[amazon fields=”B07Q9MJKBV” value=”thumb” image=”5″ image_size=”large” image_align=”center” image_alt=”Bose 700 Vs SoundLink II Vs QuietComfort 35 II”]
Bose 700, SoundLink II, QuietComfort 35 II are good alternatives when looking for excellent noise cancelling headphones cheaper than Apple AirPods Max.
Want to know which of the Bose 700, SoundLink and QuietComfort 35 II models is best for you? We’ll tell you.
[amazon box=”B0117RGG8E,B0756CYWWD,B07Q9MJKBV” grid=”3″]
Differences between Bose 700 Vs SoundLink II Vs QuietComfort 35 II
Learn the key differences between these three headphone models with attractive looks and easy portability.
Design
The Bose 700 is very attractive, with a sleek, ultra-modern look, while the QC35 II features improved portability and the SoundLink II is even lighter and easier to wear.
The Bose 700 headphones are made of durable stainless steel and soft-touch plastic. Although the headphones swivel to fit into the carrying case, they do not fold flat for compact storage.
The QC35 II may not look as attractive as its successors, but they are perfect for business class. They feature corrosion-resistant stainless steel and glass-filled nylon are an improvement on the plastic used in the first-generation version, plus a reflective brand logo on each earcup. A key feature is that the QC35 II folds flat and is easier to store.
The Bose SoundLink 2 has a similar design to the QC35 II, but without the ANC, although they are slightly lighter and have easier-to-use controls. They are fitted with memory foam ear cushions and weigh less than 200 grams. They do not have a folding frame, but are easy to carry.
Colour options are one of the QC35 II’s greatest strengths, as owners can create their own colour scheme. The Bose 700 model has several nice colour options.
In design, the Bose 200 wins, although the other models are more portable and the SounLink 2 is the lightest.
Comfort and fit
Despite their heavier build, the Bose 700s are lighter than most models in their class and sit comfortably on your head, so you can wear them comfortably for hours. Their memory foam cushions feel soft and the padding on the bottom of the headband adjusts easily for a relaxed fit. They have good weight distribution and are more stable on the head.
[amazon fields=”B0756CYWWD” value=”thumb” image=”5″ image_size=”large” image_align=”center” image_alt=”Bose 700 Vs SoundLink II Vs QuietComfort 35 II”]
The QC35 II shares many of these positive aspects, although they have a looser fit. They feel soft on the ears and head, and you can wear them for hours without feeling fatigued. The same is true of the Soundlink 2s, which are also lighter.
All models are very comfortable, so the decision depends on how they feel to you during hours of use.
Controls
The 700’s touchpad is one of the most intuitive and responsive available today. You can use swipe up and down and left to right gestures for music playback on the move, as well as being able to make touch gestures.
Its physical buttons are highly tactile and easy to operate. Use the single button on the right ear cup for its various ANC levels. The button on the top of the left earcup is for power and pairing, and the one on the bottom enables digital assistants.
The QC35 II keeps the functionality simple, with a three-button module on the right earcup for managing calls and playback. A power/pairing switch is located on the front of the right earcup. It provides efficient control with call/music, track skip and volume controls. The buttons provide good tactile feedback and are relatively easy to use.
Both pairs of headphones grant access to the three main digital assistants: Siri, Google Assistant and Alexa. You can use a voice command to activate Alexa. The 700 handled voice recognition much better than the QC35 II.
Active noise cancellation
The Bose 700s have eight microphones, six of which are designed to mute the environment and work very well.
The QC35 II demonstrated industry-leading noise cancellation since its launch, with great ability to provide solitude for listening to music at home and muting aircraft engines, although they do let in certain high-frequency noises such as police sirens. Compared to the other models, Sounlink 2 does not have good noise cancellation.
[amazon fields=”B07Q9MJKBV” value=”thumb” image=”4″ image_size=”large” image_align=”center” image_alt=”Bose 700 Vs SoundLink II Vs QuietComfort 35 II”]
All headphones have an ambient listening mode, which allows you to be aware of your surroundings when listening to music, so when you are talking you don’t have to remove the headphones. In this aspect the Bose 700 works better anyway because of its microphones.
SoundLink 2 has a two-way microphone system, with Adaptive Audio Adjustment Technology that automatically changes the volume depending on the level of speech and ambient noise.
Audio Quality
The 700 and QC35 II are excellent examples of detailed bass, midrange and treble balance, although the QC35 II has a more finely tuned soundstage. The bass has more punch in the QC35 II, which made listening to hip-hop and rock tracks spectacular. The 700’s soundstage is also excellent and adapts well to many genres of music, although you have to be more selective.
The SoundLink 2 delivers a clear and realistic sound. The combination of TriPort technology and Active EQ delivers clear and powerful sound at any volume while on the move.
With respect to the auxiliary cable, the performance is equally good, although neither headphone shows much need for wired listening. The QC35 II maintains its bass and volume, while the 700 suffers a slight drop in both areas and the SoundLink 2 performs very well on power.
[amazon fields=”B0117RGG8E” value=”thumb” image=”5″ image_size=”large” image_align=”center” image_alt=”Bose 700 Vs SoundLink II Vs QuietComfort 35 II”]
Apps and special features
Bose already had a free mobile app, Bose Connect, for its current line of audio products, including the QC35 II and SoundLink 2. However, they released Bose Music specifically for the 700, with a sleeker interface and more features that enhance the listening experience. .
You can manually adjust the ANC and set its 3 preferred levels. It also has an adjustable equaliser to fine-tune the bass, midrange and treble. Other notable features include a power saving function, playback/volume controls, voice assistant selection and self-voice mode to manually adjust how loud your voice sounds on calls. It works very well on the Bose 700.
Bose Connect has its own set of useful options, including high and low noise cancellation options and a music sharing feature, available only on the QC35 series, for listening to music on your Bose wireless headphones. It has a standby timer and the ability to swap action button commands.
Among the various Bluetooth 5.0 headphones, the 700 has very instant connectivity. The QC35 II works with Bluetooth 4.1, but still provides a strong connection between devices. The Sounlink 2 has a more outdated Bluetooth 4.0 connection.
Call quality
Thanks to Bose’s updated microphone system, the 700s stand out as the best headphones for calls. Four of the eight microphones block out ambient noise while amplifying your voice during calls.
The QC35 IIs have ample ability to mute background noise for calls in noisy environments, though they need more wind resistance. The SoundLink 2 improves calls over the latter model, although the Bose 700 wins.
[amazon fields=”B0756CYWWD” value=”thumb” image=”4″ image_size=”large” image_align=”center” image_alt=”Bose 700 Vs SoundLink II Vs QuietComfort 35 II”]
Battery life
Bose gave the 700 and QC35 II the same battery life, with 20 hours with the ANC on, with similar performance, although the QC35 II was able to exceed the battery life at times. SoundLink 2 promises up to 15 hours of operation.
One important difference between the models is the charging connections. The 700 uses a USB-C port, while the QC35 II and SoundLink 2 have a micro-USB port. Fast charging is available on all models, but the 700 has a longer 15-minute charge time, 3.5 hours on the 700 versus 2.5 hours on the QC35 II.
Charging time for the Sounlink 2 is 3 hours, the Bose 700 charges in 2.5 hours and the Quietcomfort 35 II in 2.3 hours. In terms of battery life and charging time, the QC35II wins, making them perfect for longer portability.
Bose 700 Vs SoundLink II Vs QuietComfort 35 II: Which is better?
The Bose 700 headphones win for their better active noise cancellation with 11 adjustable levels of muting across the frequency spectrum, plus a new app with many superior features, call quality and comfort.
The QC35 IIs are still a good choice because they have good sound, longer battery life, are more portable and still have good noise cancellation, all at a lower price. The SondLink II are headphones with good sound quality even at high power and good portability that are much cheaper than the others.
If you are looking for the best, the Bose 700 is the winning choice. If you prefer value for money, we recommend the QC35 II. However, if you’re looking for the cheapest and the performance is good enough for you, you’ll save money with the SoundLink II – the choice is yours.
[amazon box=”B0117RGG8E,B0756CYWWD,B07Q9MJKBV” grid=”3″]