Bose QuietComfort 20 QC20

These fancy earphones have served me extremely well for five years. Five years of heavy use; flying 4+ hours every week, drowning out background dribble in the office, tuning into fully sick thug beats/classical/pop/every music genre you can think of (my iphone on shuffle is like a game of Russian roulette...).
I chucked out the little carry pouch they came with in the first week, since then, these earphones have been jumbled around in my backpack, covered in sand in my beach bag, stuffed into pockets, stepped on, left in the sun on many hot summer Australian days (i.e. I made zero effort to be careful with them).
Built like a tardigrade (very tough and resilient) + sound quality is bangin' + noise cancelling is top notch + super comfy + easy to sleep and travel with (coz they're little) = well and truly worth the price.
The only issues I've had is the glue started to come apart on the right earphone a couple of weeks ago (they still work) and I replaced the soft silicone detachable thingos a few months ago (only cost $5) - otherwise no issues at all.
I am gladly going to buy these again. Thank you bose for making a quality product.

Bought it in July 18 and by Oct 18 the battery stopped charging fully. Logged support to BOSE online and received an email advise to upgrade the firmware. Replied back and advised that the firmware is already updated to the latest version. After that it's been more than a month that I haven't received any reply. Sent 3 emails requesting status update and next steps of troubleshooting. Moreover I really doubt support quality when I was advised to update firmware to resolve battery charging issue. I am really shocked that there is literally no support though we pay premium price for Bose product. Moreover, with online support calls there is no case/ref/support call number that you can refer. I am thinking to report to Dept. of Fair Trading. I have all the emails for ref.
I think we don't realize how bad is BOSE support until we require support. I think I deserve a replacement since the battery is faulty and doesn't charge. I hardly used it and really doubt about product quality and quality control. Lesson learnt.

I love these headphones so much after I stupidly left my first pair on a plane I had to immediately go out and purchase a new set which was a hard pill to swallow given the price.

Don't pay full retail even Bose admitted they can drop to around $330 but they can be had a little cheaper at the right time with ebay discounts etc. In that respect I can't bring myself to pay full price for them but at the price you can get them for they are amazing.

I bought these over the QC35's for a number of reasons:
- I want to sleep in them on a plane or anywhere really. Hard to do with over the ears headphones
- They still have a cord with inline remote which is essential for me as I use them for exercising. Sure bluetooth headphones have the skip tracks and volume buttons but they are harder to locate in the ear
- They seem to be ok to use during exercise with the sweat coming out of the ears.

Noise cancelling makes such a difference even in low noise areas because it allows you to only hear the music and immerses yourself into it which is good for me to keep going when I am exercising

Sound quality is good, the Stay Hear earbuds work well and they seem to work well for general headset use for example for phone calls.

I can't live without mine

Be mindful of reviews written within a few months of purchase. I too had been very impressed by the headphones and took great care of them. Unfortunately, once the measly 12-month warranty is over they'll likely break and you'll be expected to pay $269 to replace them. Outrageous. I could have purchased 5 pairs of the AudioTechnica equivalent for the same price - and cNet believe them to be on par. Don't waste your money on BOSE.

I purchased Bose QuietComfort 20 QC20 earbuds in October 2016 and needed to request a replacement in November 2016 due to crackling noise in earpieces using noise cancelling mode. Bose replaced the headset immediately and without question as they could hear the defect for themselves. The earbuds have performed satisfactorily until very recently when the same crackling noise developed in the left earpiece. My use of this product has been very routine and the headset has not been mishandled or subjected to abuse.

I took the headset to Bose who advised that the product was out of warranty (12 months). They advised that in such circumstances they usually offer a replacement at the discount price of $300. Retail is in the vicinity of $370. However as they could see that I had experienced unsatisfactory performance of this product (one replacement under warranty), they would offer a replacement at $240. Bose does not offer a repair option of this product in Australia.

A take-away message for me is that two years of use before failure is judged by Bose as an acceptable life of the product when used routinely.

At this stage I am not inclined to invest in another Bose headset of the same model (currently available in the market). Other Bose products (home audio) I have purchased have performed well over a long period. So this experience with this product is puzzling and unsatisfactory.

I need to review what other consumer remedies are available to me.

To tell you the truth, I compared a lot before I bought this headset, but it really didn't disappoint me. Even though the headset has been in use for a while, I still like it. Wireless headphones are really convenient compared to traditional headphones. It works well in both sports and on the car, it has great sound quality and I use it almost every day.

The noise cancelling capabilities of the earphones are amazing! They fit in the ears very well and produces a very good sound. Not bad for a pair of earphones despite the price tag. I am able to commute to and from work peacefully now! Cannot fault these earphones at all!

I have had these for a bit over a year and have used these for most mobile phone conversations I have and every week on domestic flights for work (noise cancelling is a definite god-sent around school holiday time).
While the cover has peeled off everything else is still perfect. Given the use I've had out of these I say i have gotten my moneys worth and then some.
These are the first thing i pack when I travel for work and I would purchase these again with no hesitation

1 year 11 months old and the case covering falls apart. Westfield Sydney City Bose shop assistants said would only replace if I pay $300!!! Will have to take them to NCAT to claim full refund. As this is a generally great product, performance wise, I would buy another pair. Very disappointed with lack of support and service, and being fobbed off, as most customers are when there is a problem. The Australian Consumer Law has guarantees as to fitness etc.

Good ear fit. Cable could be thicker and feels a bit fragile. The sound is wonderful though and Dheres to the sound you would expect from this brand. I would have preferred if there was an option for an iPhone lightning connector plug. Using an adaptor is very very frustrating

Let's face it these are just simply a solid pair of cans. I would have really appreciated wireless bluetooth functionality but they're a decent pair of first noise cancelling headphones. They're especially a good deal now as they have had a significant price cut due to these been considered "outdated"
Definitely a solid 6/10

I’m already familiar with the aviation products offered by Bose, and I thought I’d give the civilian products a go, everything was going swimmingly until just after the warranty period when one of the pods started crackling horribly. JB HIFI was no help, only suggesting that I should have gone to them directly... Bose also just sympathised but offered no solution, oh well... Seeing as it was only a matter of weeks, I thought they may stand by their brand, guess not.

I love these headphones, they're the best I've ever owned. They're so soft and comfortable, they cause no discomfort. I've slept with them on for long flights to reduce noise and because they're so comfortable for that purpose. Fast and responsive. Superior sound quality. Love them. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend them.

These are the best investment in my morning commute I have made. They allow my to completely be in my own space despite the ridiculous crowding on the trains. Sound isolation is remarkable considering their tiny size and they have the most excellent open and airy full musical response I have heard. They sounded like 'broken in' earphones from day one. They are not cheap but they are totally worth it. Would instantly replace them with the same if lost. Love them

Sound - amazing. Great balance between base and treble
Comfort - amazing. After about 5 minutes you forget you have them on.
Noise cancelling - Great, especially when flying. I usually sleep with them on, even if not connected to my phone
Sports - awesome, the only in-ear headphones that actually stay in my ear and don't fall out
Reliability - Awesome - never had an issue. And even if you do, the support is great from BOSE.

First of all, when I try it it was not comfortable at all as I prefer ear phone stuck in my ear. However, as I use it, feel more comfortable and doesn't hurt even though I use it for a long time. The performance is just perfect and I love the noise cancelling.

noise cancelling is the best thing ever happened to me!!

I will buy the QC30 if i have the money as wireless is even better in gym. recon anyone going to gym buy 30 instead of 20, give you more flexibility and to latest iphone as well

over all good!!!!!

I have had this unit for 3 weeks now - simply cannot get used to the hissing without the noise cancellation on and not listening to anything.

Would return it tomorrow if there was something better by the way of noise cancelling earbuds.

Having said that the noise cancellation is great - turned my TV up to 20 (normally listen at about 12 or 13) and could not hear the sound with the earphones on. Could not hear anything that I did not want to on the train either.

I've found these headphones to be very comfortable, as the name would suggest. It's not bulky which is perfect and offers fantastic audio. I use them on the train as I commute to and from work. The noise cancelling feature is excellent... I'm able to enjoy my ride in peace!

Bose Quiet Comfort QC20 Noise Cancelling Headphones are reasonably lightweight, comfortable and offer great audio. I use them at work in an open office environment and can cancel out noise from peoples telephone calls at the touch of a switch. So, I can concentrate when I need to. Would be nice if they had an SD card and mp3 player built in.