Hear Even Less with the New Bose QuietComfort 15 Noise-cancelling Headphones

A longtime pioneer in noise-cancelling headphones, Bose raises the bar today with its QuietComfort 15. The QC 15 incorporates dual microphones—one inside and one outside the earcup—to more effectively reduce overall noise volume and cancel lower frequencies. While new ear-cup materials offer additional passive noise blocking, especially for frequencies at the high end.

I received a demo of the QC 15 pitted against Bose’s current top-of-the-line QC 2s. In a simulated airplane cabin with noise levels reaching into the lower-90 decibel range, I tried both pairs. The difference between the two headphones was noticeable, with the QC15 providing significantly more noise-reduction than the QC2.

The QuietComfort 15 replaces the QuietComfort 2 as of today at the same price, $300.