BOSE Quiet Comfort 3

It was only a few days ago that we reviewed the Genius Noise Cancellation headphones, and waxed eloquent on opportunities for cheap makes in the market. What we have here now is the baap of them all, perched on the opposite end of the spectrum. Bose's Quiet Comfort series is the epitome of luxury with (alas) not much value for money. The new Quiet Comfort 3, however, shows some promise – but comes with a steep bill as expected.

In the QC 3 you will instantly see Bose's desire to make a more compact headgear while improving on their erstwhile inadequate attempt at noise canceling. These headphones are small, and are bundled with two proprietary rechargeable batteries which fit into the top of the right headphone can. And they do enable a whole new experience in noise reduction.

This time around, the QC 3 headphones come with an 'on-the-ear' design, and although we're not big fans of this form factor, we must admit that this one is surprisingly comfortable, mainly due to the soft foam pad covered by some material that reminds one of leather. The urge to take them off after 45 minutes is missing in the QC 3. Your ears don't feel as if they have just returned from battle, though they are a little hot due to the material of the exterior pad.

We'd have preferred disposable AAA batteries; but the QC 3 comes with proprietary batteries, which means you have to carry the charging kit wherever you go. If your batteries go dead while you are on a long journey, you've had it!

We didn't like the fact that the pair deploys only active noise cancellation. This means that you need to keep noise cancellation switched on at all times if you have to listen to music. So keep them charged before you set out.

To supplement a good musical experience, the 'big box' (literally) comes with an assortment of different charging plugs, a carry bag that can accommodate the extra battery, among other things. A gold-plated 3.5mm to 5.5mm converter is also bundled.