Bose goes wireless with the QuietComfort 35 headphones
Also meet the QuietControl 30 and new SoundSport earbuds.
Ever since the first QuietComfort headphones, released in 2000, Bose has offered consumers noise-cancelling tech that's second to none. This, along with excellent audio quality, made QuietComforts become best sellers in the market. But Bose knows it needs to keep evolving, and what better way to do so than by making its latest flagship headphones wireless. Enter the QuietComfort 35. Design-wise, the new model is quite similar to the previous one (QC25), sporting a sleek and minimalist look with your choice of black or silver finish.
During our demo, Bose engineers emphasized that the key was to not give up audio quality over the added wireless functionality. And I'm happy to report they succeeded, albeit my impressions are based on a controlled setting -- I listened to simulated subway noises and a few songs inside a New York City building. Still, it doesn't take much to realize the potential of the QuietComfort 35. Bose says there are "night and day" improvements to the sound, designed to make sure that music is crystal clear whether you're listening at a low, mid or high volume.
Noise-cancelling works like a charm too, thanks to the combination of built-in microphones and a digital chip that sense the noise around you and block it accordingly. What's more, Bose claims the Bluetooth-powered QuietComfort 35 have 20 hours of battery life, or up to 40 if you use the included 3.5mm cable. If at any point the headphones run out of power, you can continue to use them -- the only thing you'll miss is the noise-cancelling. All in all, everything we mentioned above makes for a very intriguing package.
The QuietComfort 35 are available now for $349, and for £290 in the UK from mid-June.
If you're more of an earbuds person, Bose has something for you as well. The company also introduced the QuietControl 30, a set of wireless in-ear headphones with up to 10 hours of full active noise cancelation. Most importantly, they feature what Bose is calling "controllable noise cancellation," which lets you adjust noise-cancelling levels via the company's Connect app or, better yet, directly from the in-line remote control. Unfortunately, the QuietControl 30 won't be available until September for $299/£230.
To round up today's theme, Bose announced new wireless SoundSport earbuds. Like the QuietComfort 35, these hit stores today for $149 and drop in the UK later this month for £140. A $199/£170 version with a heart rate monitor (pictured above in red) is also being developed, but that won't go on sale anytime soon -- fall, we're told. The benefit of the more expensive model is that it's able to send data to fitness apps like Runkeeper, in case you enjoy keeping track of workout sessions on a regular basis.
