Bose - Headphones 700 Wireless Noise Cancelling Over-the-Ear Headphones - Triple Midnight

Bose 700 headphones arrived today; the headset system clearly spoke First Class. Upon opening the product box found a carrying case for the Bose 700’s that is both nicely designed and quite suitable for storing or travelling with the headphones. The 700’s are both very comfortable wearing and the tactile sensation to the touch in your hand and upon your head is far removed from any headsets that I have previously reviewed/used. The texture of the ear and head cushions are the definition of comfort. The 700’s rest lightly on your head and are basically not noticeable when you put them on, after a few minutes you barely notice you are wearing the headset. To setup the 700’s you download the Bose Music app and follow the instructions. Bose Music app will setup popular streaming music services automatically, cool. One item that caught my eye is your current music selection is displayed on app. The extra attention to detail app programming shines through. First experience with noise cancellation tech, in a word, Wow. Turned on some James Taylor mid-range volume, put the headset on and at first did not realize that I could not hear an A/C unit just twenty feet from me. Only when I took the headphones off did hit me that all the sounds in the room had “magically” disappeared. You can program three settings from complete noise cancellation to mid and no cancellation, very nice. Music is perfectly clear including the most subtle audio with extraordinary spatial environment, each instrument/vocal comes through stunningly. Fact is the 700’s are the best headphones at music reproduction that I have experienced. From a wide range of genres going back to the 60’s through modern and Rock to Phantom of the Opera it was musical bliss. Fun Stuff: - Controls are well placed and the Touch Surface Controls for volume and track selection are spot on. - Battery life should easily deliver twenty hours of fun - Conversation mode - Built in Alexa - Simple easy setup – Great Feature - Mobile call management “Bose Headphones 700 feature an unrivaled four-microphone system that picks up and isolates your voice while cancelling the noise around you. You’ll hear and be heard like never before — even in noisy environments.” Good stuff. Typically, not a big headphone enthusiast, I have now been converted with the Bose 700 headphones. Bose has covered all the bases in their new headset. The 700’s speak class, performance and functionality clearly.

Design/build: The design is polarizing with a minimalist and modern look. The earcups are plastic with synthetic leather earpads. Headband is steel with silicone padding and silicone covering the top. Some minor marring/scratches do occur at the adjustment point of the headband and earcups. Comfort: The padding on the earcups and headband provide ample cushioning without getting too hot. The clamping force on the headband is stronger. You will also notice the added weight compared to the QC35II. ANC: I find that the ANC is really good but I don't find it any better the WH-1000XM3 or the QC35II. I do like that you adjust the ANC level from 0-10 (hear through-max). I also did not observe white noise or cabin pressure. ANC performance did well in windy environments. Sound: It sounds the same as the QC35II. The sound is clear but lacks detail, dynamic range is reduced as you increase volume, soundstage lacks depth. There is a delay between the video and sound, but not too noticeable. Headphone use SBC and AAC audio codecs, no Hi-res codecs such as LDAC or APTX HD Controls: I do like that they separated the ANC and assistant buttons. Touch controls on right earcup work well however I feel that the touch area is too small and that the headband interferes with its function. Mic/calls: Great improvement in the sound quality. One of the best headphones for making calls. Connection: No Bluetooth issues when connected with PC and Android phone. Did not observe stutters while playing music or video. You can connect two devices at the same time. App: New Bose app for controlling ANC levels, updating firmware or as a controller for your media. Currently you cannot control your EQ with app. You do need a Bose account to utilize. Recommendation: Overall the headphones provide great features and convenience. It works well as an ANC headphones and is excellent for making calls. If you are looking for something with better sound, it's not there. At $400, I cannot recommend these when there are other competing headphones that provide the same or better performance at a lower price.

I was torn between these headphones and Sony’s latest but ended up sticking with Bose. These are definitely an improvement on the Quiet Comfort 35 II. The headband is really soft and I like the way the ear cups attach. I miss that they don’t bend inward for smaller storing but that hinge proved a problem for me. The controls will take some getting used to for me but I like how easy it is to change the volume and track. The fact that they have a magnetic closure for the cord compartment of the case is a big plus and improvement. I bought these when they were on sale for $300 which was a great deal.

My very first pair of noise canceling headphones were a Bose that I purchased 7 years ago. I still own and use that pair of Bose QC 15 headphones. Through the years, I have always considered upgrading but have never had a good enough reason to. Mainly because Bose is so consistently good with their headphones that all the newer models have been very similar in sound, comfort and function as my old faithful pair of QC’s. Well, I now find myself with a set of the new Bose Noise Canceling Headphones 700 and I once again am impressed of how good previous versions of Bose headphones hold up even today. That said, the 700 do feel, look and sound incrementally better to me. Allow me to geek out over the details a bit... - The Bose 700 have better passive noise isolation. The headphones block more ambient noise passively by just the cup and pad materials. The trade-off is that the headphones seem to be just ever so slightly more warm to wear than the previous QC15, 25 and 35 models. - The active noise cancelation is slightly better also. Perhaps not better but different. The 700 tend to cancel out a few decibels less of the lowest sounds (airplane cabin noise) but then block more than before of the mid to high frequencies (busy office or coffee shop). Personally, I do not fly much so I prefer the noise canceling prowess of the Bose NC 700. - The sound signature remains true to Bose’ custom but is ultimately better. The 700 seem to have higher impedance drivers. This means that it takes more electricity to move the electromagnet that moves the drivers which move air creating sound frequencies. Higher impedance drivers means a stronger bass that is more controlled and tight. The trade off to he high impedance speakers which take more energy to drive is twofold: 1) Listening to the headphones passively through the wire sounds significantly worse. These drivers need more amplification than the average 3.5 mm headphone jack provides. 2) Wireless battery life still remains near 20 hours. Personally, I prefer the slightly better sound over more battery life or better sounding passive mode. - The 700 have slightly better imaging. Closed back headphones do not do imaging as well as their open back cousins. The soundstage is still within my head but the instrument separation is better than previous Bose. So great to imagine an actual stage in a performance theatre and to be able to hear exactly where each orchestra member is sitting. It just makes music that much more immersive. - The highs are better! I read some reviews that say the sound of the higher frequencies such as symbols is inconsistent depending on how the headphones are seated on your ear and how good of a seal there is. I understand this, but to me the highs sound absolutely fantastic. They are not rolled off. A symbol finishes its ring until the very last vibration. There is also no harshness nor brittleness ever at higher volumes. The highs are very very nicely done for a noise canceling headphone. Now, if you wear glasses and do not have as good of a seal then your experience may vary. - The mids such as voices are more present and transparent than previous generation Bose noice canceling headphones. I have listened to many very expensive headphones where the mids get lost in the mix. Not here. Bose managed to have sub-level lows and ear tickling highs while still maintaining the mids. Very great. - The Bose QC35 first introduced us to volume specific bass equalization. In other words, Bose increases the volume of the bass at lower levels so that the it could be properly heard when it normally would not be present enough. The Bose 700 does the same! So great to hear the full frequency spectrum even when playing music at very low volumes. - Unfortunately, to my ear Bose decreases the bass at higher volumes - like over 80%. I would rather have this than to have distorted bass yet the balance is thus off at these higher volumes. Thankfully I never listen this loud. - The sound of my own voice during phone calls sounds more natural than ever. Really, this is hard to do because when wearing headphones our own voice sounds odd to us. Try plugging your ears and while you talking. It voice sounds like it is under water. It takes a lot of equalization in order to take what we hear naturally and pump in some of what the microphones are hearing on the outside and equalize it in a way so that it sounds natural. It is not perfect, but I am still in awe. I have never heard it done this well. - The ear cups are taller than previous Bose headphones. This gives more margin of error and a larger sweet-spot when adjusting the headband. Good thing because it is hard to get the headband back to the exact location where it was previously. I miss the “clicks” of the previous models. It made it so easy to count the “clicks” to place the headband exactly where it was proven comfortable. - At first I was annoyed by the physical buttons. They seemed too large and too openly placed in that I accidentally pressed them when just taking the headphones on and off. Now, they do not bother me at all. Muscle memory has me avoiding accidental presses. In fact, the buttons (both physical and touch) have grown on me. I appreciate how they disappear into the sleek design. - The design to me looks very fantastic. So sleek with the steal headband with very soft silicones and leatherettes. To my eye, my QC 15 look dated and the QC 35 series now look like a tank. - One final little detail. I love that the weight balance of the headphones allows the ear cups to automatically lay flat when I hold the headband. Makes it so easy to place the 700’s back into their case (see photo). As you can tell, I have been obsessing over these headphones. Most of these details I have shared may go unnoticed by the average consumer. Yet, I can’t help to think that most anyone will appreciate the sum total of the parts. Most will probably acknowledge that the Bose NC 700 just sound good, feel good and work well. Now, to my fellow arm-chair audiophiles - consider that these Bose Noise Canceling 700 headphones are an all-in-one product. Bose has nicely paired their own custom drivers with their own DAC (assuming it is a proprietary DAC in there) and also an amplifier. All the while simultaneously pumping in sound that cancels out the ambient noise. Quite a feat! Of course, you can get better sounding headphones elsewhere but you will also need a great dedicated DAC and then an amplifier. All the while, you probably still will be settling for a headphone that is much less comfortable. And, you might constantly be experiencing hoping to pair the right DAC with the right cans and amplifier. When I look at it this way, the Bose 700 are worth the money and do have a place in my collection.

I am thoroughly impressed so far. Packaging is simplistic and straight to the point with two peel back tabs that let you inside. From there, you will see the NCH 700's case which was smaller than I thought because they don't fold up like the QC35II's. The case fits in my work bag just fine. However, I do have say it's not as small overall as the QC35II's case. The NCH 700 case has a little magnetic flap inside that stores the audio and USB-C cable. No airplane adapter. Thank you Bose for going USB-C with the NCH 700's. What's left is manuals and warranty cards. The feel of the NCH 700's is nice. It's a streamlined design that grew on me and looks very modern. Weight is slightly more than the QC35II's. Build quality is significantly superior with more metals being used and most importantly, the comfort is similar. I would maybe give the slight edge to the QC35II in comfort due to the lower weight, but the NCH 700's is still a very comfortable headphone. The headband adjustment is smooth and should accommodate a wide variety of head sizes just fine. Ear-cup openings is similar to the QC35II with the left and right labels inside the ear cups for easy notation on how to put the headphones on. Controls are great and I can say the touch controls are very responsive and intuitive. Swipe up for volume increase. Swipe down for volume decrease. Swipe forward for the next track. Swipe backward for the previous track. Double tap to play and pause. Tap once to accept and incoming call. Tap and hold to reject the call. Tap and hold to go to a shortcut predefined in the app. The current shortcut available was to have the voice prompt alert you of the current battery life in which she tells you the estimated time until the battery is dead. There's 3 dedicated buttons on the NCH 700's. The two on the right is responsible for Power on/Bluetooth pairing and voice assistance/mute mic. The one on the left is to cycle between the 3 preset noice cancelling modes defined with the app. The right earpiece houses the USB-C port and the left earpiece houses the audio input port. The app provides a lot of functionality control. You can on the fly scroll though the noise cancelling/ambient modes from 0-10. 0 being like having no headphones on at all and 10 being in your own little acoustical chamber. You can launch Bose AR apps and experience augmented reality with he NCH 700's. Pretty cool. You can select the sources that are connected and add a new source or remove an existing source. The NCH 700 can connect to up to 2 devices at once. You can set your voice assistant between Siri, Google Assistant or Alexa. You can set how much of your voice is heard during phone calls or voice assistant interaction. If you're familiar with the QC35II's Bose Connect app, it's pretty much similar settings you can control. Sound on the NCH 700's is clean, open and balanced. No frequency really stands out so you get an accurate representation of your music. I would say they sound similar to the QC35II but with a tighter bass. The Sony WH1000Xm3 has this false stigma that they sound superior to the QC35II but that's because the Sony's accentuate the bass frequencies which to the untrained ear is more exciting and pleasing. This is not a better sound, it's a different sound that is not accurate to the source material. The Bose sounds more accurate, more like being in the studio. A flat sound will not sound exciting to everyone especially those with untrained ears. Sound is subjective overall so you can't go wrong with what you enjoy listening to. I really enjoy the NCH 700's sound. It's a smooth and clear sound that plays well with all genres. If you want a lot of bass, look elsewhere towards the Sony's. Noise cancelling is insanely good on the NCH 700's. Probably the best I've experience, but honestly, the Sony WH1000Xm3 set the bar so high in terms of noise cancellation that the NCH 700 doesn't really wow me. I think they are about as equally good, but the NCH 700 takes the cake because I don't get those distortion artifacts when the ANC pressure within the ear cups is disrupted from sudden vibrations to the headphones that plagues the Sony WH1000XM3. For example this is caused by being on a bus while on a bumpy road or running with your headphones on. The ambient mode is very natural feeling on the NCH 700 and it's great being able to have awareness while listening to audio in situations where you don't want to blocked completely from the world. Wish it had the Sony's right hand palm over the ear cup feature where it seamlessly kicks in ambient sound and lowers the music volume so you can quickly hear someone or something and then once your hand leaves the right ear cup, everything reverts back to normal. The mains reason the new NCH 700's are the new ANC headphone kings is the voice mic quality on calls and interacting with your voice assistant. It's amazing how clear your voice is projected onto the other line while using the NCH 700. These are killer for conference calls even if you dare take them in the middle of Times Square, NYC. Overall, the NCH 700 is a welcome evolution to the Bose headphone line up and I'm sure these will win the hearts of many. Highly recommended!

Great sound quality and phenomenal noise reduction. Light weight and incredibly comfortable. My daughter has ADHD and she can focus as long as she is wearing these and as a result she wears them all day long. Only thing that would be better is if they linked to both her phone and laptop at the same time (like the Sony equivalent does). She has missed phone calls because she couldn't hear her phone ringing. But she liked the comfort of these over the Sony so that is a price we are willing to pay. Other than that totally fantastic. Expensive and worth every penny.

Bose - Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 Included- 20" USB-C to USB-A charging cable, 42' audio only cable, noise cancelling headphones, owner manual, and protective case. I have owned a few pairs of Bose headphones, but these are my first noice cancelling headphones. I was so excited for these, knowing what Bose offers. Packaging- the box that the headphones came in had a seal on both sides that are supposed to easily tear so the box will open. However, one of the sides didn't work so well and it took a chunk of box out of it. It's not a huge deal, but obviously I would have liked the box to not look janky. Inside, is a nice slim case that zips open and closed with a cloth interior. It holds the headphones and the cables neatly. It's great for storage and travel. That way they won't get damaged or dusty. Design- the design is sleek and attractive. I like that they are not gigantic and bulky, which noice cancelling headphones can be. The headband is not wide, only 1" at it's widest point. The size adjusts by sliding the ear cups up and down the headband instead of have another joint to extend or contract. The ear cups don't fold, they turn or pivot flat. It keeps the integrity of the headband better this way. The ear cups and the headband are very comfortable for shorter periods of time. I don't think I'd want to wear any pair all day long. I understand nowadays every product has an app to go with it. I also am slightly annoyed that it's required instead of an optional feature. You will have to download the free Bose Music app to proceed. You can customize a name or use a preset option for your headphones. It was easy to pair them to my phones. The app will display your battery life and what song you are playing. The app will not let you customize the sounds on the app. That is something that needs to be added. I expect that from this product and brand. I also wish Bose would consolidate their music apps. I have to have a separate app for their soundbars that I own. Controls- Everything is by touch with taps or swipes or a simple touch of a button. It take a little bit of time getting used to but probably will require more If you are left handed since the controls are on the right cup only. I don't use Alexa or Siri too often but I find that Alexa understands me better. Sound- I think the sound quality is excellent. I am not disappointed in the 700's at all. I am not a music snob though. I mainly listen to top 40 and it's great for me. The noise cancelling works great too. I love that there are different levels - 0-10. You can also make 3 different favorite settings if you have certain specific needs or situations. Anything to tailor it to your experience is great. I'm so glad I have these. I do recommend these if you like Bose, need a wireless noise canceling pair and can afford them.

Works great in the start but I’ve started getting some problems with this head phones.. where do I contact for help? The Bluetooth kind of does not connect sometimes and the audio suddenly rings on the phone instead of headphones.. I want to replace this product!!