Bose is at the leading edge of noise-canceling headphones and they have been for quite a while. Their earlier models of the QuietComfort were a huge success despite their costly price. Their latest model, the Bose QuietComfort 3, has some added improvements over previous models. It’s a little smaller and has a few new adjustments, but it still has a rather costly price tag at around $350.

The Bose QuietComfort 3s feature the same fold-flat design as the QuietComfort 2s and have noise-canceling circuitry that’s built into the headphones themselves, not a little box incorporated into the cord. They also come with a protective carrying case that’s a little smaller than the one that ships with the QuietComfort 2s, as well as a two-prong adapter for plane travel and an extra bit of cord that extends the length of the headphones.

Aside from the more compact earpieces, one of the big differences between the two headphones is the inclusion of a proprietary lithium-ion battery with the new model. That’s a nice plus–the battery slips out of the headphones and into a compact travel charger that fits right into a wall socket, obviating the need for annoying wires or cables. Bose says you’ll get about 20 hours of battery life before you need to juice up–and you must have the battery charged to actually hear your music or movies. While backup batteries are available for $50 each, you won’t be able to pop in a standard AAA cell like you can with the QuietComfort 2s. However, the charger fits snugly in the headphones’ carrying case, and you can purchase additional chargers compatible with international voltage requirements.

The QC3 headphones are tightly packed into a semi-hard case with strap, along with accessories and audio accouterments, all with gold ends, of course. Everyone knows the importance of gold ends when using audio equipment. They are shiny. Besides the headphones, you get:

• custom lithium-ion battery that is expensive to replace
• wall-socket battery charger
• 4.5 ft. audio cord with a 3.5 mm plug on one end, and a smaller plug of some indeterminate size that connects to the headphones, so you are screwed if you lose the cord
• 5 ft. audio extension cord
• 1/4 in. stereo adapter plug
• dual-plug adapter for interfacing with high-fidelity audio systems found on airlines
• minimalist user manual
• business card holder and 10 courtesy cards, so you can pimp headphones for Bose on your own time

The SoundDock is Bose’s attempt to impress iPod owners who are looking for a convenient docking solution without sacrificing style and sound.  Among casual consumers, Bose represents assured quality without the need to know the technical tidbits behind the scenes.  In a way, it’s the perfect match for the iPod:  simplicity over customizing.  To audiophiles, Bose is an overpriced alternative with comparatively mediocre sound.  If you are an audiophile, chances are you use MP3s solely for the portability and convenience factors.  But for those reasons, even audiophiles may want to give the SoundDock a try.Compared to other speakers you can hook up to your iPod, two things about the SoundDock stand out. Firstly, it’s a lot more expensive than many of its peers. Secondly, the main and only speaker is big and weighty, measuring 29.8 x 16.6 x 16.2cm and weighing 2.1kg. There are reasons for both. The first is because Bose is Bose and, like Apple, everything it makes doesn’t come cheap. The second is because the sound the model produces from this large speaker is very loud, very clear and very good.

On-board controls are thin on the ground. True to the minimalist styling, there’s a volume selector on the front, and that’s it. The back of the SoundDock sports a connector to allow you to hook it up to a Mac or PC. Unlike Altec Lansing’s iM3 iPod speaker set, the SoundDock doesn’t feature an additional input socket for a secondary source.The SoundDock is compatible with any iPod that has a dock connector. We tested it with the Video iPod 5G and an iPod mini and each fit fine and worked well. Bose includes two additional dock adaptors to ensure a good fit, and a matching IR remote that controls power, volume and track playback. The Bose do not use batteries but rather AC and a large AC brick power supply is included in the box. The SoundDock will charge your iPod while it’s in the dock. There are volume controls on the SoundDock as well, though those lack tactile feedback and we found ourselves using the remote even when in arm’s length of the speakers. The speakers are magnetically shielded so they won’t distort the image on nearby TVs or computer monitors.

The Bose QuietComfort 3s are indeed significantly smaller their predecessors, and they feature an on-ear (supra-aural) rather than the over-the-ear (circumaural) design of the QuietComfort 2s. Impressively, the earpieces employ a cushy memory foam that conforms to your ears nicely, and they do a better job than you’d think of passively shutting out noise, unlike most on-ear models, which tend to let in–and leak out–a fair amount of sound. The headphones are very comfortable, but because the deliciously soft leather pads are pressed right up against your ears, the newer models are going to feel steamier if you wear them in warmer environments. They’re probably not the best choice for workouts.

The headphone carrying case is similar to the QC2 case, but slightly smaller - about 3/4 of an inch less wide and less tall, and 1/2″ less thick. Frequent travelers who already have a way too full carry on bag of road warrior gadgets will appreciate this slight reduction in size.

The Bose QuietComfort 3s feature the same fold-flat design as the QuietComfort 2s and have noise-canceling circuitry that’s built into the headphones themselves, not a little box incorporated into the cord. They also come with a protective carrying case that’s a little smaller than the one that ships with the QuietComfort 2s, as well as a two-prong adapter for plane travel and an extra bit of cord that extends the length of the headphones.

Inside the headphone carrying case are the headphones themselves, plus the detachable connector cord that goes between the headphones and any music source, the battery recharger, and a gold plated adapter to convert between the two prong plugs required by some airline seats and the regular plug on the connecting cord. There is also a business card holder with ten business card sized advertisements for the QC3 - Bose hope you’ll choose to pass these on to admiring fellow passengers.

One of the best things about the QUIET COMFORT 3 is the range of bundled accessories. In addition to the spare battery and charger, there’s a full range of power adaptors for Europe, America and Asia. There’s also an adaptor for in-flight audio systems that use the dual plug system and a 6.3mm adapter for HiFi equipment. A handy hard-shelled case holds all the paraphernalia together. There’s even a pack of courtesy cards to hand out to fellow travellers advising of whom to contact should they wish to buy a pair. Now that’s good marketing.