What is up, guys! Today we have a battle that has been highly requested, and that is the showdown between the two heavyweights of the noise cancellation world, the Bose QC35 II vs Sony WH-1000XM3.
Bose has been at the top of the noise cancellation headphones game for years now, but Sony has been making great strides year after year. So has Bose finally been dethroned? Find out today.
Table of Contents
Comfort
Sony WH-1000XM3 has made great strides to make their headphones lighter and more comfortable, which is greatly appreciated. The ear cups are now as big as the Bose QC35 II, which is one of the things that really made Bose more comfortable than any other headphone.
Even after all of this, Bose still takes the cake when it comes to lightness. The Bose QC35 II, just disappears on your head. They also have nice touches on the headband with the Alcantara material, which is the same material used on high-end yachts and Porsches. For that reason, the Bose QuietComfort lives up to its name, and Bose takes the comfort round.
Design
When it comes to design, Sony has been pushing the limits. Whether it is their touch control system for volume and media control, they took it even further and gave us motion detection where you can hold your hand over the right ear cup for quick attention mode, temporarily suspending your music so you can hear your outside surroundings.
Bose QC35 II, on the other hand, has kept it simple and stuck with a three-button system, which does have some advantages. For example, when you are sleeping with them on, the buttons will stay out of your way, whereas with touch controls you can mistakenly activate them in your sleep.
Sony has also given us a USB-C charger, which provides a lot of benefits over the USB charger on the Bose, one of which is the ability to quick charge super fast. For the design round, the win goes to Sony. They designed the crap out of the Sony WH-1000XM3.
Also Read : Nothing Headphones (1) VS Sony WH-1000XM6
Sound Quality
Sound is one of those subjective topics, so here is the best explanation possible. Bose QC35 II, tries to appeal to the masses with rich and neutral-sounding headphones. They have also built in an EQ that levels out your music no matter what volume you are at. With that being said, it goes well with all genres of music, but it does not really do anything exceptionally well.
Sony, on the other hand, has taken a different approach with their app. They let you dictate how you want your music to sound. You can add more lows, mids, or highs to your liking, and if you are willing to put in the time and mess around with these settings, you can find the best settings to suit your musical tastes.
The bass on the Sony WH-1000XM3 is really good and is not as muddy as the previous year’s version. It is a nice, rich, and clean bass that a lot of people will love. For the sound round, Sony takes it. That EQ just cannot be beat. It will go great with everything, whether you are a classical lover, into rap, or even heavy metal. The Sony’s will do it all for you.
Noise Cancellation
Bose has been the leader in noise cancellation for as long as anyone can remember, but things are changing. More and more people on flights are wearing Sony headphones now, whereas before it used to be all Bose.
Sony definitely tops the Bose QC35 II, with their new QN1 chip. It does a great job of blocking both low and high frequencies, whereas Bose only blocks out those low humming frequencies like engine noise.
Sony WH-1000XM3 also lets you control what sound you want to hear from the outside, whether that is only voices, your full surroundings while walking, or car and bus noise while commuting. Sony has given you complete power here. So for this round, Bose, the crown is gone. Sony takes noise cancellation.
Connectivity
When it comes to connection, the Sony WH-1000XM3 is far superior, giving you LDAC, aptX, aptX HD, and many more codecs, whereas Bose QC35 II, is only giving you AAC and SBC, the lowest bitrate codecs available.
AAC and SBC can lead to some lagging while watching YouTube videos because of the low bandwidth. With the Sony’s, you never have to worry about that when using LDAC or aptX HD.
For Android users, you will be getting the best sound quality with the best connection. For iPhone users, Apple has shunned aptX technology in favor of its AAC technology, which is just not as good. This round goes to the 1000XM3. Better codecs lead to a better and more stable connection and overall better sound quality.
Call Quality and Battery Life
Call quality has always been Bose’s strong point and Sony WH-1000XM3 weak point, but Sony has made a lot of improvements this year and is actually usable for calls now. Even with these great strides, call quality still goes to Bose.
Battery life, however, is better on the Sony’s, coming in at 30 hours compared to the Bose QC35 II 20 hours. On top of that, the USB-C on the Sony’s gives you 10 minutes of charging for five hours of playback. The Bose, on the other hand, gives you only two and a quarter hours of playback for 15 minutes of charging. For this round, Sony takes it again.
Comparison Table: Bose QC35 II vs Sony WH-1000XM3
| Feature | Bose QC35 II | Sony WH-1000XM3 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $350 | $200 |
| Comfort | Lightweight, Alcantara headband | Improved but slightly heavier |
| Design | 3-button system | Touch controls, motion detection, USB-C |
| Sound Quality | Neutral, built-in EQ | Customizable EQ via app, clean bass |
| Noise Cancellation | Blocks low frequencies only | Blocks low and high frequencies, QN1 chip |
| Connectivity | AAC, SBC | LDAC, aptX, aptX HD |
| Call Quality | Strong | Improved but still behind |
| Battery Life | 20 hours | 30 hours |
| Quick Charge | 15 min = 2.25 hrs playback | 10 min = 5 hrs playback |
Final Verdict
In conclusion, Bose has slightly better comfort and call quality, and Sony is catching up in both of these areas year by year. In all other areas, including two of the most important categories, sound and noise cancellation, the Sony’s are just in a whole other league now.
The recommendation here is clear, grab the Sony WH-1000XM3. Do yourself a favor, as it is the top pick right now for noise cancellation headphones. Trust me, you will not be disappointed.
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