Bose Debuts QuietComfort 3 Headphones
By Geoff Duncan
June 08, 2006
Bose has rolled its noise-canceling technology and high-fidelity audio experience into a set of lighter, on-ear QuietComfort 3 headphones.
Bose has rolled out a new set of noise-canceling headphones, incorporating the audio performance and noise reduction technologies from its previous on-ear headsets into a lighter, more comfortable and more portable design.
"We challenged ourselves when designing the QuietComfort 3 headphones," said Sean Garrett, general manager of the Bose Noise Reduction Technology Group. "We engineered new innovations to offer performance never before achieved in an on-ear headphone. The QC3 headphones represent our design intent, as well as our commitment to research."
Bose has increased effectiveness of the active noise reduction technologies in the QuietComfort 3 headphones in order to match the quality of noise reduction available in headphones which enclose the ear while still decreasing the overall size of the earcup. Bose also enhanced the ergonomic design of the headset so they're more comfortable for long-term listening, including a new kind of cushion made from a memory foam cell structure which offers support while serving as an acoustic component of the headphone.
The QuietComfort 3 headphones also incorporate active equalization technology and Bose's TriPort acoustic structure originally developed for aviation headsets—basically, small ports in the earcups enable enhanced low and low-mid range response without increasing the overall weight of the headphones.
The QuietComfort 3 headphones use a rechargable lithium-ion battery which offers roughly 20 hours of use, and users can disconnect the headphone cable to use the QuietComfort 3 headset purely for noise reduction. Adapters and an inline microphone are available for using the headset with selected mobile phones, and the earcups rotate to a flat storage position for storage.
Expect the QuietComfort 3 headphones to hit stores by the middle of June for a retail price of roughly $350.