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Help finding upgrade for Bose Quiet Comfort 35 II

MurchBoy

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Mar 30, 2025
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Hi, i've been using the Bose QC 35 II for a long time now and they have been my favorite headphones.
Now they are sadly finally reaching a state where i need to replace them. (General intense wear and tear, screws lost during travel...)

The hard part right now is to find new headphones matching the qualities of the QC35II, since they are not being sold anymore.
I heard some split opinions on the new QC(2023) versions, some saying they are slight downgrades in sound quality and comfort.

Some of the points i am particular about is:
Comfort
The comfort of the QC 35 II is incredible. Wearing them on a multi hour flight is great.

ANC
I hear the ANC is often times improved on newer models, but the QC35II do a fine enough job for me. Especially cancelling out deep humming in trains and planes.
Though its sad seeing that you can't turn it off anymore on newer QC models.

Audio Quality
I feel like a lot of headphones audio profile is too intense. I do like having strong bass but it often ends up overpowering the other instruments.

Unpowered wireless performance
I often times like to use the headphone for gaming or amateur music production. So they should sound decent unpowered and without App-EQ changes.

I currently also own the Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless, which i don't enjoy. The comfort is terrible, pressing against my ears.
The lower basses feel a bit overpowering while the more punchy upper basses lack power. Kick drums end up sounding quite weak depending on the mix of the song.
Using them unpowered via cable sounds unpleasant to me. There seem to be some nasty sounding peaks. And using them powered via cable introduces a noticable audio delay when dealing with low latency audio. I am looking to selling them.

My search has been fruitless so far, thus i am attempting my luck here :)
Maybe someone here has owned the QC35II and has suggestions as to which headphones might compare?
 
I haven’t used the Bose so I can’t compare but I’m very happy with my Sony XM5.
 
I haven’t used the Bose so I can’t compare but I’m very happy with my Sony XM5.
When i once tried them at a store, i got the feeling that the bass was way too strong.
Though i was only able to listen to the music the store was playing.
Maybe i should try them out again when I'm out shopping..
How do they sound when used wired+unpowered?
 
I tried a few alternatives.

The Bose QC ultra: best noise cancelling, lightweight, comfortable. Sound is bassy and lacks resolution/ fine details. EQ helps a bit, but even when trimmed close to the harman curve the sound isn't more than "somewhat pleasant.

Cambridge Melomania P100: Sound better balanced than with the Bose. Just slightly bassy, still a bit polite, but more open and detailed than the QC ultra. Biggest drawback: the headband is barely padded and contacted my skull only on one small point. The pressure became unbearable after 10 minutes, so I put the Cambridge back to the shelf and my wallet back into my pocket. If it fits you, it's worth trying, especially at the fair price point of € 240.

Focal Bathys: Now we're talking. Impressive, well balanced sound out of the box, decent comfort. I haven't tested the NC yet. The price is steep at 800 € and battery life isn't the best.

A Sennheiser Momentum 4 (B-Stock for a nice price) is on its way to me. I will report later how this one meets my needs.
 
I tried a few alternatives.

The Bose QC ultra: best noise cancelling, lightweight, comfortable. Sound is bassy and lacks resolution/ fine details. EQ helps a bit, but even when trimmed close to the harman curve the sound isn't more than "somewhat pleasant.

Cambridge Melomania P100: Sound better balanced than with the Bose. Just slightly bassy, still a bit polite, but more open and detailed than the QC ultra. Biggest drawback: the headband is barely padded and contacted my skull only on one small point. The pressure became unbearable after 10 minutes, so I put the Cambridge back to the shelf and my wallet back into my pocket. If it fits you, it's worth trying, especially at the fair price point of € 240.

Focal Bathys: Now we're talking. Impressive, well balanced sound out of the box, decent comfort. I haven't tested the NC yet. The price is steep at 800 € and battery life isn't the best.

A Sennheiser Momentum 4 (B-Stock for a nice price) is on its way to me. I will report later how this one meets my needs.
Thanks for the detailed description of your experience.
The Focal Bathys are definitely out of my comfortable price range.
The headband issue of the P100 does seem like a dealbreaker but I'll still keep a mental note of them.
Ill consider giving the bose ultras a try then despite the unbalanced basses unless someone else has some suggestions.
 
When i once tried them at a store, i got the feeling that the bass was way too strong.
Though i was only able to listen to the music the store was playing.
Maybe i should try them out again when I'm out shopping..
How do they sound when used wired+unpowered?

I’ve never used them wired/unpowered, sorry.
 
I’ve never used them wired/unpowered, sorry.
Most ANC headphones sound terrible in passive mode (if enabled at all). I remember the Sony WH-1000 XM3 as unlistenable with the power off. The QC ultra hasn't got a passive mode.
 
Last edited:
Bose QC 35 II
Amir measured these;
I'd suggest hitting the Review Index, but it's down at the moment.

Oh and welcome to ASR. :)


JSmith
 
Amir measured these;
I'd suggest hitting the Review Index, but it's down at the moment.

Oh and welcome to ASR. :)


JSmith
Interesting to see that i seem to have picked practically the perfect headphones for my usecase by pure chance back then.
I'm sad, having to say goodbye to them.

I'll be sure to check out the Review Index once it's up again. Is it short-term maintenance downtime or will there be a longer wait?
 
Is it short-term maintenance downtime or will there be a longer wait?
I believe short term... there was a recent server upgrade and the review index was showing an error. So for the moment it's been hidden from view, until rectified;

RSS feed;

Forum search;


JSmith
 
Now I got a Momentum 4 and a Focal Bathys here for some extensive testing. Out of the box the Focal beats the Momentum hands down. If some EQ or sound personalization is applied the Momentum comes a lot closer. The Focal is still better, but not 500 € better. Aside from that there is some hiss from the electronics which the Momentum hasn't. Comfort-wise the earpads of the Bathys are better but the headband applies a bit more pressure to the head.

I'm still on the fence whether the Focal is worth the premium - 629 vs 179 € (both B-stock) is quite a number.
 
Now I got a Momentum 4 and a Focal Bathys here for some extensive testing. Out of the box the Focal beats the Momentum hands down. If some EQ or sound personalization is applied the Momentum comes a lot closer.
Which EQ settings did you use for that?
 
I tried the momentum 4 and sent it back as it was horribly uncomfortable. I got the Quietcomfort (not Ultra), and I am very impressed with it. The QC has excellent sound, nice noise cancellation, and is very comfy. Rtings has measurements of them.
 
If I were you, I would order the 3 more similar ones, including the new QC, compare them for a week or two, and keep the one that suits me more and return the other 2.
 
I tried the momentum 4 and sent it back as it was horribly uncomfortable. I got the Quietcomfort (not Ultra), and I am very impressed with it. The QC has excellent sound, nice noise cancellation, and is very comfy. Rtings has measurements of them.
I think unless i find something else, i'll default back to the new edition of the Bose QCs.
The removal of the ability to fully turn off ANC when powered made me return them at first, but it seems finding a replacement for them is harder than i anticipated.
So i'll likely just swallow that small regression. The comfort of the QCs really seems unmatched.
 
I'm going to ignore the hedgehog in my wallet and go for the Bathys. You only live once.

It even manages to let Pat Benatar's "Sex As A Weapon" not sound as a screeching mess. The M4 fails here in a relative way (it's kind of a pleasant mess, but still a mess) - a lot better than with the Bose QC ultra (a puddle of mud).
 
Most ANC headphones sound terrible in passive mode (if enabled at all). I remember the Sony WH-1000 XM3 as unlistenable with the power off. The QC ultra hasn't got a passive mode.
I have these and even in active mode they soubd terrible. Equalisation is a must (I use Wavelet).
 
I have these and even in active mode they soubd terrible. Equalisation is a must (I use Wavelet).
I used PEQ from Neutron, didn't work entirely either. The bass was tamed, but the whole thing still sounded like a blob of cotton.
 
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