[Pino99]

Hi, I've been dreaming of getting Bose headphones for years, I've heard of them many times in different ways, both positive and negative. The only problem with bose in my opinion is the price, because people like me who can't afford such expensive headphones will never have the chance to try them, and experience listening to music on a serious level. I say this because I'm trying at all costs to buy a pair of bose, obviously I'm focusing on sites that sell reconditioned products or products in excellent condition. At the moment I have found Bose quietcomfort 35 for €100 used a few times, the seller sells for useless, What do you think? Are the quietcomfort 35 good? Does bluetooth and noise reduction work well? Which Bose would you recommend me to buy to really enjoy music? Honestly I would prefer over ear... but inear would be fine too. Which do you recommend for around €100? Thank you

 

[Smaug1]

Firstly, welcome to Head-Fi from another new member from Wisconsin, USA.

Second, I have the Bose QuietComfort 35 and I love them. Audiophiles often don't like Bose for one reason or another, but when I listen to these, I like them. Bass is always adequate but not overpowering. The noise-canceling leads the market. (especially on airplanes!) Treble is not fatiguing but I can hear everything.

They come with a nice semi-hard case, a charge cord, a wired cord and an adapter for old airplanes.

I think I paid $300 for them, so €100 for refurbished ones seems like a good deal to me.

The only downside I can see to them is that the battery is not changeable by the user, unless he has some technical skill. Search YouTube for "battery change on Bose QuietComfort 35" and you'll see it involves heating up a glued panel to get it loose and soldering the new battery in. If you get a refurbished one, just make sure it has a good battery.

When my QC35s die, I'll replace the battery, or destroy the 'phones in the attempt.

There is a lot of competition for the Bose now, but models of this caliber are always going to be expensive. When mine die, I'll probably audition something else before buying Bose again.

Best of luck!

 

[Pino99]

Firstly, welcome to Head-Fi from another new member from Wisconsin, USA.

Second, I have the Bose QuietComfort 35 and I love them. Audiophiles often don't like Bose for one reason or another, but when I listen to these, I like them. Bass is always adequate but not overpowering. The noise-canceling leads the market. (especially on airplanes!) Treble is not fatiguing but I can hear everything.

They come with a nice semi-hard case, a charge cord, a wired cord and an adapter for old airplanes.

I think I paid $300 for them, so €100 for refurbished ones seems like a good deal to me.

The only downside I can see to them is that the battery is not changeable by the user, unless he has some technical skill. Search YouTube for "battery change on Bose QuietComfort 35" and you'll see it involves heating up a glued panel to get it loose and soldering the new battery in. If you get a refurbished one, just make sure it has a good battery.

When my QC35s die, I'll replace the battery, or destroy the 'phones in the attempt.

There is a lot of competition for the Bose now, but models of this caliber are always going to be expensive. When mine die, I'll probably audition something else before buying Bose again.

Best of luck!

hi, thanks for the complete answer. Now I ask the seller exactly how long he has had the headphones so I know if the battery is in good condition. But what is the battery for? For noise reduction? ... Headphones not charging via USB cable? However many say that the audio of the QC35 is excellent. I hope I can get them. What do you mean when you say: " The noise-canceling leads the market" ?Thanks again. Have a good evening

 

[carbonF1]

Welcome to Head-Fi.

I've had the Bose QC35 II for a few years now, it's pretty solid overall. Some people like them more than the newer QC45. I'm not sure if your use case is a good pair of headphones while out and about (especially on airplanes), or if you will be using these at home in a dedicated spot. If you're the former and not the latter the QC35 could be great. These are really "ANC/Noise Cancelling" first, and sound quality second type of headphone. I bought mine for the noise cancelling and it served me very well when I was working in an open-office environment. Even now as I type on my clicky keyboard I can barely hear it. I highly recommend using the QC35 with the battery on, there is a wire included that will let you bypass it but then it doesn't sound right IMO.

There's an old joke about the name Bose, Buying Overpriced Sound Equipment, but at 100 euro it doesn't seem overpriced at all.

I found my pair and started listening to a few tracks on Qobuz, so thanks for getting me to take them out of the box

 

[Smaug1]

hi, thanks for the complete answer. Now I ask the seller exactly how long he has had the headphones so I know if the battery is in good condition. But what is the battery for? For noise reduction? ... Headphones not charging via USB cable? However many say that the audio of the QC35 is excellent. I hope I can get them. What do you mean when you say: " The noise-canceling leads the market" ?Thanks again. Have a good evening

The battery is for the noise canceling and Bluetooth. They include a 3.5 mm cable, so you can still use them if the battery dies.

Bose’s noise canceling technology led the market for years and years. Now, I read that Sony’s is better, but they’re also more expensive.

 

[ProtegeManiac]

Hi, I've been dreaming of getting Bose headphones for years, I've heard of them many times in different ways, both positive and negative. The only problem with bose in my opinion is the price, because people like me who can't afford such expensive headphones will never have the chance to try them, and experience listening to music on a serious level. I say this because I'm trying at all costs to buy a pair of bose, obviously I'm focusing on sites that sell reconditioned products or products in excellent condition. At the moment I have found Bose quietcomfort 35 for €100 used a few times, the seller sells for useless, What do you think? Are the quietcomfort 35 good? Does bluetooth and noise reduction work well? Which Bose would you recommend me to buy to really enjoy music? Honestly I would prefer over ear... but inear would be fine too. Which do you recommend for around €100? Thank you

If you really want a headphone with ANC (yes it works well enough) then get Bose.

If you're a cheapskate like me, then get an IEM and just jam them into your ears. No extra battery to take care of and these can work like plain ear blockers like when you have to use certain equipment (or your phone is dead and your plane is still over the middle of the ocean). These will probably sound better too but that depends on whether you got the one with a sound you like. Check out the Nicehck DB1 or Jade Audio EA3.

 

[Pino99]

If you really want a headphone with ANC (yes it works well enough) then get Bose.

If you're a cheapskate like me, then get an IEM and just jam them into your ears. No extra battery to take care of and these can work like plain ear blockers like when you have to use certain equipment (or your phone is dead and your plane is still over the middle of the ocean). These will probably sound better too but that depends on whether you got the one with a sound you like. Check out the Nicehck DB1 or Jade Audio EA3.

I took a look at the products you mentioned, but honestly I don't like them that much. I don't understand if they work as an "plug" for the ears, Or they are like classic sports headphones, etc. I prefer headphones like the QC35 because I spend a lot of time studying, reading and the like. Then as I wrote at the beginning, I wanted to try the quality of Bose, I don't know if I can go to another brand. I want Bose too.

 

[Pino99]

The battery is for the noise canceling and Bluetooth. They include a 3.5 mm cable, so you can still use them if the battery dies.

Bose’s noise canceling technology led the market for years and years. Now, I read that Sony’s is better, but they’re also more expensive.

Hi @Smaug1 , Sorry but I still don't understand. Ok that battery is for anc and bluetooth, but isn't it rechargeable via the USB cable? Or does it have to be replaced once it runs out?

If the battery dies, will I still have the noise canceling working when using the 3.5mm jack cable? Thanks again.

 

[Smaug1]

Hi @Smaug1 , Sorry but I still don't understand. Ok that battery is for anc and bluetooth, but isn't it rechargeable via the USB cable? Or does it have to be replaced once it runs out?

If the battery dies, will I still have the noise canceling working when using the 3.5mm jack cable? Thanks again.

It has a built-in lithium-ion battery. Yes, it's rechargeable by micro USB. However, they have a finite lifespan. Only good for so many charge cycles. (500 is typical) If the current owner has had the headphones for 3 years and has recharged it twice a week, it takes a bit out of the battery life, and the runtime goes down after that.

 

[Pino99]

It has a built-in lithium-ion battery. Yes, it's rechargeable by micro USB. However, they have a finite lifespan. Only good for so many charge cycles. (500 is typical) If the current owner has had the headphones for 3 years and has recharged it twice a week, it takes a bit out of the battery life, and the runtime goes down after that.

Ok now I understand. however it seems to me that she has used them little, at least so she says. I do some more checking. Thanks for warning me to be careful.

 

[ProtegeManiac]

I took a look at the products you mentioned, but honestly I don't like them that much. I don't understand if they work as an "plug" for the ears,

So they block out sound. It's passive noise isolation ie just physically blocking out the sound.

Bose uses ANC ie active noise cancellation, ie, it requires power to run so it actually plays the same noise its microphone hears but in reversed polarity so they cancel each other out.

Or they are like classic sports headphones, etc.

Not sure what you mean here - "classic sports headphones" to me are headphones that have a tight fit like the Sennheisers you might see on Bill Walton's head or the headphones that have a headband that loops around the ears then around the back - neither of these are in-ear monitors that have a bore wrapped in a softer earplug shoved into the ear canal.

I prefer headphones like the QC35 because I spend a lot of time studying, reading and the like.

I don't really see the connection...I got through college and grad school with IEMs in my ears and I still read with IEMs in my ears.

Then as I wrote at the beginning, I wanted to try the quality of Bose, I don't know if I can go to another brand. I want Bose too.

If you really want Bose then don't hold off. Don't even get them and ask about something else. Bose has a particular market that prefers convenience (or a specific definition of convenience), so if you really want Bose nothing else will work for you really.

It's kind of like if you want a really sleek aluminum machine that has very long battery life, you already use an iPhone to integrate with it properly, don't do anything on Linux, and don't play games that can't run on an iPad or iPhone anyway, then you went on r/GamingLaptops asking about powerful processing hardware only to realize that even the Razer Blade is too thick and not quiet enough while the Alienware X14 is very thin but you now have a very long arse end where its heat sink is (which is necessary because intstead of an ARM chip or letting an Intel hexacore cook, it has an Intel with 14cores/20threads and an RTX 3060 that can run Total War at lower resolution as well as run Adobe apps with Intel+NVidia GPUs both running to aid the CPU.

 

[Pino99]

So they block out sound. It's passive noise isolation ie just physically blocking out the sound.

Bose uses ANC ie active noise cancellation, ie, it requires power to run so it actually plays the same noise its microphone hears but in reversed polarity so they cancel each other out.




Not sure what you mean here - "classic sports headphones" to me are headphones that have a tight fit like the Sennheisers you might see on Bill Walton's head or the headphones that have a headband that loops around the ears then around the back - neither of these are in-ear monitors that have a bore wrapped in a softer earplug shoved into the ear canal.




I don't really see the connection...I got through college and grad school with IEMs in my ears and I still read with IEMs in my ears.




If you really want Bose then don't hold off. Don't even get them and ask about something else. Bose has a particular market that prefers convenience (or a specific definition of convenience), so if you really want Bose nothing else will work for you really.

It's kind of like if you want a really sleek aluminum machine that has very long battery life, you already use an iPhone to integrate with it properly, don't do anything on Linux, and don't play games that can't run on an iPad or iPhone anyway, then you went on r/GamingLaptops asking about powerful processing hardware only to realize that even the Razer Blade is too thick and not quiet enough while the Alienware X14 is very thin but you now have a very long arse end where its heat sink is (which is necessary because intstead of an ARM chip or letting an Intel hexacore cook, it has an Intel with 14cores/20threads and an RTX 3060 that can run Total War at lower resolution as well as run Adobe apps with Intel+NVidia GPUs both running to aid the CPU.

sorry I explained myself badly, I prefer bose over IEMs for aesthetics, methods of use, they seem more elegant to me (not that they are bad IEMs, but another style) I prefer them because they are over ear and they "incorporate" my ears, instead of having to insert them inside, even if IEMs will certainly be comfortable too...
Well in the end as I said in the beginning I want to try Bose, because it is praised by everyone for different aspects and I wanted to see if it actually is a listening experience as they say or not... As for the brand, I've decided to go with Bose, I'm undecided about the model that suits me: even the in ear quietcomforts don't look bad, but they cost a lot. The bose sport earbuds are also nice but they don't have anc and they say they protrude too much from the ear ... I don't know about this I'm Undecided.
Anyway @ProtegeMan I agree with everything you said, absolutely. Mine has become a bit of a Bose fix, I hope I won't be disappointed.

 

[ProtegeManiac]

sorry I explained myself badly, I prefer bose over IEMs for aesthetics, methods of use, they seem more elegant to me (not that they are bad IEMs, but another style)

Yeah that's part of Bose's target market, hence the parallel example ie that's also why people why Macbooks (taht belong in some chic firm) over Thinkpads (that even your mobile phone carrier probably has at the counter) or Strix Scar (that is basically the The Fast and The Furious of computers, right down to the bright multicolored lighting).

...I prefer them because they are over ear and they "incorporate" my ears, instead of having to insert them inside, even if IEMs will certainly be comfortable too...

The other part of what makes Bose like Macs? They just work. Charge them, make sure ANC is on, connect via BT.

IEMs may not work out of the box. At minimum you need to try the other tips for how well they can seal your ears, then order more of that size. Since they don't have their own amplifier matched to their drivers you can run into some problems with some IEMs needing more power or making the amp circuit or audio chip they're connected to have problems because the impedance is too low etc. Kind of like how you flip on a Mac, update iOS and apps, and it's done - by contrast two years ago people couldn't figure out why some laptops were running slow on games and apparently when the CPU is by AMD the laptop assumes its own Vega8 iGPU can run almost anything that it sometimes refuses to call the NVidia dGPU to take over. Or the fan noise is too loud and apparently that extra 5dB to 10dB only netted 2fps in games.

Well in the end as I said in the beginning I want to try Bose, because it is praised by everyone for different aspects and I wanted to see if it actually is a listening experience as they say or not...

If you consider Bose users like Mac users then of course they'll say it sounds good and in terms of convenience, it just works without making you want to throw it at the wall.

Obviously a Mac user doesn't gauge performance like how an Alienware M15 or MSI GE76HX user will define performance. One will only use Geekbench or DaVinci resolve for example. The other will use Adobe Premiere plus Total War, Call of Duty, Control, Cyberbpunk 2077...

In short if you're asking about Bose performance in this forum you're very likely to hear not so positive feedback on anything but the Soundlinks or the Nissan/Infiniti they didn't want to void warranties on by having somebody custom graft a Focal or DLS system into it.

As for the brand, I've decided to go with Bose, I'm undecided about the model that suits me: even the in ear quietcomforts don't look bad, but they cost a lot.

That has to do with miniaturizing the wireless stuff they have. It's like how a clunky MSI Katana will be faster than an Alienware X14 if they had the same chips and for half the money.

The bose sport earbuds are also nice but they don't have anc and they say they protrude too much from the ear ... I don't know about this I'm Undecided.

I think that has to do with making sure it's visible you have earphones on while also not providing a technology that makes you not hear somebody honking at you because their brakes failed.

Mine has become a bit of a Bose fix, I hope I won't be disappointed.

I'll put it this way: if you're not trying to play games other than emulating older console games or running iOS games on a larger Macbook Pro screen, then you won't really care about how amazingly smooth Control runs on an m17 with an RTX 3080.

Basically: if have no idea what Focal, Sennheiser, AKG, HiFiMan, Audeze, etc sound like, can't tell the difference, or just don't care, then Bose will always be amazing, well beyond "it sounds better than Anker and unlike those Polk Audio plastic speakers at least I can just haul the Soundlink back inside after this BBQ" ways that some people appreciate that particular product line for example.

 

[Smaug1]

Ok now I understand. however it seems to me that she has used them little, at least so she says. I do some more checking. Thanks for warning me to be careful.

If you look at the headphones physical condition, you will be able to verify how much she used them. How worn are the ear pads and head pad?

[...] (re. studying with music)
I don't really see the connection...I got through college and grad school with IEMs in my ears and I still read with IEMs in my ears.

This is a personal preference. I personally found that when doing math and science, I could listen to music; it even seemed to help, if i was listening to classical music. (look up "Mozart Effect" on Wikipedia.

If you really want Bose then don't hold off. Don't even get them and ask about something else. Bose has a particular market that prefers convenience (or a specific definition of convenience), so if you really want Bose nothing else will work for you really.

I don't know if I agree with that. I saw a comparison of the Bose QuietComfort 45 vs. whatever Sennheiser's latest competition was, and it basically came down to the Sennheiser was better at everything except the noise canceling. (Bose's is more effective at filtering out lower frequencies and equal at higher frequencies)

The other part of what makes Bose like Macs? They just work. Charge them, make sure ANC is on, connect via BT.

[...]

If you consider Bose users like Mac users then of course they'll say it sounds good and in terms of convenience, it just works without making you want to throw it at the wall.

I agree with this 100%. Apple products just work. They are not the most customizable, but they are not so keen to sell out that they let 3rd parties mess up their system. An example is their app store, compared to Google's. Apple has certain standards that they refuse to back down on, even if it means some missed sales. Those people can go to Android and Apple is fine with it.

It's exactly the same with Bose. Their products just work, and if you like their sound* it's just a question of whether it's worth the price to you.

* <tangent alert> I like some of their products enough to pay the price, but not others. Their latest Acoustic Wave Music System (fancy clock radio/CD) and Bose QuietComfort 35 headphones are two that I like. Their AM-5 satellite systems, I didn't like well enough to spend they money, and now years later, others followed Bose's lead and developed that sub/sat idea after Bose gave up. Bose used these "full range drivers" instead of a midrange and tweeter; figured they could just EQ it to provide both mids and highs, I guess?

I'd like to hear a set of Bose 901 some time; that is another polarizing product. One thing Bose absolutely pioneered was building in EQ to tailor the sound of a system. The rest of the market at one point figured: "We'll sell EQs and customers can tune the sound to their liking." That didn't work because most people aren't good at that. ...so Bose started doing it FOR them, integrated (generally) pleasing EQ right into their product. The result is that when someone goes to audition a system at a Best Buy store, it sound good to most people without any fiddling. Those people might compare the Bose product to a higher-end product and find they like the sound of the Bose better, because the "better" one isn't set up to their liking. Pretty smart, if you ask me. </tangent>

[...]

Basically: if have no idea what Focal, Sennheiser, AKG, HiFiMan, Audeze, etc sound like, can't tell the difference, or just don't care, then Bose will always be amazing, well beyond "it sounds better than Anker and unlike those Polk Audio plastic speakers at least I can just haul the Soundlink back inside after this BBQ" ways that some people appreciate that particular product line for example.

Yes, that's another good analogy.

OP - Have you auditioned the Bose QC35, so you can confirm you like the sound before you buy? It's possible Bose doesn't have a very big presence in your country, like they do in the USA. If not, are there other noise-cancelling headphones you can audition, so that when you read comparative reviews, you have an idea of how the Bose will sound different?

 

[Pino99]

If you look at the headphones physical condition, you will be able to verify how much she used them. How worn are the ear pads and head pad?


This is a personal preference. I personally found that when doing math and science, I could listen to music; it even seemed to help, if i was listening to classical music. (look up "Mozart Effect" on Wikipedia.


I don't know if I agree with that. I saw a comparison of the Bose QuietComfort 45 vs. whatever Sennheiser's latest competition was, and it basically came down to the Sennheiser was better at everything except the noise canceling. (Bose's is more effective at filtering out lower frequencies and equal at higher frequencies)


I agree with this 100%. Apple products just work. They are not the most customizable, but they are not so keen to sell out that they let 3rd parties mess up their system. An example is their app store, compared to Google's. Apple has certain standards that they refuse to back down on, even if it means some missed sales. Those people can go to Android and Apple is fine with it.

It's exactly the same with Bose. Their products just work, and if you like their sound* it's just a question of whether it's worth the price to you.

* <tangent alert> I like some of their products enough to pay the price, but not others. Their latest Acoustic Wave Music System (fancy clock radio/CD) and Bose QuietComfort 35 headphones are two that I like. Their AM-5 satellite systems, I didn't like well enough to spend they money, and now years later, others followed Bose's lead and developed that sub/sat idea after Bose gave up. Bose used these "full range drivers" instead of a midrange and tweeter; figured they could just EQ it to provide both mids and highs, I guess?

I'd like to hear a set of Bose 901 some time; that is another polarizing product. One thing Bose absolutely pioneered was building in EQ to tailor the sound of a system. The rest of the market at one point figured: "We'll sell EQs and customers can tune the sound to their liking." That didn't work because most people aren't good at that. ...so Bose started doing it FOR them, integrated (generally) pleasing EQ right into their product. The result is that when someone goes to audition a system at a Best Buy store, it sound good to most people without any fiddling. Those people might compare the Bose product to a higher-end product and find they like the sound of the Bose better, because the "better" one isn't set up to their liking. Pretty smart, if you ask me. </tangent>


Yes, that's another good analogy.

OP - Have you auditioned the Bose QC35, so you can confirm you like the sound before you buy? It's possible Bose doesn't have a very big presence in your country, like they do in the USA. If not, are there other noise-cancelling headphones you can audition, so that when you read comparative reviews, you have an idea of how the Bose will sound different?

no I have not had the opportunity to listen to Bose headphones, but with the seller I can organize myself to try the QC35 headphones before buying them. so i feel if i really like the sound. however I state that I am absolutely not an audio technician and I do not know how to fully perceive the difference between highs, mediums and lows of different qualities. So I relied on the forum, to find out if nowadays the QC35 at 100€ is money thrown away or is it well spent, And in order not to be disappointed with the purchase once I have made it Because honestly my expectations from Bose are high, having never tried them The most I've tried are mid-range headphones from Huawei and gbl...