Headphone impressions, innovations and a short comparison with the first generation …
In mid-September, references to a new model of wireless noise canceling headphones from Bose began to appear in news feeds on the network. The model received the QC 35 II index, which in itself can tell almost everything you need to know about the headphones. But it was not without innovation. Over the past three years, my attitude towards headphones with active noise reduction has changed dramatically for the better, I say hello to the Moscow metro. So I was very happy to have the opportunity to test the QC35 II, albeit for a short period of time.
It is worth making a reservation, the material is not a review in its generally accepted understanding, for the second generation it is relevant to the moment from the review of the first generation of headphones from Sergey Kuzmin. There are differences, including them will be discussed.
Visual changes in comparison with the previous generation are minimal: the same material and the same shape of the ear cushions, a button for turning the headphones on / off, switching to pairing mode and switching between devices on the right cup, on it only on the back there are sound control buttons and a playback control key , with which you can switch to the next song, pause, take a call on the phone. The functionality of this key does not end there.
Those who follow the news closely know that the Bose QuietComfort 35 II is the first wireless earbuds from a third-party manufacturer to officially support the Google Assistant. You can start it by long pressing the mentioned key. By the way, Google Assistant does not yet support Russian, so to use it, you will need to change the default language to English, restart the device and use the assistant through Google Allo. There are no complaints about the interaction with the voice assistant, the command 'understands' clearly. It's a pity that there is no Russian localization, the question, of course, is not for Bose, but with the same Russian-speaking Siri it is more convenient to use headphones, especially those who are accustomed to using this functionality will appreciate it. Few will appreciate the addition of Google Assistant support at this stage, after all. assistants are quite a niche story, and Google Assistant is still the lot of only a small group of users, but it is quite possible that the popularity of voice assistants will eventually make them an integral part of the user experience and devices with their support will be more attractive in the eyes of potential buyers.
On the left earcup on the back is a button that allows you to switch between noise canceling modes. There are three of them: high ANC (High), medium (Low) and no ANC (Off). For the first generation, these modes are available in the updated Bose Connect app.
In the application, you can also familiarize yourself with the features of the device, set up voice commands that are available in many languages, including Russian, as well as see a list of devices with which the device was previously paired. The function of finding lost headphones has appeared: if access to the location was provided, the last location of the headphones will be displayed on the map, and the application will give a signal if the owner approaches them and will help find the headphones themselves if they are not in sight.
Ergonomically speaking, the QC35 II's relatively light weight and not as much pressure on the ears as I imagined. I can't remember when I had no 'earplugs', for some reason I didn't choose on-ear headphones. Ears do not sweat under the ear cushions, but they also do not freeze on the street. I had to get used to the fit of the headphone arc on my head, I repeat, I lost the habit of this type of headphone. The design of the headphones allows you to listen to music for a long time without any discomfort.
Expectedly pleased with the sound. No 'booming' even at the highest ANC level, decent detail, no need to turn up the volume. According to my impressions, noise reduction works softer than in the QC30, here you can hear the voices and hum of the same metro a little more. Not to say that this noise somehow interferes with the music, but the solution in the QC30 is more to my liking, more flexible ANC level adjustment and subjectively more aggressive background noise rejection. The QC35 II often doesn't even have to pause to hear the station name, as I often did when testing the QC30. The passive mode was not surprising, the sound in it is no different, but the battery life increases from 20 to 40 hours. Autonomy is gorgeous, there are no complaints about this parameter.
In the end, we have the following pluses: cool 'noise reduction', a decent level of detail for a similar class of headphones, convenient design, excellent autonomy, support for voice assistants. Subjective factors not in favor of Bose QuietComfort 35 II may be the high cost, as well as the lack of support for the aptX codec, which for many is a prerequisite. Sales of the new headphone model will begin in Russia on December 1. At the same time, a discount will apply to the first generation headphones.
Are the earbuds worth your money? I've been asking myself this question since I first met Bose. The answer to this question can be the reaction of people to whom I suggested listening to headphones in different modes. Cut off from the surrounding noise, they took off the earpiece in ecstatic bewilderment, trying to figure out what had happened. ANC, coupled with a decent sound, create a lasting wow effect, and then you get used to it and it becomes difficult to return to the old 'plugs', although this process is inevitable. If I flew often and went down the subway more than three times a week, then I would not hesitate to buy one of the solutions with ANC from Bose. Would it be QC35 II? It's hard to say, I probably would have had enough of the first generation, I don't use voice assistants at all. Nevertheless, based on my impressions, I can safely recommend the QC35 II to those who are disturbed by ambient noise from their concentration. In a big city it is difficult to be left alone with your thoughts and your favorite music, I am sure that Bose is a good assistant in this matter.