Bose recently released the Bose 700 Noise Cancelling Headphones.
The selling points are that they are more fashion forward, there are 11 noise cancelling levels instead of 3, and they have better noise cancellation for people on the other end of your phone call.
They are easier on the eyes and feel more premium, I’ll give you that much:
Why do I love Bose headphones so much?
I can’t travel without my Bose QuietComfort 35s headphones.
The Bose noise cancellation drowns out the drone of an airplane engine so well that when you take them off in middle of a flight you’ll be in shock that you were ever able to fly without them. They make for a peaceful flight and I sleep like a baby on the plane with them over my ears.
They are so incredibly comfortable that you can wear them for hours without noticing that they’re there.
I use the QC35s for phone calls every day and find them to be much more comfortable than its predecessors. Being able to move around with out any cords attached at work or on a plane is a true pleasure. They are excellent for making phone calls, listening to music, or drowning out background noise. They also fold into a more compact case than previous versions.
If my kids are around though, it can be difficult to make phone calls on the QC35s as a lot of noise goes through to the person on the other end of the call.
So I bought the Bose 700 Noise Cancelling Headphones, assuming that I’d love them.
Nope.
- They aren’t nearly as comfortable as the QC35s. They are tighter on your head and I noticed the extra weight immediately. I simply was not able to forget that I was wearing them, which is what I love about the QC35s. I don’t wear glasses, but the tightness will be even more noticeable if you wear glasses.
- They don’t fold down as nicely as the QC35s, so they take up more precious carry-on space.
- They make surprisingly loud noise prompts when you turn them on or off. These loud prompts even come when you reach someone’s voicemail or even when you turn the volume off. I couldn’t find any way to disable these prompts.
- Swipe gestures may be the future, but I’ll take tactile buttons every day. I much preferred the physical buttons on the QC35s over the swipe gestures on the Bose 700s.
- The on/off button placement on the Bose 700s mean that it’s easier to accidentally turn them on or off when putting them on or taking them off.
- I didn’t like the new app that is required to use the Bose 700s.
- I didn’t find any great benefit from having 11 levels of noise cancelling on the Bose 700s over 3 levels on the QC35s. Perhaps the noise cancelling is ever so slightly better on the 700s, but the difference is barely perceptible.
Sure, it’s great that the Bose 700s are better at blocking out noise for the person on the receiving end of the phone call. But talk about taking 1 step forward and 2 steps back!
And all of this is ignoring the price.
The QC35s can be had for $249 today. The Bose 700s are $399. They simply are not worth the premium unless it is absolutely critical that the person on the other end of your phone calls doesn’t hear any background noise, and you are willing to overlook the 700s weaknesses.
Hopefully Bose updates the QC35s with better noise cancellation for people on the other end of your phone call. But the 700s are not the replacement I’ll be using, even if the upgrade would cost me nothing.
Agree? Disagree? Are there other products that you’d like me to review? Share your thoughts in the comments!
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53 Comments On "Why I’m Not Upgrading From Bose QuietComfort 35s To Bose 700 Noise Cancelling Headphones"
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I love the 35’s as well and use them for calls because they’re awesome but I am bothered when there is a call waiting that comes in and it cuts off my current call for those few seconds. You too?
Any workaround for this?
I hate that too.
so you selling yours? im buying
This is why G-d created return policies 😉
Dan sorry for posting here.
Thinking to get the pixel from your yesterday’s Post.
Do you know to say if the Pixel have the option to get all my data messages etc. that’s on my galaxy s7 thru cables like Samsung phones have ? (Not cloud)
Also besides price ,would you think that the pixel ia in all expects better then samsung ? Or maybe wait for the galaxy note 10?
Thanks in advance!
Yes it’s possible to move all your data with a cable, don’t know the second question.
can never go wrong with pure pixel – mkbhd, swears by the pixel (and oneplus)
How do you make calls on them?
I don’t like it because it’s noise cancelation and I can’t hear myself normal.
You can actually turn the noise cancelling feature off in the app, so you don’t sound like you have to scream when your talking.
Dan,
Thanks for this post. Can you tell me a little more about the QC35 and making phone calls?
I have a pair of around-ear soundlink IIs i got via biz plat dell credits which are kind of the non-noise cancelling versions of the QC35. They’re super comfortable, unfortunately they’re
terrible for phone calls on trains, in cars, or basically outside anywhere. They pickup so much background noise. You mentioned similar for the QC35, could you elaborate?
What about the Sony WH1000MX3? Ever tried them?
They aren’t nearly as comfortable as the QC35s. End of story for me.
ever try the microsoft branded headphones?
Alrighty. Bose ordered 🙂
Thanks much!
WH1000MX3 – Got them last week AWESOME. Although I have nothing to really compare them to as this is my 1st entry into the world of headphones. I can say that the noise cancelling turns my noisy work environment and bus ride to and from work into a mini vacation from reality. I highly recommend them.
Sure, but they’re not as comfortable as QC35.
Dan, I would enjoy future product reviews, of things that make life simpler, like this review.
Thanks
I wonder how they compare with the AKG N60NC (I’ve read that they are what provided to biz passengers on LX but never flown Biz on LH).
I know they were released a few years back so not on the bleeding edge, but I got my pair from the Note 9 pre-order promo last August.
I’ve used them on several trips, they don’t completely filter out the crying babes.
I did find a great use, I had to have a filling that fell out replaced last week, which still includes the dentist drilling some, the sound of the high pitch drill is enough to cause me pain (had too many fillings) but NC headphones with music cranked up has allowed me to actually relax during fillings.
QC35s have better noise cancelling and are more comfortable.
do you have the version 2 bose or the version 1
2, but they’re nearly identical except for the additional voice assistant button.
Dan, care to elaborate on how and where the 25s fall in this mix?
Thanks
I went from the 15s to the 35s. 35 was definitely a big step up in noise cancellation, comfort, and most importantly, bluetooth.
@dan have you tried the sony 1000xm3?
https://www.dansdeals.com/shopping-deals/electronics/headphones/heres-im-not-upgrading-bose-quietcomfort-35s-bose-700-noise-cancelling-headphones/#comment-1420403
I have! The sound quality is way better on the Sony however it’s not nearly as comfortable as qc 35.
Get the Sony’s. The Bose train is long gone.
Not as comfortable as Bose.
Actually they are more comfortable than the Bose and sound quality is way better. Every time I wear the Bose for long periods my ear starts to hurt.
Sony can only connect to one device at a time. Deal breaker for me, need to be connected to phone and computer simultaneously.
I tried the Bose qc 35ii but I traded it for the sony wh-1000xm3
I found that the extra feature the Sony comes with was worth the slightly more comfortable Bose.
What do you think Dan, have you tried the sony wh-1000xm3?
What extra features do you find to be more important than comfort?
I use it in my office and need different levels of noise cancellation. Also you could set that the noise cancellation should be weaker for certain directions which I actually use.
The comfort isn’t that far off.
Reading more about the Bose QC 35s I saw that you can dual pair with two devices at once.
Bought the latest Fire TV stick on Prime day it has BT for keyboards and headphones – was reading that you dual pair Bose QC 35 with say the Fire TV stick and your cell phone.
It allows you watch a show on the Fire TV stick and then take an incoming call on your phone and it mutes the show and allows you to take the call with the headphones. Granted you can do the same thing on your phones small screen.
May have to pick up a pair (I’m hard of hearing and hate blasting the sound bar just to hear dialogue).
Correct.
Did you consider that your qc35s are already broken in?
I’ve read that the 700s are tighter but people have stretched them out and are happier.
They were comfortable from the get-go.
Hi how do you manage to sleep with headphones on ear when side sleeping?
Same question
Don’t side sleep
Why would you wanna sleep when you sit in first class enjoy the moment while it lasts? Lol
Dan, how do these compare to beats though? Was thinking of getting beats headphones, studio 3.
These are better in every way.
Okay thanks!
It’s too bad that you cannot replace the battery. Bose do not service batteries so once the battery is worn, the headphones are useless.
I wouldn’t be surprised if you can buy a new battery. I was able to buy a 3D printed on/off switch since mine broke
Does anyone experience eardrum suck with the 35’s?
I know I’m not the only one since there are many on nose forums complaining about the same. The Bluetooth receiver on QC 35 is in the right ear cup. If I put my cell in my left pocket, and turn my head to the right, I often get audio dropout. This is especially true when near a wifi router.
Dan, can you test yours out in that exact scenario and see if you can reproduce? Cell in the right pocket is fine, but I usually put in my left pocket.
I have the 35s and they are great on the plane for noise cancelling. I have a hard time sleeping with them bc I like to side sleep.On another note they make my ears sweaty if I wear them too long so I end up using the airline headphones in Business class on most flights if they are the good ones and use mine before they gove those out or after they want then back
Thanks for this post.
Which Bose headphones do you have the series 1 or 2?
In regards to the 35 model?