Weighing up the Bose QC25 vs QC35 II Headphones, both noise canceling earphones can vie for the tag ‘best Bose headphones’.
If music is food for the soul, then the noise canceling headphones QC35, QC35II, and QC25 equally epitomize the adage. As far as comparing the Bose QC35 II vs QC25, both feature impeccable noise cancellation functionality and come equipped with a variety of versatile features.
Stacking up the QC25 vs QC35 II, the latter is more advanced and sophisticated than the former. There are some major differences between Bose Quiet Comfort 25 and 35II-QC 35II is a tad heavier, wireless, and compatible with Android, Apple, Bluetooth, NFC, offers 20 hours of non-stop listening, and has three levels of noise cancellation.
The Bose QC25 sits lighter on your head, lets you enjoy music for 35 hrs at a stretch, is companionable with Apple and Android, has built-in noise cancellation, and available in three distinct colors with accents.
However, the QC25 has a few downsides-the headphone is wired, does not have Bluetooth or NFC, and also does not support Siri or Google Assistant.
So, are these Bose headphones worth the money? When it comes to Bose QC35II and its immediate predecessor QC35, of course, if you value sound quality and entertainment you get much more than what these headsets are worth monetarily.
As for the QC25, if you can make do with the deficiencies, you’ll still end up having an unparalleled experience tuning in to your favorite music or numbers.
What are the Differences Between the Bose Quietcomfort 25 vs 35 II?
If your undecided about whether to buy the Bose QC25 vs QC35 II headphones this guide will go into depth about the differences between the two models.
Design & Controls
Over three decades of extensive and painstaking research has contributed towards making Bose headphones a class apart in the world of quality earphones.
Both the QC35 II and QC25 not only perform well beyond your expectations but also score high on aesthetics. Though the QC25 is wired and the QC35 II wireless, both headsets appear nearly identical when it comes to looks.
The headphones have been designed innovatively, keeping durability and long-term use in mind. The earphones have been shaped out of corrosion-resistant stainless steel, glass-filled nylon and impact-cushioning materials. The ear cups have a layering of synthetic protein leather while the headband has been crafted from luxurious Alcantara microfiber.
The ergonomic design of the ear cups and the headband keeps your head thoroughly stress free even when you go for marathon listening sessions. And making the most of QC35 II or QC25 is simply not an issue either-the controls are as minimalistic as the looks. You’ll trace the aux port and the power switch embedded into the ear cups, though you can easily manage without them.
Dimensions & Weight
The design upgrades that Bose has executed have not only made the QC35 II more functional but has also taken comfortableness a notch higher. Bose’s latest and state-of-the-art headphone now a tad shorter, enabling you to rest it more comfortably on your head. Comfortable foam filling comes in perfectly handy when you want to keep your head and ears from stressing out while you enjoy music for hours on end.
The width of QC35 II is 0.6 inches (QC 25’s width is 6.1) wider, meaning that your top will have more room for ventilation. However, the most noticeable upgrade is visible on the ear cups-they’re 2.3 inches thicker (3.2” versus 0.9”), thereby adding to its heft. The differences in size (and weight as well) is mostly on account of the inbuilt mic (the mic is on the cable in QC25), the lithium-ion battery and additional buttons.
At 8.3 ounces, the Bose QC35 II is somewhat heftier than the QC25 which weighs 6.9 ounces. On the other hand, the QC25’s headphone cord is a little longer as it has to accommodate the extra controls and the inline mic. Nevertheless, by and large, these headphones easily meet the criterion for lightweight headsets implying that they fit and sit comfortably on your head.
Sound Performance & Noise Cancellation
The superior noise cancelling technology patented and perfected by Bose is definitely the USP of the QC35 II and QC25. You can bet that amongst all the premium brands equipped with noise cancellation feature, the Quiet Comfort series from Bose stand out. Background and ambient noise can be quite disorientating for different groups of individuals, including travelers, office workers, and commuters.
Imagine commuting to office in a crowded bus or metro or working in your cubicle with coworkers shouting at the top of their voice. And there’s nothing much you can do to muffle the roar of jet planes or stifle the raucous banging in a construction site. Thankfully, the QC25 and QC35 II headphones will come to your aid when you wish to isolate yourself from the distracting environment around you.
There’s not much to differentiate between the QC25 and QC35 II, in terms of noise cancelling quality. The headsets perform much beyond your expectations in terms of deadening external noise and disturbance. The QC 35 does it wirelessly, whereas the QC25 needs cords to exploit the mechanism or technology.
However, both the earphones are unable to take advantage of noise cancelling powerlessly. You’ll need to keep the batteries-the sole AAA battery in QC25 and the Li-ion in QC35 II-charged-for making the most of this feature. And if you so prefer, you can tune in to your choice songs or melodies without activating the noise cancellation feature.
For keeping the noise cancellation functionality deactivated, do not turn on the corresponding control knob or switch for the same while the headsets are in wired mode. Alternatively, you can monitor this feature from the Bose app (available only in QC35 II and QC35). Both the QC35 and QC35 II comes with three distinct levels of noise cancelling-low, high, and off.
Nevertheless, you can make adjustments in the equalizer settings for modifying the range of audio frequencies on the QC35 II as well as QC25. The action knob built into the ear cup on the left allows you to make changes in levels of noise cancellation, especially when you don’t use Siri or Google Assistant.
Wireless Technology
The fact that the Bose QC35 II is wireless (in contrast to the wired QC25) is what it sets it apart from the QC25. Being wireless, the QC35 II is ultimately more convenient and versatile when compared to the QC25. With the QC35 II you don’t have to worry about wires getting tangled in the first place.
At the same time, porting the QC35 II and using them while you’re on the move is a breeze as well. Of course, you can transform the QC 35 II into a wired headset (by using a 3.5mm cable) whenever you wish to. However, since you’d go for the QC35 II because it is wireless, you may not need to exercise the option excepting when the battery is down or goes kaput.
Also, keep in mind that battery charge gets depleted faster when you’re listening wirelessly in comparison to staying wired.
Bluetooth & NFC
Another area in which the QC35 II towers above the QC25 is wireless technology. Regardless of whether you’re used an Android or Apple smartphone, you can hook up with QC35 (and the QC35 also) through NFC (Near Field Connection) or Bluetooth 4.1. However, your smartphone should be compatible with Bluetooth 4.1 and NFC for linking with the Bose earphone models.
The quality of audio does not at all fluctuates when you connect to the headsets via Bluetooth or NFC. Unfortunately, the QC25 does not support this wireless technique functionality. Also, the QC35 II lets you link up with a range of Bluetooth audio sources but you will not be able to share one specific source with 5-6 headphone pairs.
Battery
The Bose QC25 boasts of a powerful lithium ion battery that facilitates taking pleasure in music up to a maximum of 20 hours at a stretch with a fully charged battery. That’s enough time for listening to the majority of songs in the playlist. Once you run out of battery charge, you don’t have to fret or fidget while your battery is recharging.
In just about a quarter of an hour, the battery becomes sufficiently charged to keep you immersed for at least the next 2.5 hours. And you can fall back on the cables (included in the package) when you’re unable to charge the battery due to unavoidable circumstances. The QC35 II battery gets fully charged in a little over two hours via micro-USB.
You can look forward to immersing yourself in soul-stirring music for approximately 40 hours with the noise cancellation switch turned off. You can also get close to 40 hours of music enjoyment when the noise cancelling is set at ‘low’. On the other hand, the QC25 uses a single AAA battery that is good for enjoying your choice tracks for up to a maximum of 35 hours with noise cancellation turned on.
Colors
The Bose QC35 II can be customized to fit your style by mixing combinations of 5 parts available in a total of 26 colors. This makes your options almost limitless. And of course you can stick to the middle of the road with the normal silver or black design.
If you go for QC25, you’ll have the leeway of choosing from silver, black, and white (with a tan colored section) colored headsets. The white and silver colored headphones have attractive blue accents in the ear cups.
Google Assistant & Siri
Hitherto, the Quiet Comfort line from Bose has been effective in stimulating your smartphone or tab’s embedded Google Assistant or Siri courtesy the MFi (Made for iPhone) of Apple. The operation was simple-you just had to press down on the pause/play knob to activate Siri, Amazon Alexa or Google, and you were ready to go. Nevertheless, the QC35 II allows you to take advantage of Google Assistant with greater effectiveness.
With the QC35 II, not only can you converse on Google hangout but also answer messages and receive notifications alert by using the ‘action button’. This upgrade may not be a big deal for music enthusiasts and aficionados but for those who’re in the habit of exploiting Assistant, will surely be delighted.
If you’re under the impression that the QC35 II has broadband or Wi-Fi integration which lets you use Siri or Google Assistant, then hopefully this will clarify things. It is the compatibility of QC 35 II with an iPhone or Android handset that makes it possible for you to explore Assistant or Siri via the headset.
Price
Are Bose headphones worth the money? The QC35 II is very much superior to QC25 as a headphone, but it also boils down to one simple, but hard fact: it does not come cheap.
At present, Bose is only offering QC35 II officially as the company has stopped producing the QC25 and the QC35 (Series I). The QC35 II will set you back about $150 more than the QC25.
If you find that the QC35 II is too pricey for you, you can always settle for the QC25. You’ll be able to take optimum advantage of Bose’s proprietary noise cancelling system with the QC25, but not wirelessly.
So, are Bose headphones worth it? Without mincing any words, it can be mentioned straightaway that if you want the best value from your investment, don’t look any further than Bose earphones.
What's Difference Between the Bose QC35 vs QC35 II?
Bose first launched the QC35 and later on made some minor upgrades in the model and released it as QC35 II. To be honest, there’s isn’t much to differentiate between the two-they’ve more similarities than differences. Both QC35 Series I and Series II have been constructed out of similar materials, both offer superlative noise cancelling audio experience and have same controls, and fit comfortably.
Other worthwhile similarities include identical battery life (20 hrs), wireless connectivity, similar design features, and same color range. So, what does QC35 II has that its immediate forerunner doesn’t?
For a start, QC35 II comes outfitted with a button for activating Google Assistant. You simply need to depress the knob and hold it for triggering Google Assistant. You can use the action button for connecting to Amazon Alexa as well. However, your handset should support Android 7.0 or higher configurations.
The Google Assistant is presently companionable with iPhones as well. Search for the app on iTunes, download it, and abide by the instructions that appear onscreen for activating the same. However, if you log in at Bose’s site, you’ll find that QC35 is not available though you may come across one at Amazon’s site. Amazon is still promoting the Series I at $329; therefore it makes sense to opt for the Series II by paying a few dollars more.
Want Earbuds? Consider the Bose QC20 vs QC30
Bose has not only catered to the interests of audiophiles who prefer to tune into music via circumaural headphones but also fulfilled the wishes of song enthusiasts who like in-ear buds.
The company has designed a distinct line of in-ear headphones or earbuds-QC30 and QC20-that use the same noise cancelling technology exploited by QC35 II and QC35. The QC30 like its over- the-ear counterpart, is wireless, offers greater control over noise cancellation mechanism than QC20, and also compatible with a range of connectivity options.
Alternatively, the QC20 is wired (like the QC25), implying that the problem of latency (common in wireless earphones) is minimal. Also, the QC20 scores over QC25, as far as performance in terms of noise isolation is concerned. Additionally, the simple design of QC20 lets you easily fit them in your trouser pockets and carry them.
Who Should Buy the Bose QC25?
The Bose QC25, as a wired headphone, maintains its own in the present times where the majority of music lovers prefer wireless models. If you do not have any issues with handling wires for tuning in to your favorite songs and music, you surely won’t find a better wired headphone pair than the QC25. The QC25 comes with the signature noise cancellation feature that Bose’s latest earphone brand has.
At the same time, the model is sturdily built, has superior battery power than QC35 II, and costs much less than the latter.
Who Should Buy the Bose QC35 II?
If you’re looking for the best pair of noise cancelling headphones which money can buy, do not look beyond the Bose QC35 II. Not only does the QC35II boasts of immaculate noise cancelling quality but also allows you to control the functionality as per your convenience.
Another striking feature that you can make the most of is the product’s compatibility with Google Assistant, Alexa, and Siri. Regardless of whether you use an iPhone or Android smartphone, you’d be able to take full advantage of the QC35 II features.
