Bose QC15, Over-Ear QuietComfort 15 Wired

I purchased these in April - been looking at them for a long time but the $300 price tag put me off for a set of headphones. I have very acute hearing and my husband doesn't. I wanted to be able to sit with him while he watched television and I could read quietly. I don't listen to much music so bought it primarily for the noise cancelling feature. When I read all the great reviews about how these headphones could block out the roaring of a jet engine, figured this was the ticket. My husband put them on and even with his slightly impaired hearing, he could hear the sounds in the house and the television. It doesn't block out any sounds for me either. I wrote to Bose five or six times and they didn't have any suggestions. As for the music, I have three pairs of $6.78 EarPollution Plugz - and I don't think the Bose is any better than they are. If anyone has any suggestions as to what may be wrong with this pair we bought, I'd appreciate hearing from you. I feel like we wasted $300 on something that doesn't have any more value than a throw-away pair. I wish I had something positive to write. Most of my reviews are 5 stars but I'm going with a 1 on this one. For those entertaining buying a pair, I'd suggest going to a store to try them before parting with your money. Update on May 27, 2012: Hi, Denia - and thanks for the two other suggestions that replied to my post. I've been emailing back & forth with Bose direct - and one tech support person asked me to try all kinds of things - up to and including running the dishwasher and standing in front of the washing machine. My husband & I both did that - and we had our help who is 1/2 our age do the same - and all three of us could hear the sounds. I thought they would help us and then I received this email from a different person - with a different twist: "Sorry for any confusion. The Quiet Comfort headset is designed specifically for frequent flyers. The technology is desgined to cancel out the constant low frequency tones of an airline engine. It does NOT cancel out every day ambient sounds such as children playing, dogs barking, tv audio, human voices (conversations in the back ground), or anything like that. In fact, I have a pair on right now, and I can hear the two people taking in the cubicle right next to me, very clearly. This is normall (sic). Now, other customers use the headset for great audio reproduction while listening to their music, but the noise cancellation is designed to cancel out constant low frequency noises. The dishwasher and washing machine sounds are too intermittent to work, that would not tell you anything. Sorry if you thought the headset would work for your individual situation. It won't block out tv audio at all. If you bought the headset directly from Bose, less than 30 days ago, you can return them by calling 800-444-2673. Thank you for contacting Bose Corporation." Kevin Product and Technical Support Team The Monday - Friday tech who was helping me wrote this: Thank you for your inquiry. > > > > We are sorry to hear about the issue you are experiencing with your Bose headphones. There are a number of things we can try. Some of this may be obvious, but it may help determine the source of the issue. > > > > When you switch the headset on, is the led light on the right earcup illuminated? Check the battery. It may be that a fresh battery is needed (non-rechargeable, alkaline batteries are needed). Sometimes even newly purchased batteries do not have sufficient power. Also, make sure the battery is inserted into the battery compartment with the positive side (nub) down. > > > > Do you have another audio component (iPod etc) that you can use? Does the same issue occur? If yes, remove and reseat the cable in the headset itself and in the audio component. This may require some slight force. You should hear a faint clicking sound when the connection is made. > > > > Note: when the cable is removed from the headset, check the LO/HI attenuator switch on the cable (this switch adjusts the output volume and has no effect on noise reduction). If the switch is not set properly, this may be contributing to the issue. Generally it is set it high for portable devices and computers and low for airlines. > > > > Check the balance level on the source component. If the source has balance level adjustment, it may be adjusted incorrectly. Be sure it is set to a middle level. > > > > It is also possible that debris or corrosion on the audio cable connectors may be causing the issue. Cleaning the metal parts of the cable connectors may resolve the problem. Lightly dampen a cloth with isopropyl alcohol and wipe the connectors, allowing them to dry before reinserting the connector(s) into the device and/or headset. > > > > An extension cable or adapter used to connect headphones to the audio source may be faulty. If you are using an extension cable, remove the extension cable or adapter and connect the headphones directly to the source. If the headphones work after eliminating the extension cable or adapter, replace the extension. > > > > Please let us know if the above solutions do not help to resolve the issue, so we can offer further assistance. Please also let us know the reseller the headphones were purchased from, the date of purchase from your sales receipt or invoice, your daytime phone number and daytime UPS shipping address. > > > > > > Thank you for contacting Bose Corporation. > > Barry > > Product and Technical Support Team We haven't flown since 9/11 and have no intention of flying from the U.S. again - so unless you're a frequent flyer, I wouldn't recommend these. Big waste of money. Thought if it could block out the sound of a jet engine it would certainly be capable of blocking out the noise of a television set. I'll write to Bose again when "Barry" the tech was working and see if he can help me after the 3-day holiday is over. Perhaps putting disclaimer on this item - no where did I read that it was designed exclusively for noise cancelling - only for jets. I'll read the literature again; maybe I missed that section. I'd rate these a 1 if this is the case. $300 is a lot of money to spend on something that says "noise cancelling" - but only includes jet engine noise. If that's the case then that should be specifically stated. I'll write to the president of Bose and see if I can get some help from the top. Don't know unless you ask. As for any others looking for "noise cancelling" headsets, I strongly suggest going to a store and trying them before purchasing.