The Bose QC35 has been, for years, the icon of active headphone noise suppression technology; Bose has always been the reference brand in this particular sector. Then a little at a time the ANC (Active Noise Canceling that is the ability to repress external noise electronically) has become a more widely used technology and today any protagonist of the market, including Apple with the AirPods Pro and the recent AirPods Max, has at least one model in the price list.
The choice has therefore widened and for Bose life has become harder. This is the premise on which our review of the Bose Noise Canceling Headphones 700 is grafted; these headphones have arrived on the market, that of high-performance headphones with noise reduction, as the QuietComfort Airbuds have done in the field of full wireless earphones, with the not simple task of reaffirming the primacy of the American house in this territory. Do they succeed?
Bose Noise Canceling Headphones 700 how they are made
Compared to the old QC35 (here the review of the first model, here instead that of the latest wireless) the new Bose Noise Canceling Headphones 700 have been revised from the ground up. To understand it, just look at them.
The new design is very modern and sinuous, different from the old one of the QC35 which instead was in full aeronautical style
The lines are now softer, certainly modern too. They differ greatly from the classic “aeronautical” design of the QC15s (reviewed by Cyberlayman in 2011) and the QC30s. Bose put a lot of effort into designing a minimalist profile in every detail. Basically we have a rigid bow that slides on the two pavilions (there is however a limited stroke and the pavilions do not risk coming off) with the final stretch that rotates, in order to put the headphones in the case that we find inside the sales box
The materials are excellent. The headphones are made of metal, except for the pads in the pavilions and the one under the headband which is made of soft memory foam material, very comfortable when wearing it.
The physical buttons are distributed in a careful and ergonomically designed manner between the two pavilions; there is also a touch part that adjusts some functions such as the volume. Here some criticism could be made: putting on or removing the headphones, the thumb ends up on the button for controlling the ANC. The touch volume adjustment is still very precise and has its own “alter ego” within the app that accompanies the headphones.
Music in the center, with some
Speaking of quality, the Bose Noise Canceling Headphones 700 do not hold back and although the project has been redone from scratch including the electronics, at least this can be deduced from the fact that there are touch parts, the quality of a historic brand in the audio sector remains.
The sound quality is really high, the best among those experienced in recent months with deep bass and articulated and balanced mid and high frequencies, never heavy and invasive. We have used headphones in various operating environments, from listening to symphonic music to lighter and more rhythmic songs, from the audio that came from a Movie (the intricate Tenet for example) or from a Telefilm (the new season of The Expanse, all to see and hear) and but we have not even pulled back with a few runs on the iPad, a sign that these headphones are also suitable for gaming.
Every single note has been respected and, even if we no longer have the old QC 35 IIs available, the feeling is that there has been an improvement and decided, in all sectors, because we had never heard such a lively sound detail.
What is missing, if you want to hear well, is a strong and personal imprint of the headphones, which in some listenings you like. The audio is great, but it feels a little cold at times, although personal expectation matters a lot here.
Also missing, but for us this is not a serious defect, on the contrary, the adolescent power of the basses, which marks some typically cheap models but which young people aged 15 to 20 seem to like a lot. If you want a pair of headphones that “rock” in the lower tones, the balance of these Bose Noise Canceling Headphones 700 is not for you. Otherwise, for those looking for a complex tone with a spatial effect, they will find crystal clear and always distinct results.
The presence of a codec for Bluetooth is also missing, although on the iPhone this aspect does not matter, on an Android smartphone, as well as on a Mac or PC the difference would be heard (for the most demanding ears).
Almost absolute silence
The part relating to active noise cancellation (ANC) is truly superb: the controller positioned on the left earcup allows the definition of three levels (off, medium and high) for attenuation, but which become 10 using the app.
Once the noise suppression is activated, the world around us almost disappears in absolute interrupted silence, only from time to time by the electronic voice (with a slightly bizarre English accent, similar to that of a Scotsman) warns you if something happens, such as change of state, activation to another source, battery, etc.
In practice, once the noise suppression is activated, the world around it seems almost muffled and the silence becomes absolute enough to be clearly artificial, at least in the highest degrees. This becomes handy on the plane, but also when in the office (or at home, given the situation) you have to concentrate a lot on a project.
The middle zone is more interesting (and less dangerous) when walking down the street, by bus, where the perception of sounds is well mixed and what you hear is an active, full, and truthful world, but as if it were far enough away. A car that passes at twenty centimeters seems to be almost at 10 meters.
The external voices are muffled anyway, but they are not completely canceled, especially the female ones (because typically on higher tones, like all ANC systems, the Bose one is more easily able to break down the low tones). In any case, to discuss with a colleague it is necessary to remove the headphones or temporarily reset the ANC.
The noise suppression system also operates on the incoming call by reducing background noise. All this affects the battery, which in any case promises a good 20 hours of duration, which on balance is a day or two of work.
Without ANC, the duration, says Bose, doubles. In the course of our use we can say that we are approaching this estimate even if on some occasions we have had inexplicable, but not dramatic reductions in battery life.
The final part of the headphones, the one that slips and allows you to adjust the grip, rotates allowing the pavilions to flat on the surface, which is comfortable even when you put the headset away in the semi-rigid bag
The application
The Headphone Support App, which needs to be said, is not strictly necessary for full and satisfying use, it is still very well done. This is the same one we have already seen in the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds.
The use is minimalist, so much so that compared to that of the QC35 it has lost the audio player (which was not essential at the time): the main features for which it is worth installing it are the ability to adjust some parameters (such as volume and ANC level, here on 10 steps), customize the button shortcuts, select the devices to match it with (up to two at the same time, but it is possible to store others) and obviously any firmware updates.
The smart part joins the possibility of using virtual assistants such as Google Assistant and Alexa.
Some screenshots of the App, here on an iPhone
Conclusions
These Bose Noise Canceling Headphones 700 are an excellent product, a sign that the redesign was a successful operation. In a more varied and competitive market than a few years ago, Bose still has a model capable of dominating the category, whether alone or in company it is difficult to say, because this also depends on personal considerations.
We really like the new design, it's comfortable and functional, as well as the musical quality of the headphones. But it is the noise reduction that makes these headphones the absolute top. There remains the question of price. We are not talking about cheap headphones, but this is not a peculiarity of Bose (just look at the cost of the AirPods Max); and after all we are talking about the top of the range for this type of products in the offer of the American manufacturer. In any case, on closer inspection and having a little patience, they can be found at more basic figures than the 339 Euros of the official price list.
Pro:
• Excellent and modular active noise cancellation • Good voice response • Good sound response
Cons:
• Important price • Autonomy not always consistent from one use to another
Bose Noise Canceling Headphones 700 is available from the Italian Bose website but you can also find it at Amazon.it in the colors Silver (Luxe Silver), Blue (Triple Midnight), Black or in the exclusive White (Soapstone). On some occasions Amazon has significantly discounted the price of some of these colors.
