Bose Over-Ear Headphones Review
Bose headphones offer a great combination of comfort, noise cancellation and controls. They are designed well and sound great and are suitable for any type of music.
The QC35 II Wireless is an upgrade over the previous model, with enhanced noise cancellation and 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 an area of its own with its premium noise cancelling over-ears. The company's headphones are loved for their comfortable fit and high-quality audio designed to sound natural and clear. They can be worn while on the go or sitting at home. These headphones are great for those who have to make errands around the city. They will keep you on track and shield your ears from the noise of the city.
Over-ear Bose headphones are perfect for those who want to get away from their daily routine and immerse themselves in music or podcasts. These headphones come with high-quality noise cancelling that eliminates all external noise that allow listeners to focus on their listening experience while tuning out the world. Some Bose headphones also have options to alter the amount of noise cancellation to match your environment. You can select between 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 feature a touch screen interface on the right earcup which you can use to control the playback of music or to make calls. You can alter the volume by simply swiping up or down, or tapping twice on the screen. You can swipe left or right to skip tracks and hold the area of the touch to 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 over the company's previous flagship noise-cancelling headphones, the QC35 II. The QC45s come with an extended ANC playtime and enhanced isolation through passive as well as a more refined sound signature. They also offer a range of convenience features, including auto-pause when headphones are removed and multi-device pairing.
The QC45s are the perfect option for anyone looking for a premium set of wireless over-ear headphones for long flights, commutes and working at the office. The carry case included is a great option to keep them safe while not in use, and the battery can be recharged to allow for even more hours of playtime.
Sound
Bose doesn't make use of physical buttons on their headphones and instead relies on gesture controls to control calls and playback. On the right earcup, the capacitive touch zone will detect your finger's movements and swipes. Double taps play or pause music while holding and tapping will answer calls or block them. A single tap can skip tracks back or forward, and a swipe up increases or decreases the volume.
After a few hours of practice, you'll be able navigate the headphones with your fingers without touching your device. However, if you want to customize your settings or control music with your phone in hand, you'll need to download the Bose Headphones App (iOS/Android). The app is simple to use and has a sleek, clean design that is in line with the headphones. The app lets you adjust your noise cancelling and choose between digital assistants, and select how much of you own voice will be heard during calls. The app also lets you manage your music as well as listen to podcasts.
While the Bose NC700 can't stream audio like our top-rated wireless earbuds, they do come with a built-in microphone that can make and receive calls. You can also connect them to headsets to play games with no hands or video chats. They can even be connected to a wired mode if they are not powered, allowing you to listen to apple over ear headphones music or making calls.
Overall the Bose NC700 headphones is a great sounding headphone. It has a vast soundstage, a crisp and clear mid-to-high range and an excellent bass response. The active noise cancellation feature of the headphone is also excellent and lets you enjoy your music without being distracted by ambient sounds.
The headphones are light and well-balanced. Their default sound profile can add some additional thump which can make instruments or vocals sound muddy. The app allows you to change the audio profile of the Bose NC700. It offers graphic EQ settings, as well as presets.
Noise Cancellation
Bose headphones are well-known for their excellent active noise cancellation. However certain of the latest models have had problems. The QC35 IIs, for example have been affected by a firmware update that reduced their ANC performance. Even when they're not affected by this particular issue, Bose headphones can leak sound loudly.
We were therefore delighted to see the new QC700s offer significantly improved noise insulation. They're still not as good as the ANC of Sony's 1000X series headphones however they're close enough to be pleased with their performance.
Bose's CustomTune system is able to calibrate the noise-canceling capabilities of the QC700s to your ears. A small chime is heard when the microphone in each earcup is sealed. When that happens they create a virtual beam of audio which blocks out any ambient noise. They also have a second set of six microphones that can amplify your voice when you're on a call or cuing up a digital assistant.
The QC700s are among the top active noise cancelling headphones on the market. You can adjust the ANC through the Bose Headphones app, and you'll also find three preset ANC levels that can be adjusted using an programmable physical button on the left ear cup.
The 700s' touch controls are easy to use once you've got familiar with them. A double-tap starts and stops playing music, while swipes up and down control volume. The right earcup features the power/pairing button, as well as a digital assistant button, and a double-tap on front of the headset responds to or rejects any call that comes in.
The ear cups' touch areas can also detect your finger taps and swipes, although we found that fingers are often accidentally detected, so it takes a while to develop muscle memory for the location of each function. The headset is designed with a an elongated, slightly elevated design that allows it to be comfortable to wear throughout the day long. The ears and earcups themselves are covered with soft fabric to ensure the perfect fit.
Controls
The Bose NCH700 headphones are perfect for those who wish to limit the number of buttons. Its capacitive touch sensors enable users to control music, calls and more with just taps and swipes on the surface of the earcup. You can also use Google Assistant or Alexa. The controls are simple to use once you've got familiar with them.
They have a streamlined look with an elegant stainless steel headband that's smooth to the touch. The ear cups are connected via a steel pole that runs along the length of the headphones, so you can slide them up and down to adjust to fit. This feature is great since it feels more natural and allows you to adjust the fitting.
The noise cancelling on these headphones is fantastic with a variable level of transparency that ensures you can hear the sounds around you. You can also activate the conversation mode, which lets you to talk with your friends without having to remove the headphones. The volume of these Bose headphones can also be easily adjusted, similar to the large volume dial.
There are some features that make these Bose headphones unique. SimpleSync technology is one of the features that make these headphones distinctive. It can be connected to a Bose Smart Soundbar, or Smart Speaker in order to play audio from one source. Another feature is their multi-device connectivity that lets you connect two devices at the same time and switch between them as needed. They also have an internal status light that shows whether the headset is turned on or connected to Bluetooth.
You can easily change settings for these headphones by using the Bose Connect app. Once you have it installed, you can use the Power/Bluetooth button on your phone to play or pause the audio, swipe your finger upwards or downwards to adjust the volume and swipe forward or back to skip tracks. A double-tap on the headset will pause or plays audio, whereas a long press answers or rejects incoming calls.
The app can also be used to manage other Bose devices, change EQ settings and check the battery life. You can also connect the headphones to another device, and switch between them. This is a great feature for those who commute.