the cord to be a serious problem. I put the cord in the chest pocket of my pajamas for sleeping. These do not block out all sound, but they do soften the volume somewhat on everything. The laundry machine still causes overstimulation, but it is better than without. The noise cancelling feature is designed to reduce deeper pitched sounds, such as car or airplane engines, snoring, and machine noise. Since my hearing is extra sensitive, I still hear the birds in the morning and the ambulance driving by and the person talking behind me. However the volume is reduced so it doesn't feel so close and startling to me. These aren't a miracle, but they are a huge relief. I had used a Dohm sound machine for the last year to block out outside noise. It is so much better to have some noise removed rather than covering over the unwanted sounds with more sound. These have been absolutely life changing for me. I highly recommend these for others that are sensitive to sound or have misophonia. I feel like these are like my hearing aid. Others need a hearing aid to turn up the volume. I have found my hearing aid that can turn down the volume. This has been a huge help in reducing my anxiety.

I've used these for just a couple weeks now, but I'm pretty well satisfied with them so far. I bought the Android version, despite having an iPhone, so I'd still be able to use it on other devices. Upon plugging it into an iPhone (with that dang 3.5mm-to-lightning adapter), it produces some clicking sounds. If I press and hold one of the volume buttons for a second, the clicking sounds will stop. This happens every time I plug it into my phone. I don't know what that's about, but being able to work around it was good enough for me. It seemed to function fine on other devices with a 3.5mm jack. The clicking sound aside, it's otherwise functioned as I expected. It blocks out a lot of sound without turning the ANC on. Once the ANC is on, everything is unnervingly quiet. This is great for work. I work in an "open office" space and it's absolutely terrible. On top of that, my one team mate is a very loud eater who eats very frequently. It's unbearable for my severe misophonia and ramps my anxiety up to 11. I'm able to block all of that out with these headphones. You know what else, though? Snoring. Primarily, I bought these because my husband's snoring is so bad that I will get panic attacks and can't sleep. With the ANC on, it's not a 100% elimination of sound, but a definite and significant improvement. If I play some music or a movie from my phone while I get to sleep, I can manage not hearing any of the snoring. GODSEND! We can sleep in the same room! They're not comfortable to lay on, that's the only major downside for me, but I also have narrow ear canals, so that's likely a factor. Other notes: The battery life is great. The charge time is fast. Hopefully I'll be able to get more restful sleep with these now than I have been for the past year.

I'm a software engineer, and I work from home where I'm surrounded by noise. My stay-at-home wife is always trying to keep up with a crying baby, a three-year-old toddler who is stuck in tantrum mode, and a dog who barks at any shadow that moves. All of that can be very distracting, and it's hard not to be drawn in by the chaos (because I want to help). But on the other hand, I need to focus on work as if I left my house and went to a "normal" job. I bought these headphones a couple of weeks ago and I love them. They provide probably an 80% noise reduction overall. They're best at blocking out low and mid-tone sounds such as dialog, TV, ceiling fans, passing cars, lawn mowers, etc. I sometimes wear them without playing any music because they are more effective at blocking noise than foam earplugs. These headphones aren't great at blocking high pitch noises like a screaming toddler or a baby's cry. But apparently the average baby's cry is 115 decibels which is equivalent to a car alarm. Third party tests show that these headphones reduce sound by 45 decibels on average. Even if there is loud noise in your environment, these reduce the sound enough that it feels like background noise. Any noise higher than 85 db damages your hearing, so this a good way to protect your ears and maybe your sanity. I'm grateful for the built in controls for "aware mode" and volume control. I did find that the music controls did not work exactly as described in the manual. I'm using the Android version of the headphones with a newer Samsung phone but Google Play Music didn't respond correctly with the expected button sequences. Regardless I was able to play, pause, skip (no rewind) and control volume. The headphones worked well for phone calls with my mobile phone. The call quality was good both ways. It was very helpful having noise canceling during a phone call at a busy airport. So far I've used the headphones with a Samsung phone and a couple of computers. The Android version should be compatible with any device where standard headphones work. The manufacturer says that the Android version works with any iOS device, but the "iPhone compatible" version only works with Apple devices. I don't recommend getting the iOS version of the product unless all of your devices are Apple. I decided not to buy the wireless version of these headphones because the reviews weren't nearly as good. If you hate the idea of being plugged into your phone or laptop all day, you can make these headphones semi-wireless by plugging them into a Bluetooth receiver. You can find lots of those receivers on Amazon for around $15. Overall these headphones have been a great investment in my productivity. I highly recommend them for anybody who wants noise isolation without resorting to bulky over-ear headphones.

Over the years I've tried a couple of other in-ear active noise reduction headphones with mixed success. All my other earbud/in-ear 'phones have to be set firmly in the ear to get decent sound quality and noise isolation, most need at least slighty EQ adjustments to sound "right" (some too tinny, some too bassy, some not enough in both regards, etc), some brands have cables that cause in-ear noise from clothing - etc. The QC20s are the first in-ear 'phones I've owned that have been virtually perfect for every one of those complaints. They're the most comfortable I've owned, too. Following the instructions I felt like they just couldn't be "in" when I first wore them, but the sound quality was outstanding. I've never liked the looks of the "wings" on the "Stay Hear" tips, but they feel and work great for me. The active noise reduction of the QC20s is astonishingly good too. Bose is known to be good, but the quality of the ANR from these tiny in-ear headphones is fabulously good. Yes, there is the slight hiss when the ANR is on - but that's typical of the technology. The overall experience in a noisy building environment is similar to what I have wearing my Lightspeed Zulu 3 headsets - and that's saying a lot. I've not tried them in a piston airplane, but my gut feeling is they would be a great back-up to conventional headsets. While the ANR is simply amazing, they do not make flying in a jet airliner a "sitting in my living room" experience. They eliminate almost all of the low to mid-range noise, but the higher frequency noise - airflow around the airplane for example - is still quite noticeable. It's my feeling that better passive noise reduction is required for that type of noise. Although I've not used them, I suspect the over-the-ear Bose QC35 would probably be a little better but are obviously less convenient to carry. Audio quality is really super too - as should be expected. I've felt no compelling need to rush into making EQ curves to force decent sound of these headsets. They aren't bassy, not tinny, and not dull. They just sound "right" and natural to me. All in all I'm very satisfied with the QC20s so far.

UPDATE: The earbuds have developed a very strong hum in the right earbud that's louder than the noise it's canceling. I'm getting a replacement sent to me. I bought these to suppress the sound of several noisy AC compressors on the roof of my apartment and boy does it work. The noise canceling feature gives me nearly pristine quiet. What's wild is that the noise canceling is even more effective than my even more expensive Sony XM2 Bluetooth headphones, but don't sound quite as good. Another feature that's great on these is the ability to turn the to ambient mode. They do it so well that I can have a conversation with someone while listening to music at almost full volume. It actually increases the soundscape. While these headphones are just above average in sound quality with music, they're a whole different beast with movies with high-quality audio tracks. The audio separation almost sounds 3D and can really pull you into a scene. The only downsides to these earbuds are the battery pack that can get in the way and the fact that they're not Bluetooth. I would suggest getting a discrete Bluetooth transmitter from Aukey or Anker. Don't get the ones with extra controls on them it's useless, as you have controls on the earbuds and on whatever device you're using. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B072JW1NQ9/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=A142BGUZC6UH73&psc=1 The link above is for an Aukey Bluetooth transmitter that is rated at 13 hours of playback time, which is virtually double what the other devices are doing at cost of only $15. It's wonderfully tiny and I'm confident that the pair will work well and allow me to roam through my noisy freaking apartment without always being tethered to my smartphone/tablet/laptop. It allows for 2 to be connected to it simultaneously. Anyway, I gotta say my expectations were well met. The build quality seems to be rock solid and the form factor will allow me to fall asleep without too much difficulty. If they self-destruct in the next few days, you'll be the first to know. :)

These headphones are surreal. While the sound quality is nice and the earbuds are comfortable and effective the real star here is the noise cancelling technology. It's not like noise isolating headphones that jam deep into your ear and simply block out all sound. It's as if it takes the noise around you and makes it sound clear. You can still hear the loudest things around you, but any ambient rumble is gone. It does this while hanging softly yet firmly in your ear with their innovative ear tips. This all provides the clearest sounding music I've ever listened to. It's not the most powerful sound I've ever had, but the clarity it provides allows me to hear nuances to my music I've never picked up before. It's a joy to rediscover your music with a higher quality sound. You do have to keep these charged which can be somewhat odd for earbuds. What can I say besides it's worth it though? The slimline unit hangs nicely when you have things in your pocket and aren't really any more cumbersome than regular headphones. I am finally using my carrying case with these. They are nice headphones, they should be taken care of. The controls are simple yet effective with my Galaxy S6. There is a special button to turn on an awareness mode that let's you hear the world around you if need be. This actually works as needed and allows me to listen to announcements when need be. I took these to the airport and they made the whole experience much nicer. Sound-wise I managed to forget I was on a plane. It doesn't get better than that.