Bose headphones

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For headphones that are no longer on sale, see Discontinued Bose headphones.

Bose has sold aviation headsets since 1989 and consumer headphones since 2000.[1] The current range of headphones/headsets consists of over-ear, in-ear, aviation and military models.

Over-ear headphones[]

Development of the company's noise-cancelling headphones (and first over-ear headphones) began in 1978 when the chairman, Amar Bose, tried a set of airline-supplied headphones during a flight and found that engine noise from the aircraft prevented the music from being enjoyed.[2]

In 1986, Bose and Sennheiser both presented active noise-cancelling headsets for aircraft pilots, with the Sennheiser design appearing in a Funkschau (see Funkschau article on the German Wikipedia) paper and the Bose design appearing in an ASME paper.[3] A prototype Bose product was used to prevent hearing loss in pilots during the first non-stop around-the-world flight in the Rutan Voyager.[1] The company was the first to release active noise cancelling headphones as a consumer product.[4]

Wireless[]

QuietComfort 25[]

Bose QuietComfort 25 with mounted 3.5 mm headphone jack, and carry case.

The "QuietComfort 25" (QC25) over-ear headphones were released in 2015[5] as the replacement for the QuietComfort 15. Unlike its predecessors, the QC25s can be used (without the noise-cancelling function) while the battery is dead. Another change is the elimination of the Hi/Low switch which increased the input gain for low-output sources like MP3 players.

In 2015, the QC25s won the What Hi-Fi? Sound and Vision annual award for "Best Noise Cancelling Headphones".[citation needed]

QuietComfort 35[]

QuietComfort 35 II

The QuietComfort 35 was released in 2016 as a successor to the 25. It supports Bluetooth wireless operation, the Bose Connect mobile app for advanced audio control, and contains an embedded rechargeable battery.[6]

In 2017, Bose released an updated model known as the QuietComfort 35 II, which adds a customizable "action" button on the left ear cap. By default, it is mapped to activate the Google Assistant, making it the first headphones to integrate with the service.[7][8]

The QC35 II was reviewed favourably for their noise cancellation, audio quality and comfort.[9][10][11][12]

In July 2019, users began to report that a firmware update to the QC35 II had inhibited the performance of the noise cancellation features. Bose stated that it had not made any changes to noise cancellation functions in their firmware. Some users performed firmware downgrades, but Bose later prevented this for security reasons. In October 2019, as part of an investigation, Bose began to allow owners within a "reasonable" proximity to the company's headquarters in Framingham, Massachusetts, to request a visit by a technician.[13][14]

In 2020, Bose released the Bose QC35 II Gaming, which adds a gaming mic.

Noise Cancelling Headphones 700[]

In 2019, Bose released the Noise Cancelling Headphones 700, a new high-end product positioned above the QC 35.[15][16]

It features a more contemporary design with a stainless steel band, and are controlled using a mix of buttons and touch-sensitive areas on the cups. Unlike the QC 35, they do not fold in half, but their earcups can rotate for storage. The embedded rechargeable battery is not replaceable which limits the lifespan of the headphones to the life of the battery. Bose promoted improvements to sound quality, noise cancellation and voice call quality over the QC 35. The NCH700 can also connect to two devices simultaneously, and integrate with Amazon Alexa and Siri in addition to the Google Assistant.[17][18][19]

In-ear headphones[]

Wired[]

QuietComfort 20[]

The "QuietComfort 20" (QC20) and QC20i in-ear headphones were released in 2015 and are the company's first in-ear noise cancelling headphones.[20] The QC20 model is for Android, Windows and Blackberry devices, while the QC20i is designed for Apple devices and includes volume controls on the remote.[21]

The noise-cancelling hardware and rechargeable battery is contained with a box located near the headphone jack, similar to the QuietComfort 1. The earbuds are similar to the IE2 headphones. A button on the remote labelled "Aware Mode" reduces noise-cancellation to let in ambient noise.

True wireless[]

True wireless earbuds have no cord to keep each bud connected to each other.

QuietComfort Earbuds[]

The QuietComfort Earbuds (QC Earbuds) were released on 5 October 2020.[22] They feature a noise-canceling microphone. The battery life is 6 hours and the carry case has an inbuilt lithium iodine battery can charge them two times.

With the proprietary Bose Music app (requires registration), the QC Earbuds can be customized with touch control to increase/decrease volume by swiping the right in-ear headphone and battery status by double tapping the left in-ear headphone, and default noise-cancelling mode when only one headphone is plugged into the ear. The settings are stored in the headphones, so the app can be uninstalled once they have been configured.

Sleepbuds II[]

The Sleepbuds were released on 13 October 2020.[23]

Sleepbuds II is designed to fall asleep faster by combining passive noise-cancelling with the silicone ear-tips, and streamed ambient sound that will mask external noise. The battery life is 16 hours and the carry case has an inbuilt lithium iodine battery can charge them three times.

The headphones are small but can cause pressure on the ear for side-sleepers. Sleepbuds II is dependent of the proprietary Bose Sleep app for Android or iOS, but doesn't require registration unlike Bose Music for other headphones. Bose Sleep comes with some inbuilt ambient sound files and more, and more sounds can be downloaded from the app until a small reserved disk space have been filled up. Bose Sleep has an inbuilt alarm clock because no sound from other apps can be played (eg calendars, alarm clocks, etc). Some users might find it inconvenient that it is required to manually synchronize the Bose Sleep app with events from other apps to not miss them, as the smartphone speaker will be masked by the headphones.

Industrial headphones[]

A20 Aviation Headset[]

The "A20 Aviation Headset" was released in 2010 as the successor to the "Aviation Headset X" (aka A10).[24][25] It has a claimed battery life of 45 hours (using two AA batteries) or can be powered by the airplane's electrical system. There are two versions, one with Bluetooth and one without.[26]

An updated version of the A20 was released in 2015.[27]

Combat Vehicle Crewman Headset[]

A "Combat Vehicle Crewman Headset" was released in 1998, for use in armoured vehicles.[28]

Triport Tactical Headset[]

A "Triport Tactical Headset" (TTH) was released in 2004. It is designed for use in armoured vehicles and can fit under an infantry ballistic helmet.[29][30] An updated version was released in 2012.[31]

Audio sunglasses Bluetooth headphones[]

The Bluetooth sunglasses were released in 2019 and come in two styles – Alto and Rondo. The sunglasses have open-ear audio, UVA/UVB protection, an integrated microphone, a Bluetooth range of 9 meters, and are also AR enabled. The battery can sustain up to 3.5 hours of streaming music playback and takes up to 2 hours to charge.[32]

References[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b "Escape the Noise". www.bose.co.uk. Archived from the original on 4 March 2012.
  2. ^ "BOSE Learning Centre - Noise Reduction". Archived from the original on 2012-03-04. Retrieved 2016-11-06.CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  3. ^ Tokhi, Osman; Sandor Veres (2002). Active Sound and Vibration Control. Institution of Electrical Engineers. ISBN 0-85296-038-7. p. 13
  4. ^ "Noise-canceling Headphones". www.howstuffworks.com. 15 February 2007.
  5. ^ "QuietComfort® 25 Acoustic Noise Cancelling Headphones - Bose Product Support". www.bose.com. Retrieved 29 June 2019.
  6. ^ Pocket-lint (2016-10-04). "Bose QuietComfort 35 review: The perfect travel companion". Pocket-lint. Retrieved 2019-11-27.
  7. ^ Pocket-lint (2019-07-02). "Best Google Assistant headphones: Top smart earphones to buy". Pocket-lint. Retrieved 2019-11-27.
  8. ^ Carnoy, David. "Our favorite headphones get Google Assistant: Bose QC35 II, reviewed". CNET. Retrieved 2019-11-27.
  9. ^ "Our favorite headphones get Google Assistant: Bose QC35 II, reviewed". CNET. Retrieved 2017-12-26.
  10. ^ "Review: Bose's QC35 Headphones Get Injected With Google's AI". WIRED. Retrieved 2017-12-26.
  11. ^ "Bose QuietComfort 35 II review". TechRadar. Retrieved 2017-12-26.
  12. ^ "Bose QuietComfort 35 II review". iFans. Archived from the original on 2017-12-28. Retrieved 2017-12-26.
  13. ^ Welch, Chris (2019-10-16). "Bose is now visiting customers at home to figure out QC35II noise cancellation problems". The Verge. Retrieved 2019-11-27.
  14. ^ Welch, Chris (2019-07-16). "Bose QC35 II owners complain of degraded noise cancellation after recent updates". The Verge. Retrieved 2019-11-27.
  15. ^ "An Engineer Explains the Magic of Bose's New Headphones". Gear Patrol. Retrieved 2019-06-28.
  16. ^ "Best Noise-Canceling Headphones of 2020". www.msn.com. Retrieved 2020-01-27.
  17. ^ Welch, Chris (2019-07-19). "Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 review: taking back the crown". The Verge. Retrieved 2019-11-27.
  18. ^ Lucas, Simon (7 August 2019). "The new Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 reviewed". Wired UK. ISSN 1357-0978. Retrieved 2019-09-16.
  19. ^ Tambini, Olivia. "Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 review". TechRadar. Retrieved 2019-09-16.
  20. ^ "QuietComfort® 20 Acoustic Noise Cancelling Headphones - Bose Product Support". www.bose.com. Retrieved 29 June 2019.
  21. ^ "QuietComfort® 20 Acoustic Noise Cancelling® headphones". www.bose.co.uk. Archived from the original on 19 January 2014.
  22. ^ Martin, Chris. "Bose finally takes on Apple and Sony with noise-cancelling QC Earbuds". Tech Advisor.
  23. ^ January 2021, Lee Bell 27 (27 January 2021). "Bose Sleepbuds II review". TechRadar.
  24. ^ "AVweb, New Bose A20 Headset". Youtube. 2010-07-26. Retrieved 2012-02-14.
  25. ^ "Bose A20 Aviation Headset Product Review". www.flyhpa.com. 9 August 2010. Retrieved 29 June 2019.
  26. ^ Marsh, Alton K. "Bose upgrades to A20 headset". AOPA. Archived from the original on 2012-03-19. Retrieved 2012-02-14.
  27. ^ "A20 Aviation Headset – Bose Product Support". www.bose.com. Retrieved 29 June 2019.
  28. ^ "Combat Vehicle Crewman Headset – Bose Product Support". www.bose.com. Retrieved 29 June 2019.
  29. ^ "Army Technology • Bose Corporation". Army-technology.com. 2011-06-15. Retrieved 2012-02-14.[unreliable source?]
  30. ^ "Bose - TriPort tactical headset". Worldwide.bose.com. Archived from the original on 2012-03-14. Retrieved 2012-02-14.
  31. ^ "Triport Tactical Headset Series 2 – Bose Product Support". www.bose.com. Retrieved 29 June 2019.
  32. ^ "Wearables by Bose – Classic Bluetooth® audio sunglasses". www.bose.co.uk. Retrieved 2020-03-23.
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