A first for Bose, In-ear Noise Reduction Headphones.

I recently took an overnight trip to Boston and I wanted to travel with the lightest gear possible. This was a perfect time to try the new Bose QC20, their first in-ear noise canceling headphones. They fit in a little zippered travel bag that come with the headphones. The fact that they’re Bose first in-ear noise canceling headphones isn’t the only unique thing about the QC20. Like other Bose NR headphones you can block outside noise, but this model offers an additional setting, called Aware mode. It reduces the amount of noise reduction and lets you hear some of the outside that you probably want to hear. Like the stewardess talking, train announcements, or traffic sounds if you’re biking. It lets you hear those outside sounds while keeping your headphones on and your music playing. The noise reduction on the QC20 is as good as any of the Bose over the ear headphones I’ve used. They feature something Bose calls StayHear+ ear tips. They don’t get pushed way into your ear as some other brands do. They rest comfortable in the ear and the StayHear+ clips catch the bowl of the ear and hold them securely in place. As you might expect, the sound quality is really excellent. And there’s another new feature for Bose, you can still listen to your music even if the battery is dead. It’s not as good as when the electronics are doing their stuff, but it’s a nice feature. You shouldn’t have to worry about the battery going dead often. With a 2-hour charge Bose says you can expect about 18 hours of playback. It charges via a micro-USB port. A charging cable, along with 3 pair of different size Stay-Hear+ ear tips and the carry bag are all in the box. Unlike over the ear headphones, there is an external control module that can either hang down or go into a pocket. So you can take phone calls, there is also a mini-module phone control built right into the headphone cable. Bose offers two models depending on the type of phone you want to use with them with. The QC20 is for Android devices, and the QC20i is for iOS devices. All in all, you get great sound quality and excellent noise reduction in a package small enough for a pocket. The price is the same as the larger over the ear Bose NR headphones, $299.95. Like Apple products discounts are not available, although they are on Amazon for $299.00. (Yep, 95 cents cheaper, and free shipping for Prime members.)

More info at Bose website:

http://www.bose.com/controller?url=/shop_online/headphones/in_ear_headphones/index.jsp