Bose QuietComfort 25 noise-cancelling headphones review: New colors, Stellar audio

Bose is one of the best headphone manufacturers in the world, with stellar audio reproduction and high-quality craftsmanship and precision in their high-end portfolio of audio products. The audio company had a huge success with the QuietComfort 15, that lets its users to experience their music in bliss with the industry-leading active noise cancellation feature. Business travelers were the target niche of these headphones, as they fly frequently and thus, the noise-cancelling headphones turn the airplane noise into a whisper. For its latest iteration, the QuietComfort 25, it now comes in customizable colors and even better audio performance, paired with the class-leading noise cancellation feature. This is the review of the Bose QuietComfort 25. Read on to know what makes it the best noise-cancelling headphones in its class.

Design and Hardware

The QuietComfort 25 comes in a wide range of colors. Photo: Bose

The construction of the QuietComfort 25 headphones speak of high quality – it is primarily made of a headband that is covered by soft canvas, layered by a soft cushion padding on the underside that gives a lot of comfort for extended use. The plush, comfortable earcups are also handed over from the previous generation, and is still the best earcups that doesn’t make your ears sweat for prolonged listening. Gone are the days of Bose’s boring black-and-grey color palettes. With the QuietComfort 25, Bose introduced full customization of the headphones when bought in their online store. You can customize different color combinations, with different colors for the headband, the earcups, and the grilles for the sound woofers. The traditional classic black set of headphones is still available as an option.

Make QuietComfort 25 headphones your very own with fully customizable color options. Photo: Bose

There are also welcome improvements to the circuitry of the headphones. Because its predecessor, the QuietComfort 15, doesn’t produce audio when the noise-cancelling feature is turned off, it has become an issue. Many users demanded that these headphones must work as passive headphones even without the noise cancellation. Bose ticked the checkbox for this feature, having the QuietComfort 25 working as a normal headphone even without noise cancellation or even without batteries.

The controls on these headphones are still the same, with the power switch that also activates the noise cancellation feature located on the right earcup. There is also the detachable cable that lets you plug in your own custom cables, and can be replaced when it stops working due to normal wear and tear. Unfortunately, it still doesn’t have an auto-off feature, so if you forgot to turn off these headphones, it might get drained of power fast.

Features

It’s a good thing that the QuietComfort 25 includes a detachable audio cable with built-in microphone and remote. With this, your music playing on your smartphone or tablet can be controlled without any screen interaction. Due to the nature of these headphones to be used in airplanes, Bose included the standard airplane audio jack for inflight use. Also included is a pair of AAA batteries that power the headphones and the noise-cancelling feature.

It is flight-ready with a travel case and an airplane adaptor jack. Photo: Bose

The noise-cancellation feature of the QuietComfort 25 is regarded as the best performing active noise-cancellation technology of any high-end headphone in the market. It is excellent for ambient noises in airplane cabins, trains, and harsh work environments. While this cutting-edge feature works well in ambient noises, you might hear someone talking to you in a considerably near distance.

While the noise-cancelling feature is engaged, the audio performance is also stellar thanks to Bose’s long-held audio quality and reliability. The bass is deeper and more pronounced, the mids are crisp, and the trebles are highly detailed. But there comes a difference when the headphones are in passive mode. Once you turn off the noise cancellation, the treble, bass, and volume levels are drastically drowned. Although the passive mode isn’t that stellar compared to the active mode, you can still easily distinguish the Bose sound signature present among its other audio products.

With its award-winning noise cancellation feature, audio quality is above average with pronounced audio details to satisfy the majority of headphone users. But if you are looking for a huge bass performance, then this might not suit you well.

Verdict

The Bose QuietComfort 25 headphones have the best active noise cancellation of any headphone in its class. Its audio performance is also stellar thanks to the Bose’s trademark sound signature. And it now comes in different colors that you can customize to make it your very own. These headphones are priced at $300 – it’s quite expensive, but you pay for the Bose brand and its excellent set of features. This is a solid pair that will last you for a long time. With its price, it sits on the high-end price bracket of the headphone market. If you don’t regret spending $300 on a pair of headphones, this is a definite buy.