Scored using Headphones Methodology v1.0
Headphones Methodology v1.0
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Products in this category are evaluated mathematically under Frontumo Headphones Methodology v1.0 using verified laboratory benchmarks, technical specifications, and authentic consumer ratings with 0% commercial bias.
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Bose QuietComfort 15 Review | 93 Data compared

Avg. price:~£260Form factor:over-earConnectivity:wiredBattery life:N/A hoursActive noise cancellation (ANC):yes

Bose QuietComfort 15 Review: Compare 93 technical specifications and user reviews to see how this product ranks in the Headphones category and whether it is worth buying.

7.4

Overall score

Score
7.4/ 10
✕
What it is
An overall evaluation of the headphones' quality, based on technical analyses and user reviews.
When it matters
When you need a quick reference to identify the best headphones on the market.
Score distribution
▼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
Score components

80%

7.0

Technical score

20%

8.7

User score

▲Better than 81% of headphones
7.0

Technical score

Technical score
7.0/ 10
✕
What it is
An assessment of technical performance for products in the Headphones category across these key areas: Sound, Calls & Controls, Connectivity, Features, Battery, Design.
When it matters
When you want to compare headphones based on technical performance and available features.
Score distribution
▼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
Score components

52%

8.2

Sound

20%

4.4

Features

10%

8.2

Design

8%

4.3

Connectivity

6%

5.9

Battery

4%

9.4

Calls & Controls

▲Better than 77% of headphones
8.7

User score

User score
8.7/ 10
✕
What it is
A rating that combines user reviews and the total number of reviews received by the headphones.
When it matters
When you want to understand how headphones perform in real listening and how reliable they are in terms of comfort, audio quality, battery life, and long-term use.
Score distribution
▼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
Score components

70%

8.4

User ratings

30%

9.5

Number of reviews

Based on 7,930 buyer reviews from online shops.
How we calculate this
User ratings – average star rating across all shop listings, weighted by how many reviews each has, on a 1–10 scale.
Number of reviews – how many buyer reviews the product has, on a logarithmic scale; the 8% most-reviewed models in the category get 10.
▲Better than 86% of headphones
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Best rankings

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Technical Specifications of pair of headphones Bose QuietComfort 15

Technical score
Technical score
7.0/ 10
✕
What it is
An assessment of technical performance for products in the Headphones category across these key areas: Sound, Calls & Controls, Connectivity, Features, Battery, Design.
When it matters
When you want to compare headphones based on technical performance and available features.
Score distribution
▼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
Score components:

52%

8.2

Sound

20%

4.4

Features

10%

8.2

Design

8%

4.3

Connectivity

6%

5.9

Battery

4%

9.4

Calls & Controls

7.0
User score
User score
8.7/ 10
✕
What it is
A rating that combines user reviews and the total number of reviews received by the headphones.
When it matters
When you want to understand how headphones perform in real listening and how reliable they are in terms of comfort, audio quality, battery life, and long-term use.
Score distribution
▼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
Score components

70%

8.4

User ratings

30%

9.5

Number of reviews

Based on 7,930 buyer reviews from online shops.
How we calculate this
User ratings – average star rating across all shop listings, weighted by how many reviews each has, on a 1–10 scale.
Number of reviews – how many buyer reviews the product has, on a logarithmic scale; the 8% most-reviewed models in the category get 10.
8.7
Popularity
Popularity
9.5/ 10
✕
What it is
An indicator based on the number of reviews received by the headphones.
When it matters
When you prefer headphones that have already been chosen and reviewed by many other users.
Score distribution
▼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
Popularity:
Bose QuietComfort 15 has a popularity score of 9.5 points, which is higher than that of 88.8% of products in this category.
9.5
Value for money
Value for money
7.9/ 10
✕
What it is
An indicator that combines the headphones' overall rating with their cost.
When it matters
When you are looking for headphones that offer a strong balance of performance, features, and price.
Score distribution
▼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
Score components:

60%

7.4

Overall score

40%

9.2

Price

7.9
Active noise cancellation (ANC)
yes
Active noise cancellation (ANC)
yes
This pair of headphones supports active noise cancellation. 72.6% of headphones support active noise cancellation.
Driver type
dynamic
Driver size
40 mm
Driver size
40 mm
This pair of headphones uses a driver size of 40 mm, larger driver size than 28.6% of headphones and equal to 53.3% of headphones.
Number of drivers
1
Number of drivers
1
This pair of headphones uses 1 drivers, fewer drivers than 4% of headphones and equal to 96% of headphones.
Lowest frequency
20 Hz
Lowest frequency
20 Hz
This pair of headphones reaches a lowest frequency of 20 Hz, higher lowest frequency than 50.8% of headphones and equal to 47.3% of headphones.
Show more
Noise-canceling microphone
yes
Noise-canceling microphone
yes
This pair of headphones supports a noise-canceling microphone. 61.1% of headphones support noise-canceling microphones.
Can be used as a headset
yes
Can be used as a headset
yes
This pair of headphones is headset-ready, 84.8% is not. 15.2% of headphones can be used as headsets.
Number of microphones
4
Number of microphones
4
This pair of headphones has 4 microphones, more microphones than 88% of headphones and equal to 5.1% of headphones.
Boom microphone
yes
Boom microphone
yes
This pair of headphones includes a boom microphone. 86.5% of headphones have a boom microphone.
Microphone SNR
?
Show more
Connectivity
wired
Connectivity
wired
This pair of headphones supports wired connectivity, less flexible connectivity than 49.2% of headphones and equal to 50.8% of headphones.
Bluetooth version
N/A
Maximum Bluetooth range
N/A
Audio latency
N/A
Multipoint support
no
Multipoint support
no
This pair of headphones does not support multipoint. 30.6% of headphones support multipoint.
Show more
Ambient sound mode
no
Ambient sound mode
no
This pair of headphones does not offer ambient sound mode. 24.9% of headphones support ambient sound mode.
EQ support
no
EQ support
no
This pair of headphones does not support EQ customization. 23.2% of headphones support EQ.
Companion app
no
Companion app
no
This pair of headphones does not work with a companion app. 21.6% of headphones support companion apps.
Adjustable ANC levels
N/A
Voice assistant support
yes
Voice assistant support
yes
This pair of headphones supports voice assistants. 39.2% of headphones support voice assistants.
Show more
Battery life
N/A
Battery life with ANC
35 hours
Battery life with ANC
35 hours
This pair of headphones offers battery life with ANC of 35 hours, higher battery life with ANC than 54.9% of headphones and equal to 4.6% of headphones.
Charging time
N/A
Quick charge
no
Quick charge
no
This pair of headphones does not support quick charging. 33.1% of headphones support quick charge.
Battery capacity
N/A
Show more
Brand name
Bose
Form factor
over-ear
Weight
140 g
Weight
140 g
This pair of headphones weighs 140 g, lighter than 72.1% of headphones and equal to 0.7% of headphones.
Acoustic design
closed-back
Clamp force
2.2
Clamp force
2.2
This pair of headphones has a clamp force of 2.2, lower clamp force than 93.3% of headphones and equal to 2.1% of headphones.
Show more

Bose QuietComfort 15 vs the average pair of headphones

246810TotalDesignSoundBatteryConnectivityCalls & ControlsFeatures
  • Active noise cancellation
    Active noise cancellation (ANC)
    yes
    This pair of headphones supports active noise cancellation, the average pair of headphones does not. 27.5% of headphones support active noise cancellation.
  • Clear call microphone
    Noise-canceling microphone
    yes
    This pair of headphones offers a clear call microphone, while the average pair of headphones does not. 39% of headphones support noise-canceling microphones.
  • 35.8% lower weight
    Weight
    140 g
    This pair of headphones is lighter than the average pair of headphones (140 g vs 218 g). The average pair of headphones weighs 218 g.
    140 g vs 218 g
  • AptX Lossless support
    aptX Lossless
    yes
    This pair of headphones supports aptX Lossless, the average pair of headphones does not. 4.8% of headphones support aptX Lossless.
  • On-device controls
    On-device controls
    yes
    This pair of headphones includes on-device controls, the average pair of headphones does not. 46.8% of headphones support on-device controls.
  • 2.1 lower clamp force
    Clamp force
    2.2
    This pair of headphones has a lower clamp force than the average pair of headphones (2.2 vs 4.3). The average headphones have a clamp force of 4.3.
    2.2 vs 4.3
  • In-line controls
    In-line controls
    yes
    This pair of headphones includes in-line controls, the average pair of headphones does not. 36.6% of headphones support in-line controls.
  • 3 more microphones
    Number of microphones
    4
    This pair of headphones has more microphones than the average pair of headphones (4 vs 1). The average headphones have 1 microphones.
    4 vs 1
  • 61.6% more popular
    Bose QuietComfort 15 is more popular than the average pair of headphones (9.49 vs 5.9).
    9.49 vs 5.87
  • 8.9% higher user score
    User score
    8.7/ 10
    ✕
    What it is
    A rating that combines user reviews and the total number of reviews received by the headphones.
    When it matters
    When you want to understand how headphones perform in real listening and how reliable they are in terms of comfort, audio quality, battery life, and long-term use.
    Score distribution
    ▼
    ▼
    <55-66-77-88-99-10
    Bose QuietComfort 15
    the average pair of headphones
    Bose QuietComfort 15 has a higher user score than the average pair of headphones (8.71 vs 8.000).
    8.71 vs 8
  • 35.8% lower weight
    Weight
    140 g
    This pair of headphones is lighter than the average pair of headphones (140 g vs 218 g). The average pair of headphones weighs 218 g.
    140 g vs 218 g
  • 2.1 lower clamp force
    Clamp force
    2.2
    This pair of headphones has a lower clamp force than the average pair of headphones (2.2 vs 4.3). The average headphones have a clamp force of 4.3.
    2.2 vs 4.3
  • Foldable design
    Foldable
    yes
    This pair of headphones has a foldable design, the average pair of headphones does not. 48.3% of headphones are foldable.
  • 0.49 m longer cable length
    Cable length
    1.69 m
    This pair of headphones offers a more useful cable length than the average pair of headphones (1.7 m vs 1.2 m). The average headphones have a cable length of 1.2 m.
    1.69 m vs 1.2 m
  • Active noise cancellation
    Active noise cancellation (ANC)
    yes
    This pair of headphones supports active noise cancellation, the average pair of headphones does not. 27.5% of headphones support active noise cancellation.
  • Removable battery
    Removable battery
    yes
    This pair of headphones has a removable battery, the average pair of headphones does not. 7.8% of headphones have a removable battery.
  • 5 hours longer ANC battery life
    Battery life with ANC
    35 hours
    This pair of headphones has a higher battery life with ANC than the average pair of headphones (35 hours vs 30 hours). The average headphones offer battery life with ANC of 30 hours.
    35 hours vs 30 hours
  • AptX Lossless support
    aptX Lossless
    yes
    This pair of headphones supports aptX Lossless, the average pair of headphones does not. 4.8% of headphones support aptX Lossless.
  • NFC pairing
    NFC pairing
    yes
    This pair of headphones supports NFC pairing, the average pair of headphones does not. 11.7% of headphones support NFC pairing.
  • Clear call microphone
    Noise-canceling microphone
    yes
    This pair of headphones offers a clear call microphone, while the average pair of headphones does not. 39% of headphones support noise-canceling microphones.
  • On-device controls
    On-device controls
    yes
    This pair of headphones includes on-device controls, the average pair of headphones does not. 46.8% of headphones support on-device controls.
  • In-line controls
    In-line controls
    yes
    This pair of headphones includes in-line controls, the average pair of headphones does not. 36.6% of headphones support in-line controls.
  • 3 more microphones
    Number of microphones
    4
    This pair of headphones has more microphones than the average pair of headphones (4 vs 1). The average headphones have 1 microphones.
    4 vs 1
  • Wind noise reduction
    Wind noise reduction
    yes
    This pair of headphones reduces wind noise, the average pair of headphones does not. 34.3% of headphones support wind noise reduction.
  • Boom microphone included
    Boom microphone
    yes
    This pair of headphones includes a boom microphone, the average pair of headphones does not. 13.5% of headphones have a boom microphone.
  • 1.2 % higher distortion
    THD (Total Harmonic Distortion)
    1.5 %
    This pair of headphones has a higher total harmonic distortion than the average pair of headphones (1.5 % vs 0.3 %). The average headphones have total harmonic distortion of 0.3 %.
    1.5 % vs 0.3 %
  • 2 Hz weaker bass extension
    Lowest frequency
    20 Hz
    This pair of headphones has a higher lowest frequency than the average pair of headphones (20 Hz vs 18 Hz). The average headphones reach a lowest frequency of 18 Hz.
    20 Hz vs 18 Hz
  • 8 mm tighter earcup width
    Earcup inner width
    36 mm
    This pair of headphones has tighter earcup width than the average pair of headphones (36 mm vs 44 mm). The average headphones offer an inner earcup width of 44 mm.
    36 mm vs 44 mm
  • 2.89x more expensive
    Bose QuietComfort 15 is more expensive than the average pair of headphones (£260 vs £90).
    £260 vs £90
  • Tangle-prone cable
    Tangle-free cable
    no
    This pair of headphones uses a tangle-prone cable, while the average pair of headphones is easier to manage. 64.2% of headphones use a tangle-free cable.
  • 7 older release date
    Release date
    2009
    This pair of headphones was released earlier than the average pair of headphones (2009 vs 2016). The average headphones were released in 2016.
    August 2009
    2009 vs 2016
  • 2.89x more expensive
    Bose QuietComfort 15 is more expensive than the average pair of headphones (£260 vs £90).
    £260 vs £90
  • 8 mm tighter earcup width
    Earcup inner width
    36 mm
    This pair of headphones has tighter earcup width than the average pair of headphones (36 mm vs 44 mm). The average headphones offer an inner earcup width of 44 mm.
    36 mm vs 44 mm
  • Tangle-prone cable
    Tangle-free cable
    no
    This pair of headphones uses a tangle-prone cable, while the average pair of headphones is easier to manage. 64.2% of headphones use a tangle-free cable.
  • 1.2 % higher distortion
    THD (Total Harmonic Distortion)
    1.5 %
    This pair of headphones has a higher total harmonic distortion than the average pair of headphones (1.5 % vs 0.3 %). The average headphones have total harmonic distortion of 0.3 %.
    1.5 % vs 0.3 %
  • 2 Hz weaker bass extension
    Lowest frequency
    20 Hz
    This pair of headphones has a higher lowest frequency than the average pair of headphones (20 Hz vs 18 Hz). The average headphones reach a lowest frequency of 18 Hz.
    20 Hz vs 18 Hz
  • 7 older release date
    Release date
    2009
    This pair of headphones was released earlier than the average pair of headphones (2009 vs 2016). The average headphones were released in 2016.
    August 2009
    2009 vs 2016

Video reviews

Hands-on testing, unboxing, and real-world video evaluations

Expert reviews

In-depth analysis and verdict from leading tech publications

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reviewed.com
21/05/2013
Summary of the review
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tomsguide.com
18/03/2014
Summary of the review
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soundandvision.com
18/08/2012
Summary of the review
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wired.com
01/12/2012
Summary of the review
C
cnet.com
21/08/2009
Summary of the review
C
connect.de
16/02/2011
Summary of the review
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hifitest.de
15/04/2013
Summary of the review
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computerbild.de
17/02/2014
Summary of the review
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avguide.ch
14/07/2010
Summary of the review
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avguide.ch
(Not listed)
Summary of the review
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i-fidelity.net
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dailymotion.com
12/01/2014
Summary of the review
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lesnumeriques.com
30/09/2009
Summary of the review
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lesnumeriques.com
23/12/2013
Summary of the review
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leclaireur.fnac.com
31/10/2012
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A
audiocasque.fr
17/12/2013
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lokan.fr
28/12/2012
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H
hifi.nl
13/09/2012
Summary of the review

Third-party reviews

Based on 7,930 buyer reviews from online shops.
Reviews last updated: June 2026 · How we calculate this

What we like about Bose QuietComfort 15

  • Industry-leading active noise cancellation (ANC), particularly effective for low-frequency engine rumbles on airplanes and trains
  • Exceptionally lightweight and comfortable design, suitable for multi-hour wear during long-haul travel
  • High-quality, balanced audio performance that provides clear vocals and crisp, well-managed bass for most genres
  • Includes a sturdy carrying case and specialized accessories like an airline adapter
  • Durable build quality with removable/replaceable ear cushions and audio cables to extend product life

What we don't like about Bose QuietComfort 15

  • No passive audio mode; the headphones will not output any sound if the battery is dead or if ANC is turned off
  • Dependent on a single AAA battery rather than a built-in rechargeable unit
  • Audible 'hiss' or high-frequency noise from the ANC circuitry that can be distracting in very quiet environments
  • Reported pressure on the eardrums (often described as an 'underwater' feeling) caused by the active noise cancellation
  • Thin proprietary audio cables that can feel fragile and may be expensive to replace

Verdict

The Bose QuietComfort 15 is a premier wired, over-ear active noise-cancelling headphone designed primarily for travel, featuring a lightweight 190g plastic frame with plush memory foam ear cushions for extended comfort. It operates on a single AAA battery providing approximately 35 hours of use and delivers a frequency response of 20Hz–20,000Hz through dynamic drivers, producing a warm sound profile with clear highs and punchy, emphasized bass. Main pros include its industry-leading noise isolation, superb long-wear comfort, and the inclusion of a detachable cable with an inline remote for iOS devices alongside a durable hard carrying case. However, notable cons include its inability to play any audio once the battery is depleted or the noise-cancelling switch is off, a recessed midrange that may not satisfy audiophiles, and a proprietary cable connector that complicates third-party replacements.

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