<p>Remarkable noise cancellation finds its way into another entrant to the QuietComfort series of earphones from Bose<br><br>by Mala Bhargava<br><br>Istill remember sampling the very first QuietComfort set of earphones. I was sitting in at a demo with them in my ears, when I felt a startling strong vibration everywhere, including the chair I was sitting in. I looked around in horror and couldn’t see or hear any reason for the powerful vibration. I pulled out the earphones and to my shock, the sound was of an oncoming train — but on a huge loudspeaker.<br><br>I couldn’t understand how it was I wasn’t able to hear it. The new QuietComfort 20 (often just called QC20) retains that remarkable noise cancellation that makes it possible not to hear even an oncoming train. Or the air conditioner right next to you. Or, when the music is on, not even the television blabbing loudly. For this, you have to switch on the acoustic noise cancellation because you can also listen without that — with a bit of a reduction in volume and some subtle change in the “intimacy” if I may use that word here, in the music. It seems to distance itself slightly.<br><br>The amazing thing is that you can hear, in the device’s “aware” mode, sounds like announcements at an airport or someone talking to you. But you do have to be in that mode or you can quickly get to it by touching a button on the inline controller.<br><br>The in-ear earphones have a signature soft jelly-like feel to them and are actually very comfortable and cushioned in your ear canal. For me, it wasn’t a fabulous fit but I may have small ears because that happens often with earphones. There’s a funny curved tip sticking out of the earbud to stabilise it and stop it falling out, but that doesn’t quite work with me. There’s another set in the box in case that works better for a user. Normal ears have nothing to worry about.<br>The QC20 comes in two variants — one for Apple devices, with more controls, and one for Android devices, though the box I got actually specified Samsung Galaxy phones.<br><br>There’s an inline controller in the usual place along the wire. This lets you control volume, on and off, and noise cancellation. It also has a mic for calls. Further down, right close to the 35mm jack, you have another controller and this also has the two-stage noise cancellation button and indicator lights.<br>Other than that, this thin, light, rubbery rectangle also houses the lithium ion battery. You can recharge using any USB cable though a nice short cable is given along with the product.<br><br>That little slab can be a bit of a nuisance as you figure out whether to put it into your pocket along with the phone or let it dangle, pulling on the wire.<br>The sound you get from the QC20 is fine. Not thrilling, but fine. It’s good for pop, rock and contemporary music. It has rich bass but I don’t find the highs and mids sparkling. But unless you go test with formal audio tests, the experience is really subjective. I find the sound good enough but not memorable.<br><br>The QC20 is really best for those who often have to contend with a lot of noise around. If not, there are plenty of other options. If you listen a lot where there’s noise of construction, machines, loud air conditioning, people and traffic in the street, noisy co-workers etc., and all that noise bothers you a lot, the QuietComfort 20 is worth your attention.<br><br>However, all this is available for a staggering Rs 25,200. <br><br>(This story was published in BW | Businessworld Issue Dated 05-10-2015)</p>
