Seems like the standard price now. Nothing much to say about this great pair of headphones.
Could combine with Cashrewards 12.5% Cashback for a total of $322 after cashback making it a fairly good price here (expires midnight)
Combine with Cashrewards 8% Cashback for a total of $338.56 after cashback.
CamelCamelCamel.
Good price with cashback, but unless you care very strongly about comfort, the XM3 by Sony might be worth taking a better look at.
how do they compare in other aspects?
The XM3 have far better codec support, they also have superior ANC.
So they have better audio and noise cancelling, 2 of the main things you want to be good in noise cancelling headphones.
I wouldn't say better audio as it's very subjective. for me bose sounds better since I prefer clarity over bass.
Plus, really the major reason for choosing bose was it looked better on my head. I just couldn't stand the bulkiness of Sony. :)
@Enjoyer: The Sony's sound amazing but if you have a bigger head they are the most uncomfortable headphones ever
@Enjoyer: I agree that they have very different sound signatures, and many people (myself included) prefer the Bose sound signature, but I was more referring to the Sony supporting more advanced Bluetooth codecs and as a result of that, it has better audio quality and clarity than the Bose can support.
So I actually meant audio quality in the sense that the Sony support SBC, AAC, aptX, aptX HD and LDAC whereas the Bose support only SBC and AAC.
So I actually meant audio quality in the sense that the Sony support SBC, AAC, aptX, aptX HD and LDAC whereas the Bose support only SBC and AAC.
Honest question: Are people able to differentiate these things? I mean, if the same music was playing in two different formats, one sounds convincingly better enough than the other to influence buying decisions?
@aussieolfaction: I know for myself the difference is obvious, and you can check whether it makes a difference for yourself as well by going into developer settings and changing the bluetooth codec there and comparing, but to the majority of people who listen to music using mp3 files ripped from YouTube or whatever, they won't notice the difference as the audio is already missing a lot of detail.
Tl;dr: Depends on the person, you can check if it'd make a difference for yourself to be certain though. Have a friend change the codecs without saying what they're changing it to so you can do a blind test.
but to the majority of people who listen to music using mp3 files ripped from YouTube or whatever, they won't notice the difference as the audio is already missing a lot of detail.
Thank you, that probably explains it as most of what I listen to is usually to is audio books, podcasts, documentaries, etc. and very little music if any. What you've said is interesting though, so I'll have a go at it and see if I could find any difference.
@aussieolfaction: With what you described listening to, the QC35 sound much better than the XM3 due to the comfort factor.
The best headphones for someone to use depends on their listening preferences and there isn't a one size fits all, the QC35 are by no means bad, and their comfort is fantastic, so I just like to advise people before they make their purchase.
Another contender that isn't mentioned often are the Sennheiser PCX 550, which has a lower RRP as well. You can also buy them refurbished from the official Sennheiser outlet store online, to save a little more.
@Enjoyer: I have a big head and ears that are hardly small and I get on fine with the Sonys. They certainly don’t feel bulky nor uncomfortable either. I’ve just got off the plane from Perth from Brisbane and my ears are fine.
We did a test in the office this week, same tracks on two Galaxy Note 8s and using the QC35 IIS and the MX3s. Absolutely worlds apart.
I used to have the Bose but lost them travelling and my mate owned this set. He was blown away by the ANC, sound quality, bass and features. I really can’t see why anyone would buy the Bose…..brand loyalty perhaps?
@gasman70: the bulkiness i meant was from the look, not the feel. :)
anyway.. i guess it's all personal and subjective as everyone listens to different music too.
I have recently tried Sony again… and again i feel the sound was too in-front for me.
ANC wise, yes Sony is better but i don't need that much so i am sticking with bose even if i have to buy another pair.
@Enjoyer: Yeah, I agree. The Bose are definitely more streamlined, more organic.
The ANC is actually pretty close but the Sonys are much, much less affected by wind/ventilation noise due to better mix placement.
Comfort. The Bose do win on cup depth alone. But that’s the price you pay for a bigger battery and possibly more hardware?
I still think the Sonys obliterate the Bose in the sound stakes. Of course, it’s purely subjective but those who think otherwise are in the tiniest of numbers. I’ve yet to see a review picking the QC35IIs.
Hopefully this will spur Bose onto making something special, rather than regurgitating old models, as they’ve done for some time now.
Win win for everyone, fingers crossed.
Save yourself a lot of money and get the TaoTronics noise cancelling headphones. Bang for your buck cannot be beaten.
Do a search of previous deals.
Bang for your buck is subjective though.
I'm buying these NC wireless headphones for the NC. Either on noisy public transport, the office or long flights. All situations where silence is greatly appreciated.
If i want best in class NC - I'd go Sony XM3's. Otherwise the Bose are almost but not quite as good.
Does anyone know if this is also TRS eligible?
I have been less than impressed with these headphones. Most notably they a) default to "high" noise cancelling every time you turn them on, b) often when switching from high to low NC they drop the Bluetooth connection and have to be restarted, and c) they often interrupt music to say that they have established or lost a Bluetooth connection even though the music continues to play after the message has finished. Might not sound like a big deal but it all gets pretty annoying after a while. Plenty of discussion on the forums about these issues with no helpful responses from Bose.
a) i prefer it that way - and again it's easy to switch between NC modes with button on the left cup
b) never happened to me - I switch NC a lot using the button on left cup
c) try turning off voice alert?
Sorry but noob question - how does Cashback from Amazon work? Does the amount get discounted from the sale price? Or do you get money back to your account? And where does it show on checkout that the Cashback is triggered/available?
You sign up to cashrewards, which allows you to get cashback from various different sites online.
Thanks OP. Got one.