The best Bose headphones of 2019

Bose has long been one of the biggest names in the audio world, with its high quality headphones and speakers, appealing to audiophiles and casual music listeners alike. 

While the brand covers everything from aviation headsets to audio sunglasses, Bose is best known for its headphones, with its successful QuietComfort noise-canceling range taking the world by storm since its launch in 2015. 

Ranging from over-ear headphones to sporty true wireless earbuds, Bose headphones don’t always come cheap; however, with Black Friday and Cyber Monday coming up soon, prices could drop lower than we’ve ever seen, giving us the best Bose headphones deals of 2019. 

So, which model should you buy? It really depends on what you’re going to be using your new Bose headphones for. If you’re looking for some lightweight noise-canceling over-ears to wear on long haul flights, try the Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700. Need a pair of earphones to soundtrack your workout? Check out the Bose QuietComfort 30

We’ve tested lots of headphones over the years, so to make your decision easier, we’ve put together this handy guide in which we rank the best Bose headphones you can buy.

bose noise cancelling headphones 700

If you're looking for a new pair of noise-canceling headphones, we'd definitely recommend the Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700; they may not quite beat the Sony WH-1000XM3s in terms of battery life and price, but they're still a brilliant pair of over-ear cans. 

Traditionally, noise-canceling headphones have been designed to block out the environmental sounds around you, so that you can hear your music more clearly (or catch some shut-eye on a busy train) – and with the right headphones, it's really effective. 

If you’re making a phone call however, the person you’re speaking to can still hear everything that’s happening around you, degrading the sound quality of your calls.

The Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 seek to remedy this, by applying noise-cancelation to phone calls as well as music, which is fantastic feature that few other brands have mastered.

So how do they sound? The audio quality is undeniably good, with a vibrant, lively character and well-balanced soundstage – overall, the Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 sound great, look stunning, and the noise-cancelation is out of this world, making them the best Bose headphones you can buy. 

Read the full review: Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700

best noise-cancelling headphones

Image credit: TechRadar

A nearly identical product to the already-excellent Bose QuietComfort 35 but updated for 2018 with Google Assistant, the QC 35 II are a great choice if you want to spend slightly less than the 700s. 

As they've only recently been usurped by the Noise Cancelling Headphones 700, these are the headphones to watch over Black Friday and Cyber Monday; we're expecting these still-brilliant cans to get some big discounts during the sales period.

With Google Assistant built-in, you get the class-leading noise cancellation Bose is known for, good sound quality and incredible comfort, plus a convenient assistant to answer any inquiries you might have while traveling.  

For these reasons, the Bose QuietComfort 35 II are an excellent pair of headphones for travelers and commuters, with a good balance of features that will satisfy most mainstream listeners. 

Read the full review: Bose QuietComfort 35 II review

Launched in 2015, the Bose QuietComfort 25 were once the best noise-cancelling headphones we've ever used, with a well-balanced and finely-tuned soundstage. 

With the noise-cancellation turned on, we never felt further immersed and concentrated than when we let the QC25 engulf our ears – but that was a few years ago and time has moved on since. 

Bose has released not just one sequel to these headphones, but two: the QC35 and QC35 II with Google Assistant built in, both of which we'd recommend above the QC25 – not to mention the Noise Cancelling Headphones 700.

Still, if you don't mind using these older, wired headphones, the QC25s are still a brilliant set of cans that provide over 35 hours of very good noise-canceling performance with one AAA battery – and nowadays you can find them for pretty cheap, which is well worth considering when making your buying decision. 

Read the full review: Bose QuietComfort 25 review

Noise cancelation doesn't have to mean wearing bulky over-ear headphones with big cushiony earpads – you can block out the world with compact earbuds, too. 

The BoseQuiet Control 30s bring noise cancelation to the wireless neckbud, which rivals that of some of its older QuietComfort models – impressive for diminutive earbuds.

They aren't the best-sounding earbuds in the world, veering a little on the bassy side, which can prevent you from hearing the subtle details in your music. That means the QC 30s probably won't appeal to audiophiles, but for runners who rely on pounding bass to soundtrack their workout, they could be an ideal match. 

The neckband style can also be divisive – some people love it and some people hate it, but there's no doubt that it offers a level of security that true wireless earbuds cannot. 

Noise-canceling earbuds have come a long way since the QuietControl 30 came onto the scene, but they're still a good pair of wireless earphones; and they could well be discounted in the run up to the holiday season.

Read the full review: Bose QC 30 review

The Bose SoundSport Free are an excellent-sounding pair of true wireless earbuds with an ultra-reliable connection. With an IPX4 water-resistance rating, they can an easily withstand the abuses of working out, and they sound great – as long as you're listening in a quiet environment. 

This is due to their open design that lets environmental noise passthrough the earbuds; this design also means that they don't offer the most secure fit.

Battery life is decent, and a recent update means that connectivity is better than ever. There are other true wireless earbuds we'd recommend over the SoundSport Free, like the Sony WF-1000XM3 or the Cambridge Audio Melomania 1, but if they're heavily discounted over Black Friday, they may be worth a look.

Read the full review: Bose SoundSport Free review

No comments yet.

Leave a Reply

in development