Bose QuietComfort 35 (Series II) Wireless Headphones, Noise Cancelling with Amazon Alexa - Black

If you are wondering whether you should buy these in 2021 then, the answer is YES!! I've been using these for nearly 3 years and thought it was time to "upgrade". I purchased the Airpods Max (yes I'm an idiot) and they were plagued with problems. They sounded better than this but were nowhere near as comfortable and lightweight as the Bose. I was getting like a 12-15 hours battery life out of the Airpods Max, they were so unreliable and would randomly drain battery overnight + condensation build-up on the drivers after about 2 hours use + buggy firmware, meant they were unbearable to use. So I returned them and got a refund. But I still wanted to "upgrade" so I purchased the next best consumer ANC headphone, the sony WH1000M4. Again, they sounded better than the bose. But personally, they weren't as comfortable as the Bose for me although they are lightweight. I also found many of its features to be gimmicky and didn't really use them. And although the Sony's did sound better intially, I didn't like the sound signature. It was way too bass heavy, although I liked it at first, it just become jarring to listen to music for a long time. The Bose also has a better build quality than the Sony's and it stores a little bit smaller. Basically, I never realised how amazing the Bose actually is. It has nice sound signature that means I can listen to music for hours on end, it's comfortable to wear for hours on end, it's build well and still has incredible ANC, even 3 years later, the Sony's might be marginally better. I also found the Sony's multi-device function more of a pain to use than the Bose's and not always as accurate or reliable. My only complaint with the Bose would be that I wish the bluetooth range was better, as soon as I leave the room and go next door, the connection stutters, it needs a line of sight ideally. Some kind of an ambient mode would also be nice when you're in a public environment, as even with ANC turned off, most of the sound is still very well isolated. The battery life is also excellent. So unless you will use all the features of the Sony to its full potential, these are still an incredible value pair of headphone, espcially for the price you can get these for now, nearly half of the Sony's at time if you look for it.

I have had the liberty of owning both headphones. The Bose QC35 Series 2 and the brand new Sony WH-1000XM3. I have used both for walking, aeroplane travel, travel on the underground in London and and general stuff like walking and around the house.The Sony’s - Greatly improves over the series 2 version of the headphones. They are a right fitting headphone, very loud and impressive base. You can fiddle with the base, treble and noise cancellation until your hearts content as it’s all adjustable via the app. The best thing about these is the noise cancellation. It is the market leader and has overtaken the Bose in this area. They are comfortable and made to high standards. You can even adjust the noise cancellation at different altitudes such as in the aeroplane and this works well. I actually fell asleep with them on recently which was a first as I hate flying. Wearing them and walking I did feel a bit weird for some reason. I think it was the noise cancelling software, perhaps it’s a little too good?The Bose’s - They feel lighter, easier to live with, more roomy than the Sony’s and not as tight a fit which I think makes the more comfortable. The noise cancellation is excellent and you can set them to high, low and off levels. The noise cancellation works very well, however not quite as good as the Sony’s, which you can fiddle with until your hearts content with the app. The sound quality is brilliant, you do get more mid level sound with the Bose, though the Sony’s were definitely louder with more richer base. I wish you could adjust the base and treble but you can’t or at least I can’t find out how you do it. You can adjust these setting with the Sony’s in the app.The winner for me was the Bose. When I began looking for noise cancelling headphones I first began looking for the ‘best cancelling’ on the market but there are many other factors you need to consider when making a buying decision. For me that issue was comfort and ensuring they are ‘fit for the purpose of the wearer.If like me you could end up wearing headphones for 2-6+hrs per day I would choose the Bose over the Sony’s in a heartbeat. They are lighter, your ears don’t get hot or sweaty when wearing them and they have more room. Yes the noise cancellation is very slightly substandard to the Sony’s when side by side testing (though still pretty amazing) and they aren’t as loud, but they are the best for all day wearers. If I only wanted to use my headphones for an hour or two per day, the Sony’s would win hands down (although I found them a little tight for my big head).I advise you to try both pairs, but consider the anount of time you’ll wear them for each day as comfort is really important when you have to live with these headphones. Consider the weight you like to have on your head, comfort around your ears such as the fit and tightness. Comfort becomes more important than being able to fiddle with sounds such as base and noise cancellation when you don’t actually like the things in your head. So please buy the most comfortable and then everything else will fall into ace and you’ll love your decision between these two amazing brands.Last point. If you go into a busy airport and watch the commuters in London you’ll quickly notice most people are wearing one brand in particular. You can guess which it is.

These headphones are worth every penny.The materials, the look, the feel, the sound are impeccable, but what's most important for me: noise cancellation is great - if you download the Bose Connect app you can even choose to have NO noise cancellation, LOW level or HIGH level of noise cancellation. (I had the chance to try on the Bose 700 some time ago and if you're looking for a total noise cancellation effect, those are the ones to go.)Another reason why I'm so enthusiastic about these headphones is my horrible experience with my first pair of headphones (Beats). Do not fall victim of pushy salespersons like I unfortunately did.Three years ago I found myself wandering around the airport, trying to kill time because of my flight was delayed. I thought that could be the perfect moment to purchase a pair of headphones at a good price.I had already did some research and from the online reviews, the Bose headphones had the best noise cancelling system hands down. Even though I expressed my interest on the Bose and my concerns about wind noises during calls to the salesman, he kept on praising Beats. Unfortunately I listened and thought "why not?", after all the price was quite lower. DO NOT make my same mistake: the price was lower and after my experience I can say they were still overpriced. Calls were a pain with the lightest breeze or the lightest "clothe stroking", the play button stopped working properly after one and a half year, after three years I couldn't hear sound from my right ear (faulty contact) and the cover of the ear cushion are all "unglued" so the foam is exposed, plus they are too tight on the ears.I love how comfortable these Bose are and I'm sure they will last for a very long time.