Noise Cancelling Headphones
I have been using the Bose QC35 (series 1) noise cancelling headphones for travel for the last couple years. Recently both Valerie and I were going to be traveling internationally at the same time and I wanted her to have the joy of noise cancelling while on her flight. Because I know the Bose are great, I gave her mine since she was going to be leaving on her trip before I did. I then set out to see what else was out there..
So what did I look at?
Bose QC35 (Series 1) Headphones π§
Purchased: July 2016 | $350
- Great sound quality. π
- Very comfortable for long listening sessions. π
- Charges with micro USB. π
- So-so battery life. π
- Wired connection is a 2.5mm jack. π
Verdict: I still have them.
Sony WH1000XM3 Headphones π§
Purchased: November 2018 | $350
- Touch controls are annoying to activate consistently. π
- Great battery life: 30 hours. π
- Switching between devices sucks. I have had to remove and add the headphones to various devices a lot just to get them connected when I switch. ππ
- Charges with USB-C. π
- Wired connection is a 3.5mm jack. π
- Very comfortable. π
Verdict: I returned them.
Microsoft Surface Headphones π§
Purchased: December 2018 | $350
- The cups make my ears hot. π
- Top band not comfortable. π
- Squeezes my head to much. π
- Charges with USB-C. π
- Tells you the battery level (in hours) and what device it is connected to when you turn them on. π
- Tap controls on both sides so it doesnβt matter which side you tap. π
- Turning rings on each side. Volume on right, NC on left. π
- You need to tap lightly or the noise is irritating in the ear cup. π
- Long pressing the controls will activate voice assistant (Siri for me). π
- Pretty good battery life: 15 hours. π
- Wired connection is a 3.5mm jack. π
- Automatically pauses playback when you take off headphones. π
Verdict: I returned them.
Bose Noise Cancelling 700 Headphones π§
Purchased: July 2019 | $400
- The headband is metal now. π
- The band moves freely now rather than having clicking indent positions. π
- Charges with USB-C. π
- You have to setup (another) account with Bose to get into the iPhone app. π
- Not as comfortable as QC1 for extended wear. π
- Ear cups get warmer than the previous Bose. π
- Battery life in time remaining (17 hours, 25 min) rather than percentage (67%). π
- Really long battery life. π
- Wired connection is a 2.5mm jack. π
- Touch controls for volume rather than physical buttons. π
Verdict: I returned them.
So after all this, I ended up returning the Sony, Microsoft, and Bose headphones. Overall, after weighing the the pros and cons, none of them were good enough for me to justify the $350-$400 they cost.
The Bose QC35 (series 1) arenβt perfect, but I will hold on to them a little bit longer until something else comes along that is worth the upgrade.
If you don't have any current noise cancelling headphones and want some, of the three I tried, I would probably rank them in this order for you:
- Bose 700
- Sony WH1000XM3
- Microsoft Surface