We love Bose’s QuietComfort 25 headphones — they’re some of the most powerful, comfortable, hiss-free noise cancelling cans that we’ve ever used. We didn’t exactly think the 3.5mm headphone cable was an inconvenience, but clearly Bose did. The new QuietComfort 35s integrate Bluetooth, and also have an internal rechargeable battery to boot.
Bose doesn’t make any new claims about the noise cancelling of the new QuietComfort 35 versus the QuietComfort 25 — it doesn’t say they’re more powerful, for example. What it does say is how much better the 35 sounds; while the QuietComfort 25 already sounded good, the company claims the Quietcomfort 35 is a lot better.
But it’s the convenience of Bluetooth that shines though. Like other Bose wireless products, the QuietComfort 35 has audio prompts for connection to various wireless sources, and will announce battery levels in lieu of any companion app. Integrated buttons on the right earcup control volume, power, and play/pause/skip features from any connected phone or tablet.
Bose claims 20 hours of battery life when the QuietComfort 35s are running over Bluetooth with noise cancelling activated, and 40 hours for noise cancelling over the headphone’s backup 3.5mm analog audio connector. And you can, of course, run the headphones with the audio cable connected and no battery power, with both noise cancelling and Bluetooth disabled.
Charging comes from a microUSB port, and Bose says the QC35s will get a full 20-hour charge from 2.25 hours of charging. The four integrated microphones handle both ambient noise cancelling and voice pickup for calls. You’ll be able to get a reasonable amount of battery life quite quickly from a quick charge. They also come in both silver and the gorgeous Triple Black colour that the previous QC25 was offered in for a limited time.
The new QuietComfort 35s come at a $100 price premium over the QC25s, clocking in at $499. That’s a lot of money, but it also compares favourably to Parrot’s $600 Zik 3.0 headphones. [Bose]