Which Is Better? Wireless Headphones Review — Bose qc35 vs qc25
Whether you’re traveling through streets on a busy Indian bus or flying over New York on a swanky plane having a good pair of headphones can completely change your experience.
But how do you know which set of noise-canceling headphones is right for you?
Well, there are a few things to question about what you feel is important and what you value more.
Is having them wireless more important than weight?
Are you willing to pay a bit more for increased comfort and sound quality?
With Bose dominating the market at the moment I reviewed two of their top headphones to try and find out which is the best.
Here’s what I found…
Bose QuietComfort 35 vs 25 Comparison
The below links will bring you to Amazon:
Bose QC35 vs QC25 Reviews
1. Bose QuietComfort 25
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Bose has been at the forefront in noise canceling technology for a while now and blew away the music industry when they first released the QC 25s.
With new models and designs coming out, it’s still holding its own and never lost its place as one of the best travel-friendly headphones out there.
What I liked about it
- The sound quality has to be one of the things that stands out the most with Bose headphones. They produce a smooth sound that gets the deepest levels of base and lets you enjoy your music to the absolute fullest.
- The effectiveness of the noise canceling is also something to admire. They transform an area, one moment you’re in a loud busy street the next its silence and just you and your music.
- They’re seriously comfortable to wear, you can easily wear these bad boys for hours with no discomfort whatsoever.
- Built to be lightweight, they weigh a minute 6.9 ounces, 4 ounces lighter than the Bose QC 35.
Who’s it for?
If you want some top quality over-ear headphones but don’t want to break the bank on them then these are a damn good option.
The noise reduction for work and travel is a real game changer and means you can completely melt away from the outside world and go into your own space.
Some other sweet features
- Comes with an incredibly rugged and lightweight case. The headphones fold flat so the case is super small and hella solid, so you don’t have to worry about breaking the bad boys.
- Gives you complete control over any Apple device through the inline mic and remote.
- Two sweet designs are available in either black or white.
- Comes with an airline adapter, an AAA battery, and a 56-inch microphone cable.
- After the QC 30s came out the price of these plummeted. You can grab a pair of Amazon for about 230 dollars now, a steal for what are still some of the best headphones out there.
2. Bose QuietComfort 35
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When you listen to the QC 25s it’s hard to believe that sound quality can get any better, but somehow they’ve done it.
With extra features, improved noise cancellation and a comfy fit, these are pretty damn impressive.
What I liked about it
- The EQ is constantly being optimized depending on the volume you set your music to, so you always get the best sound.
- The level of noise cancellation can now be adjusted to your preference. So you can choose whether to completely tune out or not.
- You can pair your devices to your headphones and listen via Bluetooth or NFC for a wire-free experience.
- The rechargeable lithium-ion battery in the headphones is right on the edge of what technology can do. It gives you 20 hours of playing time and charges super fast.
- An upcoming software update is going to enable you to talk to Amazon Alexa through your headphones, a pretty cool new feature.
Who’s it for?
If you want headphones that can be used wirelessly then this is the better choice.
The other features like adjusting levels of noise cancellation and talking to Amazon Alexa are also cool. But these don’t come cheap when you consider these cost over 100 bucks more than the QC25.
Some other sweet features
- Call quality has been increased drastically with the use of a dual-microphone system. This cancels out background noise making phone calls crystal clear.
- There is a Bose Connect app that allows you to share music between multiple sets of Bluetooth compatible Bose headphones, wicked for when you’re chilling with friends.
- They come in a choice of black or silver.
- While they weigh considerably more than the QC 25s at 10.9 ounces, this is still much lighter than some of Bose’s other headphones.
What are the differences?
There are three main differences. The features, the weight, and the price.
Credit Bose.com
The QC 35, has Bluetooth, wireless listening while the QC 25 does not. It also allows you to adjust the level of noise cancellation, connect with Amazon Alexa and send music to multiple headphones at once.
However, with that comes the price tag which is around 350 bucks as opposed to 230 and the weight which is 10.9 rather than 6.9 ounces.
Weight
There is a big difference in weight between these two. All those extra features have an extra weight attached to them and make the QC 35 weigh 4 ounces more than the QC 25.
Comfort
These are likely to be the comfiest headphones you come across. They use the same soft material that is used in yachts and luxury cars to wrap the headphones with. This makes them super comfortable.
Credit Bose.com
On top of that, the ear cushions are made from a synthetic protein leather that make them a treat to wear.
If you’re looking for comfort, I can promise you these headphones have it.
Colors
The QC 25 comes in traditional colors of Black and white while the QC 35 is either in a jet black or silver color.
Credit Bose.com
Credit Bose.com
Hardwear
New and improved hardware has improved the noise cancellation and gets rid of any white noise.
Google Assistant
On the new QC 35 google assistant is built in so you can play music, get texts without even using your phone. Perfect for a gym workout or when cycling.
Sound Quality
Credit Bose.com
This is where Bose headphones really stand out from others, the sound quality is superb. With an optimized EQ and noise cancellation, this is the way music was supposed to be listened to.
Number of microphones
The QC 35 has an extra microphone with a dual microphone system. This improves call quality and means virtual assistants like Siri will understand you more easily.
Noise cancellation
Noise reduction for work and travel is one of the biggest selling points for these guys. They’ve pretty much gone as far as is possible and they even have noise canceling without music.
Credit Bose.com
On top of that on the QC 35s, you can manually adjust the level of noise cancellation, depending on your environment and wants.
Wireless
This is one of the biggest differences between these two. The QC 35 can be used completely wirelessly whereas you need to have the QC 25 plugged in.
Battery
The QC 35 has a 20 hour battery life so you shouldn’t ever run out.
However, even if you do it charges crazily quickly. In 15 minutes you can have another 2.5 hours of battery life back on there. It must be noted that the charge time does get longer if you charge and listen at the same time.
Also if it does run out the cable can always be used to keep the party going.
Durability
Both are reasonably rugged and come with a hard boxed travel bag so that you can keep them safe when they’re not on your head.
Travel bag
Both of these come with a free travel bag to keep them safe from damage inside.
Credit Bose.com
Credit Bose.com
This is super handy for if you travel and expect to have them bumping around a lot.
If you’re looking for headphones that are the best for airplane travel or long distance travel make sure that they come with a sturdy case, otherwise they will eventually break on you.
FAQ SECTION
Are headphones safer than earbuds?
In short, yes.
Because headphones aren’t put directly into your ears like earbuds are they provide some kind of a buffering space between the sound and your ear canal.
Also as they have such great noise reduction technology inbuilt into them you shouldn’t have to turn your music up so loud, which all means that they are less likely to damage your hearing from using them.
Can headphones damage hearing?
Yes. Although, over the ear headphones are less damaging for you than earbuds they can still cause hearing loss if they are used for too long or at levels which are too loud.
It’s best to use your phones ‘safe’ feature to limit the volume that it allows you to play music at.
Which ones work with apple watch?
Only the QC 35 is compatible with the Apple Watch. With the QC 35, you can use Siri on your watch and stream music straight to the wireless headphones.
Can it get wet?
It is advised to keep both of these headphones as dry as possible. But if a drop of light rain does land on them they should be alright.
Are Bose QC 35 waterproof?
No. Unlike other headphones the Bose QC series aren’t water resistant and so although they should be fine in light rain, it’s not recommended to get them wet often.
Can it be used for gaming?
Yep! If you’re looking for gaming headphones, these are some of the best to go for.
With their noise cancellation, you can get fully sucked into whatever you’re playing while the real world stops existing.
Can I replace earpads?
You can indeed! They’re super easy to change if they get damaged or grim and a new set isn’t too expensive ranging from 30-40 dollars.
Why doesn’t QC25 work in laptop?
The headphones should work just fine in your laptop but unfortunately, the mic is not compatible with most PCs. For a microphone to work you need a headset that’s designed especially to be used with a c imputed and unfortunate Bose doesn’t make these.
Can it be used as a headset?
With a phone, it will work perfectly as a headset.
However, if using with a PC while the headphones themselves will work fine the microphone won’t.
Can I plug bluetooth into a QC25 to make it wireless?
No, unfortunately, these are not built to be wireless and simply aren’t compatible with Bluetooth.
If you want wireless headphones then it’s definitely worth getting the QC 35s.