This is the most comprehensive review in my opinion. You've covered more details than any other reviews currently out there (ie. Clamping force, cabin pressure, change in earpads, noise simulation testing). It's also very much unbiased. This is the review I would recommend to others. Thank you for the great work.
I have several pairs of the QC35 for +5 years. They still sound good, provide noticeable noise cancellation, and instantly sync to newer iphones/laptops with bluetooth. It would be hard to upgrade to the QC45 unless my QC35 die.
My pair of QC35s died after 6 years, the headphones would randomly turn on even when switched off so I couldn’t hold a charge. Bose gave me a nice discount on the 45s when I started a support ticket for the issue because I was out of warranty
@@pokemonray123 this has been happening to me with turning them selves on. I asked them for a repair. But they just sent me the new qc45 for free instead. A win.
Just replaced the ear cushions on my 35's and they are good to go for another 2-3 years. I have been waiting on the 45's for so long, but that last microphone test made me happy to keep my 35's for a while longer!
Same here. I'll just buy the 45 cushion pads and replace em and "bam" you got a 45 with slightly less ANC. Replacing the battery isn't that difficult either.
@@Zelldinchtjr I find qc 45 anc much improved over qc 35 ii an beyond 700 an Sony xm4. You may not had seal when you tried them. I find the 45 even more comfy as they are more ergonomic then qc 35ii
COME ON Bose. I feel like the QC45 was an afterthought. To make the real “upgrade from the QC35” you need to combine the comfort of the QC35 with the noise cancellation with less ear pressure and the microphone of the 700’s. 🤦♂️
I think its more that they were pressured by the EU bill of devices having a USB C charger so in order to keep selling there, BOSE had to adapt and these were the result.
@@jamesherman3750 The EU order is not for preexisting products but new ones, so no, it was no pressure. In terms of noise cancellation this is the peak, it has improvements in every section, and it is minor because the QC35 were already in the perfect territory. Happily ordered my QC45, the Sony and Airpods Max don't feel as good to me as QC does.
@@AxemanMessiah Actually its for any product a company wishes to keep selling. So yeah in order to keep selling in Eu, bose needed to move to USB C one way or another, these were the result. They arent bad headphones, just would've been good to have these out in 2019.
I have the QC35 and I have to say, your background noise ANC simulation is very accurate. Listening to this on my QC35 sounds exactly like real life usage. The cabin pressure is not such an issue as you described though. I never even feel it anymore. I only noticed it during the first day or two of using them
Bose could have made a masterpiece but because of the 700, they didn't wanted to compete with them and did not included some features of the 700 into the QC45, and that sucks.
Yeah, that's just cheap coming from them. People that have the QC45 are already pissed off because of that. They could have made two awesome headphones, but instead choosing to promote their already released NC 700 to "force" people to buy them instead. I think the only reason they released the QC45 was the high pressure of not continuing the QC series when QC fans really wanted them.
@@zirak93-2 They are two entirely different headphones, and think the QC45 delivers well. How much more perfection do you want from an near perfect product (QC35)?? They addressed everything we wanted. We tell Bose we want this, they make it, and then we say we don't want that and want something more. What is that more? The Eq adjust is fine, and the ANC is still the very best (apart from Airpods Max).
@@AxemanMessiah No, they didn't People wanted an adjustable ANC and EQ, two simple things to the successor. Instead, no EQ and headphones where you can't turn the ANC off, which makes them very bad in windy situations.
This has to be one of the best reviews, of anything, I have ever seen. Your style, delivery, tone, and depth of knowledge of the product are phenomenal. You covered all of the bases and then some. Best of all, no phony and distracting affectations that so many people employ trying to be cool. A real pleasure to watch and learn. Excellent excellent review. Now on to find your review of the 700 so I can make my final decision. Thank you.
Can't even lie, after Jim's review room closed... You're my go-to guy. Excellent job my man. Keep it going, and as I've thought Bose would make a shitty product because of the 700's. That's life.
QC35 II is perfect for me, I've returned so many NC's to always come back again and again. Also the cabin pressure is kinda overblown by this review, they are extremely comfortable compared to other brands and alot of people apparently agrees with me
@@basketballplayer82 I do everything. Squats, bench, deadlifts, pull-ups, jogging. I sweat, dropped them, throw them in my gym bag, you name it. I’ve had them for 2 years now. I use them 6x a week, 2 hours at a time. They’re still going strong. Any more questions don’t hesitate to ask.
@@glennm8337 Thank you! One more question, do you play any sports, specifically basketball? You covered stability with everything you are doing but I would like to know if I can leave my phone in my bag or would I have to keep it in my pocket during practice. Thanks again
@@basketballplayer82 If you have your bag and phone on the sideline you could be on the other side of the court and be totally fine. The other end of a football field you might have connection issues. But basketball court you’re good.
Thank you for the in-depth overview that kept me from having to search through shallow content for 2-3 hours to find all of the same info. I have an absurd 5000+ hours of use on my QC35, and I’m disappointed that the QC45 could not be an outright upgrade. The fit (shallow ear cups!) of the 700 is a fatal flaw that holds it back from being the lightest, most comfortable and practical utility headphone for concentration and phone calls.
I bought my wife the qc45s and i have qc35ii. Music share does not work. I was told by Bose that 2 qc45s would connect, but aren't comparable with 35ii. Was i told wrongly? Do 45s not have it at all?
I’ve had the XM4s for a year now and just picked up the QC45s. My verdict is that the XM4s are much better for music and features, but the QC45s are much more comfortable and cancel noise better. I have a big head and I wear headphones all day at work and the QC45s have been a life saver for that.
Your reviews are much more detailed than other reviewers on RU-vid. Most reviewers do not point out the weaknesses of the Headphones like you do. Good job it really helps to know what you will be getting into. I appreciate you.
Thanks for very detailed review. I decided not to go 45 because it lacks several features and obvious downgrade from 700. I definitely notice and understand bose intentionally downgraded 45 to force people to go 700.. what a pity..
I don’t think it is a downgrade either. I personally hate the design of the 700, and the 45 is more portable. I travel, and need headphones, that fold.
I bought my wife the qc45s and i have qc35ii. Music share does not work. I was told by Bose that 2 qc45s would connect, but aren't comparable with 35ii. Was i told wrongly? Do 45s not have it at all?
I still have my original QC35s and I love them, they are a little worn down here and there, but the battery has held like a champ and they are going nowhere anytime soon
They change the ear pad material on purpose. The original ear pads on the qc35s were not durable they felt great but they would only last about a year before they would start tearing. I'm sure once the QC 45s are worn in they will feel great.
After this review I just picked up the QC35 on target for $180 ,. I really wish they had usb-c charging but it's fine. I am going to use them as a headset from working from home I like the way these fit and can wear them for hours. I have the Sony WF xm4s and as much as I like them I can't wear them for too long and the call quality sucks so I use them for only music.
Hey I just got the same deal haha! I had my eye on the xm4s for a while, but I couldn’t pass up the $180 deal on the 35iis. Would you mind letting me know how they compare? My two priorities are comfort and ANC. It seems like the Sony’s are less comfortable, but how does the noise cancellation compare?
@@i.Gnarly Glad you got the deal I went with the silvers myself. In regards to the comparison the xm4s have a better sound and more bass, their eq is awesome as well. However I can only wear them for 2 hours at most as they get hot and the call quality is mediocre I used it a few times and never again, the anc is better that the Bose QC35 s but only magianally. If comfort and anc are your thing I would pick the Bose QC35 s those are the best earpads I ever used much better than the Bose 700, Sony xm4s, and from what gymcaddy says even better than the qc45.
@@hgonz14 thanks for replying so quick! I got the silvers too lol, wearing them right now. I think I’ll stick with them because of the comfort, and I’ll mostly be using them for school / housework. Thanks again for the help!
Thanks for this! I have the xm3s and have worn them for long flights pre-covid. They hurt my ears after 3+ hour of wear on the plane. I was deciding between 35ii or 45. The deal on both are great right now but 35ii being (still) the marginally better headphones, they are definitely worth it at that price point.
@@e-lo4231 I have the xm4s as well and can't wear them for more than 3 hours. The QC 35s I wear all day I bought a mic so I use them as a headset, although I got to charge them after my workday
Thanks for the review. I feel like the lack of software features and poor mics is aimed to get people to buy the 700s. Do you know if the earpads are interchangeable between the qc45 and qc35?
I've been using the QC35 daily for 5 years. I love them so much that I HAVE TO get new ones as soon as the battery give up. I had hoped for a usb-c upgraded version but seeing this review and a couple of others I realize that I will get a new pair of old ones instead. That downgrade in phone call quality is unacceptable. Bose cut too many corners. Bummer.
I dont like the touch buttons on the Sony and I prefer the Bose Sound, so the 45 with USB C is a welcome change. Sucks I cant turn off the NC as I used to on the 35 II as when I slept with them on with NC, there was constant preasure going back and forth, thankfully can use them off with the wire .
Seems like the only real donside to having a pair of QC35-IIs is the Micro-USB charging, but other than that, I should have no problem grabbing a pair of those for $200 this month at Best Buy or Target even!
Nice review... best i have read between QC 35 and 45. Do you think QC 35 at USD 179 is a better deal than Sony 1000 XM4 at USD 258 ( Taxes extra for both) Would like your views?
As the owner of two QC35IIs, I was of course very excited about these successors. I already think this ANC of them is the BEST of all so far. The latter is extremely important to me when it comes to the successor. A bit of background noise is not important to me. The only no-go's: No Alexa function or EQ anymore .... But I think: It is logical that a test soooo early still reveals small "problems". Wait a year and Bose will add one or the other function in both the firmware and the app. As they are now, and at such an early stage, I would never buy anything. As long as possible I stay with my forever beloved QC35II. Best EVER !!! A small addition: The absolute top class would be an ANC headphone where the user can set the frequency parameters of the ANC system himself, so that one would be able to eliminate a very specific noise by tuning (using rotary knobs or via app)
I am returning my QC45 and moving to Sony. The Mic problem is highly frustrating. If I am walking the street on a call, the outside noise to too overbearing for the person on the other line for the phone to continue.
After watching the full review , i feel like bose made qc45 just for the constant demand of qc35 , they didnt seem much interested in making or passionate about qc 45 . In their head they are like " people love qc series for comfort, just give them that and leave others thing" . Lets see what sennheiser will do with their pxc series . If they work on criticism you have given in pxc 550ii review , it will be much better than bose and sony Love to hear your opinion😄
Is sennheiser still working on the pxc line? I tried one like 6 years ago and was very much not impressed comparing it to sony/bose. And this is coming from a HD800S owner so I am not hating on the company.
@@zergslayer69 I don't think they are going to release pxc successor anything soon, they working hard on tws most probably launched momentum tw2 and sorry I couldn't find any official news or leak. Since you own 800s what amp and dac are you using and if you want you can share your experience with it
@@laLakshya I'm not too hardcore but I'm using the ifi micro idsd black label and it can definitely drive the headphones no problem. If you look up reviews on it (no reason to since I don't think they make it anymore) you'll find people generally like it. Not terribly much to say but I just wanted something that's portable but yet powerful enough.
My QC35's charging port failed, purchased some QC45's. Ever so slighty better sound quality on the 45's however, the noise cancellation is not as good as my old 35's. I drive an old 90 landrover and the 35's were superior on cancelling out the engine noise, the QC45's allow too much of a high frequency sound from the engine. Luckily I have been able to source a new Bose micro usb charge socket pcb, so my old Qc35's now live again. Excellent review BTW. Thank you
People complaining about Apple's Airpod Max lacking cable don't know it works. It's like a full-electric car instead of a hybird. Although I despise its sound quality, I can't imagine driving a pair of headphones passively with that amount of subbass without DSP correction. It would sound like Beats from 10 years ago.
Build-quality wise, I feel like the QC45's are a step down from the QC35's. I had my QC35ii's for 4 years, the recently died so I'm figuring out whether to get the 45's or just get the 35's again. For me, the downgrade in leatherette + the missing alcantara in the headband + the logo being printed on + the case missing the pocket etc... It seems like Bose are just trying to cut costs wherever they can. I can see past all these things if the sound quality is a significant improvement, but it's a bummer. The only reason to actually buy these would be future update support or warranty if buying it in store. I think I'll just buy another pair of QC35ii's or look at the NC700's
I bought my wife the qc45s and i have qc35ii. Music share does not work. I was told by Bose that 2 qc45s would connect, but aren't comparable with 35ii. Was i told wrongly? Do 45s not have it at all?
So for anyone thinking of buying QC45 over QC35 II, please think carefully and don’t rush into a decision. This video was a really good review & guide however it is also somewhat misleading. The QC45 is absolutely not a similar sound quality to the QC35 II and in fact the sound quality is considered worse by a volume of independent electronic reviewers. The build quality is not as good and the cabin pressure is worse. I have a pair of QC35 II and I was looking for an upgrade. In the end I have gone with Sony 1000XM4. You really feel the difference with these, yes they are a bit more expensive but really really worth it. No issues with this video but felt people deserve to know the truth when spending lots of hard earned money on something they want to really enjoy. QC35 II for good value sound & comfort or Sony 1000XM4 for pure standout performance.
As an owner of qc35 for a few years I did go and get the qc45 as I loved the now tiring 35's. The 45 is a total let down on everything. The ANC is worse. I can barely take calls as people have trouble hearing me. The 35's were great at calls. They creak when I adjust hem on my head. The 35's had a nice feel on the volume buttons a good click. The 45's make you question yourself if you pushed the button or not. I use my Bose allot for work. And I am leaving the 45's at home and using the tired 35 as they are way way better. QC45 is a total failure for me as I expected to get same quality as I have enjoyed from the qc35. I will be looking for new old stock qc35's. A total failure to sell headphones that are worse in every way than the older model. I have not had the qc35ii so I can not comment on those. One more thing. The voice that tells you battery level and more. Now sounds like it is on drugs. I am not kidding.
i've had the same experience with my 45's vs 35's.....people think i'm on a cheap bluetooth headphone when i'm on the 45's.....the 35's never had this problem..
I bought my wife the qc45s and i have qc35ii. Music share does not work. I was told by Bose that 2 qc45s would connect, but aren't comparable with 35ii. Was i told wrongly? Do 45s not have it at all?
Fantastic, thorough review. USB-C and slightly better ANC would be a good enough reason for me to switch and I think Bose was banking on that. I love the Sony's.. but I dont like capacitive controls. Id love a comparison between the 1000M4s and the QC45!
WTH. You just solved a quandary that I had. I kept trying to figure out why the new QC 45 headphones that I purchased, would not work with my Google Assistant, like my other headphones the QC45's as well as the NC700. I literally thought something was wrong with my cell phone My Android cell phone. Cuz I kept hitting that button going why is Google Assistant not working.. I like the Google Assistant feature on my headphones. Because of what you just explained, I will now just use the QC 45 headphones strictly for traveling on planes. Thanks for solving that I just couldn't figure out why it would not work.
I noticed cabin pressure in my Q35's when I bought them in 2018, now I can't even tell there is any at all, in fact I completely forgot about it the past 2 years and was reminded about its existence just now in this video. Still, I can't tell anymore.
I wish this review was more about the comparison between the QC 35 and 45 as opposed to the 700. I think you spent more time talking about the 700 than the QC which is why I came here bc I'm deciding only between these two.
Great review, thank you! i currently own the QC35's and i love them, the only drawback is actually the ear cups... they are garbage! if the material (leatherette??) that covers the actual foam pads fully wrapped the foam, they would be perfect. On my set, the earcups was/were the first thing to go (wear out), so now i have "aftermarket' earcups and they are more durable. So, i would say as far as your review, that's probably the reason the QC45's have a less flexible (tougher) ear cups. it may not really be a step-down. oh, lastly... battery life for me has dropped from 20hrs to about 12hrs... but i use mine every day for up to 10 hrs a day and they are 3 years old now.
You know why people like the QC35? It just looks damn sexy. When I bought mine, the 700 was already released but even though I had the budget for it, I just couldn't get myself to buy something as obnoxious as that.
My bose headphone QC45 is not working. When connect to charging its blinking yellow and white continuously. When switched off charging point though blinking for few seconds but when disconnect charging cable blinking stop. I tried to reset, so pressed power/blue tooth button and multi function button for more than 30 second but not able to reset the headphone QC45 or not blue light show.
My QC35 II's have an issue where they keep turning on even when turned off, draining the battery. Bose offered an upgrade to the 45s which i was hoping would be a win/win but it seems more like a lose/win...
Great review, still gona rock my QC 35 I gen, alcantara, better mic. No point of upgrading just for type c connectivity for charge, plus logo on qc 35 more premium material. Thanks for effort in making this comparison. Saved me a lot of money :)
I got the 45s recently replaced it for the QC35 I think I like the sound of it I LOVE IT SO MUCH except for the leather and also for some reason I’m still not really that happy of the mic quality that’s kinda sad. Also these are still worth it . I think these are very worth it I still prob need to get used to it. Also the noise canceling so as the 35s personally feels way better than others like the pro maxes and the sonys. Idk why but It’s just the Qc’s are just the best for me
I bought my wife the qc45s and i have qc35ii. Music share does not work. I was told by Bose that 2 qc45s would connect, but aren't comparable with 35ii. Was i told wrongly? Do 45s not have it at all?
hello I'm Japanese. pls tell me． what do you mean cabin pressure? I feel pain in my ears inside with noise canceling mode by QC45. But no pain by QC35. test on shop. I want to buy no pain noise canceling headphones . Which do you recommend?
Had Bose QC35 for 4 years they weee my favourite. Moved onto AirPod’s pro, last year, decided to purchase the QC45. Don’t get me wrong there impressive but I can’t get over the fact how impressive the AirPod’s pros ANC was for the size. It’s about 90% and can go into my pocket anywhere, the aware mode on the QC45 Is awful as well, transparency is incredible on the pro’s, sorry Bose The QC45 went back.
I have some QC35's. The sound is awesome, and the soundblocking is awesome. The bluetooth is horrible. If you're just listening to music, it's ok. But if you want to listen to a game or a movie, it doesn't work at all, the sound is not matched up with the video at all. It's really made to still be plugged in to something.
the bose 700 are excellent.. I recently got the qc45 but had to return them as I found there was an annoying hiss on the right earcup hopefully it was a faulty unit and will be getting a free replacement soon.. From my short experience with qc45 they are VERY comfortable and the sound is top notch but still need to test them a bit more once I get my replacement..
@@eman8920 Yes I got my replacement and they are excellent no more annoying hisses on the right ear cup.. Overall I am very happy with this excellent sound, excellent noise cancelling, outstanding comfort and they are good for phone calls too..
Very detailed review May I ask which headphones are best for listening to EDM with maximum volume without distortion based on your experience? I’m looking for something loud and clear
Hello, Ive seen some reviews you made for the QC35 and for the QC45 (also versus the Sony and Apple) and you always mention the “cabin pressure”. How do you know which one have more cabin pressure than the other? I couldn’t find that info when looking at the specs of each model so I will appreciate if you will explain that. Thanks!
thank for mentioning the cabin pressure it really bugged me on the QC 35's anjd as per what you said about the Sony XM4's I recently got a pair. Noise cancellation is very important to me but I don't like dealing with cabin pressure either. Therefore I don't regret that I got the XM4's over the QC 45's.
Nice review as always ..given that a lot of streaming services are giving lossless and hi res audio ..why not review a few audiophile wired headphones?
Because a Bluetooth headphones serves another purpose as a wired audiophile headphones. I and many others are using a Bluetooth headphones for convenience while travelling. ANC is important while traveling. Wired phones are inconvenient while traveling. At home I use my $650 wired audiophile headphones for serious listening or just my hifi set.
a good point you left out was the qc35 ii low level anc. I don't think anyone explored it much and just skipped to complete on or complete off. but it's not meant to be used as a low anc but is just better tuned for quieter environments. and as a result I found that the low anc on the qc 35 would completely silence wind noise.
I feel like its more that they were pressured by the EU bill of devices having a USB C charger so in order to keep selling there, BOSE had to adapt and these were the result.
I'm confused by your sound assessment, here. The CQ45s sound WAY better than the 35ii, like it's a night and day comparison The 35ii sound significantly more hallow and muffled compared to the 45s due to an increase in mid and tremble frequency and has a bigger thump due to a sub bass raise. Like it's genuinely not even close
Thanks for the review, my qc 35ii is my only device not using USB C so I'm always carrying adapters This still isn't enough for me to move, will wait for the qc 45 ii
Thinking about getting qc35 or qc45, not sure which one yet, i currently have the studio 3 beats and they work pretty good, long battery but 2 cons for me are the weight (after a while the pressure on my head is too much) and wind resistance (you can hear it even when it's not super windy), what do you suggest?
Thanks for the review, I was really considering on pulling the trigger on these as all I ever wanted was a pair of QC35s but with Type C charging. However, I am absolutely BAFFLED at what kinds of compromises Bose forces on you for going for their cheapest option, ESPECIALLY at this pricepoint! Since this review is over one and a half years old I checked Bose's firmware changelog and yes, they DID add an EQ in with an update. However, I am still not sold! Having to chose between Noise cancelling and transparency mode? more plastic? No conversation mode? The competition has ALL of these things for less than half the price! For example the soundcore Q30s, their noise cancelling is much worse, but they got the ability to turn it off and feature a conversation mode, the same kind the 700s have, but for only 80€ where I live, where they even come with a hard case! Compare that to the 200€ the softcase SE version of the QC45s cost here!
No watch the new video here Bose QC45 1 Year Later Review - VS XM5, XM4, Momentum 4, AirPods Max ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-y4dtCjyqkZA.html
@@GYMCADDY yes I am watching that video now as we speak. It definitely makes the headphones more compelling now. However I will probably still have to think a night or two about whether the inability to turn of NC as well as the more neutral sound signature is a dealbreaker. I usually love head rattling bass on my Bluetooth headphones but I also liked how their predecessors, the QC35s do sound. (haven't personally gotten to try the 45s yet) but thanks for your review and subsequent follow-up anyways. You helped me with so many purchase decisions over the years
Great video, here in the UK I've seen the QC35ii go on sale to £189 quite often and the Bose QC700 for £202. Just wondering if its worth getting the 35ii's over the 45's which are £320. 700's are out of the picture because of touch controls, buggy software and clamp force.
@@jahyegor Yeah I eventually got the 35's and am really glad I did. I've been on about 20-25 flights since and these are a must have, especially when sitting next to screaming kids for a few hours.
Based on measurements from Rtings, the high treble (above 10K) seems to be significantly boosted (compared to almost any other headphone, including the QC35II). This high treble accentuation could result in a bright, artificial and fatiguing sound. Did you notice this? Thanks for your thoughts.
kind of sad to discover that bose is going so downhill with their products recently; it seems they don't care about creating the best headphones with ANC....my next upgrade will probably not be a bose anymore, but studio headphones instead.
I like QC 35 II and Sony wh-1000XM3 - a pity that both discontinued - - Great video! Cheers! bye. BTW for work and phone calls QC 35II better than Sony. For HiFi I prefer Sony because of LDAC and aptX HD onboard.
Thanks. I decide to buy qc35ii after seeing this review, I think the price of qc35ii is good and the quality is still good enough. I already have the AirPods pro but I want to try something different.
