New Flagship Headphone From Bose
Bose has released a new wireless noise cancelling headphone, but you may not realize it from the name. The company is calling their new top-of-the-line over-ear Bluetooth headphone the Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700. I have no idea what 700 means, and why Bose has dropped the QuietComfort naming convention. The previous flagship noise-cancelling model was called the Bose QuietComfort 35 II (or QC35 II).
The new 700 headphones update the look of the prior Bose model and adds new features for an extra $50, making them $399 at launch. The extra money gets you the latest in wireless and voice technologies, USB-C connectivity, and convenient touch controls. The 700s introduce a revolutionary new voice interface with support for Siri, along with built-in Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa. A new eight microphone system improves both noise cancellation and voice pickup for calls and voice-commands. A beamform-array isolates your speech, suppressing everything else that’s audible. A rejection-array adds a second line of defense, tracking then blocking the most disruptive remaining sound.
Noise Cancellation
The Bose 700s use the next-generation Bose noise cancellation for improved noise reduction, and sophisticated electronic circuitry that eliminates the “hiss” regularly heard in other headphones. Combined, they enable the 700’s new adjustable noise cancellation feature, including a full-transparency experience that gives the term “off” an entirely new meaning. While the highest setting delivers the most powerful silence, the lowest lets your surroundings pass-through the earcups fully — so with the flick of a switch, you hear yourself, others, and everything else like you aren’t wearing a headset at all. Conversation Mode lets you gain the same awareness while enjoying content — so you can pause entertainment and noise cancellation simultaneously, chat face-to-face or listen for announcements, and resume where you left off when you’re done.
Sound Quality
For music, the Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 are engineered with proprietary active equalization. The company claims they avoid boosted bass, vocals, and treble that create listener fatigue over time, opting instead for faithful reproduction: clear, natural, and balanced.
Design
The Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 feature stainless-steel, premium components, and fewer visible screws, seams, and joints to complete a sleek modern look. It distributes weight across the headband for all-day comfort and has up to 20 hours of battery-life for all-day use.
Touch Controls
For streamlined control, capacitive touch works for common commands, like answering and ending calls, muting audio, changing volume, pausing your music, or skipping tracks. There are three buttons — one for powering on and off, one to access noise cancellation levels, and one for your chosen VPA. The Bose Music app lets you customize and change preferences, update software, access additional features — and features to come.
Voice Features
The Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 work with any native voice assistant. The Google Assistant and Alexa are already integrated for faster, easier access. An out-of-box software update is also available for wake word access to Alexa. Once downloaded, just say “Alexa” — like you would with a smart-speaker at home.
The 700 headphones are also Bose AR-enabled to use with a developing ecosystem of apps that add a layer of audio over the real-world based on where you are, and what you’re facing. And other software features are on the horizon, including noise-masking tracks that add a layer of soothing sounds over the blank-canvas of Bose noise cancellation for intense relaxation and focus.
Price & Availability
The Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 come in Black and Luxe Silver, released on June 30, 2019 for $399.
Bose QuietComfort or 700?
Bose says, “Bose QuietComfort 35 II headphones offer a classic solution for anyone who wants acclaimed noise cancelling technology and volume-optimized audio performance. Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 also deliver on this promise, but feature a brand-new acoustic design to achieve slightly better noise cancelling than QC35 II while also allowing you to transition from full isolation to full transparency. Another key improvement is the adaptive four-microphone system that automatically adapts to your environment to isolate your voice from competing noises so that you can confidently take a call, or talk to your voice assistant. And a new touch interface provides intuitive gesture-based controls for managing your content.”
