Bose Quiet Comfort 35 headphones

bk

Oafley Jones wrote: »

Waiting for reviews of the new B&O H9. If they combine the Sound quality of the new h6s with decent noise cancelling then they should be superb. Wait for a price reduction though.

I wouldn't hold my breath. It isn't a case of simply combining two different technologies. The way ANC works is that is specifically mixes audio waves into the original audio to cancel out external noises. This mixing will never allow you to get the same audio quality as you would from an open back headphone without ANC in a quiet environment.

Having said that in a noisy environment (particularly plans, etc.) nothing will beat the sound quality of a good ANC headphone.

unkel

Sorry don't mean to hijack this thread, but what is are the best headphones for home use if you don't need noise cancellation, but are only interested in audio quality? Budget around this level. Was hoping to get to near audiophile quality without having to spend silly money

Currently use my trusted Sennheiser HD580 that I bought from Richersounds many, many years ago. They are good, but I'm looking for a significant step up. Have a decent Pioneer VSX930 Receiver, that I will plug these into, so no need for Bluetooth either...

the merchant

TheBlock wrote: »

Just ordered a set of these as my Christmas Pressie, due to arrive between 23rd - 26th Dec, hopefully 23rd!!

Have you a set? Whats the quality like?

I do have a set but they're wrapped up until Christmas Day. Mine were delivered in about three days so I'm sure you'll have them before the 23rd!

bk

unkel wrote: »

Sorry don't mean to hijack this thread, but what is are the best headphones for home use if you don't need noise cancellation, but are only interested in audio quality? Budget around this level. Was hoping to get to near audiophile quality without having to spend silly money

Currently use my trusted Sennheiser HD580 that I bought from Richersounds many, many years ago. They are good, but I'm looking for a significant step up. Have a decent Pioneer VSX930 Receiver, that I will plug these into, so no need for Bluetooth either...

God no, those HD580 are a fantastic headphone, considered to be almost studio quality and would have significantly better audio quality in a quiet environment then these.

You'll find it difficult to upgrade from these HD580's for the same money. Maybe the HD650's they are very well regarded, but might not be a massive jump up from the 580's

BTW the HD580's are now more then 50 years old! Interesting read here:

http://www.headfonia.com/the-sennheiser-trio-hd580-hd600-hd650/

cyburger

bk wrote: »

BTW the HD580's are now more then 50 years old! Interesting read here:

From the article -

"It seemed clear that the HD580 was quite a successful product, and on Sennheiser’s 50th Anniversary in 1995, the HD580 Jubilee Edition was released..... In 2003, 10 years after the HD580, Sennheiser released the HD650"

I think Sennheiser are more than 50 years old, but the HD580s are more like 23 years old? Which is still pretty effin old.

bk

cyburger wrote: »

From the article -

"It seemed clear that the HD580 was quite a successful product, and on Sennheiser’s 50th Anniversary in 1995, the HD580 Jubilee Edition was released..... In 2003, 10 years after the HD580, Sennheiser released the HD650"

I think Sennheiser are more than 50 years old, but the HD580s are more like 23 years old? Which is still pretty effin old.

Sorry, you are correct, Sennheiser was founded in 1945. 1995 was their 50th anniversary.

gar

Aurvana platinum or Sony MDR zx770bn?

http://www.rtings.com/headphones/reviews/creative/aurvana-platinum

http://www.rtings.com/headphones/reviews/sony/mdr-zx770bn

Both seem to have pros and cons

bk

gar wrote: »

Aurvana platinum or Sony MDR zx770bn?

http://www.rtings.com/headphones/reviews/creative/aurvana-platinum

http://www.rtings.com/headphones/reviews/sony/mdr-zx770bn

Both seem to have pros and cons

If you are looking for active noise cancelling then the Bose QC's. Doesn't have to be the QC35, good deals around on the QC20 and 25's too. I got my QC20's for £150 a few years ago.

Nothing else comes even close to Bose for ANC, they literally reduce noise magnitudes better then above (decibels is a logarithmic scale).

If you don't need ANC and just want bluetooth headphones, then other options out their would be better.

gar

bk wrote: »

If you are looking for active noise cancelling then the Bose QC's. Doesn't have to be the QC35, good deals around on the QC20 and 25's too. I got my QC20's for £150 a few years ago.

Nothing else comes even close to Bose for ANC, they literally reduce noise magnitudes better then above (decibels is a logarithmic scale).

If you don't need ANC and just want bluetooth headphones, then other options out their would be better.

100 is my budget really. Only for occasional travel.
Just anxious about the comfort of the creative set as its meant to be quite tight

bk

gar wrote: »

100 is my budget really. Only for occasional travel.
Just anxious about the comfort of the creative set as its meant to be quite tight

I know how you feel, I felt the same before I got my QC20's, that they were too expensive.

But reading the reviews, even the ones you linked to above, it is clear that they do almost nothing to actually reduce noise while travelling. It is clear that they just throw in ANC as a marketing term to try and sell them, but in reality it has very little benefit.

To give you an idea. A library is 40db, a suburbs about 50db and an office about 60db. A plan is about 105db during takeoff and landing and about 85db during cruise.

The creatives only reduce noise by 7db, almost useless for planes. The Sony's by 14db, ok, better, but still not really great. The Sony's will take you from 85 down to 70db, some improvement, but even 8 hours at 70db can cause hearing damage.

The Bose, reduce noise by about 24db, taking your 85db down to a much more reasonable 60db, roughly equivalent of an office.

I don't think there is much point in buying a cheaper option if it simply isn't going to do the job. Better to wait and save and buy when you can afford it.

AndersLimpar

A good "budget" option are the Sony ANC headphones here - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sony-MDR-ZX770BN-Wireless-Cancelling-Headphones/dp/B00U5WUOMM/ref=sr_1_3?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1481920879&sr=1-3&keywords=sony+noise+cancelling+headphones - I bought them in place of the BOSE after trying both.

The BOSE has superior noise cancelling as you would expect due to the price difference, in fact the ANC on the Bose is incredible. The Sony, while not as good, is exceptional for the price. The sound is excellent also and I've used them on both trains and planes and listened to the music in beautiful near silence!! You will still hear the purr of the engine but it's barely and I mean barely audible. After 10 seconds you have forgotten it's even there. The Bose does completely eliminate it but for me that wasn't worth the >€250 difference in price.

a clanger

The QC25 are currently €251 in Dublin airport at the moment. That's a great price. The only place I know of cheaper is Perth airport where they are circa €240 (340 AUD). Unless someone can enlighten me to a better ( more accessible) price !

PS .....what's the difference between the Apple and Android versions ???

smk321

For the QC25 the apple version the buttons on the cable don't all work with android phones.

sweetie

a clanger wrote:

The QC25 are currently €251 in Dublin airport at the moment. That's a great price. The only place I know of cheaper is Perth airport where they are circa €240 (340 AUD). Unless someone can enlighten me to a better ( more accessible) price !

What's difference between Q25 and Q35 (not 10!)

Creamy Goodness

sweetie wrote: »

What's difference between Q25 and Q35 (not 10!)

Main differences are:

35 - Bluetooth, works with both iOS and android and built in rechargeable battery.

25 - wired, the cable is different so there's an iOS and android version, requires 1 AAA to work.

PaulKK

bk wrote: »

An office wouldn't really be a good place to test headphones like this. It is on airplanes, trains and buses where headphones like this shine.

Headphones like these with active noise cancelation are designed to get rid of the constant loud noise of an engine. They would all work roughly the same in an office environment, with people talking etc. When it comes to talking, ANC doesn't actually work, it is just the isolation nature of the headphones that are reducing the noise of people around you talking.

The one exception in an office is if it has loud Air conditioning or the loud noise of computers operating, then ANC can help.

From the wire cutter review of sound cancelling headphones:

http://thewirecutter.com/reviews/best-noise-cancelling-headphones/



When it comes to noise cancellation on planes, where these are types of headphones are most useful, then nothing else comes even close to the various Bose QC headphones (I've the QC20 in-ear ones).

I didn't say the ANC works in a typical office. I am familiar with the ins and outs of ANC and its main use which for most people would be planes.

The reason I mentioned our office is because we are able to compare multiple brands that people there have. We also have white noise in the office which is quite loud and ANC actually helps quite a bit with that.

You linked a review to the previous model of the headphones I mentioned. Not the current version which is the pro 2.

Please ensure your facts are correct before dismissing my opinions.

I stand by my assessment that the backbeat pro 2 deliver most of the benefits of the qc35 at a much reduced price.

bk

PaulKK wrote: »

I stand by my assessment that the backbeat pro 2 deliver most of the benefits of the qc35 at a much reduced price.

Shrug

Here are some reviews for you:

http://www.soundguys.com/plantronics-backbeat-pro-2-review-10468/

These are active noise cancelling headphones, but don’t expect to get much noise cancelling out of them. Where other headphones cut out low hums from trains pretty much entirely, the Backbeat Pro 2 more like cut it in half. It was significantly less obtrusive to the listening experience, but it was still there.

http://www.trustedreviews.com/plantronics-backbeat-pro-2-review

However, if you can afford an extra £100 then the Bose QuietComfort 35 are a superior option. They offer radically improved ANC and noticeably better sound quality, albeit with slightly shorter battery life.

Sounds like many other "cheap" ANC headphones I've used in the past. They don't do much real ANC and aren't really all the effective on airplanes. A few db drop, but not enough to make a real difference.

I do understand, Bose are extremely expensive. But once you've tried them for real, you'll never go back. I was so happy to pick up a pair of QC20's for just £150. But now that I've experienced them, I know that if I lost and broke them in the morning, I'd run out and replace them full price.

Let me tell you a horrible real world experience. Just two weeks ago, I flew for 2 hours, followed by 6 hour wait in an airport, followed by 11 hour flight with my better half and my 13 month old baby! :eek:

I slept through most of the 11 hour leg, when I woke up near the end of the flight, I said to my better half, wow, our baby slept through it all too. You should of seen the dirty look she gave me! No she hadn't, she had woken up multiple times, I just hadn't heard because of my headphones and had slept through it all!

Really amazing, before getting my Bose, I could never fly on a plane. Now I can't even hear my own baby next too me!

The Backbeats aren't that much cheaper, they are still a pretty expensive headphone, £229! That is more expensive then the QC25's and only €20 less then this deal on the QC35's, while not coming close to being as good according to multiple reviews.

I know, most people go through this process. Man those Bose can't be worth that, they really can't be all that better, I'll just get these cheaper ones, I'm sure they will be good enough. I did that, tried multiple pairs of different "cheap" ANC headphones and in-ear isolation phones (Etymotics) and the truth is they were all a waste of money in the end, I should have just skipped them all and went straight to the Bose, it would have been cheaper overall.

ImARebel

I'm surprised you're still alive to tell that tale

JoeyJJ

They don't block out elbows not sure how you weren't woken up.

Have a pair of bose not ANC however comfort and quality unreal, have done the sales demo for the 25s many times and so close to pushing the button many times. Unreal quality and wouldn't consider any other anc solutions having tested some of them during hours wasted in airport.

hmmm

Just on the subject - I dawdled over buying a pair of QC20s a few years ago, wondering whether it was really worth paying that much for noise cancellation. I get the bus or train most days, and they have completely changed that ordeal into an experience I almost look forward to. They don't block all noises, particularly not conversations, but they allow me to listen to the radio or an audiobook as if I'm in my own little oasis of quiet. I often use them in the office with noise cancellation turned on and nothing playing through them.

On planes the effect is dramatic in terms of noise cancellation, it's only when you turn them off you realise how much noise there is. If I lost my earphones in the morning, I'd have no hesitation spending the money to get another pair.

The QC20s are great because they are in-ear, and over-ear would be too cumbersome to carry. If I could wear over-ears, the QC35s are what I would go for, or the QC25s if there was a really good offer. I would avoid the QC30s for now, the reviews of the noise cancellation say they are not as good as the QC20s. The QC20s are available for around 250 these days and are well worth considering.

Soarer

bk wrote: »

Let me tell you a horrible real world experience. Just two weeks ago, I flew for 2 hours, followed by 6 hour wait in an airport, followed by 11 hour flight with my better half and my 13 month old baby! :eek:

I slept through most of the 11 hour leg, when I woke up near the end of the flight, I said to my better half, wow, our baby slept through it all too. You should of seen the dirty look she gave me! No she hadn't, she had woken up multiple times, I just hadn't heard because of my headphones and had slept through it all!

Really amazing, before getting my Bose, I could never fly on a plane. Now I can't even hear my own baby next too me!

The Backbeats aren't that much cheaper, they are still a pretty expensive headphone, £229! That is more expensive then the QC25's and only €20 less then this deal on the QC35's, while not coming close to being as good according to multiple reviews.

I know, most people go through this process. Man those Bose can't be worth that, they really can't be all that better, I'll just get these cheaper ones, I'm sure they will be good enough. I did that, tried multiple pairs of different "cheap" ANC headphones and in-ear isolation phones (Etymotics) and the truth is they were all a waste of money in the end, I should have just skipped them all and went straight to the Bose, it would have been cheaper overall.

If you weren't pulling those Bose from your anus after that story, I reckon you should hang on to that lady of yours.

AmberGold

"I slept through most of the 11 hour leg, when I woke up near the end of the flight, I said to my better half, wow, our baby slept through it all too. You should of seen the dirty look she gave me! No she hadn't, she had woken up multiple times, I just hadn't heard because of my headphones and had slept through it all!

Really amazing, before getting my Bose, I could never fly on a plane. Now I can't even hear my own baby next too me! "

Whatever about replacing the heaphones if you lose them you'll never find another woman like that in this day and age, you have a keeper there.

IrishHomer

I never fly without mine, I'm always jinxed having screaming babies close by so the Bose do the job at blocking the noise and helping me relax from the surrounding mayhem

PaulKK

bk wrote: »

Shrug

Here are some reviews for you:

http://www.soundguys.com/plantronics-backbeat-pro-2-review-10468/



http://www.trustedreviews.com/plantronics-backbeat-pro-2-review



Sounds like many other "cheap" ANC headphones I've used in the past. They don't do much real ANC and aren't really all the effective on airplanes. A few db drop, but not enough to make a real difference.

I do understand, Bose are extremely expensive. But once you've tried them for real, you'll never go back. I was so happy to pick up a pair of QC20's for just £150. But now that I've experienced them, I know that if I lost and broke them in the morning, I'd run out and replace them full price.

Let me tell you a horrible real world experience. Just two weeks ago, I flew for 2 hours, followed by 6 hour wait in an airport, followed by 11 hour flight with my better half and my 13 month old baby! :eek:

I slept through most of the 11 hour leg, when I woke up near the end of the flight, I said to my better half, wow, our baby slept through it all too. You should of seen the dirty look she gave me! No she hadn't, she had woken up multiple times, I just hadn't heard because of my headphones and had slept through it all!

Really amazing, before getting my Bose, I could never fly on a plane. Now I can't even hear my own baby next too me!

The Backbeats aren't that much cheaper, they are still a pretty expensive headphone, £229! That is more expensive then the QC25's and only €20 less then this deal on the QC35's, while not coming close to being as good according to multiple reviews.

I know, most people go through this process. Man those Bose can't be worth that, they really can't be all that better, I'll just get these cheaper ones, I'm sure they will be good enough. I did that, tried multiple pairs of different "cheap" ANC headphones and in-ear isolation phones (Etymotics) and the truth is they were all a waste of money in the end, I should have just skipped them all and went straight to the Bose, it would have been cheaper overall.

I didn't deny that the Bose are the best. They probably are.

You can cherry pick reviews all you like but there are also multiple reviews stating that the backbeats are very close to the Bose. You are also not mentioning that the reviews you linked are giving them 8 and 9 out of 10.

https://www.cnet.com/products/plantronics-backbeat-pro-2/review/

If you can get the qc 35 for 20 quid more then yes go for them. My point was at rrp the Bose are approx 350 euro and the back beats 199 dollars.

I did mention that you should pick the back beats up in the states for 199 dollars which is what I did.

I can never sleep on planes and wearing the backbeats on my last transatlantic flight I was able to grab a couple of hours. They make a huge difference, not a couple of decibles like you describe. Its almost silent.

I won't comment on your parenting/husband skills.

eclipsechaser

£260 on amazon.co.uk today. That's just shy of €310.

galvo_clare

Just bought QC25 from ebay. Described as ex-display. Worked out at €200. There's another one listed for the same price from a different seller (both UK)

I have a pair of Sennheiser PXC250 II and I find them good. Seeing I have those, I wouldn't have paid full price for the Bose but it'll be interesting to compare the two. I do a lot of travel by air so anything that helps will be well worth it.

barney shamrock

Just bought a pair of the triple black QC25's on eBay. As new with receipt for 200 euro.
Definite improvement on my QC15s which now sound thin and harsh in comparison.

bk

ImARebel wrote: »

I'm surprised you're still alive to tell that tale

JoeyJJ wrote: »

They don't block out elbows not sure how you weren't woken up.

Soarer wrote: »

If you weren't pulling those Bose from your anus after that story, I reckon you should hang on to that lady of yours.

AmberGold wrote: »

Whatever about replacing the heaphones if you lose them you'll never find another woman like that in this day and age, you have a keeper there.

I know right, I know I'm a very lucky man She even doesn't mind me spending money on geek tech toys as she likes them herself Only problem is that she expects me to buy her a nice pair of Bose ANC headphones now before the next trip! Smart lady

hmmm wrote: »

Just on the subject - I dawdled over buying a pair of QC20s a few years ago, wondering whether it was really worth paying that much for noise cancellation. I get the bus or train most days, and they have completely changed that ordeal into an experience I almost look forward to. They don't block all noises, particularly not conversations, but they allow me to listen to the radio or an audiobook as if I'm in my own little oasis of quiet. I often use them in the office with noise cancellation turned on and nothing playing through them.

On planes the effect is dramatic in terms of noise cancellation, it's only when you turn them off you realise how much noise there is. If I lost my earphones in the morning, I'd have no hesitation spending the money to get another pair.

Yes, exactly my own experience. I use to hate the long distance flights I'd have to take, down right painful. While I won't say they are "fun" now or that I look forward to them, it has made them so much easier it is unbelievable.

The best travel upgrade you can get. IMO better then upgrading to premium economy or business class * (1st class obviously a different story).

* Actually many airlines now supply these Bose headphones in Business class, so you would benefit from them, though that would be just for one flight, versus buying your own and using them for the next 10 years worth of flights.

And yup, it is really on a plane where these shine. You really can't properly test these out in an office or shop, you just can't recreate (thankfully) the constant 85db's noise of a plane. You really only notice how loud the plane really is when you take them off to go to the toilets, etc. It is then that I've often found myself winching in pain, there is such a different and the aircraft is so loud.

hmmm wrote: »

The QC20s are great because they are in-ear, and over-ear would be too cumbersome to carry. If I could wear over-ears, the QC35s are what I would go for, or the QC25s if there was a really good offer. I would avoid the QC30s for now, the reviews of the noise cancellation say they are not as good as the QC20s. The QC20s are available for around 250 these days and are well worth considering.

Yup the QC20's have a number of distinct advantages. They actually have a few db more sound reduction then the over ear models. They are obviously much more portable. They are easier to sleep in and if you wear glasses they are much better *

* The over ear ones can cause glasses to sit uncomfortably on your ears and nose and the glasses also cause the ear piece not have a tight fit, which reduces it's ability to reduce noise by at least a few decibels!

However I also know that some people don't really like in ear headphones and prefer the over ear type.

BTW One expensive tip that I've heard on some other frequent flyers forums, is that some people use two pairs of Bose earphones! An in-ear one like the QC20, with ANC on and the music/movie through that and then a second pair of the over-ear ones like the QC25 or QC35 on top of that, with their ANC also turned on. Seemingly this creates almost complete silence, even from people talking on airplanes.

Andrew76

bk wrote: »

And yup, it is really on a plane where these shine. You really can't properly test these out in an office or shop, you just can't recreate (thankfully) the constant 85db's noise of a plane. You really only notice how loud the plane really is when you take them off to go to the toilets, etc. It is then that I've often found myself winching in pain, there is such a different and the aircraft is so loud.

To be fair they shine in lots of places not just on a plane!

Got my pair from Amazon.it on Monday and have been very impressed with the noise cancellation (had only ever tested the 25s in a shop ages ago and thought they were very good then). I work at home and in an office and find a big difference when wearing them - everything is much quieter even before you put on any music. Glasses wearer here too.

Was a bit wary paying that much (even if they were 100 off) but delighted I got them now.

CantGetNoSleep

Trying my hardest not to buy these!

MaceFace

Anyone dawdling. Do it. Go on, you deserve it. I have a pair a few months and while I've used them a few times on planes, they are exceptional in the office or on the street.

It's a lot of money but if you them every day for a year, that's only a Euro a day.

Sure go on, it's Christmas...

darragh o meara

Currently £260/€300 on Amazon.co.uk

Go on you know you want to.

sweetie

Off to Boston and NY over Xmas, anywhere I might get these cheaper or is the exchange rate fecking everything up.

furiousox

Might be worth looking in the bose factory outlets over there.
There's one in woodbury common, not sure about Boston.

zweton

sooooo want, reckon they will go down a bit more after xmas?

Chorus_suck

This post has been deleted.

Andrew76

Chorus_suck wrote: »

Link?

They've gone back up in price to £289.95, was £260 yesterday.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Bose-QuietComfort-35-Wireless-Headphones/dp/B01E3SNO1G

killbillvol2

Just picked up the last set they had in Terminal 1. Very impressed already. Totally unnecessary purchase but sure it's Christmas.

j4vier

killbillvol2 wrote:

Just picked up the last set they had in Terminal 1. Very impressed already. Totally unnecessary but sure it's Christmas.

What's their price now at Dixon's travel?

killbillvol2

j4vier wrote: »

What's their price now at Dixon's travel?

€309

elmicko

Harvey Norman's advertising the QC35s for €299 - plenty in stock too. I have the Backbeat Pros and they are excellent for sound quality but the noise cancelling is probably not as good as these. I am very tempted....
http://www.harveynorman.ie/tvs-headphones/headphones/headphones-ireland/bose-quietcomfort-35-wireless-headphones-silver.html

darragh o meara

elmicko wrote: »

Harvey Norman's advertising the QC35s for €299 - plenty in stock too. I have the Backbeat Pros and they are excellent for sound quality but the noise cancelling is probably not as good as these. I am very tempted....
http://www.harveynorman.ie/tvs-headphones/headphones/headphones-ireland/bose-quietcomfort-35-wireless-headphones-silver.html

Last time HN reduced them to 299 they were only at that price for a day. Get them quick if your thinking about them

killbillvol2

If you're wavering on these, don't. Grab them now. I bought them this morning. 70% charged out of the box. Incredible noise reduction on my flight to Helsinki. It was worth €300 not to have to listen to the cow behind me reading texts to her husband.
I have some good headphones already but these are head and shoulder above anything else I've tried.

Slaanesh

killbillvol2 wrote: »

but these are head and shoulder above anything else I've tried.

Ah, I see what you did there!

william

I got these QC20s (in ear) for GBP169 back in March. Use them on the train, on flights and in work sometimes. Love them.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00X9KVLOM/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&th=1

JoeyJJ

Ahhhh so tempted

frag420

Bought a pair this morning. Been travelling around London all day on public transport, absolute bliss!!

Only issue is getting used to overear cans as I am used to bud style earphones!

Apart form that they are the shnizz nizz!!

Rackstar

Gone back up again in HN. Only the silver ones reduced. Was tempted but have my sister picking up the black ones for slightly more in the airport.

CantGetNoSleep

350 euro in the first of three airports I'm passing through today - below 300 and I'll be buying them

Rackstar

CantGetNoSleep wrote: »

350 euro in the first of three airports I'm passing through today - below 300 and I'll be buying them

UK airports have them £269