I was so glad to find these Bose QC2 headphones at such a good price. When I yell at my kid from downstairs he can not hear a word Im saying. All sound just as good as my wired headset did. The laces: I?m thinking the guys complaining about laces might be pulling a bit hard, they seem fine to me - then again, I?ve had them for just a week. Very athletic child. " Turns out that the OEM says they *are* vinyl, but I was expecting something more along the lines of vinyl decals / gaffers tape. Overall satisfied with it. Maybe its just me, but I had much higher expectations for a $100 pair of IEMs from such brand. Glue holds up great. na