Bose first introduced noise canceling products for pilots, then later released their best-selling Quiet Comfort line of consumer headsets. But now several companies such as newcomer Able Planet are entering the high-end market.
I recently had a chance to compare the new Able Planet Clear Harmony Linx Audio headset to Bose's latest offering, the Quiet Comfort 3. Initially, they are quite similar.
Both units come packaged in clamshell-like cases that zip shut, and both allow the headset speakers to pivot 90 degrees to allow them to lie flat, making them a bit easier to take on the road. Both units have cords that can disconnect from the headsets themselves. One feature that the Bose product lacks is a volume control on the cord. The Able Planet unit has such a control, but it is of the slider type and not the more precise rotary type.
The Able Planet product uses a pair of double-A batteries that must be changed by removing a panel in one earcup. By comparison, the Bose unit has a rechargeable battery that slides easily out of one cup and plugs into an included charging unit. Bose claims 20 hours of listening time per charge. In my test, the Able Planet headset was still going strong on its original batteries after two long plane rides and some additional at-home listening.
Another major difference between the two units is the design of the cups themselves. With the Quiet Comfort 3, Bose has moved from an over-the-ear design to an on-the-ear one. I usually prefer over-the-ear designs, finding them to be more comfortable since they don't apply as much pressure to the earlobe. The Quiet Comfort 3 design, however, is very light and was almost unnoticeable when worn. The material of the cups is also very pleasant to wear; clearly Bose is trying to justify the Quiet Comfort name. The Able Planet headset is an over-the-ear variety, and was also very comfortable, but a bit heavier than the Bose.
Still, at the end of the day, what counts is audio quality. Both units did an admirable job of canceling outside noise, although neither provided a totally silent environment. It was clear that slightly different parts of the audio spectrum were leaking through with each unit, making it hard to determine an overall winner. The subjective call, however, goes to the Bose, though not by much.
Canceling noise is useless if sound quality is lousy. I listened to both music and spoken text samples on the headsets to judge the quality of the audio. Again, both headsets did a good job, although the Able Planet unit's sound quality did have a few warts. Heavy bass tended to be a bit more thuddy than with the Bose, and the spoken text samples had a "crunchy" high end. The Bose product had a more pure, natural sound with all samples.
Bose has owned the high-end noise canceling market for years and, with features like a rechargeable battery and better overall sound, the Quiet Comfort 3 still is a better choice than the Able Planet Linx Audio, even though it costs US$50 more.
Bose Quiet Comfort 3, $349.00, www.bose.com
Able Planet Clear Harmony Linx Audio, $299.99, www.ableplanet.com