Bose QuietComfort 20 Acoustic Noise Cancelling Headphones for Apple Devices (Black)

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The Bose QuietComfort 20 Acoustic Noise Cancelling Headphones don’t seem to work as well with some types of noise. However — and also by coincidence — a neighborhood kid decided just at that moment to tear up the street on his ATV, which apparently had been modified with an aftermarket exhaust.

Editors' Note: This review is based on tests performed on the Bose QuietComfort 20i, the iOS-compatible version of the headphones. The QuietComfort 20i and the QuietComfort 20 are identical in price and design with one distinction: the QuietComfort 20i has a three-button iOS-compatible in-line remote, and the QuietComfort 20 has a one-button Android-compatible in-line remote.

In addition, I chose the bike I ride partly because I enjoy the sound it makes….at a safe volume of course. So the technology may never be able to actively “cancel” unique and sporadic sounds as they enter your ear canal. But after riding a few different types of motorcycles and the BMW C 650 GT scooter (blog), we’re a little disappointed that the noise reduction seems about the equivalent of wearing a good pair of foam disposable ear plugs. But, I wouldn’t recommend it unless you’re comfortable with the risk of driving your motorcycle without a helmet. I suspect that, when combined with active noise-cancelling technology, would accomplish a lot for us motorcyclists.

I’m willing to bet that the Bose QC20 earphones used in active cancellation mode under big over-the-ear sound isolation headphones, like those used at a gun range, would get us very close to that level of performance. It’s timed 180 degrees out of phase, such that the highest peaks of the ambient sound waves coincide with the lowest valleys of the processor-produced “cancelling” sound waves. Combine the sort of passive noise-isolating effects of a good set of foam earplugs with the superior low frequency active noise-cancellation technology Bose has. From “C.A.” (September 2013): “I just read your review of the “Bose QuietComfort 20 Acoustic Noise Cancelling Headphones”.However, some types of noise are actually slightly louder — or less attenuated — when using the Bose system than with the ear plugs. You would thus be amplifying the ambient high frequency noise. That would obviously be counter productive.

The fit and finish and the wiring all seems first rate and the connections or joints between the wires and the headphones and battery seem strong enough to last, with some care. I’ve seen plots of the sound-dampening capabilities of a handful of various models, measured across the audible frequency spectrum. Bose QuietComfort® Earbuds should be cleaned after every use by gently wiping the buds dry. Be careful not to allow any moisture to enter the earbuds through the ports. In addition, be certain not to force any dirt or debris into the ports. Do not blow air into or vacuum the ports or nozzle.Bose QuietComfort® Earbuds are charged by placing them in their charging case. If the case is charged, it will automatically charge the earbuds. The earbuds are charging when the Status Lights on the buds pulse white. Please note: the Status Lights on the case will show the charge status of the case and will only blink if the case is connected to a power source and charging. But you may be better off simply using a motorcycle Bluetooth intercom system and connecting your cell phone or music player with the Bluetooth intercom headset. This effect may have something to do with the types of sound that the Bose headphones are designed to reduce. We tested the QC 20i version with an iPhone 4S.Call clarity through the inline mic is about what you'd expect—your call partner will understand you just fine, but with cellular fidelity, you're not exactly going to hear a pin drop.