Features:

  • Three levels of world-class noise cancellation for better listening experience in any environment
  • Alexa-enabled for voice access to music, information, and more
  • Noise-rejecting dual-microphone system for clear sound and voice pick-up
  • Balanced audio performance at any volume
  • Hassle-free Bluetooth pairing, personalized settings, access to future updates, and more through the Bose Connect app
  • Bose AR enabled* — an innovative, audio-only version of augmented reality
  • Unlock Bose AR* via a firmware update through the Bose Connect app
  • * Bose AR availability and functionality varies. Bose AR enhanced apps are currently available for iPhone and iPad users only. Apps for Android devices are in development
My comparison: Bose vs Sony

OK, my personal comparison of the Sony WH-1000Xm2 and the Bose is complete. After reading all the reviews, the Sony seemed to win out, but with Amazon's generous return policy, I purchased both and did a several hour comparison yesterday. Both are great, but here's what pushed me over the edge for Bose. 1. Sound. I am not an audiophile so the terms I use in this section to describe what I experienced may be technically incorrect terms, so bear with me. The Bose sound is amazing. It is crisp and clean and full. I can hear so much more in the same music I have been listening to for years. It's hard to explain but the Sony seemed compressed while the Bose feels full. The highs are better on the Bose and the there is separation in the music. The bass on the Sony seems louder, but not crisp and clean like it does on the Bose. The Sony sound is very good but compressed and almost muddy compared to the Bose. I know reviews say the Sony sounds better, but I just don't hear it that way. I found myself cutting my Sony tests short so I could go back to the Bose. 2. Comfort. The Bose is lighter and more comfortable for me. The Sony felt heavy in comparison. Every other feature became unimportant to me after hearing the sound and feeling the comfort. Both eliminated noise and did everything else fine. Nothing against the Sony WH-1000Xm2 - it is an excellent product, but for me I'm keeping the Bose and sending back the Sony's.

Great sound quality and amazing noise cancellation

I purchased these and the Sony WH1000XM2 to compare the two. Cnet says they both have a "9" for sound quality. I would agree, they both sound excellent. The Bose won the test for its noise cancellation, performance talking to people on the phone, comfort on my head, and sound processing. Phone performance: I compared how the Bose and the Sony sounded when recording and playing back my voice with a fan running in the background. The Bose sounded like I was holding an old fashioned handset and talking in a quiet room - intimate and zero background noise. The Sony sounded like I was on speaker phone, and I could hear some background noise. (As a control I also recorded using neither and it sounded like I was on speaker but also I could hear more background noise.) This feature is important to me since I spend a lot of time on the phone and prefer my clients to not hear any background noise. Sound quality The Bose and Sony both have excellent sound quality for playing music. I personally prefer the sound the Sony produces. The Sony iphone app lets you choose your levels on an equalizer, and I like that. However, the Bose hears what type of music you're playing and automatically optimizes the sound, and it does a really good job. While I would prefer to be able to set the levels if I so choose, I also appreciate that Bose is making it all easy for me, so I can truly listen to my music on random and not have to fuss with levels. The Bose iphone app doesn't do very much at all. It does let you "find your headset" similar to the "find my phone" app, and it will apply firmware. (I'm hoping Bose will add an equalizer into its app in the future.) Noise cancellation The Sony occasionally made me aware that noise cancellation was going on (with a whitenoise effect). The Bose on the other hand just stops the noise. There is no delay, no white noise, just quiet and your music. Controls The Bose controls are intuitive to find and to use. I like that the on-off control is a switch to flip on and off (rather than a button to find). Also, you can use this button to switch between devices, for example between your phone and ipad and your TV amplifier. The right earcup has three small buttons in a row together, and they control a lot of things. Volume, pause, and skip, rewind, answer/decline calls, etc. The left earcup only has the google assistant button, which I programmed to instead control the amount of noise cancellation (high, low, off). Song playback sounds much better with noise cancellation on high, and I don't think that has to do with noise (I was in a quiet environment); the bass sounds enhanced with noise cancellation on for some reason. (In comparison, the Sony lets you swipe the earcup itself to control volume, pause, play, skip, etc. This seems great in theory, but in practice if I bumped the earcup adjusting my glasses or whatever, the music would pause. I found the Sony to be somewhat buggy in that regard. It would stop playing at times and I had to pick up my phone to get the music re-started, which is annoying.) I found the Bose controls to be more intuitive and consistent. Also, when you switch them on a voice tells you how much battery you have left, which is handy. Comfort The Bose QuietComfort truly is comfortable. The earcups are soft, there is not a lot of clamping, and the top band is padded so it's less annoying on the top of the head. (In comparison, the Sony do have more clamping which was uncomfortable over glasses.) I am a pilot and wear a similar headset, so I'm familiar with how headphones feel after a few hours. On-ear are not going to be as comfortable for long term wear as earbuds would be, but I was wiling to make that trade-off to get superior sound quality. Style The Bose are more streamlined to my head. the Sony are bulky and look geeky. Conclusion Even though the Sony produces superior sound, the litany of other features (superior noise cancellation, intuitive controls, comfort, style, & phone performance) won me over to the Bose.

Great Product That's Worth the Price

I've wanted a pair of these headphones for a long, long time, but I couldn't convince myself to spend $350 on a pair of headphones, but now that I've experienced the bliss that is Bose Noise Cancelling I can't imagine traveling anywhere without them. I travel to Europe and Asia several times a year and take domestic, cross country flights regularly. I decided to purchase my Bose headphones before my latest trip in Week 37, 2018. I put on my new headphones, settled into my seat, hit play on my travel playlist, and everything else disappeared. I didn't realize just how good the noise cancelling function worked until I took the headphones off for a minute. The noise of the plane seemed almost deafening. I quickly put the headphones back on and enjoyed the rest of my 10 hour flight with everything around me silenced. I've bought several pairs of headphones prior to purchasing the Bose headphones because I wasn't willing to pay the price. I can tell you that they don't even come close to the noise cancelling abilities of the Bose headphones. In addition to the noise cancelling feature, the look and feel (especially the feel) of the materials are of the highest quality. The way the headphones feel when I put them on is like nothing I've ever experienced. Again, all the other headphones I've bought and tried don't even come close. The sound quality is also exceptional. I would definitely recommend these to someone who wants their own little oasis, especially people who travel a lot. The other headphones I've tried aren't even worth considering. If I could do it all over I would have saved myself the $200 I spent on lower quality headphones and gone straight to the Bose headphones from the beginning. I will use these headphones for a long, long time.

I give it five stars. My wife hates them ...

I give it five stars. My wife hates them she would give it 1. I put them on and that’s it. I can’t hear her any more.

Absolutely amazing and worth the $$$$

Ok, these are amazing! I can't hear a single thing when I turn these on. I was looking for headphones that canceled out noise in the background even when I wasn't listening to music (I'm a med student and need constant quiet while studying), and these work really well. Here are some details about the features: Features: On the right headphone, there are 3 buttons aligned vertically, the volume-up button, the pause button, and the volume-down button. This is also where the On button is. On the left headphone, there is a button for Google Assistant, which I highly recommend. Just get the Bose app for headphones and the Google Assistant app and it'll help you through the set-up. You can even use them on multiple devices at the same time. I use it on my Mac, iPad, and iPhone. Just turn on Bluetooth for all your devices and turn on the headphones and it should connect automatically. Google Assistant is like Siri. These also allow you to speak into them as it has a mic, so if someone calls you are able to talk through these without picking up your phone. Noice-Canceling Feature Only (No music): If someone in the background is cooking or cleaning I can't hear a thing with these turned on. With just the noise cancelation and no music, I can't hear the dishwasher or even certain levels of music playing in the background. I can hear conversation but really low which doesn't bother all that much. The noise canceling is really good. Noice-Canceling Feature WITH Music/Video/Sound On: I can't hear a thing! People have to scream if they need to talk to me. Not only does it cancel out all noice in the background, you don't need to turn the volume up all the way and kill your ears in order to hear the sound playing. It's like being in a movie theater. The sound is outstanding and clear! Overall great headphones that do the job right! I feel like I'm in my own world when studying, and even watching shows/movies.

Top of the line for comfort

I didn't buy these headphones through Amazon but I thought I would leave a review for these anyway. When I was shopping for a quality pair of noise-cancelling headphones, it really came down to a few choices. Watching a lot of youtube reviews and reading a lot of online reviews, it narrowed down to choosing the Bose QC35 IIs and the Sony WH1000XM2. When it comes down to the best noise-cancelling and the best comfort, there were a lot of debates between the two. And, when choosing headphones, I think it's important to consider what you want in a pair of really expensive headphones. For me, comfort was an absolute priority. A lot of headphones can give users wearer's fatigue and can become hot and uncomfortable after some time. When I'm using them to study or through plane rides, I wanted to make sure that whichever pair I bought would be the most comfortable. In the end, I decided on Bose because of how light-weight they were. The Bose QC35 IIs are about 8.1oz (~230g) in weight and the Sony headphones are about 9.7oz (~275g). They might not seem like a huge difference, but that comparison is for you as a future consumer to make. So far, wearing the QC35 IIs have given me the best wearing experience out of any of the headphones I've tried previously. I can go hours with them on without feeling much discomfort and because they are so light-weight, sometimes I forget that they're even on. What's also great about these in particular is that these cover your entire ear. The plush for the L/R ears actually sits around your ears instead of sitting partly on your ears. When I tested the Sony headphones at Best Buy, the headphones sat partly on my ears and after ten minutes of testing them, I had the sense that they might become uncomfortable after some time. This was also one of the big reasons I chose to go with Bose instead Sony. The active noise cancelling is one of the best on the market today and personal experience tells me that the ANC is amazing, but plenty of reviews have said that Sony either matches or beats Bose in the ANC department. Because I don't own a pair of the WH1000XM2, I can't really comment on which is better. The QC35 IIs, however, blocks out nearly all ambient noises and is a pleasure to use in noisy environments. Some have said that the ANC can give them headaches due to a cabin-like pressure attributed to the ANC. It took a day or so to adjust to the ANC and that "cabin-like pressure" and it doesn't bother me personally anymore, but so I would head to your local Best Buy or electronics store to test this for yourself. These headphones are a huge expenditure, so it's important to test whether or not this might apply to you. Pros: Incredibly lightweight and comfortable Completely surrounds your ear instead of sitting partly on top of your ears ANC is amazing that blocks out all ambient noises 20-hour battery life Cons: "Cabin-like pressure" that may cause headaches for some users Sound quality may not be up to far for some audiophiles (some reviewers have noted that Sony has better sound quality) TLDR: If comfort is your top priority and you're not the biggest audiophile, I would absolutely recommend Bose.

A Quiet Peaceful World - At Last.

Unbelievably happy with this product. I cannot live without out my Bose QC 35 II's (even considering a second one to keep at work). It is empowering to put these on and all the noise pollution just goes away. I bought them for home and hadn't planned on taking them to my large open floor office. I put them on and suddenly realized there was a very low and loud humm coming from the ceiling (air blowers I assume). Now gone. I sit there in my cubicle and feel sorry for everyone else because they don't have a pair of these. I tried other brands, but they were simply not properly engineered. Once you get the pairing "dialed in" it is seamless. I have a Mac and iPhone but bought the new model (with Google voice button). I use the button's alternate function of turning on/off noise cancellation -- just for fun to remind me how great this product works. But remember.. this technology is not going to isolate voices - it is designed to remove motor noises (plane, furnace blower, road, engine, etc).

Perfect sound, clear beautiful high and low, light and comfortable, secure fit for exercise, even great for calls

I narrowed down my hunt reading various headphone review sites to upgrade my exercise music experience to three higher end headphones and couldn't narrow it further so decided to get all three to find out in side by side comparisons which would be the best for me. [1] Bose QuietComfort 35 (Series II) Wireless Headphones, Noise Cancelling ($349.00) [2] Sony Noise Cancelling Headphones WH1000XM2: Over Ear Wireless Bluetooth ($348.00) [3] Beats Studio3 Wireless Headphones ($298.99) I put on the Beats and the heaviness and fit gave me the sense of an impending headache the instant I put them on. That, and the sound was empty and flat compared with either Sony or Bose. What was most surprising to me was they didn't have strong bass, which I had thought they were known for. I put on the Sony and they were bigger but somewhat better fitting, not a lot lighter, but with more of a clear and full range from high to low. I put on the Bose and it was surprisingly and significantly lighter and better fitting than either of the others and the sound was basically perfect. Good bass, full range of highs and lows. I have to admit that I had to switch back and forth between the Sony and the Bose about 10 times to determine if I *really* preferred the Bose to the Sony, and they were actually pretty darn close. The final element that tilted the scales in favor of Bose was they were so much lighter and better fitting, which was paramount for me since I'd be using them for exercise, so I took a 1/10th of a point of the Sony. If I was the type of person who uses headphones for sitting around enjoying music, the weight and fit would be less important and the music quality would be almost everything, and then I'd probably have to switch between the Bose and Sony another 10-20 times to figure out what the difference is and what I prefer. It's subtle; equal but different. It may come down to a matter of individual preference and the type of music you listen to. In addition to all of the above, as I've continued to use the Bose for 'everything' - I was most surprised when on a whim I decided to see if I could place a call with them; and my two initial callers both exclaimed that this was the BEST and clearest sound talking to me they had yet experienced (For years I've tried their patience through testing calls with 10-15 different best rated wired and wireless headpieces, ear buds et al). The rave reviews of the recipients of my calls carried from inside to outside walking the streets of NYC with all the usual sirens and traffic noise. But most important of all, I can listen to my music in full head-filling gorgeous energizing glory when I'm exercising. Final score: Bose 5 stars Sony 4.9 stars Beats 3 stars

Google Assistant integration takes these over the top

OVERALL OPINION: These headphones are amazing! I might have been perfectly satisfied with the first version of the QC35s, but I luckily stumbled on the second generation which includes the Google Assistant integration. I initially thought it would be a small bonus, but I totally underestimated how powerful and convenient this could be. It's more than just a trigger for voice commands. It's a surprisingly flawless implementation that allows Google Assistant to turn you into much more productive multi-tasker. GOOGLE ASSISTANT VOICE COMMANDS: You start by connecting the headphones to your phone via the 'Bose Connect' app. Now, all you have to do is press and hold the button on the left side and speak your voice command. This is a lot easier and less tedious than having to precede every command with "OK Google", but this isn't even the best part of this integration. GOOGLE ASSISTANT NOTIFICATIONS: The best feature of the Google Assistant integration is the ability to receive voice notifications! Whenever you receive a notification on your phone, it is automatically spoken to you on your headphones. When text messages are received, not only can you have the message read to you with a single click of the left button, but you're also presented with an immediate opportunity to send a voice-to-text response by holding the left button while speaking. This allows you to multitask like no other. The Bose Connect app allows you to choose between temporarily pausing your audio during the notification (so you don't miss a second of that podcast you were listening to) or just reducing its volume while the notification is played. You can double press the left button to shut Google Assistant up mid-notification if you ever wish to as well. It's an excellent experience. I tried smartwatches in the past, but they never seemed to deliver a convenience above and beyond what a phone could do on its own. The hands-free and vision-free experience these headphones enable fills the void we all hoped smartwatches would. CONNECTING TO TWO DEVICES: Speaking of multitasking, these headphones can be connected to two devices at a time without the fumbling and confusion that comes along with other Bluetooth headphones offering similar functionality. I’ve got mine connected to my Android phone and my Windows PC. Start playing media from either device and it’s streamed right to your headphones. To play from the opposite device, just pause the current media on the first device and then play the new media on the second device. It’s that simple. But to receive the notifications I mentioned, your current connection must be with your phone. FIT, FORM, & FUNCTION: Lastly, you might be wondering how these headphones perform as headphones. The answer is great! Check out all the reviews of the first generation for the details as I don’t think much has changed there. They’re very comfortable, lightweight, and they don’t make your ears sweat or hurt over long periods of continual usage. I explained the left button for interacting with Google Assistant in depth, but the media controls on the right are just as useful and intuitive. Double-click the play/pause button to skip to the next track and triple-click it to go back a track. The wireless range, the sound quality, and the battery life (20 hours) is all top notch for such a portable package. I haven’t tested the mic quality during a call yet, but even if it’s not the greatest, this headset has already exceeded my expectations in so many ways - I couldn’t be happier with the design.

Can even noise-cancel-out a chatty Marketing Department!!!

These are amazing and Bose is great! I purchased these headphones for their noise-cancellation abilities. I am an application developer and wear them at work because I am easily distracted. I don't even listen to music with them... they just cancel just about all background noise, including random chatter from the annoying marketing department. I also use them for WebEx and Skype calls with clients. The built-in microphone is great and the noise-cancellation is helpful during those calls as well. Battery life is extremely good. I can go an entire week without having to charge the headset. It comes with an 1/8" cable that will allow you to listen to music even when the batteries are dead. An added feature is that the bluetooth feature will allow you to connect to and hear audio from two sources at the same time. This is great if you want to connect to your iPhone and laptop at the same time. After a month of use, the headphones button would no longer work to pair to a new device. It would still power on and off, just the pairing didn't function. Bose support was difficult to deal with. At first the support technician didn't think there was anything wrong with the headset. After a frustrating conversation, he relented and sent me instructions for sending them back to the manufacturer. This would mean that I would be without my precious headphones for at least two weeks. The next day prior to dropping the headphones at UPS I came across The Bose Store at Tysons Corner Mall. I had the headphones with me so I decided to speak to one of the employees there. After a very brief conversation, and even though I purchased these through Amazon, he walks over to a display, gets me a brand new set of headphones and proceeds to exchange my defective ones for the new set. No other questions asked. He just said "We like to take care of our customers". I wish customer support would have been as easy to deal with... but, things worked out.

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