Review bose qc35 ii bose qc35ii image 2 black and silver quietcomfort 35 wireless headphones ii bose quietcomfort 35 ii qc35 299 dellBose Quietcomfort 35 Ii Review TechradarBose Quietcomfort 35 Ii Review The Already ExcellentBose Quietcomfort 35 Ii Vs Sony Wh 1000xm3 Face OffBose Quietcomfort 35 Ii Review The Already ExcellentBose Qc 35 Ii Vs. Apr 17, 2019 - What's so new about the Bose 35 Series II headphones? Release date. We already reviewed the Bose QuietComfort 35 so why are we.
If you want a top of the line pair of headphones, then you'll definitely want a pair that offer both wireless operation and active noise cancellation - which is no easy feat considering the issues that frequently arise around Bluetooth and audio quality.
Bose already offered a pair of such headphones (the impressive Bose QuietComfort 35), but with the increased importance of voice assistants, it's seen fit to update its flagship headphones with built in support for Google Assistant.
Enter the Bose QC35 II NC, the first pair of headphones in the world that integrate's Google's voice assistant.
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With Google Assistant onboard, you can simply press and hold a button to interact with Google without yelling, “OK Google.” The headphones will also read back notifications to you so you don’t have to dig in your pocket or bag for your smartphone.
The addition of the Google Assistant is appreciated - it is - but it comes at the expense of other, more useful features like auto play/pause or instant mute.
While the QC35 II NC remain a solid recommendation for travelers and commuters, a few nagging feature omissions that prevent it from being at the top of the pack, especially for the $350 (£330, AU$500) price it commands.
Design
The Bose QC35 II NC look exactly like the previous generation headphone save for the new Google Assistant button located on the left earcup. The headphones come in black or silver and its design is ... well, stiflingly generic. This makes them perfect for modest business class travelers, but less perfect for those who like their headphones to make an impression.
Also disappointing is its plastic build, which is nice for saving weight but feels extremely cheap especially compared to luxury headphones like the Master & Dynamic MW50, which bathes your head with lambskin leather and aluminum.
Thankfully, the plastic build doesn’t affect the headphone’s ability to take punishment as it feels very solid. The headphones also come with a hard case for traveling, which is nicer than the pouches that many headphone makers opt to include.
The plastic build does help the QC35 II NC in terms of comfort and we were impressed by just how comfortable the headphone was to use for extended periods. Although plastic doesn’t feel as nice as metal, it does wonders in weight savings which travelers will love on long flights.
The pads Bose use in the QC35 II NC are amazing, as they block out a ton of ambient noise even when noise cancellation is switched off. This is great if you want to preserve battery and listen with noise cancellation off.
Similarly, controls on the headphone are simple and effective: You have a power and pairing slider on the right earcup as well as buttons for volume up/down and playback. The left earcup houses just one button for Google Assistant, though you can remap the button to toggle noise cancellation levels using Bose’s Android or iOS app.
Features
Bose QC35 II specs
Form factor: Over-ear
Weight: 10.9 oz
Battery life: 20 hour(s)
Bluetooth Version: Bluetooth 4.1
Google Assistant is the Bose QC35 II NC’s headline feature and it works well for the most part. Throughout our testing, we were impressed by the speed and accuracy of Google Assistant and how well the headphones were able to pick up our voice even on a crowded train and coffee shop.
Before you power on the headphone for the first time, you’re prompted to download the Bose app for your phone as the headphone will require using the app for many features like toggling noise cancellation, remapping the Google Assistant button, updating firmware and more.
The app is simple and worked well though we suffered some connectivity issues from time to time on Android where the app wouldn’t detect our headphones. Restarting the app would fix this so hopefully Bose will continue working on its mobile app to be more stable.
Using Google Assistant with the Bose QC35 II NC works just like it would on Google Home. You can ask it to read headlines, add reminders, or myriad other questions. The Assistant will also read you your notifications as they come in, which is nice but may be redundant if you have a smartwatch already.
In short, the addition of Google Assistant is nice to have but is by no means the reason you should buy the Bose QC35 II NC: buy this headphone for its excellent noise cancellation, balanced sound, and incredible comfort.
Where Bose fall short is simple things like automatically pausing your music when you take off the headphones. There’s also no instant-mute feature like on the Sony WH-1000XM2 where you can put your palm over an earcup to hear what’s going on around you. This feature is a godsend to travelers who need the ability to hear the airport PA quickly. It’s disappointing Bose doesn’t include these features when the budget Plantronics BackBeat Pro 2 has both.
Performance
Bose’s forte is active noise cancellation and it shows with the QC35 II NC. Switching on noise cancellation is like walking into a quiet room after being on a busy city street. The headphone does an excellent job of drowning out everything from the rumble of a train, cars driving by and even voices.
There’s still some pressure we felt with noise cancellation turned on but it wasn’t bad. (However, those sensitive to noise cancellation pressure may not like them.) The headphones do an excellent job of blocking out ambient noise even with noise cancellation turned off, which is a testament to Bose’s earpad design.
In terms of sound, the Bose QC35 II NC is good, but not class leading. While tonal balance is relatively neutral with a slight mid-bass bump, the sound is somewhat soft when compared to competitors like the Sony WH-1000X M2 (previously the Sony MDR-1000X). This means dynamic range is a bit limited and makes for a somewhat dull presentation. Resolution is good but not great and sound stage is about average.
Most listeners will find the sound quality of the Bose great if taken in isolation. Audiophiles will want to go with the Sony WH-1000XM2 or Sennheiser Momentum Wireless 2 instead.
Battery life is rated at an excellent 20 hours with noise cancellation turned on and listening at moderate volumes. We found this rating to be spot on and you won’t have to worry about charging these headphones in the middle of a flight. However, the battery is not removable like the B&O Beoplay H9 so bring a microUSB charging cable and a battery pack just in case.
If you want to save some battery life, you can listen in wired mode with noise cancellation still on, which is a nice option to have. It’s annoying that Bose chose to use a 2.5mm to 3.5mm cable - which means finding a replacement won’t be as easy - but it's not a deal breaker by any means.
Verdict
Bose took the already-excellent QC35 and updated with Google Assistant. The headphone is identical in every way save for the new Google Assistant button. This means you still get the class-leading noise cancellation Bose is known for, good sound quality, and incredible comfort.
The Google Assistant works well on either Android or iOS and provides a similar experience to using a Google Home. The headphones will also read back your notifications, which may be redundant for smartwatch users. Google Assistant is nice to have but is by no means the reason you should buy this headphone.
Taken as a whole, the Bose QC35 II NC is an excellent headphone for travelers and commuters. Bose has found a good balance of features that will satisfy most mainstream listeners. Audiophiles will want to check out the Sony WH-1000XM2 or Sennheiser Momentum Wireless 2 instead.
- Don't miss our round-up of the best noise-cancelling headphones
Everyone struggles to get their own awesome pair of noise cancelling headphones. It’s exceptionally hard when you don’t have all the information in one place for a thorough comparison. To make it easier for you we gathered reviews for 3 competitively best noise cancelling headphones in the same price range – Bose vs Sony vs Bowers & Wilkins PX.
Sony WH-1000XM3
- Type:Over-ear
- Noise cancellation:Active
- Wireless: Yes
- Battery life:30 hours
- Price:$349.99
- Release date:August 2018
Ease of use: 5/5
The Sony WH-1000XM3 headphones have a USB-C, can pair with phones through an NFC chip and are fully controllable with swipes for playback and volume right on the earcup. Headphones are integrated with voice assistants like Amazon Alexa and built-in assistant of the paired phone.
Design: 5/5
The earcup material is soft and pleasant to touch. Earcups are deeper than the previous XM2 version and the headphones are quite lightweight. There are 4 microphones in total (2 on each earcup) for noise cancellation. The current design is fairly comfortable and does not look bulky on the head. There are two buttons controlling the Power, Bluetooth and Noise cancellation (On/Off; Ambient).
Noise Cancellation: 5/5
XM3 has Quick Attention Mode that allows you to tune back to the world noise without taking off the headphones. Another useful mode is Ambient mode that lets some specific noises like conversations reach to you. The new acquisition of HD Noise Cancelling Processor QN1 chip, the noise cancellation has improved to remove not only low-frequency but mid to high frequency noises as well.
Sound Quality: 4/5
These headphones provide the relative best quality at 660 kbps, even though LDAC allows high resolution audio streaming up to 990kbps. The sound quality works great for any devices since it has aptX and aptX HD support but they are exceptionally good with LDAC codec supporting devices.
The bass is heavy to the point where headphones can vibrate on your head. To tune down the bass or generally equalize the sound you will have to switch to SBC. The sound will still be decent in case of flat EQ.
The call quality isn’t phenomenal given the fact that you can sometimes hear yourself because of the built-in microphones piping audio back to the headphones. The voice sounds less accentuated and clear with the mic.
Little tip: If you are to have frequent calls with your laptop while wearing noise cancelling headphones you can get the Krisp – a noise cancellation application to remove background noise from both sides of the call. It can help you get rid of your and other speaking party’s noise with one click and will solve any call quality issues.
Bose QuietComfort 35 II
- Type:Over-ear
- Noise cancellation:Active
- Wireless:Yes
- Battery life:20 hours
- Price:$349.95
- Release date:October 2017
Source: bose.com
Ease of use: 4/5
Bose QuietComfort 35 II pair to your phone quickly and the connection strength works for up to 30 feet but can still get interrupted in a few meters once in a while. You can use Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa with one press of a button and there is a remapping option of Action button through the Bose Connect app. You can use it both for the voice assistant or noise cancellation control (High/Low, Off).
Design: 5/5
The headphones can be folded and are durable for carrying around. The seal is tight but doesn’t pressure your head. Despite all the buttons and the headphone jack, the only new thing that differs from the previous QuietComfort 35 version is the Google Assistant button. Overall, the look is quite minimalistic but has a plasticy feel.
Noise cancellation: 5/5
Bose QuietComfort 35 II offers almost as good noise cancellation as Sony WH-1000XM3, however it doesn’t have an instant mute or auto pause feature to help you get back to the world noises. You will have to physically remove the headphones to be able to hear the surroundings. Noise cancellation doesn’t remove every sound like conversations nearby you, but still provides you with smooth noiseless experience.
Sound quality: 4/5
Bose QuietComfort 35 II supports only AAC and SBC. This can be a drawback for Android users since Android supports LDAC, aptX and aptX HD. The bass is overly boosted, but the mid levels are clean. Overall there is fair amount of depths and details for music lovers but nothing more than that. Call quality is fair and is not affected by the Bluetooth connection strength.
Bowers & Wilkins PX
- Type:Over-ear
- Noise cancellation:Active
- Wireless:Yes
- Battery life:22 hours
- Price:$399.99
- Release date:October 2017
Design: 5/5
These headphones are prominent with their expensive leather design with relatively less padding. The headband lacks a bit of padding for more comfortable wear, however the overall look is quite subtle and the metal sides give a solid feel to the headphones. It will be easier to have short breaks after wearing the headphones for up to 2 hours to prevent recurring headaches.
Ease of use: 5/5
All the controls are on the right earcup including the power and volume controls and the Environment filter. These headphones have USB-C and the Bluetooth connection strength is fair. However, to be able to utilize all the features for the headphones you will have to download the application and enable your location.
Noise cancellation: 4/5
There are 2 noise cancelling features available in the application: Environmental filter(Office, City, Flight) and Voice Pass-through (Amplified, Natural, Default and Off). However these headphones don’t offer the best noise cancellation. Low frequency sounds are cancelled much easier than conversations happening around you.
There is an auto pause feature which can be triggered with a sensor as soon as your headphones move. You can choose the sensitivity through the headphone application.
Sound quality: 4/5
This is the only pair that isn’t very bass heavy. However it’s hard to distinguish any specific instrument in songs. Mid levels are relatively more audible and clear than high levels. Overall sound is warm and the headphones support aptX HD.
Final thoughts
All these noise cancelling headphones in the same price range excel in different features. So which one is it – Bose vs Sony vs Bowers & Wilkins?
- If you prefer comfortable long time wear, plain design with fair noise cancellation pick Bose QuietComfort 35 II.
- If you want exceptional sound quality and noise cancellation with easy intuitive controls and instant muting – Sony WH-1000XM3 is your pick.
- If your top priority is luxurious but subtle design with relatively less importance over sound quality and noise cancellation then go for Bowers & Wilkins PX.
If you struggle with your choice options our ultimate noise cancellation headphones guide is here for you.
Good luck on your journey of choosing noise cancelling headphones! ?