Bose QuietComfort 2: or how my sanity was saved over the Pacific

I'm not exactly comfortable when I travel. Especially when it comes to flying on planes. The crowding, the vibrations and especially the noise are what send me into a near constant state of nervousness. When recently faced with traveling overseas to New Zealand, I decided the time had come to do something about one aspect of the trip that I could control -- the noise.

After hearing about these headphones being advertised, and after some poking about reading about them, I decided to spring for a pair of the Bose QuietComfort headphones as a means to make the noise level tolerable. The first problem to be solved was getting my hands on a pair. I was only able to find one source for the headphones in a direct retailer -- Brookstone's -- and then, it was only available as a catalog order. The other route was to order directly from the manufacturer. But I wanted to find a pair to try before I bought them. After some time, I was able to get a pair through the Bose company's outlet store in New York.

Taking them out of the packaging, I was faced with a pair of the headphones, several different adaptors and cords, a hard shelled carrying case, and a booklet of instructions and a quick-start card. Assembly was easy enough, simply open the compartment for the battery and slip it in, find the cord for the headphone to the all-purpose jack, and plug it in. If the headphones are planned for noise reduction only, just put them on without the cord and find the switch on the right earcup, and flip them on. If you plan on plugging them into your walkman or the airplane's audio system, then set the hi or lo setting for the audio.

After the first hour, I was stunned. The quality of noise suppression was remarkable. Music and dialog was clear and steady, with only a slight hum reaching me instead of the usual racket. The standard plug was useable on both the domestic and international portions of my flight, as well as my walkman, and headset light enough that it was hardly noticable. It was easy to turn the on/off switch without taking the headphones off. Finally, the storage was easy, with the earcups folding flat into the case, and room and a pocket for the cord and connector. A pocket on the back holds the instruction booklet in place.

The manual is simple and easy to understand, giving instructions for use and storage in several languages -- English, Danish, German, Spanish, French, Dutch, and Swedish -- along with the same languages used in the quick card. The drawings are very clean, and the instructions themselves free of jargon and technobabble. Each accessory and plug are clearly indentified. If more assistance is needed, there is a list of customer service numbers worldwide printed in the back of the booklet. A short troubleshooting guide is included as well as a list of cautions and a mention that there are specialty headphones available for aviation pilots.

These headphones are not cheap. Bose has set a standard price of 300$US and does not allow retailers to mark them down. It's a sizeable investment, but if you do a considerable amount of airline travel, or if you want the best quality sound for your music, then the cost becomes negiliable. Pitching out an extra ten percent of the overall cost of my ticket was a worthwhile investment in terms of my comfort and enjoyment of what turned out to be a grueling fourteen hour non-stop flight over the Pacific.