Review: Bose QuietComfort 35

At first glance, the Bose QuietComfort 35 is a far cry from some of the more brightly coloured competitors on the market.

Its matte black (or grey) design does little to draw attention and you could be forgiven for wondering what justifies the roughly $350 price tag.

But as the first listen will reveal, there is far more to the device than meets the eye.

Thanks to the impressive active-noise cancellation, placing the headphones on in a busy office environment is the equivalent of a space walk.

The humming of the air conditioning, background chitchat, rustle of paper and pressing of keys suddenly fades. Turn on your favourite song, close your eyes and you could be anywhere.

If musical escapism sounds appealing then these are the headphones for you and they also double up as a handy companion for calls if there is background noise. But some caution is advised if you plan on listening out and about as you are effectively deaf to the world around you.

In terms of the quality of the sound itself, the QuietComfort 35 is also competitive and boasts new digital equalising technology designed to balance your track of choice through each ear. Expect some of the best audio you can experience at this price point, although enthusiasts may notice a difference between Bose’s offering and more expensive headsets.

This sound quality is backed by some useful functionality. While you will need to be in wireless Bluetooth mode to experience the noise cancelling technology, should you run out of battery (which lasts about 20 hours) or forget the charging cable there is also the option to switch to wired mode.

Expect a dip in the overall listening experience but it is nice to have the option, especially when flying. Bose has even included a handy two-pronged adapter in the case, meaning you can get the full sound experience when you plug into the inflight entertainment.

Moving on to the second part of the name, the headphones are certainly comfortable. Each respective cup fits snugly around the ear with plenty of padding in every direction. The downside of this snug fit is that your ears do tend to get a little warm, which means this may not be your ideal companion to the beach or pool in hot temperatures.

Should you wish to take the headphones out and about though, they do come with a handy black case. This feels sturdy but may be a little large for some bags, reflecting the size of the headphones themselves, which are far from being small or slimline. As a result, they are perhaps best suited for use while stationary rather than on the go, which may or may not suit your listening habits.

Despite its less than overwhelming name, the QuietComfort 35 excels in several departments with a well-rounded package of noise cancellation, audio quality, comfort and functionality. Clearly though this does not come cheap, meaning you may want to judge exactly how often you find yourself reaching for your headphones before committing to the purchase.