Oh for a bit of peace and quiet. Bose's QC35 cuts the noise and lets in the music
If you're a frequent flyer, you'll know that the best way to get through the wait at the airport and the flight is inside of a pair of headphones. But many headphones neither cut out the noise around you, nor cease irritating the person in the next seat. Unless someone's done a good job of noise cancellation ‑ something that Bose has all but perfected.
Bose has long since had a range of headphones and earphones in their QuietComfort series, but with the QC35, they've finally gone wireless. And about time too.
Image : BOSE.COM
Utter comfort:
The QC35 is not just for music lovers, but also for those who crave some peace and quiet. To begin with, this over-the-ears headphones are truly comfortable. Everywhere there's a soft cushioning, without adding to the nice light weight of the headset. The head band has a firm grip and yet sits softly so that you don't feel the strain of wearing it for long hours. The material on the ear cups doesn't make you sweat in there either.
Gone wireless:
Fans of the QC range have waited a long time for Bose to go wireless. You pair with your device via Bluetooth and NFC and the Bose app makes it easier than ever by prompting you with what to do. Bluetooth generally reduces the quality of the music but if you're not an out and out audiophile, it's good enough for everyday casual use. There's a 1.2-meter lead in case you want to listen direct and at better quality. This headset doesn't have a little remote dangling on a cable ‑ obviously there is no cable. All controls, and there aren't many of them, are on the right ear cup. Rechargeable lithium-ion battery delivers up to 20 hours per charge so you can listen wirelessly for longer. Or, with the included backup audio cable, you can plug in and get 40 hours.
A silent zone:
Bose says this is their best set of headphones. And indeed, the job they've done with the noise cancellation has been much admired the world over. Even with the music turned off, the outside world gets muffled out but when the music is on, the noise is tuned out. Consistent noise like a fan or air conditioner disappears and even someone talking next to you can't always be heard. Inside the metal-capped ear cups is a dual-microphone system that filters out ambient noise with equal opposing audio waves generated by two proprietary ANC signal processors.
Balanced sound:
Strictly in non-audiophile terms, the QC35 is good everyday music. It's not biased in any particular direction. The bass is not disappointing and thankfully not overwhelming. The sound is clean and mostly balanced though the mid-range sound is a bit strong. The QC35 is not for the fussy, but does well for those who are not technically demanding.
The battery life lasts you quite a while on this headset. This comfortable pair of headphones comes, however, at an uncomfortable price of Rs 29,363. There are headphones that cost more than that, but they excel in audio quality. It's more the combination of sound and noise cancellation that you're paying for. If it's pure music that you're looking for, there are certainly other options.
