The Bose QuietComfort 35 headphones have been a go-to for those looking for a pair of high-quality noise-cancelling headphones in the past few years. Bose took note, and for the most part kept the Bose QuietComfort 35 II’s core values identical to the previous generation while adding integrating Google Assistant.
What comes with the Bose QC35 II?
Inside the box with the Bose QuietComfort 35 II’s you will find a USB charging cable, 3.5mm audio cable for wired use, and a carrying case as well. Essentially everything you would expect with a pair of headphones. The carrying case is a good one; however, it is a lightweight hard-shell type case that still remains compact by storing the headphones flat and are perfect for tossing in a backpack during travel, there is also a small pocket for cords and cables.
Are they comfortable?
The comfort is a large attribution to the Bose QuietComfort 35’s popularity, especially for those who travel often and need a pair of good noise cancelling headphones for long flights. A combination of lightweight design, decently built quality, and excellent material choice for ear cups and headband all contribute to the overall comfort. The earcups of soft but do get a bit warm after longer periods of time, while the alcantara lined padded headband is quite comfortable as well. I believe the most significant contributing factor to comfort, however, is the weight. The Bose QuietComfort 35 II has a combination of hard plastic outer shell, metal reinforcements, and corrosion resistant metal earcaps that overall give the expensive pair of headphones a well-built feel.
As for the buttons and IO, the headphones have a power switch, volume control, play pause buttons, and micro USB port for charging on the right side, while the left side has just the newly added customizable action button. One thing that should have been included, however, is an in-line remote within the include 3.5mm cable for wired use.
Bose QC 35 II sound quality
When it comes to sound quality, the Bose QuietComfort 35 II is one of the better options for an active noise cancelling headphone. Audiophiles looking for the best sound quality from an over-ear headphone of this price are going to be thoroughly disappointed, but that is not the intention of this pair of headphones. You have the option to use them in a passive or active mode, passive to save battery life, while active gives you Bose’s DSP (digital signal processing) that delivered a more emphasized and powerful sound experience from my testing. For a pair of headphones with active noise cancellation, I was quite satisfied with the sound quality it was still able to offer. The experience was clear and with decent based, while the trebles were still present at the same time.
Noice cancellation features
As for noise cancellation, Bose has dominated the headphone space through this specific feature paired with audio quality. I personally use the Bose QC25 active noise cancelling earbuds specifically for flights, and the noise cancelling abilities are impressive especially when trying to watch a movie with dialogue. The Bose QuietComfort 35 II allows you to use the Bose Connect app to adjust noise cancellation thresholds to “off,” “low,” “high.” The lower the noise cancellation, the cleaner sound you will get. Noise cancellation itself is impressive though, and I can totally see why the Bose QuietComfort 35’s has been a go-to for a headphone in this class.
Bose Connect app
The Bose Connect app allows you to adjust some of the settings for the QuietComfort 35 II and also download necessary software updates from here. The main menu displays battery life, Bluetooth device toggle, and noise cancellation threshold. Within the settings menu, you can customize the action button, auto-off timer, and Google Assistant settings.
Built-in Google Assistant support on the Bose II is essentially the only major change from the original QuietComfort 35’s while remaining at the same retail price. Through Google Assistant, you are able to execute voice prompts within the platform by holding on the new action button found at the bottom of the QuietComfort 35 II’s by default. For those who regularly use Google Assistant, this is a great feature to execute tasks without having to reach for your cell phone, but I personally didn’t find myself using it much at all. The action button can be customized however and at the same price you can’t really complain about the added feature.
Battery life on the Bose QC 35 II
Bose claims an estimated battery life of 20 hours on the Bose QuietComfort 35 II and a quick 15-minute charge providing 2.5 hours of listening. Results will vary based on listening volume and noise cancellation settings but from my general listening I was able to get a combined use of 15 hours or so over the span of about a week. One thing to note is the included micro USB cable is super short, you can however still use the headphone powered while charging.
Is the Bose QC 35 II worth it?
The Bose QC 35 II didn’t see many changes when compared to the predecessor, but Bose knew they didn’t have to fix something that wasn’t broken. They kept the same great noise cancellation performance with decent sound quality alongside the classic lightweight design of the original model. The addition of Google Assistant will be a welcome feature for some, but I honestly don’t see that many people using it. With that being said, I really don’t have many complaints about this pair of headphones and can totally see why it has established itself as a go-to noise cancellation headphone while carrying a rather high price point. What I would have like to see however, is possibly an increased battery life, improvement in some of the accessories included, and maybe a couple additional app based features that may encourage Bose QuietComfort 35 owners to upgrade to a newer generation.
