Bose Over-Ear Headphones Review
Bose headphones offer a great combination of comfort, noise cancellation, and controls. They have good sound quality, a nice design, and can be used with all types of music.
The QC35 II Wireless is an upgrade from the previous model with enhanced noise cancellation and longer battery life. It also comes with a transparent mode that allows you to see your surroundings clearly.
Comfort
In a sea of loud, obnoxious headphones, Bose has carved out a niche for itself with high-end noise cancelling headphones. The headphones are highly praised by customers for their high-quality audio and natural sound. They can be worn while in the car or at home. If you frequently run long trips around town, these headphones will help you remain on track and protect your ears from the blaring sounds of city life.
A pair of over-ear Bose headphones is perfect for those looking to escape their surroundings and get lost in podcasts or music. These headphones feature high-end noise cancellation that blocks out the majority of outside sounds. This allows listeners to be completely focused on their listening experience. Certain Bose headphones allow you to alter the volume of noise cancellation to fit your surroundings. You can choose between two modes: Quiet mode that completely blocks out noise from outside, and Aware mode which allows you to be aware of your surroundings while listening to music.
These Bose headphones have a touch-screen interface on the right earcup that you can use to control playback of your music or make calls. Tapping twice on the touch area pauses or plays your music, and you can swipe upwards or downwards to alter volume. Swipe left or right to skip tracks and you can press down on the area of contact during a call to either accept or deny an incoming call. You can also make use of the Bose Headphones app to customize settings and change the equalizer.
The new Bose QC45 headphones are an upgrade from the company's previous top-of-the-line noise-cancelling headphones, the QC35 II. The QC45s have an extended ANC playtime and enhanced isolation through passive, as well as a refined sound signature. They also have a number of features for convenience, including auto-pause when headphones are removed, and multi-devices pairing.
The QC45s are a great option for anyone looking for an elegant set of wireless headphones for long journeys, commutes and working at the office. The carry case is a great solution to protect them when they are not in use. The battery can also be recharged to give you an additional amount of time for playtime.
Sound
Bose relies on gestures to control playback and phone calls instead of using many buttons. On the right ear cup, the capacitive touch zone will detect your index finger's taps and swipes. Double taps play or pause music, while tapping and holding will answer calls or block them. A single tap can skip tracks forward or backward and a swipe up can increase or decrease the volume.
After a few hours of practice, you will be able to control the headphones using your fingers without touching your device. However, if you'd like to modify your settings or control music using your phone in your hand you'll have to download the Bose Headphones App (iOS/Android). The app is easy to use and is sleek and clean in its appearance that matches the headphones. The app lets you adjust your noise-cancellation and choose between digital assistants, and even choose the amount of your own voice is heard during calls. The app can also help you manage your music as well as listen to podcasts.
The Bose NC700 does not have the same wireless audio streaming capabilities as our top-rated earbuds. However, they do come with built-in microphones to take and make phone calls. You can also connect them to headsets to play games with no hands or video chats. When they're full they can be used them with wired mode to listen to music or make calls.
Overall the Bose NC700 headphones are great with crisp and clear mid to high range, excellent bass response, and a large soundstage. The headphones' active noise cancellation is also top-notch that lets you listen to your music without being interrupted by ambient sounds.
The headphones are light and well-balanced. Their default sound profile can add a bit more thump, which in some genres may muddy vocals or instruments. If you want to change the Bose NC700's audio profile The app has an array of graphic EQ settings and presets to choose from.
Noise Cancellation
While Bose headphones have a long-standing history of ANC that is excellent, some recent models have been plagued by problems. The QC35 IIs, for instance, were affected by a firmware update which reduced their ANC. Even if they're not affected by this particular issue, Bose headphones can leak sound loudly.
That's why we were pleased to see that the new QC700s were significantly better at noise isolation. They're not quite as close to the ANC of Sony's 1000X series headphones but they're close enough to be happy with their performance.
In addition to their excellent passive isolation, the QC700s feature Bose's CustomTune system that calibrates their noise-canceling capabilities for your ears. A small chime is heard when the microphone in each ear cup is properly sealed. When that happens they create a virtual beam of audio that blocks out noise from the surrounding. There's a second set of six mics that can boost the sound if you're calling or using an assistant that is digital.
The QC700s are amongst the best active noise cancelling headphones available on the market. You can alter the ANC with the Bose Headphones App, and there are three preset ANC settings accessible through a physical button on the left earcup.
Despite not having many buttons, the 700s' touch controls work reasonably well once you get the grasp of them. Double-taps can be used to start and stop playing music, while swiping up and down regulate the volume. The right ear cup has a power/pairing button and a digital assistant button, and a double-tap on front of the headset also answers or rejects any call that comes in.
The touch zones on the ear cups can also detect finger taps and swipes. However, we found that this was often done accidentally, so it took time to develop muscle memories for the exact location of each feature. The headset is designed with a an elongated, slightly elevated design that makes it comfortable to wear throughout the day. The ear cups and the ear cups themselves are covered in soft fabric to ensure the perfect fit.
Controls
If you're looking for headphones with a minimal amount of buttons, the Bose NCH 700 are the ones for you. Its capacitive touch sensors enable users to control calls, music, and more with simple taps and swipes on the earcup's surface. You can also connect to Google Assistant or Alexa, and the controls function well once you've gotten used to them.
The headband is constructed of stainless steel and is soft to the touch. The earcups are connected to a steel pole that runs the length of the headphones, so you can slide them up and down to alter the to fit. This feature is great since it feels more natural and lets you adjust the fitting.
These headphones feature a superb noise cancelling system, and you can customize the level of transparency to hear the sounds around you. You can also turn on the conversation mode, which lets you to talk without over hear headphones having to remove the headphones. The volume on these Bose headphones is also excellent, able to ramp up and down as smoothly as people turning a huge analogue volume knob.
These Bose headphones are distinctive in a number of ways. SimpleSync technology is one of the features that makes these Bose headphones unique. It can be connected to the Bose Smart Soundbar, or Smart Speaker in order to play audio from a single source. Multi-device connectivity allows you to connect two devices simultaneously and switch between them as needed. The headsets also come with the status light that indicates whether the headset is connected to Bluetooth or powered on.
The Bose Connect App allows you to easily alter the settings of these headphones. Once you have installed the app, you can tap the Power/Bluetooth button to play or pause the audio, swipe your finger upwards or downwards to adjust volume and swipe forward or back to skip tracks. A double-tap on the headset stops or plays audio, while the long press responds or declines an incoming phone.
The app can be used to control other Bose devices, modify EQ settings and monitor the battery life. You can also connect the headphones to another device, and switch between them. This is a great feature for commuters.