There seems to be a lot of issues with the sound quality for these 2nd gen Bose phones. These came out before wireless headphones were in any significant use, and when few other companies were making a serious attempt at noise reduction.

Very very good noise cancelling; Industry standard for their time

Not intended for the highest quality audio

So when you consider that Bose has also improved ease of use, plus added a special version especially for use with Samsung Galaxy phones, yet still kept the price below $400, you can see why I'm happy to rave about them.

It delivers.

Unbeatable noise cancelling

The Bose QuietComfort 25 are active noise-cancellation headphones. Not only are they superb at eliminating the low-register noise that is the bedrock of any city soundscape, but they also cut out the frequencies that tend to trample all over your music, often resulting in you having to turn up the...

Higher-grade build than previous Bose sets; Excellent noise cancellation; Pleasant; big sound

Better sound quality available at the price; Easy to leave on accidentally

"I purchased a pair of these headphones from Oxford Street London as an upgrade from the previous bulkier version. My other pair of Bose headphones were falling apart and the new model had just come out and so I went out and purchased it. BEST DECISION OF MY LIFE.

I work in IT as a primary source of income and can spend a lot of time in the data center. I have a very nice set of Peltor Optime 105 ear muffs and it was I that brought them into the work place originally because I use them at home when running the power equipment – I rate these at 5 stars as...

I bought this pair of headphones for two trips, each involving more than 12 hours of flying each way. I just came back from the first trip and the headphones performed superbly. When you turn it on, the airplane noise is significantly reduced and you can watch movies with the volume significantly...

With my new job I am traveling close to 70% of the time. I wanted a product that could help me enjoy music without maxing the volume out to overcome the ambient noise on an airplane. The QC 25's did not fail to impress.

Comfort; Noise cancellation; Sound quality; Travel Case

Price

The awesome: very good noise cancelling. Possibly the best there is. 5 stars The not so good: I've listened to the phones often and it strikes me that every time straight from the first few notes I know there's something not right.

The QuietComfort line's design has been given a spring clean – there are fewer seams, a more appealing metal/plastic ratio and more attractive woven fabric/psuedo-suede headband – so there's enough to tell the QC25s apart from their predecessors.

Reliably portable; rugged build; Bench-setting sound-blocking ability; Open; analytical and insightful sound

Need batteries; aren't rechargeable