Bose has long been the king of noise-cancelling headphones, and its new QuietComfort 700 range aims to secure that crown for another year.
The new pair come with a newer, sleeker look as well as some new features under the hood that should go a long way to improving the range’s already ace audio and spectacular noise-cancelling features.
But that comes at a price – a hefty US$400. So are they worth it?
Bose QuietComfort 700 Review: Design
Aesthetically, the 700 headphones are not necessarily smaller than previous models, but certainly feel littler. That’s down to a greatly reduced headband; but one which is now made of stainless-steel (meaning while it is smaller, it is stronger).
The headphones come in two new colours, black and silver. While the ear cups have been upgraded with even plusher padding – indeed, they are very comfortable.
The old physical buttons have mostly been replaced by touch-friendly areas, along with a few minimalist buttons that makes the cans look a lot tidier. Volume can be adjusted by swiping up or down on the right ear cup, while swiping forward and back will skip tracks. A double-tap lets you play and pause and a long hold will tell you how much battery you have left.
Bose QuietComfort 700 Review: How do they sound?
Bose has stuffed a load of new features inside the 700s, including new drivers that will boost audio quality (which is certainly audible). Tunes are hearty and punchy, with deep lows and decent highs.
As their name suggests, QuietComfort is all about blocking out noise. And the 700s have more than 11 different levels for doing that. Hold down the noise cancelling button will activate conversation mode, which lets you hear your music with noise cancellation dialled down to its lowest setting (so you can carry on a conversation, etc.).
At its highest setting, you’ll be hard-pressed to jear just about anything outside your music (busy office be damned).
Battery-wise, the 700s can run for 20 hours on maximum noise cancellation – and they will charge to a sensible three and a half hours of playback in just 15-minutes.
Bose QuietComfort 700 Review: Verdict
The Bose QuietComfort 700s are certainly some of the best-sounding headphones in their price bracket (hence why they sit at the top of that bracket). The market-leading noise cancellation skills and ability to connect to Bose smart apps (which lets you tune your cans even further) are just the cherry on the cake.
Long live the king.
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