Go for the quiet cars on trains — and if that’s not possible, pick a seat away from doors and bathrooms. On buses, you don’t want to strain to hear automated announcements and verbal calls for stops.

If Bose sticks to its usual release schedule, a new pair of headphones could come later this year. But are new headphones necessary when these are already so good?

The midrange QuietComfort headphones wonderfully highlight Bose's strengths without overly promoting the company's ...