Bose QuietComfort QC35
SOUND AS GOOD AS THEY LOOK, THOUGH THEY’RE NOT VERY SMART.
THERE’S GOOD REASON this model earned a prestigious gong in our Gear of the Year awards. After being on sale for nearly a year, the QC35s still retain a podium place largely thanks to their incredible noise cancellation (NC) tech, magnificent battery life and lush sound. Turn them on and all mid- to low-range frequencies from the outside world disappear, which is an eerie silence. It can feel like you need to pop your ears, but the effect is incredible. The NC is activated via a sliding switch — a pro and a con, as it’s easy to forget its on when you take them off your head, and we’ve flattened the battery several times doing this (the app does have an auto-off function). Other units we reviewed are smarter, in that they will automatically turn off when you take them off your head. Still, the battery lasts close to 20 hours in wireless mode, and double that if you use the 3.5mm cord. You’ll be more than happy to wear these all day.
Sound quality is well-balanced so you’ll be happy to leave your equaliser alone, and they’re as comfortable and durable today compared to when we first tested them in mid-2016.