Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 — Over Ear, Wireless Bluetooth Headphones with Built-In Microphone for Clear Calls & Alexa Voice Control, Black
Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700
Instant home office.
Turn any space into the perfect place to listen to music, make phone calls or get work done. Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 reinvent what true wireless headphones are—and redefine what they can be.
An adaptive mic system for superior voice pickup.
Bose headphones 700 feature an unrivalled four-microphone system that picks up and isolates your voice while cancelling the noise around you. You’ll hear and be heard like never before. These headphones are also optimised for Amazon Alexa and the Google Assistant.
-
-
-
And your music? As beautiful as ever.
These Bluetooth headphones deliver an immersive listening experience at any volume with signature active EQ and impressive bass response.
-
Personalise your environment.
Bose has improved what it’s most known for with these active noise cancelling headphones. With 11 levels of noise cancellation, you can truly personalise your environment.
-
QUIET FOR THEM. LOUD FOR YOU.
Bose SimpleSync groups your Bose Headphones 700 with your Bose Soundbar 500 or 700. With independent volume controls, one of you can sleep as the other continues watching—guilt free.
Compare Bose Headphones
11 Levels | Noise Cancellation | 3 Levels |
| | Alexa Enabled | |
| | Touch Controls | |
Bose Connect App | | |
| | Bose Music App | |
20 hours | Battery Life | 20 hours |
11 Levels | Noise Cancellation | 12 Levels |
| | Alexa Enabled | |
| | Touch Controls | |
Bose Connect App | | |
| | Bose Music App | |
20 hours | Battery Life | 10 hours |
- Bose QC 35 II
- Bose QC 30
| Weight: | 249 g |
| Size: | One size |
| Dimensions: | 5.08 x 16.51 x 20.32 cm; 249.48 Grams |
| Model: | 794297-0100 |
| Colour: | Black |
| Batteries Included: | 1 Lithium Polymer batteries required. (included) |
| Colour: | Black |
| Size: | One size |
Such brilliant earphones. The sound is excellent, and so easy to use. Once you charge them, it lasts a long time! This is the second pair I have purchased for a present, and the person is very happy with the quality of sound and very comfortable to wear! Would definitely recommend them.
I bought these headphones for my holidays
Fantastic bit of kit. Totally happy with my purchase although if I had waited I could have saved 10 buying at the airport. When wearing them the outside world is dead
Excellent quality. Easy to use. Very comfortable Really pleased with them. I use them mostlywhen at the gym.
Cant really say much about it. It works incredibly well, the noise cancelling is very good even when on the London tube
If you’re looking for headphones you can wear pretty much anywhere then these are the ones to get. The sound cancelling is still one of the best out there, great sound, great hardware and even in light rain I’ve had no issues. Although I wouldn’t recommend as they aren’t water resistant.
Fabulous sound quality. Completely noise cancelling and comfortable. I could not ask for me. Just brilliant.
Spectacular Sound Quality:
The Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 deliver audio that is nothing short of breath-taking. From the moment I put them on, I was enveloped in a cocoon of pure auditory bliss. The headphones boast an exceptionally balanced sound signature, producing crystal-clear highs, rich mid-tones, and deep, punchy bass. Whether I was listening to classical music or diving into the depths of electronic beats, every note was reproduced with pristine accuracy and meticulous attention to detail.
Unmatched Noise Cancellation:
The noise-cancelling technology employed in the Bose 700 is simply phenomenal. It seamlessly drowns out the ambient sounds of the outside world, whisking you away into a realm of serenity. The active noise cancellation is second to none, mitigating even the most intrusive sounds and allowing you to focus solely on the music or content of your choice. It’s a game-changer for frequent travellers or anyone seeking a respite from the chaos of everyday life.
Unparalleled Comfort:
Bose has always been synonymous with comfort, and the Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 continue this tradition flawlessly. The plush, cushioned ear cups gently cradle your ears, allowing for hours of uninterrupted listening without any discomfort. The lightweight design adds to the overall comfort, making it easy to wear these headphones for extended periods without fatigue. Bose has truly mastered the art of combining style and comfort.
Intuitive Controls and Impressive Features:
The intuitive touch controls on the right ear cup of the Bose 700 are a joy to use. They offer seamless navigation through tracks, volume adjustment, and call management with just a few taps or swipes. Furthermore, the built-in microphone ensures clear and crisp voice quality during calls, making it a reliable companion for professionals on the go. Additionally, the headphones are compatible with voice assistants like Alexa and Google Assistant, enabling convenient voice control.
Elegant Design:
Bose has nailed it in the design department with the Noise Cancelling Headphones 700. They exude an air of sophistication with their sleek, modern aesthetic. The sturdy build quality ensures durability, while the choice of premium materials adds a touch of luxury. These headphones are truly a fashion statement, combining style with substance.
Conclusion:
The Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 are the epitome of audio excellence, offering an immersive sound experience that transports you to another world. With their stellar noise-cancelling capabilities, unparalleled comfort, and intuitive controls, they set a new benchmark for wireless headphones. Whether you’re an audiophile, a frequent traveller, or a professional seeking a reliable audio companion, the Bose 700s are a wise investment that will revolutionize your listening experience. Prepare to be captivated by their magic and immerse yourself in the symphony of silence they provide.
All other features are working fine and happy with the headset.
Great audio quality. I bought this for working from home and doing many video calls while my kids were home making noise. This gave me a quiet pro environment to chat with clients, and I didn’t get distracted, and the person I was calling didn’t hear my noisy background. I love how it connects to 2 x BT at once, so I used it in calls on my PC all day, and it stayed connected to the phone too. Most people talk about noise-cancelling from the listening perspective. This set does a great job of shutting out background noise. On a train, I feel like I’m in a quiet bubble. The part nobody talks about is the noise on calls – this set ALSO cancels out background noise that most mics would pick up. So, when you’re on a call, the listener doesn’t hear your background noise either.
Also decent for listening to music.
Very easy to set up and controls easy to use not the cheapest but give the best sound for the price
Noise cancellation is a great feature on these headphones. These are top quality worth every penny spent!
These headphones really performed on recent long haul flights. Noise cancellation of just the general hum of the aircraft meant that I never took them off even when napping. I forgot to charge these before the return flight but luckily I had packed my power pack in my carry on luggage. As they are so quick to charge, after a wait in the departure gate, they were charged to 15 hours usage time. More than enough for the flight! Comfortable enough to wear continuously for the duration of the flight. As to be expected with a Bose product- decent sound quality and no distortion but sometimes I’d perhaps wish they would go a little louder but this may be a safety limitation.
The carry case has a pocket to store the charging cable and the mini Jack cable so everything is where you need it.
The units fit perfectly the sound is great and they are easy to charge
Very good earphones. I did get them at an offer price but still think quite expensive. Really paying for the name as I have had far cheaper ones which have sounded just as good. The name really is dictating the price.
One of my best purchases of 2022!! Highly recommend for working/studying
These are great!
The sound is brilliant and they are very comfortable for extended use. Noise cancellation is also very good.
If there’s a single flaw it’s that when you reduce the volume to zero the headphones treat you with a loud bonging sound which is kind of daft as it’s much louder than the virtually inaudible soft tone you get when you max out the volume.
Bought these on offer (180) and satisfied with the purchase at that price.
Bought these to replace my last pair of Bose headphone, which after 3 yrs of constant use, and being worn in all conditions required replacement for nothing more than wear and tear.
These are an excellent pair, up to the high quality I’ve come to expect from Bose, the sound, comfort, and usability are all above par. Battery life not as strong as my previous pair of Soundlink, but this has many more features, so this is acceptable.
100% great value and an excellent product, you won’t be disappointed
Got these on Prime day, which made the price tag a *LOT* easier to swallow.
The noise cancellation is amazing. Good enough to be have unbroken sleep sharing a room with a snoring travel partner.
Sound quality is also amazing. Both for music, and calls. I’ve no quibbles there.
Only downside, the on cup controls are very, VERY, sensitive and fiddly. There’s no way to deactivate through the app. I’ve ended turning the volume the opposite to intended, either blasting my ears out, or missing out briefly.
Sound:
My unscientific subjective opinion is that they are reasonably flat sounding out of the box.
This headphone sound profile can be tweaked however through the BOSE music app to suit individual preferences.
I tend to boost the bass very slightly for rock / pop listening.
Once you make a change to the sound profile/EQ, the headphones ‘remember’ it, which is great.
The clarity of the sound and separation is pretty good on these headphones too. But like all headphones in this category they will add some ‘colour’ . I have previously used recording studio standard headphones such as Beyerdynamics DT100, DT150 and personally have owned a few pairs of reference class AKG over ear headphones too. In comparison to the professional style headphones the Bose 700s do not have as clear, flat or separated soundstage. I don’t personally see this as a negative point however because mixing music or sound for film is not the intended use case for the Bose 700s. Reference class headphones are also sometimes accused of being responsible for ear fatigue over extended listening periods.
Style:
This is probably a personal thing, but I love the style of these headphones. From afar and close up they look sleek and stylish. The headphones cups are quite slim too so you don’t end up looking as much like a cyberman from doctor who as some other pairs will make you.
Durability:
I have occasionally worn the headphones outside walking about but I predominantly use these in an inside setting, but so far the headphones have lasted really well.
The finish on both the headband and cups has remained as good as new. The synthetic cups still look as good as new.
The slide mechanism for the cups still feels smooth and firm too.
Comfort:
I tend to wear the headphones for several hours at a time and they remain really comfortable. They feel secure on the head but are not too tight. The material on the cups and headband feels very smooth and soft and remains comfortable after extended periods.
Noise Cancellation:
I think some people expect active noise cancellation to work like earplugs or ear defenders and get disappointed when they try out active noise cancelling products. If you are expecting these headphones to completely block out or cancel out surrounding sounds you will be disappointed. If you understand the limitations of noise cancellation (at least in its current form) then you will not be disappointed with these headphones. They do a good job reducing wind, engine, plane noise etc. In an office environment they attenuate sound to a level that I find easier to concentrate with, especially if you have music / audio playing at the same time.
Mic:
I use these headphones every day at work on Teams calls. The microphone on these headphones is clear and the noise cancellation works well to block out environmental sounds in your vicinity.
Connectivity:
These headphones connect via Bluetooth and can have two devices connected simultaneously. I usually have these connected to my computer and my phone. If I am listening to music on my laptop and receive a call on my phone, the headphones will automatically switch to the phone as impute when I accept the call.
Overall these are a pretty great pair of headphones. They are well worth the money especially if you can get them for an offer. I have seen them on hear for sub 170!
Bought as a gift for my wife. She loves em
Synchronisation is a little off with video games, but it’s milliseconds at best and easy to adapt to. I have yet to notice any sync issues with video or music.
Pairing is easy using the Bose Music app, though as some other reviewers have said, if you don’t use this to control the initial pairing, it can be problematic with multiple connections.
They sit comfortably on my head, though the fit isn’t as secure as I would have liked and not as secure as other wired cans I’ve used.
The only gripe i have is that the battery life is only 20 hours at best. Tracking it over a couple of weeks shows that i get probably 17-18 hours at maximum before they need charged, it would be nice to have had a little more life. The wired backup is fantastic in a pinch though if you happen to be in a fixed location when they die.
The cables that come with the headphones are beyond useless. All of about 6 inches in length. Handy that it’s usb-c though, so it charges from anything modern.
I got these on sale at 170 and think I’ve got myself an absolute steal. I’d probably still be happy with them at 300+, but I’d be less forgiving with my concerns about the downsides and may consider returning them to test an alternative.
Worth it in the end but clearly aimed at people who know all about this stuff. Idiot’s guide would be most helpful for people like myself. Found it online eventually.
Perfect soind quality. App actually work. In my opinion best one for this price
I wanted headphones which gave me a crisp but punchy sound and good noise cancelling.
I recommend the Bose 700 as it surpasses on both these requirements.
It’s gesture function is superb. But most of all it is very comfortable.
Love it.
These are nice and light as I use the headphones for a few hours per day. They last me a long time on one charge, normally 5 – 6 days before they need recharging.
Highly recommended
I took a gamble on these in the Prime early access sale, as the price was hugely reduced, and so far I’m glad I did. I continue to be surprised by the generally overwhelmingly positive media reviews of the Sony XM range. For me, their sound is just too coloured – almost muddy at times. These 700’s seem to go for a much more ‘neutral’ studio like sound, which I prefer. I want to hear instruments clearly. I don’t want to be pounded by overblown (and inaccurate) bass. I appreciate this is all personal preference.
Noise cancellation works very well. I have no issues with the app.
The only potential issue I have noticed is that when connected to both my iPhone and iMac, occasionally I get a 1 second sound dropout. It’s not frequent enough to bug me, however, and I imagine ultimately could be fixed with a firmware update in the future.
Otherwise no issues with connectivity or the app – all works very well. Judging by the early reviews of this product – BOSE has made a lot of improvements on the software front.
Oh – and I find them very comfortable also.
Overall, pretty happy with these so far.
I can’t imagine what Beethoven in his later years would have though
Great headphones, brilliant noise cancelling and very comfortable to wear not heavy like some other over head headphones. Also great microphone for calls.
The noise cancellation is the excellent, very comfortable and good sound & audio quality. Listen out for a static noise like sound when using it – hopefully this is something Bose will sort out in future.
Best ANC Headphones on the market unparalleled comfort and style combined
The headphones are really nice with a descent noise cancelling feature. The material is sturdy and loving it .
Very good product, however o expected more from the noise cancelling.
Bose and Sony are at the top of the noise cancelling consumer headphones market for good reason. I have used Bose headphones for many years, and the 700 ones don’t disappoint. The noise cancelling is great and manages to get rid of most background noise even in very loud environments. They are comfortable to use for long periods of time, have great battery life and connect to multiple devices quickly and easily. I use them every day and love them.
Bloody amazing headphones, I really wish I’d had these first instead of my crap Sony ones, quality is amazingly sharp Noise cancelling works like a treat.
The best headphones I’ve purchased in sometime
Excellent noise cancellation & sound quality. Absolute must for my commute to & from work on London’s public transport network.
Really good quality sound from the headphones. I tried the noise cancelling on a flight and it was fantastic. The Bose software used to connect to devices is not the best and I’ve had to reconnect several times on some devices. The touch sensitive control (volume, stop, etc.) on the headphones is not consistent (sometimes too sensitive and other times does not respond). Not sure if this is because of dry hands, etc.
The connection to two devices works well and switching (e.g. taking a call) works really well.
Overall very good headphones and I would recommend them even though the Bose app is very poor.
I’ve tried different headphones and ended up with these. I wanted a pair of headphones with great sound quality but not have thumping bass that overpowered everything else. The Bose hit the sweet spot with a very balanced sound quality. You can tweak it using the mobile app if you want to but for me it had to sound good out of the box since most of the time I would be pairing it with my laptop which doesn’t have the EQ app.
They are marginally tighter on the head than the Bose QC45 which my wife purchased. They seem a bit more comfortable but not by a lot.
The touch pad is a little annoying as you can accidentally swipe when trying to adjust the headphones and end up changing the track or something. But you do get used to it.
Overall a very solid, comfortable pair of headphones that deliver on great sound.
My old Bose QC35 headphones broke after nearly 6 years of daily use so wanted to stay with Bose. Wasn’t sure which to go for, QC45 or these but reviews said these were better for everything except battery life so went for these and have been very pleased. Noise cancellation is awesome, very comfortable and amazing sound quality
Excellent, especially the noise cancelling. For the price, special offer on amazon, was well worth the price.
I don’t find the HC700s quite as comfortable to wear as the QC15s they’re replacing – too much pressure below the ears/top of jaw – and the sound quality isn’t quite as good, lacking some of the depth and clarity of the QC15s. But they’re wireless and with the bluetooth compression that, perhaps, is to be expected.
One positive to note that seems to be overlooked in the product details is that they do come with a 3.5mm cable for plugging in to devices, which was especially useful when flying.
These are my first proper noise cancelling headphones and i think they are fantastic. The 3 levels of noise cancelling are brilliant.
These are extremely comfortable and i use them for work for Teams/Zoom calls etc and they couldnt be better.
When listening to music tue sound is superb. You can change the equaliser settings and this really makes a difference.
Ive connected these to my TV too and are great for listening to films and sport.
They also look good!
I got these when they were on the half price lightning deal so got a good deal. Are there better ones out there? Possible but these are right up there.
Absolutely brilliant sound,amazing noise cancelling and so comfy. Extremely happy
I’m happy of this headphone, good quality, I really appreciate the noise cancellation. The battery doesn’t last as long as my previous cheaper headphone but doesn’t borrow me so much. I use it everyday and as soon I can charge it I just do i
Thankfully, my testing showed that ordinary Bluetooth pairing does work just fine with this headset, no app needed. And they really are amazing at cancelling noise! While typing this review I’m sitting 0.5m away from a portable air conditioner that runs at 65 decibels, and I literally cannot hear it over the music I’m playing; if I stop the music all I hear is a dull background drone.
So good job on the actual headset BOSE, but I have to knock a star off for trying to force-feed your app to users. I don’t care if it cures cancer and ends world hunger – I have no interest in adding yet another vector for you to siphon off my personal data or “accidentally” install malware on my devices. STOP IT.
I was a bit wary about spending so much on a pair of headphones (and I bought them reduced on Prime day for 175), but now I have them I love them. easy to set up, easy to pair to my phone, light weight, great sound quality, nothing about them I do not love. I mainly bought the to wear to bed – really comfy – I barely know I have them on. Button n the back of the right ear to turn on and off, and unlike my last pair – not bright light blasting from the sides keeping me awake (very small green light at bottom but easy to cover with sheets (or a small dot of blue tack). Seem to use up about 10% of battery per hour (more or less), but charging is fine, case is really smart.
Perfect headphones for me. After years of using other noise cancelling headphones and TWS buds decided it was time to give in and try a premium pair of Bose headphones. Sound is clear and after messing about with the settings on the app have it just the way I like. Noise cancellation is the best I have experienced and quick to turn off if you need to hear people. Touch pads can be a little sensitive but after a few days have gotten used to this.
Very good sound quality, and sound cancellation that actually works. Extremely comfortable, and light on your head.
If I’ve a quibble it’s the quality of the wired cable. It actually broke on the first day I had these. But I bought them to use via Bluetooth, so not that much of a problem really.
They’re expensive, but a good investment.
I like the sound, quality, noise cancelation, seamless finish, sturdy and comfortable on ears. After using it for more than an hour and removing it, my head feels light like a burden has been lifted off. That’s the only con I see for these.
They’re Bose Headphones. So it goes without saying they’re really good. Fitment is easily adjustable along the metal frame, sliding on some sort of mechanism through the earcups. The sound quality is great, as you would expect – it certainly beats my QC35 for both bass output and clarity, although just a tad. The leather is plush and melts around your ears, and like the QC35 you can wear it for hours and forget you have them on.
The only criticism I have is that they don’t quite grip your head like the QC35, which means that during workouts when you’re horizontal they have a tendency to slide off. Keep that in mind if you intend to do any weights at the gym.
Overall solid buy. Wasn’t sure I’d regret it seeing as I already have the QC35, but I certainly think it was worth it.
Wow!! This pair of headphone is fantastic! It really cancels out all the noise around me whenever I use it at the airport and on the plane. It makes flying such a pleasure for me. Wish I had known about this earlier. The fit around the ears is also very comfortable. The case that comes with it is very handy to go in my hand luggage. It looks stylish, and it’s Bose. Only the price is a bit steep. Would like to buy one for my husband as well 🙂
Having been on the hunt for wireless headphones for some time, the chance to test before I bought (my friend had a set) was a big bonus in my decision to buy these.
I was originally dead set on buying some B&O H4 2nd gen wireless headphones, having previously owned the limited edition H6 (Pepsi branded) headphones and a pair of wireless E8 1st gen earphones. I was familiar with their quality, and was almost certain to purchase the H4’s. It just so happened, my work supervisor owned a pair of these Bose headphones, so a 24hr loan was arranged, and testing carried out.
What can I say, the sound quality seemed so much better than the B&O equivalent, and although I couldn’t compare it’s battery life to my wired H6, I was blown away. I can now however comment on its battery life, claimed battery life seems pretty accurate, though I’ve never taken them close to the limit in terms of remaining time left (the headphones tell you how long you have left)
The only reason I’m giving these headphone a 4 out of 5 (personally it would be 4.8 out of 5) is due to its temperamental connection it has when connected to my laptop, sometimes it’s good, other times it’s really jittery, but this is just a slight niggle, otherwise, it’s a damn fine product, and I’m now a converted user (B&O>Bose)
Fast delivery, well packaged and quality product. I purchased these after trying the Sony XM4’s which did not work with my Samsung top of the range tv, the sound kept breaking up after a few minutes. These Bose headphones are very comfortable to wear for long periods, the sound is very clear and natural and the noise cancellation is excellent. The set up to my phone and tv was super easy with the Bose App. The only negative is that after a full battery recharge you only get 18 hours compared to the Sony and my other headphones from B&W PX7 which manage nearly 30 hours.
I own the Sony XM3 and have tried the XM4 so I can compare to these.
Connections: Headphones can connect to 2 device at the same time, I find this great as the Sony WH 1000 XM3 couldn’t do this. The Sony is a bit more difficult to connect to things in general. Bose 700 connects to Windows PC, Firestick and Android automatically. I always had to manually connect Sony each time on Firestick.
Look and Feel: They are slicker than Sony, feel lighter to wear and your ears do not sweat like they do on the Sony. I find them comfortable and I use them for long periods in all inside conditions.
Sound: I like the sound better, less bass as has been mentioned. But it worth saying that the Sony has more bass, this bass is not fine tuned in any way. It is loose and gets too much at times. The Bose have an amazing clarity about them.
Touch control and buttons: Very responsive and easy to use, took a bit to get used to it. But overall it works better than Sony which can be hit or miss at times. Buttons are instant when you touch them, on Sony to turn on device you have to hold the ‘On’ for a few sec to turn them on. I prefer the Bose
ANC: Very little between them, I can’t say which is ultimately better. In certain circumstances each one works a touch better than the other. I have owned 3 pairs of the Sony and when you don’t play music you can hear a bit of white noise. On certain Sony’s this could be a big problem as they used faulty electret microphone capsules that typically crackled when moisture got near them from ear sweat. (yes, I know). The Bose 700 is totally silent so far with no music playing.
Battery Life: Sony claim better battery life and it probably is. But I don’t really notice that. I tend to be charging a couple of times a week which was about the same I did with Sony.
App: Its a pile of rubbish, serves no really purpose. If your going to do an app then it should be worth using and have a few bells and whistles. I simply set up the headphones and can’t really see myself needing the app again other than to apply an update or something like that.
In general, I find them easier to use, less hassle connecting with great clarity for sound and with hiss free noise cancelling.
I got them cheap at 167 so for that they are well worth it.
I love Bose sound quality so much and the design of the Bose 700 is phenomenal !
I’ve watched some reviews and comparisons with other headphones like the Sony xm4 and some of them says about the bose 700 sounds flat!! Which is absolutely not, it has a decent bass and overall sounds amazing.
The only thing I didn’t like is the comfort, i have to adjust them every 30 min, maybe because i’ve got a quite big ears, but after a week i kinda get used to them.
Still wish they were more comfortable.
The overall quality of these headphones is absolutely fantastic. Tge controls are nice and intuitive, the touch is very good. The sound these headphones produce is absolutely amazing, everything was crystal clear. The only thing that I would like to see a little bit more of is a more thumpy bass, but this is obviously a personal preference.
I know that this is probably me just being very unfortunate to receive a faulty product and that this will not be the case with everyone else. However it is worth mentioning that i ran unti an issue with my pair where out of nowhere they would start making this absolutely dreadful and loud sound. This was not even an isolated incident, it happened 7-9 times in two days with the result of driving me completely insane. I am currently replacing this item and hopefully I won’t be getting another faulty one.
An in all, I love these headphones and i am very happy with this purchase if i exclude the fact that i received a faulty product. I will be updating my review once i get my replacement and make sure that this was in fact just an isolated instance of a faulty pair and not some sort of connectivity issue by design.
Very good product. They have 10 different noise cancellation levels. Very clear sound and transparency mode as well (to hear other people if needed). You can connect to 2 different devices at the same time and came with an aux cable. By far, one of the best headphones I have ever had. It is extremely comfortable. The battery lasts for 18-19 hours from one full charge. One full charge takes between 2 – 2.5 hours. A 30 min charge will last around 4-5 hours. Definitely recommended!
Music – great full range
Teams/Zoom etc – amazing quality and intuitive features (looks great and professional also)
The Active Noise Cancelation (ANC) is simply the best a real industry leading level in these headphones
Trains and busy environment (London) and shopping centre – Cuts it all out
Extremely comfortable, gamming sessions are a delight
The gesture controls are a very nice way to control what’s happening
2nd pair on order for the Mrs!
I really want to give these headphones five stars, but they fall short in a couple of areas. First the positives.
Whoever designed these headphones should be given an award. As far as I can tell they are unique. I really like the way they look, the high quality materials used. The way you adjust the headband is simple and intuitive and keeps the silute of the headphones clean. I have nocked the headband against walls a couple of times and there was no marks left on them (I believe they are powder coated).
They are very, very comfortable, I wear them for upto 8 hours at a time, due to living in a high crime rate area where sirens are going off constantly (Bournemouth, Dorset, England) and they do not hurt, even when wearing glasses. The Sound is spot on, as you would expect from a brand like Bose. The noise cancellation is also excellent and so is making calls, they are crystal clear.
Finally the presentation (packaging, carry case) are very well done and of high quality.
Now the negatives, the main one being range. I live in a small one bedroom flat and if I walk from my bedroom (where my Huawei P30 Pro is) to my kitchen the connection breaks up on a regular bases. Which is very annoying for such a hi end device. In comparison I also have a pair of 40 Tronsmart Apollo Q10’s also Bluetooth 5.0 noise cancelling and I have never had connection problems with them. Finally I do like using tuch controls on headphones, but the surface area on these headphones is too small and I find myself quit often swiping a few times to get a track to skip and once again my cheap Apollo’s are more reliable when using the tuch controls (their still not perfect, but better), but I do have builders hands.
But overall I am happy and do recommend them!
Had demoed them in John Lewis several times and they sounded fantastic. Has real clarity in the top end and bass I was looking for.
Bought these headphones last week off Amazon. Trying them wired and they were seriously lacking bass and volume. Was really disappointed. Couldn’t work out why they sounded so bad. Read there were other settings available via bluetooth and an equaliser in the phone app. Couldn’t get them connected via bluetooth. Tried restarting my mobile, checking for updates in the headphone firmware and connecting pushing all the buttons in various orders etc. Really complicated. The instructions that come with the phone are terrible. Really awful. It just says download the app. Nothing is explained.
Phoned BOSE Helpline and spoke to a really nice girl for 30-40mins and still couldn’t get them connected.
Watched a youtube video. Search on – “Pairing Your Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 | Set Up Pairing Tutorial” by Joe’s Gaming & Electronics and got them connected in a few mins (you have to do it in a very specific order). On the phone app I could then increase the volume and bass more than using the touch controls and the results are night and day!!!!!
Why on earth do you get better volume & bass settings via the phone app/equaliser than using the wire/touch options god only knows?
Sorted now though and can really recommend these headphones.
You have to charge them and use them via blutooth and the app to get maximum volume/bass/treble etc.
Why they bother with a wired option (which is what I’ve usede for 20 years) is confusing as it sounds terrible.
Anyway, best sound quality I’ve heard and can’t see me going back to my Sony in ear ones.
I spent a long time reading reviews before purchasing. I’m more than happy with my decision. Smart, lightweight headphones that look good with a reasonable range of features. Although the buttons on the headphones are fiddly it didn’t take me long to get used to them. Noise cancellation is outstanding and overall sound quality is good, if not outstanding. There’s enough base for me and reasonable equalising control through the app. Amazon had the earphones on offer when I purchased, which didn’t hurt!
To be fair these are my first pair of expensive headphones, so I can’t really compare them to anything other than my 70 quid JVC phones, which to be fair are very good for the money. The Bose 700s are a significant step up though, and they manage to extract a surprising amount of information from music from Spotify via Bluetooth, i.e. from a compressed source. I use my phones with my Samsung S20 Ultra, they connect instantly when turned on. The phones feel well constructed and come with a decent storage case. I also considered phones from Sony, Denon and Sennheiser before plumping for these. All of which I’m sure would have been excellent as well, but reviews I read suggested these were the best all rounders. Personally I listen to a little 80s pop, but mainly music at the unconventional end of the spectrum, including rock, punk, metal, indie, thrash, some death metal for which they seem to perform extremely well on all front.
Purchased 2 pairs, one for my husband and I. The first set of mine didn’t work so we’re returned and replaced the next day (go Amazon customer service) but, on connecting the second set and comparing the app with my husbands, mine were 2019 and his 2021 and therefore mine had no equaliser function. Such a shame but it’s a big cost to get 2 year old model!
The sound quality, comfort and noise cancellation of these headphones is top notch, can’t fault it. Unfortunately what lets it down and drops a star is the touch sensitive panel on the side. You can’t customise or disable it, and it’s far too easy to activate a function like play/pause accidentally when you pick them up or wear a hood or whatever.
Quite a few people on the web seem to want this, but Bose don’t seem to be listening.
Also you NEED it to answer calls using the headphone touch panel. If you answer a call using the phone screen (on my OnePlus 6t at least) the speakers/mic on the phone are used, instead of the headset.
Lastly you need to learn and remember what the 3 buttons are for, because there are no symbols to help you and there’s no intuitive shape or logic to it.
When I initially bought it, it worked great. I felt it was a side-grade from my Bose QC but I wanted to try them out anyway. After a while though, I got some firmware updates that made the experience worse and cause numerous issues. Some of these got fixed over time, but sometimes more issues were introduced. It’s a lot better now, but nowhere near as good as when I first purchased them. These are good headphones, but honestly, I would probably recommend the Sony ones (unless they have similar issues).
Some outstanding issues:
– can’t fold them for compact storage, unlike the Bose QC II
– requires you to register for an account and download their Bose phone app
– I have the silver versions and some of the paint scratches off, where it moves the headphone arms up / down to adjust the size
– noise cancellation effectiveness got worse with later firmware versions
– randomly disconnects permanently, so you have to restart the headphones to connect
– randomly cuts off with a loud buzz, then shuts down
– when connecting to a device, it might repeatedly say “connecting to x”, so you have to restart the headphones to get them working
– can’t connect to more more than one device, as the 2nd will either cause noise or be silent the whole time (this used to work)
– sometimes battery doesn’t fully charge to 20h, and gets stuck (e.g. 14h, 16h)
So far, that aspect is excellent.
In terms of music though, I’m a little disappointed – the sound quality is good, don’t get me wrong, but the bass is non existent, even after playing with the EQ in app. From a music perspective, I had a better experience from my Plantronics backbeat pros than from these more expensive bose headphones.
I’m also not especially impressed with the anc, I can still hear a lot of background noise, even on power 10, however I’ve not tested these out in a particularly noisy scenario.
All in all, these in my opinion are really good for phone calls, but if I was wanting purely for music, I’d probably return them and go for the Sony alternative
I decided to go for the bose 700 and I can confirm these are better than the sony’s or anything else out there in every department.
The sound of these headphones is simply excellent they have been perfectly tuned to the point where the sound surrounds you and you can hear every instrument in great detail. Out of the box these are perfect so no need to mess around with eq settings although it does come with a basic eq feature on the app but in my view the sound these pump out is perfect.
The noise cancelling is simply the best and you can hear the difference when you switch on the noise cancelling the max, everything goes silent. No headphones will completely cancell out all noise but these are at the top.
Voice call quality is perfect not only can you hear the people on ther side of the call crystal clear but they can equally hear me just as clear.
Comfort wise again these are extremely comfortable I’ve had these on for extended periods of time 8+ hours without any real discomfort.
Multipoint connectivity, this is the winner in my view not only can you connect to multiple devices but everything happens seamlessly. For example I can be listening to music on my phone but as soon as I get a zoom or teams call these switch over to my laptop seamlessly. Once you get used to this feature it’s hard to go back to not having multi point connectivity.
Battery wise its descent you will get just over 20 hrs of battery life with anc on, but in all honesty 20 hrs of battery life its all you will ever need.
Dont believe the bad reviews out there give them a try and you will not be dissapointed.. Highly recommended
I already had the Bose QC earbuds for walking and they are just excellent.
One reviewer wrote “for the best sound and noise cancelling go for Sony, for other functionality and phone calls go for Bose”.
I want the best music sound I can get and am not bothered about the gadgety stuff e.g. changing the noise cancelling when you walk around or speak to chat etc. I just turn it all off. I do need to speak on the phone as well.
I read the reviews about the Sony microphone but didn’t really believe that Sony would release a product where part of it doesn’t actually work!
So I bought the Sonys.
I was really pleased to start with.
Superb sound and excellent noise cancelling. People were calling me in the room or knocking at the front door and I couldn’t hear them.
The sound is extremely good with noticeable bass that was pleasing at first but when I later did back to back tests with the Bose NC700 the Sony bass seems to add noise in places where the Bose gives superb clarity.
The Sony app has an Equaliser to play with and includes some preset options. I think I found a better setting (+0, +7, +10, +7, +0) with no extra Clear Bass.
After a couple of weeks people started complaining that my voice was cutting out during phone calls. This became worse and worse until people were saying they couldn’t hear me at all and I had to give up using the headphones for phone calls.
I couldn’t help wondering if the Bose would have sounded even better so when the Sony microphone started playing up I ordered the Bose as well.
The Bose’s music reproduction is stunning and sometimes, in certain parts of certain songs, makes the hair on the back of the neck stand up. That guitar cord or that piano note. Bass, voice, treble and drums crystal clear all the time. The clarity makes you believe you are in the recording studio with the band / singer or back at Wembley Stadium.
Back to back testing of the two showed the sound is either the same or just that bit clearer and nicer through the Bose.
As I said before the Sonys have a bit more bass but in my opinion it’s at the expense of less clarity and a bit more mid range noise.
I haven’t felt the need to try the Bose equaliser.
Noise Cancelling is nearly as good as the Sonys, but lets a bit more external noise through. It blocks out most surrounding noises but it’s not quite as complete as the Sony NC.
Microphone – excellent phone call quality, never any issues.
Bluetooth – well it’s bluetooth isn’t it. It gets a bit more confused than the Sonys when I’m swapping devices but for the benefit of the best music quality and a microphone that actually works I’m very very happy and working my way through my old music collection enjoying it all over again but hearing things I’ve never noticed in the last 40 years.
I contacted Amazon who wouldn’t let me return the Sonys without going through Technical support and advised resetting them by holding down the power button for 7 seconds etc. It didn’t help.
When I called back they put me through to Sony customer support who wanted me to send them to their repair centre. I didn’t want to get involved in that so Amazon then let me return them for a refund.
UPDATE: 2 months later after working my way through my music library I am even more impressed with these. They are just brilliant.
As for connection problems with the phone app, I just close the app and launch it again and it connects.
Nice looking and minimalistic, however I’ve had issues with the touch controls already.
The play pause double tap didn’t work at first (every other swipe gesture did), then after a reset seems to be working for the time being
I can only compare these against some cheap senhiesser I already own and they seem a lot better. I can’t compare the clamping pressure to anything close to these, I’ve had no discomfort so far.
The assistant button is quite useful when your phone is in your pocket, just press it when you receive a notification like WhatsApp, it’ll read it then give you the option to verbally respond.
So far, I’m happy, albeit with a few teething problems, we’ll see how the touch control on the right ear pad behaves before I decide whether they should be returned.
I did hesitate before buying as there are some mixed reviews and as I had the QC35 before I wondered if I should get those. I popped to a retailer to try and this made my mind up to get them and glad I did.
Excellent quality and as someone that gets a little sweaty I appreciate the rubberised headband. Actually that was the clincher for me.
Connecting through the app wasn’t as good as it should have been but I got there and no other issues since.
Very comfortable (I don’t have the suction thing people have mentioned) and fine for long stints. The 3 levels of nc is actually handy and the touch controls work as you want them too. Having calls is easier for the other person as they don’t pick up as much background noise.
I love them personally but give them a try before you shell out a not unsubstantial amount. They are worth it to me
Having owned the BOSE headphones in the past I expected decent noise cancellation and was pleased by this aspect, the build quality seems much better than previous models. Also, the fit around the ear seems more layered and snug so feels a tad more premium. I found the install process finickety and rather than simply use the Bose app that I used with my other headphones, I was forced to download a second app, the Bose Music app. The digital voice assistant is great but in trying to change the wake word for Alexa to Echo I discovered this was a known problem and Bose has done nothing in 2 years to address, you are stuck with Alexa which is irritating. Despite the aforementioned, I am happy with the purchase and would recommend.
So to the new Bose 700s headphones. They live up to the Usual Bose expectations for sound, most admirably, along with being completely comfortable to wear and actually look and feel very smart indeed. Some problems pairing with all devices, which I’ve found out best to do one by one ( laptop, iPhone, iPad etc) otherwise the devices won’t see the Bose Bluetooth signal. Putting them through the paces, exceptionally warm rich sound, classical music through to heavy rock, so that’s all I really ask for. So ultimately they deliver indeed. A tad fiddly with the various buttons and also sliding the volume up and down, but hey… you get used to it, so it’s not a problem really. So in a nutshell, excellent sound and cosy to wear although makes my ears hot. The tech side, very good, but I didn’t buy them for that. O yes, as for blocking out the outside world, they succeed. Recommended.
I bought these together with Sony MX4, MX 3 and MX3 in-ear at the beginning of my Degree in London.
Although their battery life is only half that of Sony, there were only 3-5 days over the whole year (using them every single day) where I did run into problems and normally a short lunch/food break to charge was enough to solve the problem.
Furthermore, I learned to love these headphones more every day. Their noise cancelling for the owner might be 10% weaker than Sony MX4, but the noise cancelling for the listener on calls is superior. Where I was barely understandable in calls with my MX3 and 4, the Bose erased almost every sound. I was walking over windy fields and the person I called did not hear a thing of the wind had my voice totally clear. The same accounts for street noise which is comparatively well filtered out (not perfect though).
Eventually, I also recorded my voice and the Bose has a far superior microphone quality.
All in all, I would buy this one again 10/10 and it has become an integral part of my life and an everyday companion. (Btw. is also looks amazing and is very reliable in terms of quality)
The Bose headphones look sleek, although they are slightly unconventional looking. Sony’s WH1000 look more conventional, if a bit bulky. Both the noise cancelling and sound quality are very good with the Bose headphones. Noise cancelling didn’t seem as ‘powerful’ as the Sony WH1000 XM3 but I found it had significantly less white noise so found the Bose was slightly better in quieter environments.
Bluetooth pairing is average. Once its all set up its fine, but I find if I turn my headphones on with no known devices in the proximity (e.g., phone/laptop are turned off) it will not subsequently pair with any of the devices and it takes a significant amount of time to reset everything and get the devices talking – and I would consider myself tech savvy. Conversely, I had no problems pairing devices to the Sony WH1000 XM3s, overall I found Sony’s headphones easier to use.
The phone application is pretty weak and not really much use. Sony’s application is significantly better and allows more customisation and tweaking.
Overall, I thought the Sony WH1000 XM3s were a slightly better experience (with the exception of noise cancelling) but they had too many problems for the premium price tag (intermittent clicking noises and white noise in quiet environments) and I felt the build quality seemed slightly lower than the Bose.
Overall, after having had the Bose headphones for a couple months now, I’m very happy with them (unless I mess up the bluetooth pairing).
During lockdown, I found it impossible to work while my husband was on constant conference calls. Being in a small flat, there was no escaping the sound – so I started researching noise-cancelling headphones. I needed the very best on the market.
We all know Bose as being the expensive music equipment brand but Sony have made leaps and bounds in the headphone market and it came down to two sets: Sony WH-1000XM3 and Bose 700. I watched tens of YouTube videos, review pages and reviews here on Amazon. They’re comfy – they’re not comfy, they can’t do this – yes they can do this. It got to the point where it boiled down to which were the best at cancelling sound. I have no doubt the Sony are more comfortable for long periods of time, but that wasn’t my number one selling point.
I chose Bose for three reasons: they are slightly better at cancelling noise, they can connect to two devices at the same time and they have the best microphone built in. I received them a month ago and I am so impressed with them. I sit half a meter away from my husband, yet with the headphones on and music playing, I can’t hear him talking. Having my PC and phone connected at the same time means, I can listen to Spotify while I work and get alerted when I get a call/message and best of all, I can answer the call and speak through the built in headset and I’m heard perfectly.
Comfort – after a few hours, they do start to feel tight and my ears get sweaty. So I take them off for 10 minutes and all is good again.
If, like me, you need the best noise-cancellation and for your headphones to connect two two devices at the same time, these are the ones for you. Yes, they’re expensive, but you can’t put a price on being able to work in peace.
I’ve been using these headphones for a couple of days now.
Basically as I’ve been working from home I’ve been wearing them for 4 to 5 hours a day with mixed use for conference calling and listening to playlists while working.
So far I can’t find any fault with them, the sound quality is excellent, I can’t even hear what’s going I around me so can get my head down with work while listening to my playlists, swapping between audio and calls is seamless and effective, even swapping between my iPhone and iPad is effortless.
The biggest thing for me is that my ears don’t feel sore by the end of the day, I was previously using AirPods for calls only
So if you need a brilliant pair of headphones for both music and work these certainly do the job, that app is also very easy to use
The noise cancellation is amazing and they are soooo comfortable.
I am working at home like lots of people and needed to drown out the noise. The difference is astonishing and really aids concentration.
The music is very smooth and vinyl like with a very gentle sound to cymbals even on a variety of heavy rock tracks.
The sound on phone calls is very good and apart from the Bluetooth dropping out a couple of times so far the connection has been very good.
The APP is nice and easy to use and navigate.
300 isn’t exactly a bargain but they are very well made and the noise cancellation is a real Wow
I’m using this entirely for phone calls in a business setting. My main requirement is the ability to switch seamlesslessly between calls on 2 phones and the computer.
The headphones are very good and the app is clean and for the most part works well but it’s not perfect. The app (Android/Samsung Galaxy note 9) is disappointing in that it constantly loses connection to the headphones and so you have to close the app and reopen it. Annoying but it’s 3 swishes of the finger to cancel and reopen so not disastrous. I don’t have my headphones on all the time, so constantly having to turn them back on, and in most cases that means an app reboot.
When merging calls on the phone (to create a conference call) it silences the call to announce “call ending” which is annoying, no call is ending and stop interrupting! Would be good to be able to turn these voice announcements off in the app and replace with a readable notification on the app.
There appears to be no adjustment to the microphone, yet the mic strangely chose for few calls recently was not transmitting much, forcing me to emergency cancel bluetooth and revert to the phone. Also re the mic, it wasn’t obvious and was in no instruction manual that the button for Alexa/Siri turns into a mute button while on a call.
Incoming phone calls flip you immediately to the right phone helpfully. Calls incoming on whatsapp however don’t seem to make it through to the headphones.
Main improvements would be an app that doesn’t constantly lose touch with itself, a mic control and a simple ability on the app to flip to the other device if it hasn’t done so automatically.
Shame you can only connect 2 devices concurrently. That maybe a Bluetooth 4 limitation. There doesn’t seem to be much bluetooth 5 on the market. I tried a BT5 dongle for the computer it didn’t work at all well.
Pretty happy with these headphones, just needs some more work on the app please Bose
These are great headphones with a couple of problems. I’ve compared these side-by-side with the Sony WH-1000XM3 and Bose QC35 II so when I list something as a positive or negative, this is subjective and compared to the others.
Positive –
* Good sound (see note 1)
* Good active noise cancelling
* Very comfortable (see note 2)
* Fantastic performance on calls
* Good battery life and fast charging
* Useful alerts such as alerts letting you know how many hours left on the battery
* Can connect to multiple devices and switch between them from the app
Negative:
* App makes you register to use it
* Can’t use all the features or update unless you register with the app
* Issues when connected to multiple devices AT THE SAME TIME (see note 3)
Notes
1 – Sound. If you have spent this much money on wired headphones, know what flac is and use a dedicated source or DAC then these are not going to blow you away on sound, but compared to the competition they are great. I know so many reviews say the XM3s sound better but they really don’t, the XM3 has a very heavy bass which ruins the mids, not just that, it’s not even nice bass. The Bose 700 bass isn’t missing, there is still plenty of it but it’s tighter and clean and doesn’t destroy the vocals.
The sound isn’t going to blow you away, it’s comfortable without being boring, doesn’t really suffer from feeding it poorly mastered recordings over Spotify either. They are the best sound from an ANC headphone I have heard so far.
They sound similar but better than the QC35s, like there is better separation and imaging.
The Sony’s really shined when I used them with the Walkman connected via LDAC, but my main use case is connected to my iPhone or iPad and the Bose won there.
2 – Comfort. This is subjective, people complain that they clamp, I have a big head and don’t agree but you do need to extend them down more than you expect to get a comfortable fit. I can wear them for hours with no problems other than getting warm like all closed backed headphones do. The band at the top doesn’t press down and I have my hair shaved short. As for getting hot, they aren’t as bad as the Sony’s but they feel warmer than the QC35s.
3 – The App. This is the biggest disappointment but also another winning point for Bose, you can connect these headphones to everything then just turn them off in the app, disable in the app to disconnect and enable the other devices on to connect to them. But… if you connect to two devices at once, for example, iPad and iPhone, you can listen to music on the iPad and if your phone rings it will switch on it’s own. The problem is that you get a skip in your music often, this isn’t a one off, you can read about it everywhere, I hope Bose fix this because it’s annoying, but only having it connect to a single device at once fixes it.
I was especially impressed with the Bose 700 letting me know how long I had left on the battery in hours, an actually useful alert, they also tell you what devices you are connected to, the Sony’s don’t do that.
I was looking for some noise-cancelling (NC) earphones or headphones to use for commuting. Primarily, they needed to have a clear sound, good NC and good phone call quality (both ways). I compared headphones and earphones from BOSE, AKG, Boltune, Amazon, Jabra, and a couple of cheaper ones. These were the top performers – head and shoulders all-round above the rest.
NC – While no headphones cut out all sound, constant and intermittent, the NC on these cut out the vast majority even when music is playing softly. Only the Jabra Elite 75h, Airpods Pro and Sony 1000XM3 headphones were close, with the Sony’s comparable.
Phone calls – The Bose were also the best for call quality. I blind tested all the headphones and earphones with calls to my wife. While there was not too much difference for my hearing between these and the others, these were the constant winners for my wife on receiving the calls. These were the only ones where she thought that it sounded true to my voice, and which cut out background sound. The Jabra Elite 75h were the closest on call quality, but then they are specifically designed for that task.
Unlike others, I found no problems at all with the software (using an iPhone) over the two weeks or so that I had them.
However, I did send them back, simply because they are too bulky, more so than comes across in marketing. OK, I don’t think that they are as bad as they Sony, but not as good as the AKGs, and obviously the earphones. I decided that they weren’t practical for commuting. In the end, I went with the Apple Airpods Pro – and put up with my wife not recognising me when I call.
On the whole, I love these headphones. The noise cancellation is excellent offering several levels for you to select, I use these with either my iPhone6 or iPad Air2, sound quality is good but Bluetooth pairing using the ‘Bose Music’ app is very hit and miss, but being a techy I just revert to manual pairing.
The headphones are very comfortable, and I can wear them for a good two hour stretch without hardly noticing they are there.
Excellent headphones, shame about the app – I find it very sad that a reasonably high end product is let down by the application software, come on BOSE invest a little more cash into app development.
First of all let’s talk about what seems to be the elephant in the room for most people.
Yes, you do need to download the Bose app and register these headphones to it. Although this is an extra step to just plugging them in and playing music there is a really good reason for this that a lot of people are missing the point of, security!
These headphones will not work unless they are registered to the Bose app, so if they get stolen they cannot be used, and if someone tries registering them then even better as the serial number is already linked to your account. Once people catch wind of this there will be no point in thieves attempting to steal them, unfortunately in today’s society this is now pretty much a necessity for expensive items such as these and I applaud Bose for moving with the times.
Now onto the music, think mellow tones and good warm solid bass, probably one of the best tuned set of drivers I have ever heard in headphones (I have had plenty of sets over the years including much more expensive headsets. In fact my headset attached to my PC is an Audeze Mobius with 100mm drivers, and no they don’t sound as good).
The Bluetooth has a decent range, much more so than my in ear airpods and it’s pretty solid too. I’ve probably had around 3 or 4 dropouts over the period I’ve had these headphones (around 2 months sofar with daily use).
The battery life is excellent, I’ve not managed to run the battery down yet and once charged they are still at a steady 19+ hours life.
The noise cancellation is pretty damn good too along with the tap/swipe gestures which are pretty straightforward (unlike the Nuraphone which I also recently tried).
All in all I would highly recommend these to people that are prepared to move with the times and aren’t afraid of new technology designed to protect them and their product. Outstanding work Bose, I’m a very happy man.
The only downside that there is to these headphones is that they aren’t great for PC gaming, if you want to head in that direction I suggest you look elsewhere (which is a real shame as the sound on these are amazing) due to the fact that the software seems to read music/game sounds seperately to voice comms and once comms are started all the problems start with dropouts, music stopping playing and eventually numerous frustrating reboots etc before no doubt switching to a dedicated gaming headset to avoid the hassle (I am very technically minded and I gave up). This is something that I hope Bose fix in a future firmware/software update as they have really missed a trick here. I would have dropped my Audeze Mobius if it was possible to use these in that area, and they are a great headset although a little heavy.
I will update this review in the future as I’m sure that once the non replaceable battery becomes an issue (big problem foreseen and it’s a case of ‘when’ not ‘if’ by the looks of things unless Bose work some magic). Treat yourself, buy these headphones!
I have had such a slew of horrible purchases over the past year, this was the sleeper purchase of the decade for me. I bought it because of one reason: Good headphones *with* the ability to connect to many bluetooth devices trivially.
I was not expecting to be blown away by the noise cancellation or sound signature. But my God. These sound wonderful, and the noise cancellation is the best thing to happen to me in forever. I get distracted so easily but these things just totally NUKE backround noise from orbit. The only thing that I can hear is my keyboard as I type this out. All of those dull sounds and the noise of people talking around me is almost completely gone.
Highly recommend these. The comfort could be a smidge better, and I tend to notice there is some “cabin pressure effect” on your ears due to the lack of sound or maybe the pressure. But it’s just the price one must pay when you want what this brings to the table.
Truly a masterful execution from a great company. 9.5 out of 10.
I work in an open plan office with plenty of chatter and distractions.
I use these headphones with noise cancellation and play rain sounds to cut out the ambient noise to allow me to concentrate on my work. They also work well for conference calls in an open plan office.
The headphones work well with iphone and android mobiles.
I haven’t really managed to make them work reliably with bluetooth from a computer yet, but that may be more an issue with my computer setup than the headphones themselves.
I would recommend this headset to other open plan office workers.
I tried these earphones out in a shop and they blue everything else out of the water in terms of noise cancellation. They were a little bit more than I wanted to pay, but they fit better than the Sony WH-10003MX I had borrowed from a friend and seemed really effective. The silicone-padded headband is smoothly adjustable – there’s more than just a limited few settings and it goes down to a size suitable to stay on my tiny head without slipping off when gaming OR clamping and becoming uncomfortable.
When I got home I found there was a deal on Amazon that made them affordable, but was concerned by the reviews saying it was difficult to connect to PCs via bluetooth. As I mainly wanted them for that, I had some concerns but figured I could always use the jack.
I did use the jack at first, as my phone recognised the headphones, but my PC did not, but I’ve just spent 20mins figuring it out so you don’t have to!
If you have a Windows 10 PC you may find that the device displays when you want to connect via Bluetooth, but isn’t recognised as an audio device. The device told me it had paired, but not connected. However, I found that if you pair once, then remove the device and try to pair again, you then see two options: one that is just the name of the device, and one that specifies *headphones*. Pick that one, and the earphones tell you that you have connected. Sound works perfectly.
Don’t let this little bit of faff prevent you getting a really great set of headphones. I really do think they are superior to the Sony ones I tried (which were also pretty effective). The Sony headphones made my ears feel strange – something about the noise cancelling affected them in a way that the Bose ones don’t. The fit is better, they don’t fall off when I lean back while gaming, and you can choose from 10 different levels of noise cancelling. Level 10 is definitely better than what I got from the Sony headphones.
Also, Amazon is selling on the fact that this connects to Alexa and that was off-putting for me, but I just want to reassure that you *do not have to* connect to Alexa. You can choose to select a voice assistant when you download the Bose app, but there is absolutely no need to do that. So if you don’t want to use Alexa, simply don’t.
Bose also rethought its onboard controls for the 700. On the QC 35 II, there were physical buttons to wrangle settings, music and a virtual assistant. Nowadays touch controls are all the rage, so the company chose a mix of the two and the end result is great. On the right earcup, there’s a touch-sensitive area where you can adjust volume (swipe up or down), skip tracks (swipe forward or backward) and play/pause (double tap). Hold your finger on the touchpad and the 700 will let you know how much battery is left (in hours). These touch controls are a breeze and didn’t frustrate me as they have on other headphones. There’s also a combination Bluetooth-pairing and -power button on the right alongside a dedicated button for Google Assistant, Alexa or Siri. You can choose to summon Alexa with a wake word as well, but you’ll need to push the button to call on the other two.
The Bose QuietComfort 35 II and the Bose 700
On the left earcup, there’s a physical button for cycling through your three favorite noise-canceling levels. By default, it’s set to 0 (full awareness), 5 (some awareness) and 10 (full noise-cancellation), but you can change those in the Bose Music app. Press and hold that same button to active a Conversation Mode whenever you need to chat. This simultaneously pauses any audio and disables any noise-cancellation that’s active. When you’re done, you can press any button or tap the touch panel to resume both audio and noise-cancellation at their previous levels.
Speaking of noise-cancellation, Bose has really stepped up its game with customizable levels. Gone are the days when it was all or nothing. Now you can choose how much noise you want to let in at a level between 0 and 10. Of course, when you need to block out everything around you, the 700 does a stellar job with that. Noise-cancellation was never an issue for Bose headphones, and that’s still true. However, adding the ability to tweak the level based on your surroundings or disable it quickly for a conversation, takes great ANC a step further. It’s a lot more useful this way.
Bose 700 review
Voice calls are another area Bose has improved. On the 700, there are eight microphones total (four on each earcup) that work together to silence your surroundings and focus on your voice. The goal is for you to be able to take a call, use voice commands and more from the confines of a noisy coffee shop or busy city street. Usually making a call with headphones or earbuds ends up sounding like you’re using speakerphone. But with the Bose 700, the person on the other end thought I was just talking into the phone as normal, even when I was near a loud TV. A lot of headphones promise better voice clarity — Bose actually delivers.
I had Quiet Comfort 2 before these 700s and was very happy with them – until I heard the 700s. In my opinion, they have a much better spatial sound, that is I can hear a better sound separation between instruments. The 700s are also Bluetooth whereas the QC2s are wired – which is obviously a huge advantage when moving around!
The ability to alter the degree of noise cancellation with the button on the left ear cup is great. You can easily alter it from zero, that is no noise cancelling to 50% or 100% just be repeat presses.
The right ear cup has touch sensitive controls which means you can alter the volume by swiping up and down and go to the previous or next track just as easily.
Overall, Bose continues to ‘come up trumps’ for me – but its probably worth trying out the ‘sound philosophy’ of a few other suppliers before making a final decision.
These headphones are incredibly comfortable and I’ve been using them constantly since receiving them a few days ago. I had no problem setting up the app, and it works well. Theres little need to access it once the headphones have been paired. My last pair of BOSE were the QC15s. Noise cancellation on the new pair is much better and very impressive. The work around really does fade into the background. They are great for phone calls too. I have always thought the sound quality on NC headphones is compromised and feels a little over processed but its really not a serious concern and music does should great (although not as good as with my B & w P9s – but they are double the price). I really love that they are cordless and I have not experienced any problems with the bluetooth.
1. Sony WH-1000XM3
2. Bose QC35 II
3. Bose NC 700
Battery life:
I did some research and found that the battery life from the Sony’s were 30hrs compared to the 20hrs on the Bose, (to be honest though, that wasn’t really a dealbreaker as realistically there won’t be a situation were I will be using the headphones for 30hrs straight without having the opportunity to charge it beforehand).
comfort: (no question)
1. Bose QC35 II’s (just unrivalled, can’t even feel it)
2. Bose NC 700 (clamping force uncomfortable in the beginning, however after wearing for 5 hours, maybe even more comfortable or just as comfortable as QC 35II’s)
3. Sony WH-1000XM3 (In my opinion, cramped, ears touch the inside of the headphones, Bose really just are the best)
Looks:
1. Bose NC 700 (sleek, futuristic, seamless)
2. Sony WH-1000XM3 (pretty good looking)
3. Bose QC35 II (just s a bit of an outdated look)
features: (Bose VS Sony)
Bose:
– can connect up to 2 devices at once (EXTREMELY helpful)
– Matches Sony’s conversation mode
– Matches Sony’s touch gestures
– App really does work well for me (IDK why people says it doesn’t work, it works perfectly for me)
– More noise cancelling levels
– Tells you actual battery life time left improvement from QC35 II
– AI thing that helps noise cancellation
– CALL QUALITY! mics (best in any headphone)
– Case compartment for wires and cables (huge+ and improvement from QC35 II)
Sony:
– Better app, configure sound
– Conversation mode without buttons
– touch gestures
Sound:
1. Sony (just can’t beat the bass)
2. Bose NC 700’s (actually a noticeable sound improvement from QC35 II)
3. Bose QC35 II (still pretty good though)
Price:
1. Sony (267.10) (great value)
2. Bose NC 700 (349) (kinda expensive and overpriced considering lack of improvement (although not bad))
3. Bose QC35 II (259) (OG pretty good)
Conclusion:
Now, you are probably trying to decide what to get and don’t want to make a wrong decision (now don’t worry if you don’t like it. You can return it within 30 days of purchase because amazon is reliable and great with customer service.
I am personally sticking to my Bose NC 700, as comfort is extremely important, but so are the new features from the new Bose. It looks great and the sound quality is great. I will always also be loyal to Bose, as they are my all time favourite headphone company.
But if you are on a budget, and still want great headphones then the obvious choice would be the Sony WH-1000XM3.
Edit: after using this for a bit, I am deciding to return this item for a number fo reasons.
1. the app doesn’t connect well
2. It’s a massive pain to retract and extend the headphone length every time you pack it!
3. you have to be really careful with it when putting it in your bag etc. (looks as if it would scratch easily)
The sound is well balanced, crisp and clear. I usually keep the volume between 55-65% when I listen to any earphones/headphones, and in this range, these are the truest sounding headphones I have ever heard from.
ANC is awesome again. I have experienced my colleague’s Sony 1000xm3 but only in my work environment. And Bose NC 700 did better on level 10 then Sony’s. The day when I received them, my friend and I spent the whole day testing with different areas such as cubicles, canteens and parking lot and we both came to the same conclusion that the Bose 700 ANC performed better. I haven’t yet used Bose NC 700 on aeroplanes or buses.
Calling on this headphone is crazy. It’s best in the industry so far. Definitely better than Sony’s.
I have seen many reviews about the buggy app and how frustrating it gets because the Bose keeps disconnecting for many users. To the contrary, I haven’t experienced that. Maybe they fixed it or maybe not. For me, the experience was smooth without any hiccups in connection. So can’t comment on something I didn’t face.
PS: I went through the reviews from Flossy Carter, MKBHD, Jimsreviewroom, Gymcaddy and many more and I pretty much had an idea what I am buying and my expectations. And yet after that experiencing these headphones blew my mind.
When it comes to experiencing flagship headphones, I feel that it is mostly subjective. For someone with an average-sized head, who doesn’t go full volume every time they listen via headphones and loves a balanced sound signature, I guess these would be the perfect match.
Battery life is excellent..I loaned it to a few friends to see how long we could keep it going and it did last the full 21 hours advertised. So far I’ve tested them in a range of surroundings and we have all been very impressed indeed.
As someone who has had Bose noise cancelling headphones for the last fifteen years I can honestly say that these are a big step forward, which I didn’t think was possible. Design and noise cancellation are noticeably improved.