Do I buy the Bose? ($258 QC 35 II deal)

[Mr Technician]

Ok I've got to be quick here, there is an awesome deal right now that makes the Bose QC 35 II only $258 dollars. I've been considering getting a better pair of headphones for a while as my current headphones are hurting my ears after 15 minutes of wearing them (Turtlebeach PX22). The reviews I have seen have pointed out a few flaws but emphasized the comfort of the bose. I am mainly looking for comfort, good sound quality (I call myself an audiophile but use $40 headphones still, so this is an improvement no matter what), and noise cancelling is a plus (I've never had noise cancelling headphones but it would be nice). Should I order the Bose or is there a different pair I should consider?

 

https://www.rakuten.com/shop/proelectronics-distributing-inc/product/Bose-QC35S2-PARENT/

https://www.androidpolice.com/2019/03/23/bose-quietcomfort-35-ii-noise-cancelling-headphones-with-assistant-just-258-at-rakuten-with-coupon-46-off/

[rice guru]

4 hours ago, ThatFlashCat said:

Ok I've got to be quick here, there is an awesome deal right now that makes the Bose QC 35 II only $258 dollars. I've been considering getting a better pair of headphones for a while as my current headphones are hurting my ears after 15 minutes of wearing them (Turtlebeach PX22). The reviews I have seen have pointed out a few flaws but emphasized the comfort of the bose. I am mainly looking for comfort, good sound quality (I call myself an audiophile but use $40 headphones still, so this is an improvement no matter what), and noise cancelling is a plus (I've never had noise cancelling headphones but it would be nice). Should I order the Bose or is there a different pair I should consider?

 

https://www.rakuten.com/shop/proelectronics-distributing-inc/product/Bose-QC35S2-PARENT/

https://www.androidpolice.com/2019/03/23/bose-quietcomfort-35-ii-noise-cancelling-headphones-with-assistant-just-258-at-rakuten-with-coupon-46-off/

No experienced audiophile will ever say Bose sound good even at that price point. Bose qc35s are relegated to "are you going on a plane ride? Grab qc35's " they are comfortable but if you value sound consider other brands like Sennheiser , beyerdynamic akg and many more.most people would point you to grab Sony wh1000. For noise cancelling headphones. For around $300 you can grab many different headphones just depends on general use case. Like what are you gonna use them for?

[Spuriae]

If you have a Best Buy near you try auditioning them. They usually have the Bose QC35 and Sony 1000XM3 on display, as well as a decent selection of other headphones. No rush; Rakuten does those 15% off sales often (usually more than once a month), and eBay prices are always in the same ballpark and usually come with no sales tax.

 

38 minutes ago, rice guru said:

No experienced audiophile will ever say Bose sound good even at that price point. Bose qc35s are relegated to "are you going on a plane ride? Grab qc35's " they are comfortable but if you value sound consider other brands like Sennheiser , beyerdynamic akg and many more.most people would point you to grab Sony wh1000. For noise cancelling headphones. For around $300 you can grab many different headphones just depends on general use case. Like what are you gonna use them for?

TBH the QC35's sound and feel quite good, especially for an unobtrusive ANC. The tuning on them is great even if the technicalities aren't the best. Agreed though that if noise cancelling isn't a priority you may be able to get something more comfortable or better sounding at a lower price.

[Froody129]

They are super comfortable. All the reviews are true, you can wear them for hours and feel fine.

 

The sound quality... is good enough. I'd place it around the same level as maybe Earpods. They are better than the Airpods at least. It's a very comfortable and non-fatiguing listening experience, and hearing every detail is not the focus. Overall an awesome product for everyday use, but sound quality is not the absolute focus 

[rice guru]

4 minutes ago, Nimrodor said:

If you have a Best Buy near you try auditioning them. They usually have the Bose QC35 and Sony 1000XM3 on display, as well as a decent selection of other headphones. No rush; Rakuten does those 15% off sales often (usually more than once a month), and eBay prices are always in the same ballpark and usually come with no sales tax.

 

TBH the QC35's sound and feel quite good, especially for an unobtrusive ANC. The tuning on them is great even if the technicalities aren't the best. Agreed though that if noise cancelling isn't a priority you may be able to get something more comfortable or better sounding at a lower price.

by no means am I calling myself an experienced audiophile but they sound subpar at the pricepoint and even at $300. it seems that the whole noise cancelling for him isn't really essential. but if he really want comfort and good sound quality comfort I would reccomend takstar pro 82's super comfy sounds great and pretty cheap. dt 770's pretty comfy just has some clamp but the padding is really good and sounds great definitely better than qc35's. hd 58x, he could grab sennheiser momentums or v modas lots of great anbd better sounding choices

[Spuriae]

1 minute ago, rice guru said:

by no means am I calling myself an experienced audiophile but they sound subpar at the pricepoint and even at $300. it seems that the whole noise cancelling for him isn't really essential. but if he really want comfort and good sound quality comfort I would reccomend takstar pro 82's super comfy sounds great and pretty cheap. dt 770's pretty comfy just has some clamp but the padding is really good and sounds great definitely better than qc35's. hd 58x, he could grab sennheiser momentums or v modas lots of great anbd better sounding choices

The HD58X and DT770 are the only ones on that list that I think are better-sounding than the QC35. Haven't tried the Pro 82's yet though, so maybe it might? If it's anything similar to the Pro 80, though, I doubt it. If OP can use open-backs, that would definitely be the right direction to go for both comfort and sound quality.

[rice guru]

Just now, Nimrodor said:

The HD58X and DT770 are the only ones on that list that I think are better-sounding than the QC35. Haven't tried the Pro 82's yet though, so maybe it might? If it's anything similar to the Pro 80, though, I doubt it. If OP can use open-backs, that would definitely be the right direction to go for both comfort and sound quality.

only said the pro 82s cause they are the comfiest headphones I've ever tried stock and the are a clear upgrade from his current setup but are pretty cheap at less than a $100. and the v modas and momentums sound better than the qc 35's

[Mr Technician]

Noise cancelling isn't a huge plus but I would definitely like it, especially because my home office space is shared. My current headphones are the Turtle Beach PX22 but I really appreciate music so quality sound is something I want. Again, I've never used audiophile headphones so I guess I don't know what I'm missing and I am coming from cheap gaming headphone, as it is. At the very least, I appreciate the quality of sound of headphones compared to a cheap soundbar. What I'm looking for is something very comfortable rather than something with absolutely incredible sound. The reviews are all over the place on that front (some say the quality is crystal, others say it is subpar). 

 

I didn't say this in the original post but I wear headphones a lot. I wear them pretty much constantly at work and during school (which is online), while I'm gaming, and while calling on discord. I'm willing to compromise a little on quality for something that feels incredible, as long as it is still good sound. The issue here is that "good" is so highly subjective.

 

Also, they lack noise cancelling and aren't wireless but what about the Blue Lola or similar models? https://www.bluedesigns.com/products/lola/

[rice guru]

17 minutes ago, ThatFlashCat said:

Noise cancelling isn't a huge plus but I would definitely like it, especially because my home office space is shared. My current headphones are the Turtle Beach PX22 but I really appreciate music so quality sound is something I want. Again, I've never used audiophile headphones so I guess I don't know what I'm missing and I am coming from cheap gaming headphone, as it is. At the very least, I appreciate the quality of sound of headphones compared to a cheap soundbar. What I'm looking for is something very comfortable rather than something with absolutely incredible sound. The reviews are all over the place on that front (some say the quality is crystal, others say it is subpar). 

 

I didn't say this in the original post but I wear headphones a lot. I wear them pretty much constantly at work and during school (which is online), while I'm gaming, and while calling on discord. I'm willing to compromise a little on quality for something that feels incredible, as long as it is still good sound. The issue here is that "good" is so highly subjective.

 

Also, they lack noise cancelling and aren't wireless but what about the Blue Lola or similar models? https://www.bluedesigns.com/products/lola/

well no and yes I say it's sub par sound wise in relation to the competition's offerings. in that setting the sound cancelling might degrade your sound quality due to how sound cancelling works. sound cancelling headphones are great for cancelling noise that is constant like a plane's engine or a bus. working in an office though I doubt it's very noisey all the time so a normal closed back headphone should do you well.. my general reccomendations are hd m40x bu in order for these to be comfy you have to get brainwavz hm5. m60x's are pretty damn comfortable and sound great. B and O  h6 are great tight bass great amount of detail also really comfy. and dt 770 pros get the 32 ohm if you dont wanna use an amp sound great really comfy just a bit of clamp but still really comfy because of velour pads and nice cushy headpad padding. 

 

[Mr Technician]

12 hours ago, rice guru said:

in that setting the sound cancelling might degrade your sound quality due to how sound cancelling works. sound cancelling headphones are great for cancelling noise that is constant like a plane's engine or a bus. working in an office though I doubt it's very noisey all the time so a normal closed back headphone should do you well.

At work noise isn't an issue (I'm tucked away in an IT workroom) but at home I often need to work when people are talking around me, so noise cancelling would be great for that. I do wear glasses so that is worth considering where comfort is concerned.

 

Edit: I’m going to Best Buy to try the Bose, will report back.

Edited March 24, 2019 by ThatFlashCat

[rice guru]

1 hour ago, ThatFlashCat said:

At work noise isn't an issue (I'm tucked away in an IT workroom) but at home I often need to work when people are talking around me, so noise cancelling would be great for that. I do wear glasses so that is worth considering where comfort is concerned.

 

Edit: I’m going to Best Buy to try the Bose, will report back.

Best way to judge a pair of headphones is to try em

[Derkoli]

*audiophiles hissing in the corner*

[Lady Fitzgerald]

3 hours ago, Derkoli said:

*audiophiles hissing in the corner*

You misspelled "audiosnobs".