Last Updated December 27, 2008   Product Rating   Very comfortable Excellent noise cancellation Good design & included case   Audio quality is not perfect, but still above-average

Bose is at the leading edge of noise-canceling headphones and they have been for quite a while. Their earlier models of the QuietComfort were a huge success despite their costly price. Their latest model, the Bose QuietComfort 3, has some added improvements over previous models. It's a little smaller and has a few new adjustments, but it still has a rather costly price tag at around $350.

In overview, the QuietComfort 3 is an on-ear headset that has soft, leather "pillow-like" pads that go completely over your ear and allow for a firm, yet comfortable fit over your ears. The pads themselves measure exactly 2.8 x 2.3-inches (h x w) and the whole headphone set weighs around 5.5 ounces. The padded headband is adjustable as well as each ear phone's length from the headband. Each ear phone rotates up to 90 degrees, which allows them to fold flat to be put in the included padded carrying case, which comes with each headphone set. Inside the included case, there's an audio-adapter, a dual-plug airline adapter for listening to airline audio/movies, and a 5-foot audio extension cable. Bose also sells a cell-phone adapter for $40, which has an in-line microphone and you can switch between your cell phone as an audio source or your music player.

The main feature of the Bose QuietComfort 3 is the noise cancellation feature, which effectively cancels out ambient noise by "listening" to the room noise and producing a signal into your ear that is the exact opposite, which cancels out the ambient noise all together. On each headphone, there is a small microphone covered by a small silver grill. On the left ear phone, there's a 2.5mm audio jack to connect the included 2.5mm to 3.5mm cable, which can be plugged into any audio source, including an Apple iPod. On the right ear phone, there's a power switch and at the top of the same ear phone, is a removable and rechargeable battery. This battery is charged in the included AC charger. We like the use of removable batteries because it allows you to be able to constantly have power for the headphones by means of having multiple batteries handy. This is useful for long flights overseas or being away from electrical power for extended periods of time. Each battery costs $50 and Bose says each battery will power the headphones for about 20 hours.

In terms of comfort, the Bose QuietComfort 3's feel extremely comfortable on your ears. Some may prefer headphones that fit around your ear instead of on top, but they are still very comfortable despite that. The noise cancellation of the QuietComfort 3 is absolutely amazing. You can put these headphones on and it will almost totally eliminate any external ambient noise. It won't eliminate the sound 100 percent, but it takes the "sound" out of the noise, making it sound like almost nothing. If you want, you can use the headphone's noise cancellation feature without listening to music at all, which is perfect for people wanting quiet in a noisy environment, such as on an airplane. The audio quality of the QuietComfort 3 is pretty good, but not perfect. Music audio doesn't sound as crisp as say using the included iPod earbuds, but the quality is better than other similar noise-canceling headphones. That said, the Bose QuietComfort 3's audio quality combined with the noise cancellation is a sure winner and a must-have for anyone that travels frequently or works in loud environments.

Top of the line can come at a lower price if you're ok without the brand name. These discount stereo headphones are backed by free 2-way shipping and a 30-day return policy.