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Bose Pushes Noise-Cancellation Smarts in Wireless Headphones Market

Romf said:
I agree on that except for ANR headphones.
Please show me something better that:
-has such a good noise reduction
-bluetooth
-still with option to use cable

I bought a parrot zik 3 and it is good but the battery is too light and the noise reduction isn't bose level
Click to expand...
I have the Sennheiser Momentum Wireless headphones and they are fantastic. They meet your criteria above, with the option to use BT or plug into the set when the battery dies, but obviously don't have the ANC that Bose provides.

They do sound fantastic though and the ANC does the job for me (ride the train to work).

They are expensive but I was looking for something that sounded great and provided some noise cancelling - which they do both!
 
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bubsdaddy said:
Bose headphones are pretty widely praised by the audio community. I know, in the past, Bose speakers and Wave radios were derided for their poor sound to price ratio (leading to the "No High no Lows it must be Bose", and "Buy Other Sound Equipment" catchphrases) but their headphones haven't been assessed as low quality.

The Wirecutter lists Bose as leading three of the headphone categories:
http://thewirecutter.com/reviews/best-noise-cancelling-in-ear-headphones/
http://thewirecutter.com/reviews/best-on-ear-headphones-at-any-price/
http://thewirecutter.com/reviews/best-noise-cancelling-headphones/

Headphone review and discussion site Innerfidelity has the QC20 and the QC25 on their Wall of Fame:
http://www.innerfidelity.com/content/innerfidelitys-wall-fame-noise-canceling

Amazon buyers consistenty rate Bose headphones above 4 stars with thousands of reviewers.
[doublepost=1465238858][/doublepost]FYI, I just purchased these an hour ago. View attachment 634624
Click to expand...
Nice!! Don't forget to post your review here :)
[doublepost=1465242349][/doublepost]
green94 said:
I have the Sennheiser Momentum Wireless headphones and they are fantastic. They meet your criteria above, with the option to use BT or plug into the set when the battery dies, but obviously don't have the ANC that Bose provides.

They do sound fantastic though and the ANC does the job for me (ride the train to work).

They are expensive but I was looking for something that sounded great and provided some noise cancelling - which they do both!
Click to expand...
I think they are some of the the only ones that are on par about functions, though I would be curious to see how is the ANC
 
Tycho24 said:
Use Google.
I thought the question was genuine; not a passive aggressive, silly & cowardly "attack", lol.
[doublepost=1465229369][/doublepost]

I have Etymotics & swear by them...
The 4S are obviously industry standard, but I'm afraid to take them anywhere & are a bit "clinical".
My faves were a (now discontinued) model, ER-6i- in "iPod white", lol... they had a +6 decibel boost to the bass, making them more consumer friendly, but they're finally wearing out.
I actually JUST ordered the MK5 isolators as a direct replacement & will see soon enough!
Edit: I've never really looked into the custom molds; what's the rough expense?
Click to expand...

The HF3's I have are Etymotics and they came with a voucher for custom molds... Off the top of my head it is about £80 to use the voucher, that included a guy coming to my house to make the imprints AND the actual molds to fit the HF3's... They fit like a glove, if you still have the paperwork might be worth seeing if they came with a voucher, if not I think you can download the voucher from their website

Well worth it for me as I find normal earbuds very painful.... I have weird ears :-( ... In ears are better but custom molds are a dream
 
bubsdaddy said:
[doublepost=1465238858][/doublepost]FYI, I just purchased these an hour ago. View attachment 634624
Click to expand...

So jelly! So jelly!

[doublepost=1465248594][/doublepost]
dannyyankou said:
If you want noise cancellation, Bose is for you. But if you want good sound quality, there's much better headphones at a fraction of the cost.
Click to expand...

What headphones are better sounding than QC35? Are they wireless? I always thought Bose was top for sound quality and engineering. (especially given the $350 price point of the flagship QC series)
 
bubsdaddy said:
Bose headphones are pretty widely praised by the audio community. I know, in the past, Bose speakers and Wave radios were derided for their poor sound to price ratio (leading to the "No High no Lows it must be Bose", and "Buy Other Sound Equipment" catchphrases) but their headphones haven't been assessed as low quality.

The Wirecutter lists Bose as leading three of the headphone categories:
http://thewirecutter.com/reviews/best-noise-cancelling-in-ear-headphones/
http://thewirecutter.com/reviews/best-on-ear-headphones-at-any-price/
http://thewirecutter.com/reviews/best-noise-cancelling-headphones/

Headphone review and discussion site Innerfidelity has the QC20 and the QC25 on their Wall of Fame:
http://www.innerfidelity.com/content/innerfidelitys-wall-fame-noise-canceling

Amazon buyers consistenty rate Bose headphones above 4 stars with thousands of reviewers.
[doublepost=1465238858][/doublepost]FYI, I just purchased these an hour ago. View attachment 634624
Click to expand...

Please give us an unbiased review even if its just a short one. My main complaint is there's no "guts" in the sound.
 
With internal BT, you're stuck with today's so-so BT. No mention of Aptx even though Bose's own BT Audio Adaptor has it.

This is one reason I opted for the QC25s; I already had a Bluetooth adaptor and would rather update that than replace the entire headset.
 
Picked up a pair this morning at 10 AM from Best Buy. Have been using them for work and they work great. The ANC is top notch. Typically our A/C stops blowing at 6:30 PM at work and with the headphones on, it sounds like the A/C is off. I can't hear anything. It's to the point where I'm worried I'll miss someone calling out to me.

They are really comfortable. I had the Sennheiser HD 280 Pros before and I really didn't like the cushions that much. I bought a pair of Beats Solo 2 wireless headphones and those hurt my ears after a couple of hours. These are great. I thought the sound was louder on Sennheisers, but the sound isn't bad on these.

I really can't wait to take these on a flight. I'll be heading to Alaska later this month, so I'll really get a chance to try them out for a long flight. Overall, these are the first wireless headphones that I feel that I can commit to and so far, I'm extremely happy.
 
whsbuss said:
Please give us an unbiased review even if its just a short one. My main complaint is there's no "guts" in the sound.
Click to expand...

I'll have a review up shortly, but give me an idea of what you consider a gutsy headphone. V-Moda? Grado? Sennheiser? JVC? Take a look at my profile over at head-fi.org and pick out something from my list and I'll try to compare when I get some time.
http://www.head-fi.org/u/5503/bubsdaddy
 
For all the wannabe audiophiles criticizing Bose, please note that their active noise cancellation headphones are usually the best in class.

Your cheap ATH-M50x or whatever does NOT compare to these when you're on an airplane.

Let's stop talking about the price.
The market will determine whether these are "too expensive" or not.
Your individual opinion doesn't matter and we live in a free society where prices can be determined by sellers and buyers.
 
Last edited:
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Can someone give an example of a headphone that is better than the Bose QC35 around the same price point (or cheaper) based on sound quality that is wireless?
 
Starfyre said:
Can someone give an example of a headphone that is better than the Bose QC35 around the same price point (or cheaper) based on sound quality that is wireless?
Click to expand...
From what I see, people often refer to the Sennheiser Momentum wireless 2.
It looks very good, although I think the reviews generally put the sound of the Sennheiser ahead, and the noise cancellation under Bose one.
There is this website review available that confirms that:
http://www.gizmag.com/bose-qc-35-review-vs-sennheiser-momentum-wireless/43684/

Basically it says that the noise cancellation is way ahead on the Bose, while sound quality is just a bit below. It isn't an audiophile review though
 
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Correct, comparing the QC25 to the Momentum 2.0 wireless the sound quality is slightly better on the Sennheiser's.... But noise cancelling is far better on the QC25

I currently own both and have owned 4 different Sennheiser active noise cancelling headphones over the last 10 years and they have never come close to the Bose sets as far as noise cancelling I have also tried the QC3 and owned QC15... The Sennheiser's still have a hiss to them that I do not like at all.

i am not expecting any different results from the QC35's
 
LiveM said:
With internal BT, you're stuck with today's so-so BT. No mention of Aptx even though Bose's own BT Audio Adaptor has it.

This is one reason I opted for the QC25s; I already had a Bluetooth adaptor and would rather update that than replace the entire headset.
Click to expand...

I wonder about the Aptx support as well. It seems all the excitement is the ANC and being wireless. But when I had the on-ear and newer over-ear sound link headphones, it would skip on iOS and my Mac. Tried different sets and Bose newer firmware and it never got resolved. Even some of the reviews on Bose site mention this.
 
BadMelonFarmer said:
Correct, comparing the QC25 to the Momentum 2.0 wireless the sound quality is slightly better on the Sennheiser's.... But noise cancelling is far better on the QC25

I currently own both and have owned 4 different Sennheiser active noise cancelling headphones over the last 10 years and they have never come close to the Bose sets as far as noise cancelling I have also tried the QC3 and owned QC15... The Sennheiser's still have a hiss to them that I do not like at all.

i am not expecting any different results from the QC35's
Click to expand...
thanks for the report about Sennheiser!

I have a parrot zik 3, it totally covers the ears but the noise reduction is I would say just about same as a QC3 which is just on the ears and much smaller.
So waiting for this QC35 a lot! :)
 
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Mildredop said:
What are 'smarts'?
Click to expand...
Circuitry that reads the ambient noise and uses a counters give wave to deaden it in a way that still lets you hear when someone is talking to you, while at the same time lessens the hum of multiple people talking.

The technology is quite simple on paper, but when used in aircraft on the flight deck, there are sounds that you want to hear, like the engine having trouble, or thunder. Having noise cancellation that gets rid of these sounds is not a good thing. Plus, you don't want the noise cancelling to cancel out what the headset speaker is outputting, either.
[doublepost=1465303020][/doublepost]In general, it's fun to see the Bose vs. non-Bose arguments, like we're all built the same way.

For a follow up, let's do:
Mac vs PC
iPad vs Surface
Metric vs Imperial (there's already a thread on this one)
Ford vs Chevy
Country vs Rock n Roll vs Rap vs Pop
 
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I couldn't agree more. Arguing personal preference in audio is quite different than making a factual statement. Even people who classify themselves as audiophiles disagree - often quite vehemently. Maybe that is why there is such a large range of products for us to choose from. There is no right or wrong answer - vote with your dollars.
 
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JeffyTheQuik said:
Circuitry that reads the ambient noise and uses a counters give wave to deaden it in a way that still lets you hear when someone is talking to you, while at the same time lessens the hum of multiple people talking.

The technology is quite simple on paper, but when used in aircraft on the flight deck, there are sounds that you want to hear, like the engine having trouble, or thunder. Having noise cancellation that gets rid of these sounds is not a good thing. Plus, you don't want the noise cancelling to cancel out what the headset speaker is outputting, either.
[doublepost=1465303020][/doublepost]In general, it's fun to see the Bose vs. non-Bose arguments, like we're all built the same way.

For a follow up, let's do:
Mac vs PC
iPad vs Surface
Metric vs Imperial (there's already a thread on this one)
Ford vs Chevy
Country vs Rock n Roll vs Rap vs Pop
Click to expand...

So they're noise cancelling. Is smarts a trade name of Bose then?
 
I purchased these today at a local retailer. Being a bit of a fanboy, I decided I wanted these even though I already own the QC25. I have only been listening to them for less than an hour, but I am very impressed. The soundstage is the thing that keeps wowing me. The separation and placement of instruments is really good. The comfort is supreme and the bluetooth paired very easily to my iPhone 6 plus. The QC35 arrived with 70% power out of the box. After almost an hour, they are still at 68%.

Sound impressions:

I always start with Thievery Corporation - A warning (Dub) from Sounds from the Thievery Hi-Fi album. This is about the deepest bass of any track I own. The QC35 handled it easily. Very deep and without driver rattle and still able to reproduce the midrange and treble. The rhythms in this song like to oscillate back and forth and that staccato effect is reproduced very well.
Next up was Steely Dan - Everything Must go. I started with Green Book as it has a very prominent piano (always the most difficult instrument to reproduce) and a "Lead Drum" pushing the song forward. This song also has a wide soundstage and, again, wow. I moved on to the Title track 'Everything Must Go." The song open with a cacophony of instruments all improvising with a rolling drum adding backbeat. On the QC25, every instrument can be picked out. The sax is wonderful and seductive.
Moving on, I played The Toadies "Possum Kingdom" to see if the grungy rhythm guitar could be reproduced. Sorry, but I got lost in this song and forgot I was reviewing. That is always the mark of a great headphone to me.
When I regained my senses, I played Sublime "Garden Grove" to see if the impact from the steel drum would show up. It did, easily.
Moving on, The Stone Roses "Love Spreads" was up next. Lots of chances to muddy up on this one - bass and lead play together with a heavy drum set. Nope, the QC35 handled and kept everything in it's place.

Oh, the noise cancellation. Come on...Bose owns here. Literally, they take legal action against any company that attempts to infringe on their noise cancelling algorithm. Even Bose detractors admit that they own the NC segment.

Should you buy the QC35? If you own no other NC headphones, it's a no-brainer. Get these today. If you want to cut the cord and have the best noise cancelling money can buy, get these today. If you are completely insane (like me), and already own the QC25 - well, your call on that one. You could probably purchase a bTunes add on for a lot less.
 
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bubsdaddy said:
I purchased these today at a local retailer. Being a bit of a fanboy, I decided I wanted these even though I already own the QC25. I have only been listening to them for less than an hour, but I am very impressed. The soundstage is the thing that keeps wowing me. The separation and placement of instruments is really good. The comfort is supreme and the bluetooth paired very easily to my iPhone 6 plus. The QC35 arrived with 70% power out of the box. After almost an hour, they are still at 68%.

Sound impressions:

I always start with Thievery Corporation - A warning (Dub) from Sounds from the Thievery Hi-Fi album. This is about the deepest bass of any track I own. The QC35 handled it easily. Very deep and without driver rattle and still able to reproduce the midrange and treble. The rhythms in this song like to oscillate back and forth and that staccato effect is reproduced very well.
Next up was Steely Dan - Everything Must go. I started with Green Book as it has a very prominent piano (always the most difficult instrument to reproduce) and a "Lead Drum" pushing the song forward. This song also has a wide soundstage and, again, wow. I moved on to the Title track 'Everything Must Go." The song open with a cacophony of instruments all improvising with a rolling drum adding backbeat. On the QC25, every instrument can be picked out. The sax is wonderful and seductive.
Moving on, I played The Toadies "Possum Kingdom" to see if the grungy rhythm guitar could be reproduced. Sorry, but I got lost in this song and forgot I was reviewing. That is always the mark of a great headphone to me.
When I regained my senses, I played Sublime "Garden Grove" to see if the impact from the steel drum would show up. It did, easily.
Moving on, The Stone Roses "Love Spreads" was up next. Lots of chances to muddy up on this one - bass and lead play together with a heavy drum set. Nope, the QC35 handled and kept everything in it's place.

Oh, the noise cancellation. Come on...Bose owns here. Literally, they take legal action against any company that attempts to infringe on their noise cancelling algorithm. Even Bose detractors admit that they own the NC segment.

Should you buy the QC35? If you own no other NC headphones, it's a no-brainer. Get these today. If you want to cut the cord and have the best noise cancelling money can buy, get these today. If you are completely insane (like me), and already own the QC25 - well, your call on that one. You could probably purchase a bTunes add on for a lot less.
Click to expand...

What are you doing with the QC25?
Are the covers replaceable?
 
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