Why is EVERYONE Buying these Headphones - Bose QC25

**The Legacy of Bose Quiet Comfort 25 Headphones: A Deep Dive**

In 1978, during a transatlantic flight from Switzerland, MIT professor Dr. Amar Bose found himself struggling to enjoy in-flight music due to the overwhelming noise of the airplane engines. Frustrated by the lack of clarity, he pulled out a pen and a napkin to jot down mathematical calculations aimed at eliminating this unwanted noise. Little did he know that this impromptu brainstorming session would lead to one of the most iconic inventions in audio history—active noise-cancelling (ANC) headphones.

Fast forward to 2000, Bose released its first consumer-grade ANC headphone, the Quiet Comfort (QC) series. The QC15s marked a revolutionary leap in audio technology, effectively masking the relentless hum of airplane engines and other consistent noises through advanced sound wave cancellation techniques. By measuring ambient noise with built-in microphones and generating counteracting sound waves, these headphones provided an unparalleled listening experience.

The evolution of the QC series continued with regular updates, each iteration enhancing comfort, functionality, and features. The QC25s, launched in 2014, remain a testament to Bose's commitment to innovation and quality. Priced at around $180 on Amazon (with slight variations for Apple and Android versions), the QC25s have become a bestseller, outshining even more affordable alternatives.

### How Do Noise-Cancelling Headphones Work?

Noise-cancelling headphones like the QC25s employ a sophisticated technology that sets them apart from regular headphones. Each ear cup features an internal microphone that captures ambient noise and an external microphone that monitors sound emanating from your device. By analyzing these two signals, the headphones generate a waveform that is exact in magnitude but opposite in phase to the unwanted noise. This process of destructive interference effectively cancels out the background noise, allowing you to enjoy crystal-clear audio.

While ANC technology excels at filtering out consistent noises such as airplane engine hum or HVAC systems, it struggles with variable sounds like crying babies or chatty coworkers. This limitation highlights the specific use cases for which ANC headphones are most effective—such as during long flights or in noisy work environments where concentration is key.

### The QC25s: A Tried-and-True Favorite

The Bose Quiet Comfort 25 headphones have consistently ranked among the best-selling headphones on Amazon, despite the emergence of cheaper alternatives. This enduring popularity can be attributed to several factors:

1. **Exceptional Noise Cancellation**: The QC25s deliver category-leading noise cancellation, making them ideal for airline travel or environments with constant background noise.

2. **Comfort and Durability**: These headphones are designed for extended wear, featuring a folding headband and a lightweight, rugged carrying case that ensures portability without compromising on build quality.

3. **Sound Quality**: While their primary function is noise cancellation, the QC25s also deliver impressive sound quality, making them a versatile choice for both professional and leisurely audio needs.

### The Rise of Affordable Alternatives

In recent years, numerous budget-friendly alternatives to Bose headphones have gained traction. Products like the Kawan E7s and Panasonic ErgoFit earbuds offer comparable performance at significantly lower prices. For instance:

- **Kawan E7s**: Priced at a fraction of the cost of QC25s, these headphones are marketed towards kids with vibrant designs but also appeal to adults seeking affordable ANC solutions.

- **Panasonic ErgoFit Earbuds**: Available for under $10, these in-ear headphones have garnered high praise for their excellent fit and durability, earning an impressive 82% positive reviews.

### The Double-Edged Sword of Popularity: Customer Feedback

Despite the QC25s' many strengths, they are not without flaws. A concerning trend in customer reviews reveals that many units struggle to exceed a year or one-and-a-half years before showing signs of wear and tear. This has led some consumers to question whether Bose has cut corners in material quality over time.

The top-rated customer reviews for the QC25s are overwhelmingly negative, with users expressing dissatisfaction over build quality and durability. However, it's important to note that any product with high sales volume is likely to attract a mix of feedback—some genuine complaints and others outliers. Nevertheless, the consistent nature of these negative reviews cannot be ignored.

### The Best-Selling Headphones in On-Ear and In-Ear Categories

Looking beyond Bose, the best-selling on-ear headphones are currently the Kawan E7s, priced at just $15. Their success can be attributed to their durability, expandable headband, and surprisingly decent sound quality for a product aimed at children. Meanwhile, the most popular in-ear headphones are Panasonic ErgoFit earbuds, known for their secure fit and longevity.

### Final Thoughts: Is Bose QC25 Still Worth It?

The question of whether the Bose QC25s remain worth their price hinges on your priorities. If you value consistent performance, exceptional noise cancellation, and premium comfort over extended periods, the QC25s are a solid investment despite their higher cost. However, if durability concerns weigh heavily on your mind or budget constraints are a primary consideration, exploring alternatives like the Kawan E7s or Panasonic ErgoFit earbuds could be worthwhile.

Ultimately, the decision boils down to what job you need your headphones to do. For those seeking reliable noise cancellation and premium comfort for airline travel or office work, the Bose QC25s continue to be a top choice. But for casual listeners or those on a tight budget, cheaper alternatives may suffice.

In conclusion, while the audio landscape is continually evolving with new products offering better value for money, the Bose Quiet Comfort 25 headphones remain a staple in the industry—a testament to their enduring quality and legacy in noise-cancelling technology. Whether you choose to invest in this classic or explore newer, more affordable options, it's clear that there's something out there for every listener's needs.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enwell here we go oh my god it sounds like a go-kart so the good thing about flying in a plane from the 70s is that it hasn't fallen apart yet legend has it that in 1978 mit professor dr aman bose was on a transatlantic flight from switzerland when the flight attendant offered him a pair of headphones shortly afterward as the story goes the plane was so noisy that bose could hardly hear the in-flight music at all so he fetched a pen and a napkin and began jotting down the first mathematical calculations for how to remove airplane noise from his listening experience fast forward 22 years and both released the first active noise cancelling headphones for consumers followed 18 years later on this installment of why advertiser friendly content holding a baby kangaroo are you guys buying this the quiet comfort 25s which somehow are still the best selling headphones on amazon.com along with like these other super cheap ones so let's see then what makes these things so bloody special noise cancelling headphones work by incorporating a microphone or in this case microphone za in each ear cup on the inside by the user's ear and on the outside to measure ambient sound they take that ambient sound measurement and they compare it to the desired signal coming from your device and then they generate a new waveform that's exactly equal but opposite to the noise coming in destroying the unwanted waves by way of destructive interference so as you can imagine this technology works better on frequencies that are consistent which is why noise cancelling headphones are awesome at filtering out noise from airplane engines or hvac systems but not so great when it comes to crying babies and annoying co-workers since the year 2000 release of the original quiet comfort acoustic noise cancelling headphones now known as the qc ones bose has released a new set in the lineup at least every three years including the google assistant equipped qc35 series twos that launched in late 2017 for 350 pretty pricey and out of reach for a lot of people now the best-selling headphones on amazon and therefore the true subject of this video are these qc25s originally from 2014. they only cost about 180 bucks on amazon today if you go for the apple version with the version for android devices being 20 more for some reason but the only difference is the functionality of the inline controls so we grabbed the apple version and gave it a shot on an android phone turns out we were actually still able to play and pause our music and even skip tracks but there was no volume control and when we tried to use it to hang up a phone call music started playing instead so if that stuff matters to you then you should either pay the extra thirty dollars or try your luck on a cheaper third party cable but then hold on a second as evidenced by my almost entirely faded eyebrow ring scar it is not the year 2000 anymore there are actually a bunch of noise cancelling alternatives to bose like the super popular kawan e7s that are a fraction of the price so how is a 200 product still on top when every other product in this appetizer series has been budget af well it's because low price doesn't mean high value and people purchase products in order to get a job done whether that's a sound bar whose job is to make dialogue easier to hear a tablet whose job is to play netflix in bed and not be destroyed by your kids or a 4k smart tv whose job is to be 4k and a tv that's like maybe smart or something so then what's the job to get done with noise cancelling headphones maybe comfortable airline travel or productivity at your desk well that means that automatically bose is targeting a more affluent clientele people with jobs or who travel regularly and the bottom line is that the qc25s are really good at their job something that is worth paying a little extra for not only do they offer category leading noise cancellation they're also really comfortable for hours at a time and they're super portable thanks to their folding headband and lightweight rugged carrying case after all that the fact that they punch way above their weight in terms of sound quality is almost just a bonus now that's the friendly value that we expect in this series or at least that's what i would be saying if the three top rated customer reviews for this product weren't all one star now if you sell enough headphones you're bound to get a bad review or two but it's become enough of a pattern that it appears as though bose has been scrimping on the materials lately a lot of these things seem to struggle to last longer than a year to a year and a half so if you're not into that sort of thing maybe you should save your money after all especially considering that the best-selling headphones in the on-ear and the in-ear categories are both super cheap the most popular on ears are actually these the new k11s and i can't quite figure out why but i do have at least a theory so they're marketed towards kids with bright colors a durable braided cable and a parent friendly price of just 15 dollars but there's a lot of headphones for kids out there what makes these ones stand out i think is the fact that they're useful for parents too so the headband expands from child size to absolute melon the sound quality isn't complete trash and they go loud which is unusual since a lot of kids cans have volume limiters on them for safety i mean who needs safety when you've got convenience right the suckiest thing about these as far as i can tell is the fit so the ear cups don't articulate which means that at least with the pair we've got and on my head they don't quite sit flush against my ears so they don't seal particularly well you won't have to worry about that though with the best-selling iems the panasonic ergofit earbuds for under 10 of the 54 000 reviews of these things 82 percent of people gave them a four or five because they fit well they sound decent and they can last for years and years that might explain how they've been around since at least 2012 look at this the box still says ipod on it those still exist isn't that fun anyway if your phone still has a headphone jack there's really no reason not to check out any one of the three options that we gave you guys today just make sure that you're putting them on correctly we'll have them linked in the video description so thanks for watching guys if this video sucked you know what to do but if you appreciate that we actually got in this thing to make this video or you liked the video in general you can hit that like button get subscribed or consider checking out where to buy the stuff we featured at the link in the video description also down there is our merch store which has cool shirts like this one and our community forum which you should totally join i don't what a knot is but okay so we're going then\n"