- My experience was short and not "real world" by any means, but the Bose 700 headphones were impressive.
- They look and sound fantastic, and the noise cancellation has the potential to be better than the current gold standard in noise-cancelling headphones, the Bose QC 35s.
- One demo showed how effective Bose's new noise cancellation during phone calls will be.
- I won't judge if you pre-order the new headphones, as Bose has made a name for itself for reliably high-quality headphones. But you won't get them much earlier if you do pre-order, and your best bet is to check out the full reviews.
- Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.
ADVERTISEMENT
I tried Bose's new $400 noise-cancelling headphones — and they have the potential to become the new gold standard
I tried the new $400 noise-cancelling headphones from Bose that will be released on June 30.
bose 700
ADVERTISEMENT
Recommended articles
Bose announced a new pair of noise-cancelling headphones called the Noise Cancelling Headphone 700, which I got to demo ahead of their release on June 30.
It's tough to make any definitive claims about a product when I've had such a short time with them, and when demos are conducted in such a controlled environment.
But this is Bose we're talking about here. We already know the company's headphones sound great, and its QC 35s are the stalwart of noise-cancelling headphones. You can almost guarantee that the new Bose 700 headphones will be even better if the company has made any improvements over a previous generation.
ADVERTISEMENT
But I won't know for sure until I spend some quality time with the new Bose 700.
For now, though, check out what the Bose 700 are like in person:
The new Bose 700 look very sleek, modern, and minimalist.
BusinessInsider USA Images
Antonio Villas-Boas/Business Insider
ADVERTISEMENT
The Bose 700 design is a welcome change over the aging QC 35 design.
They look a little foreign to Bose even generic, if I'm being harsh. But that's probably because when I think of Bose headphones, I think of that iconic design from the QC 35s.
But the Bose 700 headphones usher in a brand new line of noise-cancelling headphones, and given time, I'll likely start to accept the new design as decidedly Bose.
There are fewer lines, seams, and screws, and part of the headband is made of stainless steel, which looks and feels more premium than the plasticky build of the QC 35s.
BusinessInsider USA Images
ADVERTISEMENT
Antonio Villas-Boas/Business Insider
To be logical, headphone design and the way they feel when you hold them shouldn't be a consideration at all when you're picking out headphones. Headphone companies should focus on sound rather than looks.
But design and feel are certainly relevant, especially when you're paying a premium or planning to wear them outside the house or when traveling. Bose has finally adopted some premium materials to make their headphones feel like they're worth their price tag.
Worthy of note, however, the new Bose 700 headphones don't fold up like the QC 35s do. That instantly makes them less travel-friendly, which is going to be a bummer for some. Still, you can lay them out flat and they'll fit perfectly in most backpacks.
They felt comfortable and lightweight when I tried them on, but I only wore the Bose 700 for about five minutes.
ADVERTISEMENT
BusinessInsider USA Images
Antonio Villas-Boas/Business Insider
The true comfort test will come when I wear the Bose 700 for a few hours. If they're anything like the Bose QC 35s, the 700s should be comfortable for hours on end.
The noise cancelling seemed better than on the QC 35s, but my demo wasnt a real-world test.
BusinessInsider USA Images
ADVERTISEMENT
Antonio Villas-Boas/Business Insider
I was in a room with ambient noise coming from speakers, and the music was turned up pretty high, which doesn't quite give the best idea of how the Bose 700 perform in the real world.
Bose says the 700 headphones come with the company's next generation of noise-cancellation technology. If it's any better than the QC 35's fantastic noise cancellation, I think we'd all be pretty impressed.
The one demo I experienced that offered a real-world test was the noise cancellation for phone calls, and it was pretty amazing.
BusinessInsider USA Images
ADVERTISEMENT
Antonio Villas-Boas/Business Insider
During the demo, Bose engineer Ken Jacob called another Bose representative who was sitting inside a noisy coffee shop across the street.
At first, the call was patched through the original Bose QC 35s, and while I could hear and understand what was being said during the call, there was a ton of ambient noise from the coffee shop's background music and conversations from patrons.
When the Bose representative in the coffee shop switched the connection to the Bose 700, suddenly the coffee shop's music and ambient noise went silent. Some ambient noise would come through the call when the representative talked, but the call was much clearer and the ambient noise was a lot less distracting.
Essentially, what Bose is doing here is sharing its noise cancellation technology with whoever you're speaking to during a phone call. The only thing a Bose 700 owner would need to worry about is if the person they're talking to is in a noisy place and doesn't have the same pair of headphones.
ADVERTISEMENT
Cutting out the ambient noise around you will also make it easier for your smart assistant, like Google Assistant, Apple's Siri, or Amazon's Alexa, to better understand you if you're in a noisy environment.
They sound fantastic, but thats hardly surprising.
BusinessInsider USA Images
Antonio Villas-Boas/Business Insider
Indeed, I had no complaints about audio quality on the Bose 700 headphones. They sounded clear and natural on the one track I listened to.
ADVERTISEMENT
I'll have more time to put the Bose 700 through its paces when I get a pair to review, and again, if they're anything like the QC 35, pretty much everyone will be pleased.
I wouldnt judge if you pre-ordered the new Bose 700 before theyre fully reviewed.
BusinessInsider USA Images
Antonio Villas-Boas/Business Insider
The new Bose 700 look and sound like absolute winners, based on my short time with them so far.
ADVERTISEMENT
They look great, they sound fantastic, the noise cancellation is bound to be stellar, and the improvements in phone call quality especially with reducing ambient noise during the call is incredible.
So far, the new Bose 700 seem to make the most of the extra $50 you'd pay over the QC 35.
With that said, I can't say outright that you should pre-order them based on my short hands-on time. I wouldn't shake my head if you did, but you're not going to get the headphones much earlier if you pre-order them now. As with any product, it's always best to check out the full reviews before spending your hard earned cash.
The new Bose 700s launch June 30.
See Also:
ADVERTISEMENT
SEE ALSO: Bose is releasing a brand-new pair of $400 noise-cancelling headphones here's how they compare to the trusty and iconic QC 35s
FOLLOW BUSINESS INSIDER AFRICA
ADVERTISEMENT
Recommended articles
OPEC eyes Namibia for possible membership as oil production looms
Investor confidence in Nigeria dropped drastically over the last decade
5 reasons why Lagos real estate is so expensive
J&J cough syrup recall widens as Tanzania, Rwanda, Zimbabwe join efforts
The Nigerian Naira goes from the worst-performing currency in the world to the best
Nigeria LNG Limited (NLNG) faces arbitration hurdles as Shell tables claims against Venture Global LNG over unsuppplied cargoes
African cities with the best quality of life index in Q1 2024
African countries with the most honorees in the 2024 Forbes Africa’s 30 under 30 list
