Bose QC20 QuietComfort 20 Acoustic Noise-Canceling Earbuds for Apple Devices

I have an older pair of Bose noise-canceling headphones that I use at work, but they're kind of big and bulky, and I wanted something more compact for international travel. The technology in these earbuds is phenomenal! The older headphones are fine, but they really do best with blocking out "constant" noise (airplane, jackhammer, etc.) These earbuds really block out almost everything, even if it's not a constant sound. They worked amazingly for a 43-hour travel window to Africa, kept a charge and everything (I didn't have them on noise cancelation the full 43 hours, but didn't have to recharge 'til we got there). Then they worked amazingly while out on safari for nearly 2 weeks, where we were camping with lots of wild animal sounds that might have kept me awake. Instead, I slept like a baby. They are comfy, good sound quality (even with the noise cancelation turned on) and have continued to be a great investment now that I'm back at work and needing to more effectively block out boisterous co-workers. :) I guess they're not "cheap" but for me they are 100% worth the cost.

I've had a pair of these for a few years now and I never fail to be impressed with them. I listen to music and use them for telephone calls or conference calls. The sound quality is very 'Bose' which I like. In fact they are so good that when there was an Amazon offer on I bought another pair in case the others ever fail!

We bought these QC20 headphones to replace our over the ear Bose noise canceling headphones. We did this as we have gone to traveling to Europe using carry-on luggage only and these fit the bill for reducing the size and weight of our luggage items. They work well at the noise canceling when you get the ear piece in correctly. The main problem I have with them is the sizing of the ear pieces. The small does not seal, the medium ear piece seals okay but after a couple of hours they are very uncomfortable. We will continue to use these but would like to come up with a better in-ear piece, something like the Shure ear buds use which is a compressible then expandable ear insert. Bose rep, can you help?

I bought 2 days before, quality and sound is superb and performance perfect as well. Would like to listen music again and again particularly beats..perfect spending.

The earbuds are very comfortable The noise cancellation worked well. My only concern is if the earbud material will wear out prematurely

These headphones seemed too expensive when I first bought them. I was really questioning spending that much money on headphones that could break and make me regret the decision. But, it's been four years since I bought them and by simply caring for them as any person would and not doing anything stupid with them, they've exceeded my expectations. Truthfully, if you are anywhere where you just want to be in your own space, turn them on and play your music or podcast or audiobook and you're in your own world.

My only semi complaint is the noise cancelling battery itself. Don't get me wrong, it's totally worth it but at times it can be annoying.

I have two pairs of these purchased in three years. The first pair fell apart. First to go was the clip then the volume contril buttons fell off. Too bad, these have great bose sound and are the most coomfortable ear phones Ive ever had, (Ive tried iphone, samsung, Phillips, etc..) no exception but lousy construction. Too fragile for everday use.

I have had these for several years. They are fantastic and stay in my ear. I run with them daily and I never have to touch/adjust them. While running, I often make a call and have no complaints about the sound quality. I commute with them and the noise cancelling is great. I purchased these over the QC 15/25/35 series because they are compact and I can run with them.

These are the best headphones out there, but still not perfect. The sound quality 5 star, the fit is 5 star, the battery lasts well long enough, the portability and durability is 5 star. The only real complaint is that they get tangled often making it difficult start using. I can’t wait til this becomes Bluetooth enabled.

i bought these headphones in 2016 and the are same to date.
But BOSE i am heartbroken to tell you that the right side ear bud stopped working.
Is there any where to fix that. i really miss my headphones and i cant afford new ones right now.
its been a month now. i am listening to music and sleep with these headphones since 2016.

PLEASE HELP ME ...

I've been using this Bose product for the past two years. I wear them on airplane flights, while working out and in the office. Anywhere I don't want to be disturbed by ambient noise and other conversations (like in an open office environment), these ear pieces really work well. I've recommended to others and they've also been highly impressed with the noise cancelling and sound quality properties. I also like the fact that they come in a compact case that doesn't take the space of larger noise cancelling headphones and that they recharge quite quickly.

Rubber housing came apart within a year. Audio connector frayed as well. Picks up hum when charging (doesn't suppress electrical noise - decent audio cancellation, but this kills it). Ear tips are a bit shabby as well. Not worth the price considering how quickly it falls apart. Current unit is all taped up and sort of works.

Got these about 5 months ago and I wear them every day. They are great for conference calls with my laptop and listening to music to get stuff done. Wouldn't trade these for anything.

Owned various Bose products over the years without issue, including the original noise cancelling headphones. Purchased this item about a year ago so that I could sleep with them on long flights. I’ve probably used them ten times exclusively on flights. Unfortunately, I’ve been having power problems where they seem to turn on and off for no reason. At this point they pretty much don’t function. Bose has a strict one-year warranty, and since they don’t accept them for diagnosis and repair your only choice is to buy a new item at a reduced price. #disappointed

The sound of the headphones is quite good and they do block the noise... the problem is that they are made of cheap materials or the design isn’t good. The thing is, that they break easily. The first pair was replaced over a year after I bought it, because the cable broke and there was a constant noise. The second pair lasted 18 months.. and again the cable broke in the joints and the left headphone stopped working. But this time the headphones were out of warranty. I think the price is quite high for a pair of headphones which won’t last more than 2 years...

I treated myself to these last year and am so glad I did. I play most of my music via a Samsung phone while using the Poweramp app (I use Poweramp when using all wired and bluetooth headphones on Samsung phones as the Samsung music app doesn't have enough juice to power high end phones or
headphones) and all I can say is that these earphones are amazing - they have brilliant sound quality for all kinds of music, podcasts and audiobooks - clear sound , deep bass and no distortion at all. I barely use half the volume setting on the Poweramp app when listening to these - can't understand why some reviewers state that they're not loud enough ( and I'm 60 years old) These little marvels are a lifesaver when I am using public transport - as soon as I turn them on I have a big smile every time due to the great sound quality and noise cancelling - I have many bose products and have never been disappointed.

Love them, love them so much because I gave them to my wife and now she doesn’t have to watch me use mine and be jealous!

I've been using this product for 2 years, and before that I had Bose's noise cancelling over-ear headphones. I am truly impressed by the sound quality and the ability to cancel noise, be it airplane/train/cry-baby/snoring/people chatting, I can totally concentrate with music when the noise cancelling mode is on.

I get slightly annoyed by the position of the noise cancelling control device on the wire as it hangs out in an embarrassing length when I put my phone in the jeans' front pocket. Now that iphone doesnt have 3.5mm jack I have to attach a lightening connector to the jack which is extra annoying. But it's Apple's fault not Bose.

The silicon sleeve (with bose logo embossed) that covers the control fell off after 1.5 years, now the control is naked hard plastic, which is still acceptable.

I have very small ear ,the small size of StayHear silicon ear piece is still a bit big for me. my ear can feel the pressure after wearing the earphones for a long time.

I’ve had my Bose in ear headphones since feb 2016.
I love then. They’re small, easy to fit in a bag, come wrapped in its zipped pouch, cuts airline noise beautifully, clear sound for music, speaking, singing. I am now an audible user and I download to my phone and listen via my Bose headphones. I sleep comfortably with them in my ears each night. I haven’t had to replace my tips. It’s easy to charge on planes on those long haul flights to the UK
For the amount of time I have used mine and the satisfaction they give, they’re cheap. I’d certainly buy again. I have a white ones, a mate bought the black ones. That way they don’t get mixed up.

After 14 months use the noise cancelling switch on the battery failed. I know the battery is charged BUT the noise cancelling switch just clicks backwards and forwards and nothing happens.
I've ended up with a VERY expensive set of earbuds of dubious sound quality.

It has the best battery life I've ever experienced in terms of earbuds, bluetooth or not. But over time, I experienced a low buzz whenever I connected the earbuds to anything that wasn't a phone. It for certain wasn't the actual earbud, but I suspect it may just be a strange interaction with the stronger power source such as a laptop or desktop. The most interesting thing is, if I ground myself to whatever it's plugged into, the buzzing stops.

Sound quality is average, but a bit bass heavy. The earbuds are probably one of the most comfortable I've ever worn.
Another complaint I would have is probably the fact that the battery is real bulky. I guess there's not much to do about that, either have a short battery life or be bulky.

Even though I was worn at the Bose store, I purchased these for use under my helmet while riding a motorcycle. Their ability to cancel road, wind, engine, and other low frequency buffeting noises exceeded my expectations. I compared them to Etymotic ER4 and 30db ear plugs. The Etys stock out too far out of the ear for comfortable helmet use, but their sound quality was superior. I’d give the Bose 5 stars, but sound quality wasn’t awesome (just good), the battery isn’t replaceable, and their sound isolation isn’t great. They made a good product, why not allow for a snug fit inside the ear canal? FYI - I stuffed the mic section into my helmet and made a phone call. It was amazing. I could speak softly at 65 mph and the other person said it sounded like I was using a car Bluetooth system. I tried using them on a lawn tractor, but they did not perform well. They couldn’t handle the noise level and lack of sound isolation was poor. Offer a replacement battery and fix the ear fitment and you’ve got a perfect product.

Even though I was warned at the Bose store that they weren’t designed for such use, I purchased these for use under my helmet while riding a motorcycle anyway. Their ability to cancel road, wind, engine, and other low frequency buffeting noises exceeded my expectations. I compared them to Etymotic ER4 and 30db ear plugs. The Etys stuck too far outside the ear for comfortable helmet use, but their sound quality was far superior. I’d give the Bose 5 stars, but sound quality wasn’t awesome (just good), the battery isn’t replaceable, and their sound isolation isn’t good. They made a good product, why not allow for a snug fit inside the ear canal? FYI - I stuffed the microphone section into my helmet and made a phone call. It was amazing. I could speak softly at 65 mph and the other person said it sounded like I was using a car Bluetooth system. I tried using the active noise canceling on a lawn tractor, but they did not perform well. They couldn’t handle the noise level and lack of sound isolation was poor. Offer a replacement battery and fix the ear fitment and you’ve got a near perfect product.

The sound quality on these is decent, the noise cancelling works really well in very specific circumstances, and the earphones are well made. But there are some serious design flaws:

1. The large battery pack is right by the headphone socket, so if you try to put your phone or device into your pocket it gets caught on the battery pack and yanks the earphones out of the socket.

2. The earphones cancel a certain type of noise very well - mid/low frequency rumbles like airplane noise. But other types of noise are still very audible, particularly someone speaking nearby. The noise cancelling has no effect on this.

3. A well documented problem is the popping, which is particularly bad on trains - whenever another train passes, whenever the noise of the train is particularly loud, whenever the doors open and close there is a loud and disturbing pop.

4. The earbuds are slightly elongated vertically, which makes all three sizes fit slightly too loosely in the ear. It also means that earbuds from other headphones won't fit these ones, so you can't swap them for ones that do fit.

These made my flight from Toronto to Edinburgh much more enjoyable. Whether watching Netflix or sleeping these did a great job of almost eliminating aircraft noise and were very comfortable. I’ve used them for about 10 hours so far on the first charge.

After only using the headphones on 10 trips, the light indicator is green and says it is fully charged, yet when unplugging the device and using the switch to turn on noise cancelling there are no lights. Very disappointed for the price point and the number of uses. They did work great when they worked properly.

I bought it about a year ago. I love it and use it every day. Sadly, someone stole them from me last week. I'm literally distraught. These headphones are a big part of my life.

The adapter part of the headphone broke easily. Bose charges too much money for their products with cheap parts. Sounds good but you can't hear if it's broken.

I used It during my flights and the sound is quite good...

I have been complaining about bose headphones for a number of years now but looks like this hasn't been fixed yet. I first tried their in ear headphones back in 2014 and noticed immediately that the volume is not loud enough.

I must admit, their noise cancellation is one of the best and above par. However, they need to improve sound quality. Add some bass, more treble and most of all more loudness

I bought these 5 months ago. I use them mainly when commute. Whenever a bus goes over a bump the headphones produce a crackling noise. Quite uncomfortable noise. Wish I had used them more. Would have returned them on time. It never happened with another pair I have for my Samsung phone. To add, the same headphones for Samsung phone sit comfortably in my ears and stay there. The Apple version keep falling out. Overall the old pair is much better than the new ones.

I bought these headphones for doing field work, where I'm often on noisy boats and planes. The noise cancelling is amazing, they work great, and are comfortable and most headphones don't fit my ears. My only complaint is that I bought them in 8/2017 and they only lasted until 4/2019, at this time I only have sound in one ear. They did offer me $50 off a replacement pair.

I love Bose headphones, I have these for when I travel on planes and cannot use the Bluetooth. My only criticism is that, since the headphones are made specifically for either Apple or non-Apple products, the Apple-friendly headphones should have the Apple cable. Having to us the Apple adaptor sucks. Otherwise, I don't have any issues with these headphones.

I've had these headphones for almost a year. The noise cancelling feature allows me to feel isolated without distracting noises, like screaming children.

These are simply the best cancelling headphones you can buy. Yes, they are expensive, but worth it. Most comfortable earbuds EVER. You can sleep with these buds in your ears. Only concern, be mindful when fold them back in the case, the wiring can fray.

The internet is full of stories of the headphone jack breaking due to poor design. Bose refuse to repair or replace. Do yourself a favour and avoid this product.

I've had these earbuds for about 2.5 years now. I love the way the ear piece fits in the ear, I have small ears so I was happy they came with 3 sizes to choose for the earpiece- small, medium, large. These stay in when I am working out, hiking, or jogging, which is a must for me.
I am very sensitive to noises when I fall asleep, so the noise cancelling function paired with white noise or ASMR works like a dream.
About a year ago, I accidentally put these babies through a full washer AND dryer cycle, and they are STILL fully functioning!!! Sound is still great, noise cancelling still works. Would highly recommend these earbuds.

Finally! A pair of earphones that stay in my ears and have amazing sound, oh, and not to mention they are extremely comfortable for long hours. When working out, cleaning, working or simply relaxing I don’t have to constantly adjust them; no ear aches either.

The noise cancellation is very good with extremely good battery life! I went for a few runs outside during prime traffic hours (don’t worry the sidewalk and highway are separated by trees, so I don’t have to be on high alert.). Five minutes into my run I turned on noise cancellation and was amazed how the busy world around me came to abrupt silence. Noise cancellation really focuses you into whatever task you’re doing. It’s just you, your music and your task. Shoot, I even enjoyed noise cancellation without the music, despite the slight hiss you hear when music isn’t playing. Noise cancellation is so enjoyable I now can’t go to work without these earphones. Sometimes at work I sit right next to a portable A/C unit so all day I hear constant blowing. I never realized I heard that blowing until I shut on noise cancellation and voila, it was gone.

Now everything isn’t perfect with these earphones. My only complaint is the battery unit. It tends to get in the way. Especially, when taking your phone in and out of your pocket. My fear is that with time the battery and cord will develop a shortage from the constant pulling and bending you take it through. Also, when I put my phone into my workout sleeve I have to take an extra few minutes to organize my phone and earphone's battery into the sleeve. This gives me the impression that Bose didn’t design these earphones for a lot of moving activity. You may want to consider an alternative if you’re really active and sweat a lot. If you don’t mind the being a little careful then you should be ok.

Overall, I highly recommend these earphones. I don’t find them to be overhyped even with the steep pricing point. You definitely get what you pay for!

I purchased these about 2-3 years ago, after owning 1 pair prior to that. After about 3 months, the rubber film encasing the batter and power module started to peel off, then a month later the entire module opened and split open. I sent one pair back, they sent me another, and the same exact thing happened. The volume controls don't work properly nor does the talk/mute button. A waste of money for something that costs a fraction of what it costs to build it.

Pros: not wireless (safe), good noise cancellation
Cons: 1) earbuds too big for my ears and difficult to insert and caused a lot of pain in just a few hours. 2) wire twists up to your chin and impossible to untwist it. 3) don't like the color (black/blue), very masculine looking, I wanted white which is not available anymore.
Overall: Due to pain will definitely return ASAP and I'm disappointed that it wasn't designed for females in mind.

the tips don't fit very securely, therefore sometimes a pair of good "noise isolation" headfones cuts out the sound better

however, they cut out most voices including my annoying neighbour
which was the purpose, so i might use them again just for this

i recommend that bose looks at a pair of "panasonic ergo" headfones and JVC marshmellow to see how to build a great shaped set of headfones

that style of headfones + noise cancelling would be perfect

I've had these headphones for nearly 4 years now (I have the original ones) and I've convinced many friends to get their own. Overall, these are amazing and make flying and commuting so much more enjoyable.

My only complaint is that the rubberized cord is tearing at bottom of the power pack and where the cord connects to the jack. I've tried to keep these headphones in excellent condition and always use the case, so this is disappointing. I suppose it's considered "wear and tear" but I would have hoped my $300 headphones lasted longer than the headphones that came with my phone (and that I use daily and do not keep in a case). Otherwise, the noise-cancelling still works well, but I'm starting to hear some feedback which can be fixed if i wiggle the cord a bit. Hopefully they fix this issue in later designs.

I have had this just over a month now. The sound is fantastic, I have just used the noise cancelling feature on a flight. Unbelievable! I would highly recommend them and will definitely be buying another pair as a gift to a family member

We have the original over-head Bose noise cancelling headphones which are brilliant. I wanted the in-ear version for my daily train commute to block out conversations around me more than for listening to music. They don't work; I can hear conversations perfectly, they just sound more distant. Some days, the headphones regularly pop, which is uncomfortable. Music quality is ok, but I have to the turn the volume up high to block out sounds around me given the noise cancellation doesn't work. I've tried to get use to these, always make sure they're fully charged. I regret buying these. I'm just outside the 30-days ownership so stuck with them.

I've had these earbuds for about three months and I use them every day constantly,
pros:
-great sound quality
-the noise cancelling works really well
-the battery lasts for like 16 hours and takes not even 2 hours to fully charge
-if the battery dies they still work as normal earbuds
-fits comfortably and stays in
cons:
-the battery is a little annoying but after a while, you get pretty used to it
-pretty expensive

overall if you have the money and you use earbuds a lot and think you would use the noise cancelling a lot then go for it, but the only thing wrong with it after you buy it is the battery is annoying and you will get used to it but its always still irritating but I think its worth it

We have the original over-head style noise cancelling headphones, which are brilliant. I wanted the in-ear version for train commuting. Hugely disappointed. The noise cancelling doesn't really work - i can hear other people's conversations quite clearly, they just sound slightly more distant. On some journeys, the headphones frequently pop, which is uncomfortable. The noise cancelling unit is cumbersome and awkward relative to the overall size of the product. Sound is fine, but i have to turn the volume up quite high to hear well and block out external noise. I've tried getting used them but really don't like them. I'm now just passed the 30-day refund so stuck with them. I'll be putting them on eBay.

The sound cancelling capability is really great. Challenge is that the rectangular control device on the wire is close to where it plugs into the phone. This makes it tricky to place your phone in a pocket as the rectangle gets in the way and hangs up on clothing. It would be better if they could locate this farther up the wire. Ultimately I had to replace these earbuds because the wiring entering this control device became damaged inside the plastic coating. Customer service was great though and I was given a discount on the replacement.

I bought these as well as the QC35 as sometimes I am really trying to travel as light/compact as possible and the QC35 case is a little large. These are good, but nowhere near as good as the QC35 for noise cancelling. I can hear a lot more of the plane engine noise with my QC20s. I'd recommend spending the extra and getting the QC35 unless you really don't want to full headphones. The extra cost and inconvenience to carry a larger product yield much better noise cancelling ability.

Also, for Apple device it's annoying that you have to carry the extra dongle to convert these to a lightning connection. And once you're using them you need another dongle to charge at the same time. This is a lot of dongles, wires and connections. All things considered wireless is best, and the QC35s are the best game in town.

I already have the normal Bose earbuds and also the noise cancelling headphones which I just love to use when flying as they completely get rid of all that awful noise, it is unbelievable how quiet everything is, I tend to keep them on even when I’m not listening to anything.
I wanted something more compact to fit in my handbag and these fit the bill perfectly.
Great price and delivery and they work just as good as the headphones.

I bought these a month ago really for plane travel which I have not yet but the few times I have worn them they have been great. Noise cancelling took me a little time to get used to but have been on a couple of really full and noisy trains and it has helped me completely switch off. That are also really comfortable to wear compared to other headsets I have tried. Love them.