A few months back, Bose officially introduced QC 35 II, noise-cancelling headphones that come with Google Assistant. Being the first headphones to get launched with voice-assistant, it retails around $349 (approximately Rs. 22,924 approx.) in various countries including U.S., Australia, Canada, Germany, France and the UK. It was launched in India priced at Rs. 29363 in India. Has Bose fared yet again?
Box Contents
- QC35 II headphones in Silver color
- AUX audio cable for wired connection
- USB cable
- Carrying case
Design
The Quiet Comfort 35 II carries the same design language as its predecessor, which is kind of minimalistic yet boring. The headset is made of premium materials that make them lightweight and comfortable for all-day listening. The headset is made of two materials to be honest — plastic with a matte finish on the chassis and a metal caps on the back of the earcups.
It has an ear cushion that is manufactured from a synthetic protein leather and contains a silicone bead for passive noise reduction. Having said that the headphones look a bit cheap for its price, which in turn lacks the premium feel when held. It also has an adjustable headband that is really comfortable to wear and easy to pack away in a hard case given with it.
Talking about the button placements, the right cup has a slider power button, which lets the users turn on/off the device and a volume up, volume down and play/pause buttons are employed together as well. The feedback from the button is good and easy to use as well. On the left ear cup, there is another button which can be used for activating Google Assistant or active noise-cancelling (ANC).
Software and Google Assistant
In order to pair the device, users need to install the ‘Bose connect+’ on their smartphones. If you are using iPhone, then you need to download the Google Assistant app from the App Store, then the Bose Connect+ app to make sure Google Assistant is assigned as the primary function of the action button. Once you are done with it, you can start giving the commands just by pressing-and-holding the action button till you complete the sentence and let go.
Just like the smartphone, you can ask anything you want on Google Assistant like weather information, scores, set a reminder, and much more. In addition to that, you can send messages as well as Android, while in iOS you can’t. In addition to it, Google’s voice Assistant also read your notifications if you press the button when you receive it on your mobile.
Having said that, you cannot reply to it using voice command. Users can also change the functionality of the action button from Google Assistant to Noise cancellation levels.
Performance and battery
When it comes to Bose headphones, especially the Quiet comfort series, the Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) is on point. If you like a quiet environment around yourself, go and buy this without any second thought. The Quiet Comfort 35 II does a very good job of blocking out the noise around even without noise cancellation turned on. Talking about the music performance, the Quiet Comfort 35 II is good, but not great.
In our usage, the sound was clean, clear and constant without any distortion. We also observed the tonal balance to be neutral with some very good detailing towards the mids and low-end. Since it has a 3.5mm audio jack, the headphones allow you to continue to listen even if the battery power is depleted. But without power, neither active noise cancellation nor Active EQ will work.
The company promises up to 20 hours of wireless listening per charge and 40 hours when wired. As promised, the Bose Quiet Comfort 35 II offered a great battery life during our usage. You can charge the device with the MicroUSB cable bundled. If you are too much worried about the battery you can use the 3.5mm audio jack. It’s worth mentioning that, you can also listen in wired mode with noise cancellation on too, which is pretty good.
Conclusion
At a price tag of Rs. 29,363, the Bose Quiet Comfort 35 II is an amazing package for frequent travelers and office commuters if you are ready to pay a premium. The company took the best things from its predecessor added Google Assistant and launched the QC 35II headphones. Google Assistant works well, Noise Cancellation isthe best and it has very good battery life. With this headphones, Bose has found out a good balance between music, ANC, and durability.
It is available from Amazon.in, Bose retail stores, Boseindia.com and authorized Bose dealers across India.