Not for the first time, I find myself admiring the name of this over-the-ears pair of headphones because of how well it fits the product. Bose’s QuietComfort or QC35 II really are great to wear for a long time and they do muffle up the noise around you.
I haven’t come across many headphones that actually fit my head, and so it’s no surprise to me that this set shifts on my head a bit when I look down or move vigorously from side to side — luckily not a great habit of mine. But they still are among the most comfortable I’ve ever worn. The ear-cups are soft and plush, feeling luscious and enveloping, and the headband has soft material on the underside that adds to the fact that it doesn’t press down on the head in a tiring way. The QC35 II is light and gentle on the head and among the few you can wear for hours. It looks sedate and very good, including in silver, which is the unit I received for review.
One can use the Bose Connect app to set preferences and even connect. You can tinker with the setting for noise cancellation from here as well.
Bose has launched the QC35 II in India right on the heels of Sony’s WH-1000X -II noise cancellation headphones and that’s what it’s being compared to the most. While the QC35 II has an edge over Sony’s headphones in terms of build and comfort and also hiss-free noise cancellation, the WH-1000X -II does bring in some forward-looking smart features such as touch controls on the ear-cups, adaptive sound that changes the noise cancellation profile based on what you’re doing, sound optimisation and a clever feature to instantly tune into ambient sounds by cupping one ear-cup. The sound profile on both these headphones is different with fans for each; but Bose should really have stepped up its game with the QC35 II. It features the same clean, balanced sound that’s well known, a prominent but controlled bass, and an overall quality that will please the average listener even though it’s a wireless pair of headphones. You do get a cable in the box if you want to listen direct. Its noise cancellation is industry-leading and you can even hear the drastic reduction in sounds before the music is turned on. But Sony’s headphones are in no way far behind.
Price: ₹29,363
Pros: Superb build, easy to wear for long sessions, still the same noise cancellation and sound quality that is known and loved
Cons: Expensive, lagging behind in smart features, single added feature no cause for upgrade