bubsdaddy
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Bose QC35 Wireless Noise-Cancelling Headphones
- Thread starter Blinxat
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whsbuss
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Divij
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Mine work just like yours 99% of the time, and they don't sound good, its hollow/ distant like i said earlier.
I don't mind the volumes being that way, but its the sound that has a problem on that mode.
Some times, vera rarely, the volumes become independent and the sound becomes perfect, they sound amazing.
About the Bose app, its not there for Mac, what i mean is that when the QC35 is connected to the Mac and the iPhone, the iPhone Bose App volume controls my Mac volume... so its kind of synced.
If you get a chance, please compare the same song on minimum volume on your iPhone/mac and then on the surface pro.
Also check with a video that has spoken words and not music... I can notice the distant/ indirect most in youtube videos with people speaking.
whsbuss
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I use my QC35s each and every day - home, work, commute. I have never has the volume work independently of the Apple device volume. Not once.
Divij
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Ive had it 4 times in 4 months, so its very very rare. But when it happens, they sound amazing.
siberianmoon
100+ Head-Fier
Weirdly enough my cans suddenly started to sound pretty crap, so I have to admit that maybe Divij has a point and is not imagining all of this. Last time I used it was on Sunday and back then they probably worked properly as I noticed nothing. But today I went for the headphones once again just to check the sound and then they suddenly went into "crap mode". On my laptop and another Android phone (same model even) they sound just like they used to, but when playing music from my primary phone they sound really crap. Well, I guess I have to do some digging on my own then.
Roen
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Why did you return? Could you not downgrade?
whsbuss
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When I tried the Bose revert via my Mac it did downgrade, but the 1.0.6 from before didn't sound the same. In fact, the ANC was not the same. Never heard voices in my office before the upgrade but I did on the downgrade. Bose store had no problem changing out my set - they know of the issues.
Roen
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Hmm.....it sounds like it was stuck in Headset.
nickwhite
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Hi,
I am interested in buying these, but I have some concerns.
Right now I have some Sony MDR-ZX770BN headphones. They're good, but:
- I still find them not comfortable enough: the clamping force is still pretty high (my jawbone starts to hurt), the cushions are not as soft as I wanted them to be, and the headband cushioning is not very thick. Comfort is my top requirement as I have to wear them for many hours. Right now, I have to periodically switch to some on-ear ones (Plantronic BackBeat Sense) that are very soft, but they start to hurt the ears after a while, so I switch back...
- The ANC is not very good (my subjective impression): some sounds sound like they're actually enhanced, like TV voices and hissing water.
How do the QC35 compare to the Sonys?
Are they more comfortable in regard to my current issues?
Is the ANC better for higher frequency sounds? Not in general, I know of the technology limitations, just if they're better than Sony. I'm also concerned because you can't disable the NC on the Bose.
I find the Sony ones too bassy, I have to use a software equalizer to lower the low frequencies... are the Bose ones more "flat"?
I also bought like a year ago a pair of Soundlink Around Ear 2 (the new model, not the one with the external mic).
I didn't keep them for long, only a week, but at that time, I wasn't impressed, so I returned them. Unfortunately, I don't remember them so good as to compare them to my current Sonys...
Is there any difference regarding comfort between the Soundlink and the QC35? They definitely look the same...
I'm not using ANC so much, so if there is no comfort difference between them, I would probably prefer to buy the Soundlinks as they are cheaper and lighter.
Is there also a sound difference, disregarding the NC?
Thanks.
I am interested in buying these, but I have some concerns.
Right now I have some Sony MDR-ZX770BN headphones. They're good, but:
- I still find them not comfortable enough: the clamping force is still pretty high (my jawbone starts to hurt), the cushions are not as soft as I wanted them to be, and the headband cushioning is not very thick. Comfort is my top requirement as I have to wear them for many hours. Right now, I have to periodically switch to some on-ear ones (Plantronic BackBeat Sense) that are very soft, but they start to hurt the ears after a while, so I switch back...
- The ANC is not very good (my subjective impression): some sounds sound like they're actually enhanced, like TV voices and hissing water.
How do the QC35 compare to the Sonys?
Are they more comfortable in regard to my current issues?
Is the ANC better for higher frequency sounds? Not in general, I know of the technology limitations, just if they're better than Sony. I'm also concerned because you can't disable the NC on the Bose.
I find the Sony ones too bassy, I have to use a software equalizer to lower the low frequencies... are the Bose ones more "flat"?
I also bought like a year ago a pair of Soundlink Around Ear 2 (the new model, not the one with the external mic).
I didn't keep them for long, only a week, but at that time, I wasn't impressed, so I returned them. Unfortunately, I don't remember them so good as to compare them to my current Sonys...
Is there any difference regarding comfort between the Soundlink and the QC35? They definitely look the same...
I'm not using ANC so much, so if there is no comfort difference between them, I would probably prefer to buy the Soundlinks as they are cheaper and lighter.
Is there also a sound difference, disregarding the NC?
Thanks.
russcore
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@nickwhite:
I used to have a pair of Bose QC3s and I've had in-ear Etymotic ER6i. I've also tried the QC35's wired cousin, the QC25s.
The QC25/35 series is far and away the best ANC/PNC I've come across. Open cans led me to believe that ANC was more or less useless, not so with the QC[2,3]5 design.
I can't speak to your Sonys, but I used to have a pair of MDR700V-DJs. I remember the Sony's sound quality, and as I write this I wonder if it's even worthwhile since there's a massive tech gap between Sony's old cans and new generation, being overly bass heavy with poor high/mids. They were also super tight on my head due to, what was likely an innovation and useful at the time, collapsing spring design to fold the cups up.
I do a fair bit of travel for work and pleasure (80+ segments a year) that has exposed me to many aircraft including more-quiet cabins of the 787 Dreamliner from Boeing. Cabin noise was still a huge problem with my QC3s and I had all but given up on ANC being any good, until I sat next to a friend of mine one day and tried his QC25s. I knew I had to have them, and when I found out there was a BT version, my mind was made up. (Side note: I actually ended up upgrading for free as in a rush, I lost my cabin luggage in LAX that contained my QC3 cans).
Even the PNC is great, and to answer your question in a less storytime fashion, I find that both highs and lows are filtered out fantastically. This is particularly evident when you make a call with them. Not only can you hear the caller clearly despite relatively loud background noise (including having a fan/AC vent blowing across where the receiver mics are), the caller can, in my experience, not discern whether you're speaking natively via your phone's receiver or the QC35s (assuming bluetooth doesn't crap itself for some other reason).
I had a hearing test recently which indicated, as someone in their 30s who's been exposed to loud noises through recreation or working environments (data centres!), I've better-than-average hearing (i.e., minimal hearing loss). The reason I bring this up is that I've heard counter arguments that pan ANC, discreting listeners with the fact that they'd not be able to appreciate the full effect because they'd not be hearing high-frequencies due to induced, or age related, hearing loss.
My QC3s and Etymotics struggled with high-frequency, and the former with cabin noise, but the QC25/35 series do an amazing job. I fall asleep with just ANC on regularly, whereas before I'd to have activate an iOS white noise app, wear -35dB ear plugs, and turn the ANC on via my QC3s just to block out enough noise to get some rest.
The QC3s were largely OK when listening to audio, better than no ANC leading to bleeding ambient noise so intrusive it warranted cranking the gain, but the 25/35s are something else. Combine the ANC with using the optical aux wired audio, and you've great ANC and awesome audio, without the need to subject yourself to unsafe volumes for long periods.
I tinkered with the BT stack via Bluetooth Explorer and configured my Mac to use AAC CBR vs. AAC VBR (the default), and I cannot tell the difference between the two. I tried with uncompressed FLACs and high gain, with V0 MP3s, AACs from iTunes, you name it. Very little variability that I could discern, which leads me to conclude:
1. BT is actually pretty good these days (pairing issues and dropouts notwithstanding, because even USD$399 Bose cans can't solve it, and from what I've read, the W1 chip in Apple's audo gear does a good job but is not perfect).
2. The QC series doesn't have enough definition in its drivers to bring out audio anomalies or deficiencies being broadcast from the source.
3. Even despite minimal hearing loss for me personally, age brings about a certain amount which may be covering issues.
4. I'm not enough of an Audiophile to give a **** (my membership to this forum only owing to my QC35 ownership and need to find answers to a number of issues I was having).
I'd be interested to hear what others who have owned your Sony's and now Bose cans for a period longer than is typical for a tech journalist reviewing the product have to say.
The only other cans I considered were the Sennheisers, but I've heard that the audio is muddy and bass heavy with the QC35s providing a better stage.
I can testify to the Bose obviously, but it's really noticeable when you're listening to a movie that has a AC3/DTS sound track. The ambient noises are discrete enough (via BT paired to my Apple TV 4) that I legitimately have taken off the cans a number of times because I thought the sound was originating next to me, rather than via the digital audio track.
The biggest objections that I've come across that you'll encounter when deciding to go down the QC35s to buy are:
1. BT sucks (it does, but when it's paired solidly it's fantastic).
2. QC35s have "x, y, z characteristic that makes them crap". This is a case of YMMV. What sounds good to someone else may sound terrible to others, and frankly, given that our hearing is a result of genetic disposition, unless there is an overwhelmingly negative view of the product's audio, you'll have to listen for yourself.
3. It's annoying because they have a non-removable battery. This is a non-issue. The battery lasts for ages, it charges very quickly via any USB power source, the battery indicator via the app and iOS are darn accurate, and worst case scenario, you forgo ANC and also plug the cans into aux. I had a pair of HD Sennheisers for quiet entertainment watching. They had removable batteries. Never did I bother to remove them.
4. They're bulky. Again, not an issue, Bose's folding mechanism means they are nice, compact, and most of all: flat. The carry case is robust and high quality.
5. The ANC doesn't do x, y, or z. Again, a case of YMMV. To me, whilst ANC will no doubt improve in the future, right now, the QC35s represent the best on the market.
A few comments of my own that you should consider:
1. Bose support in APJ (Australia in particular) is impossible and frankly, I think it's similar in other regions. I had to DM @bosescervice on Twitter, who then escalated my issues with the head of products in Sydney, to get someone to assist with the issues I was having. I emailed the ANZ team six times, and was left on hold for over an hour several times without ever actually having contact with anyone. I hope this is a case of the call centre being understaffed and not an overwhelming influx of customer issues.
2. BT pairing still sucks, and until Bose let you prioritize the auto connecting devices, as well as the number of paired devices to be <2, you will have issues due to devices taking the active source away from your existing source. Not to mention SDP profiles failing to switch resulting in callers being unable to hear you / you hear them or the cans being stuck on the Headset SDP so you can only enjoy the 8KHz mono audio until they switch or you power cycle them. Bose Connect may or may not make your life miserable, it depends on platform, use case, personal preference, and whether there is an act of god or other celestial body that should be unrelated to your audio experience but is the only logical explanation for the random issues (that Bose support can't reproduce) you're having.
3. Bose either don't post the release notes for new firmware images, or don't post full details. This leads to issues that may occur and you may not be sure whether they're from the software update or not (case in point, 1.2.9 was OK for some, buggered for others, and the point release 1.2.10, had similar results, with neither having publically accessible comprehensive release notes).
4. I had so many issues with pairing and switching sources that I believed my QC35s to be faulty. Upon replacement, same issues occur. Again, adjust your expectations because despite Bose's best efforts, BT is still unpredictable. I hope Apple opens up their W1 chip to everyone as it sounds like it's almost solved these issues.
5. If you're in the Apple ecosystem, turning off handoff between your devices and Mac appears to be more reliable. I get less/no dropouts, less audible artefacts, and more reliable source/profile/device switching.
6. For the same reasons as above, turning off voice prompts appears to be more reliable. It's tedious trying one thing and then testing over and over again. By the 30th test case I devised I was certain that I was no better off than before I started, so again, YMMV.
I used to have a pair of Bose QC3s and I've had in-ear Etymotic ER6i. I've also tried the QC35's wired cousin, the QC25s.
The QC25/35 series is far and away the best ANC/PNC I've come across. Open cans led me to believe that ANC was more or less useless, not so with the QC[2,3]5 design.
I can't speak to your Sonys, but I used to have a pair of MDR700V-DJs. I remember the Sony's sound quality, and as I write this I wonder if it's even worthwhile since there's a massive tech gap between Sony's old cans and new generation, being overly bass heavy with poor high/mids. They were also super tight on my head due to, what was likely an innovation and useful at the time, collapsing spring design to fold the cups up.
I do a fair bit of travel for work and pleasure (80+ segments a year) that has exposed me to many aircraft including more-quiet cabins of the 787 Dreamliner from Boeing. Cabin noise was still a huge problem with my QC3s and I had all but given up on ANC being any good, until I sat next to a friend of mine one day and tried his QC25s. I knew I had to have them, and when I found out there was a BT version, my mind was made up. (Side note: I actually ended up upgrading for free as in a rush, I lost my cabin luggage in LAX that contained my QC3 cans).
Even the PNC is great, and to answer your question in a less storytime fashion, I find that both highs and lows are filtered out fantastically. This is particularly evident when you make a call with them. Not only can you hear the caller clearly despite relatively loud background noise (including having a fan/AC vent blowing across where the receiver mics are), the caller can, in my experience, not discern whether you're speaking natively via your phone's receiver or the QC35s (assuming bluetooth doesn't crap itself for some other reason).
I had a hearing test recently which indicated, as someone in their 30s who's been exposed to loud noises through recreation or working environments (data centres!), I've better-than-average hearing (i.e., minimal hearing loss). The reason I bring this up is that I've heard counter arguments that pan ANC, discreting listeners with the fact that they'd not be able to appreciate the full effect because they'd not be hearing high-frequencies due to induced, or age related, hearing loss.
My QC3s and Etymotics struggled with high-frequency, and the former with cabin noise, but the QC25/35 series do an amazing job. I fall asleep with just ANC on regularly, whereas before I'd to have activate an iOS white noise app, wear -35dB ear plugs, and turn the ANC on via my QC3s just to block out enough noise to get some rest.
The QC3s were largely OK when listening to audio, better than no ANC leading to bleeding ambient noise so intrusive it warranted cranking the gain, but the 25/35s are something else. Combine the ANC with using the optical aux wired audio, and you've great ANC and awesome audio, without the need to subject yourself to unsafe volumes for long periods.
I tinkered with the BT stack via Bluetooth Explorer and configured my Mac to use AAC CBR vs. AAC VBR (the default), and I cannot tell the difference between the two. I tried with uncompressed FLACs and high gain, with V0 MP3s, AACs from iTunes, you name it. Very little variability that I could discern, which leads me to conclude:
1. BT is actually pretty good these days (pairing issues and dropouts notwithstanding, because even USD$399 Bose cans can't solve it, and from what I've read, the W1 chip in Apple's audo gear does a good job but is not perfect).
2. The QC series doesn't have enough definition in its drivers to bring out audio anomalies or deficiencies being broadcast from the source.
3. Even despite minimal hearing loss for me personally, age brings about a certain amount which may be covering issues.
4. I'm not enough of an Audiophile to give a **** (my membership to this forum only owing to my QC35 ownership and need to find answers to a number of issues I was having).
I'd be interested to hear what others who have owned your Sony's and now Bose cans for a period longer than is typical for a tech journalist reviewing the product have to say.
The only other cans I considered were the Sennheisers, but I've heard that the audio is muddy and bass heavy with the QC35s providing a better stage.
I can testify to the Bose obviously, but it's really noticeable when you're listening to a movie that has a AC3/DTS sound track. The ambient noises are discrete enough (via BT paired to my Apple TV 4) that I legitimately have taken off the cans a number of times because I thought the sound was originating next to me, rather than via the digital audio track.
The biggest objections that I've come across that you'll encounter when deciding to go down the QC35s to buy are:
1. BT sucks (it does, but when it's paired solidly it's fantastic).
2. QC35s have "x, y, z characteristic that makes them crap". This is a case of YMMV. What sounds good to someone else may sound terrible to others, and frankly, given that our hearing is a result of genetic disposition, unless there is an overwhelmingly negative view of the product's audio, you'll have to listen for yourself.
3. It's annoying because they have a non-removable battery. This is a non-issue. The battery lasts for ages, it charges very quickly via any USB power source, the battery indicator via the app and iOS are darn accurate, and worst case scenario, you forgo ANC and also plug the cans into aux. I had a pair of HD Sennheisers for quiet entertainment watching. They had removable batteries. Never did I bother to remove them.
4. They're bulky. Again, not an issue, Bose's folding mechanism means they are nice, compact, and most of all: flat. The carry case is robust and high quality.
5. The ANC doesn't do x, y, or z. Again, a case of YMMV. To me, whilst ANC will no doubt improve in the future, right now, the QC35s represent the best on the market.
A few comments of my own that you should consider:
1. Bose support in APJ (Australia in particular) is impossible and frankly, I think it's similar in other regions. I had to DM @bosescervice on Twitter, who then escalated my issues with the head of products in Sydney, to get someone to assist with the issues I was having. I emailed the ANZ team six times, and was left on hold for over an hour several times without ever actually having contact with anyone. I hope this is a case of the call centre being understaffed and not an overwhelming influx of customer issues.
2. BT pairing still sucks, and until Bose let you prioritize the auto connecting devices, as well as the number of paired devices to be <2, you will have issues due to devices taking the active source away from your existing source. Not to mention SDP profiles failing to switch resulting in callers being unable to hear you / you hear them or the cans being stuck on the Headset SDP so you can only enjoy the 8KHz mono audio until they switch or you power cycle them. Bose Connect may or may not make your life miserable, it depends on platform, use case, personal preference, and whether there is an act of god or other celestial body that should be unrelated to your audio experience but is the only logical explanation for the random issues (that Bose support can't reproduce) you're having.
3. Bose either don't post the release notes for new firmware images, or don't post full details. This leads to issues that may occur and you may not be sure whether they're from the software update or not (case in point, 1.2.9 was OK for some, buggered for others, and the point release 1.2.10, had similar results, with neither having publically accessible comprehensive release notes).
4. I had so many issues with pairing and switching sources that I believed my QC35s to be faulty. Upon replacement, same issues occur. Again, adjust your expectations because despite Bose's best efforts, BT is still unpredictable. I hope Apple opens up their W1 chip to everyone as it sounds like it's almost solved these issues.
5. If you're in the Apple ecosystem, turning off handoff between your devices and Mac appears to be more reliable. I get less/no dropouts, less audible artefacts, and more reliable source/profile/device switching.
6. For the same reasons as above, turning off voice prompts appears to be more reliable. It's tedious trying one thing and then testing over and over again. By the 30th test case I devised I was certain that I was no better off than before I started, so again, YMMV.
Divij
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There are a lot of people with this problem, will wait for an update from you.
Please check if the volume control is independent when they sound good and synced when its in the "crap mode" ?
Thats how mine are.
Divij
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I TOTALLY agree, the 1.06 downgrade is not the same as the original 1.06, ANC is not the same.
siberianmoon
100+ Head-Fier
The problem isn't in the volume mode, it's still "absolute" as it is called, meaning that the headphones and phone have shared volume controls. The ROM on my Android phone has a switch for toggling this parity but for some reason it does not work, maybe because my phone isn't rooted. I suppose the headphones are using a different profile than they should. I tried downloading a bunch of bluetooth utilities from Google store but none of them were of any help. (I haven't got any experience in debugging bluetooth stuff.)
Larry Appleton
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Made the huge mistake of updating. ANC is nowhere near as good, BT range is BAD (still comfortable and sounding good though)! Can anyone tell me if Bose entertain a return if not bought from an authorised dealer (in the UK)? I heard that they wouldn't, even though they were bought new sealed etc. OK I didn't pay the £330 Bose ask for but they did cost me far more than I would normally entertain, £230.....I don't have a massive disposable income!!
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