Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

After using the QC15 for five years--and as a Million Miler they served me extraordinarily well--for some reason I felt it was time for an "upgrade." I replaced the ear pads on the 15's--which, given their overall condition rendered them "brand new" (I take care of my stuff)--and gifted them to my daughter. I then ordered the QuietComfort 25. After two weeks of use, including a week on a long overseas trip, my brief observations and impressions of the QC25 are as follows: - Pro: The case is very attractive and slightly more compact than the QC15, with a nifty holder for the airplane adapter a spare battery. - Pro: The zipper construction is clean and sturdy, and probably will provide years of use without problem. - Pro: The battery seems to last about the same amount of time as it did on the QC15, but when the battery goes dead you can still hear your music. - Pro: Folding the headphones to fit into the compact case is easy, and the hinges work without binding. - Pro: They sound as good, if not modestly better, than the QC15. (Non-HiFi but good enough for Road Warrior use.) - Pro: The noise reduction seems comparable to the QC15. - Pro: The inline pause/start and volume control works great with my iPod and iPad. - Pro: They are comfortable, but... - Con: They are not as comfortable for long wear (8+ hours) as the QC15. I can't explain why, they just aren't. - Con: Without any input and the cable disconnected--i.e., just using them to cancel outside noise--there is a slight background hiss that I never experienced with the QC15. - Con: The QC25 "feels cheaper" than the QC15. I can't explain why, particularly given the construction of both is plastic. - Con: From the very first use, when jiggling the cable I experienced a "dirty connection" clicking in the headphones. After two weeks of use this went completely bad, leaving me without audio, and and the device jack (opposite the end that plugs into the headphone) appears to be broken below the plastic housing. Additional Comments In my opinion, the overall cheaper feel to these phones and the problem with the cable is a margin-preservation effort (a.k.a. cost-cutting). The cable connector design in particular is clearly inferior to the that of the QC15. I've attached a photo that shows the difference, which can be summed up with two points: (1) The QC25's more rigid connector stress-relief sheath, coupled with the 90-degree connector structure, puts more stress on the connector itself than the non-90 degree angle and more flexible stress-relief sheath of the QC15. (2) The connector base of the QC25 is "on the cheap" compared to the robust connector base of the QC15. Sorry, Bose, but I'm sending these back. Cutting corners will bite you every time. Perhaps my daughter will let me borrow her QC15's....