Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 Review: No Wires, No Compromises

Last updated on 2022-09-19
By Yvonne

Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700: Review: No wires, no compromisesWe tried the Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones700 and were amazed by their build quality and powerful noise cancellation.

Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700

We like this

Excellent audio quality
For extended listening, this is a very comfortable product
Impressive noise cancelling
Durable yet lightweight design
Attractive, unobtrusive form

The Things We Hate

High-end
Accidents can trigger touch controls easily
The battery life isn't as good as the competitors.
Work is required on Companion App

Bose 700 wireless headphones are almost perfect. They are expensive, but they definitely justify the high cost.

This article explains

Design
Installation
Comfort
Battery life
Sound Quality
Noise Cancelling
Connectivity
Software
Prices
Concurrence
Final Verdict
Specifications

Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 were purchased by us so that our expert reviewer could fully test it and evaluate it. Continue reading to see our complete product review.

We had high hopes when we tried the Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700. Not only do they come at a very premium price point, they have a lot of competition to measure up to and big boots to fill—Bose has established a reputation for high quality headphones, great speakers, and audio equipment. Bose products are expected to perform well and withstand time. Bose must be more competitive than ever with other companies chasing them. The 700 could be Bose's best-selling headphones.

Related Reading: Sony WH-XB900N Review: Bass Heavy Budget Headphones

Design: Amazing looks and buggy controls

The Bose 700 headphones were unpacked immediately. Although the headphones' exteriors are made from plastic, the Bose 700 feels sturdy and durable. This impression was confirmed throughout our tests. The earphones and headband are well padded, but not bulky—they are, in fact, remarkably slim.

It is worth noting the sliding hinge mechanism that adjusts the fit of headphones. This is a clever engineering trick, as the prongs on the headband fit in the groove at the back of the headphones. The prongs can be adjusted easily by sliding up or down, while locking in the correct position. These prongs allow the ears to tilt and swivel as required.

Its matte black exterior looks subtle and elegant. The material doesn't pick up any unsightly fingerprints. It is great that many controls can be accessed via the touch-sensitive interface located on the right earphone. To adjust the volume or skip to the next or previous track, swipe up and down on the outside, double-tap to play/pause, or back or forward to skip.

We could immediately tell that the Bose 700 headphones were made to high standards from the moment we opened their boxes.

It is a beautiful design that has many advantages but also has some drawbacks. One, it is no longer necessary to search blindly for the right button. There are also fewer moving parts that can wear down over time. It took some time for us to master the touch surface and we sometimes accidentally hit the wrong button, or activated the interface when we weren't expecting to. This was especially true when the headphones were temporarily worn around our necks. Music would randomly play based on skin contact and clothing.

Bose did not abandon physical buttons completely. Power, Bluetooth pairing and virtual assistant activation were still available to Bose buttons.

Bose 700 includes a USB-C and AUX cables. Bose didn't include the full 3.5mm connector, but instead included a 2.5mm to 2.5mm connector. This means that you might have trouble finding compatible cables other than the 2.5mm-3.5mm cable. However, 700 was designed for wireless usage.

Installation Process: Slow start

It can take some time to get started with the NC 700. Bluetooth pairs and connects almost immediately, but you'll need to pair your headphones with the Bose Music App. You will need to sign in or create a Bose Account. After this, the app will start searching for Bose products. Next, you will need to push the Bluetooth button to pair the headphones with your phone.

The problem occurred when we connected our headphones to Bluetooth via the app before using it. However, the app wouldn't recognize the headphones that were already paired. To get the app to recognise the headphones we had to first unpair them, then restart it. The rest was easy once we had done this.

The app will ask you to choose a name for the headphones after pairing. Although we could choose 'Bose NC 700 Headphones,' it was tempting to pick 'Dark Star. The app then presents a product tour menu that will allow you to familiarize yourself with many of the features available on the NC 700. You can also skip this step and return later via the settings menu.

Comfort: Very easy on the ears

We were amazed to find that the Bose 700 was as comfortable as it felt when we first started listening. The Bose 700 rests gently on the head and does not require any pressure. They are a result of the outstanding engineering and adjustability that allow them to adapt to a variety of heads.

Battery Life: Excellent, but not exceptional

Bose says the 700 has a 20-hour battery life. Our testing proved this to be true. We were able to listen for over a week with very frequent listening. The headphones charge fast enough to last for about half an hour. However, your noise cancelling settings will affect your mileage.

Sound Quality : From this world

The Bose 700's exceptional audio quality made up for any minor nitpicks. The highs and mid tones are sharp and clear, while the bass and mid-tones are rich and deep. However, it never overpowers or obscures the larger range of tones.

Sum 41's new album, "Order In Decline", was a pulse-pounding punk rock masterpiece. Excellent stereo reproduction made the guitar, vocals and drum sounds clear and engaging.

Wagner's Act 1 of 'Siegfried" bleated with delicate depth and building, dark notes. They echoed over the Bose 700's large sound stage giving the illusion that one was at a concert in an enormous hall.

Our handful of nitpicks with the Bose 700 were all overshadowed by the incredible audio quality.

Both television and movies were equally impressed by the Bose 700. The Bose 700 was able to reproduce the sounds of cinema in Simon Pegg’s action comedy Hot Fuzz with an incredibly overdramatized sound design.

The phone conversation audio quality on both sides is excellent. Because the headphones are lightweight, it gave us the impression we were not talking to people hundreds of miles away but just beside ourselves. Only the distortion created by the connection was able to ruin the illusion.

Other participants in the conversation were able to benefit from multiple microphones that worked together to distinguish our voices from background noise. It was crystal clear and crisp, even when there was a strong wind blowing outside and a lot of background noise. The microphones were able to eliminate all the background noise so only our voices could be heard. It's difficult to make phone calls again without the Bose 700 after talking to them.

Noise Cancelling - Removing Distractions

The Bose 700's Active Noise Cancellation (or ANC), is highly configurable and very effective at eliminating exterior noises. You can change the default settings (0, 5, 10, and 10) in the app.

Notably, we did not feel as much pressure as with noise-cancelling headphones. This could be a side effect of ANC because it cancels outside noise but it is markedly better than other ANC headphones. You can deactivate ANC if it causes discomfort.

The hear through mode worked well, and we couldn't tell that it was external noise being pumped in. You can use this mode to quickly increase your awareness of the situation or start a conversation, without even having your headphones off.

Connectivity: Easy to establish, but difficult to break

The Bose 700 is very good in terms of wireless performance. It has a strong Bluetooth connection which is easy to set up and hard to lose. Without interruptions, we could easily walk for a long distance without having to turn off our device. An audio cable is included with the headphones for wired listening.

Software: There's room for improvement

Unfortunately, the Bose Music App is a weakness for these headphones. The app is functional, but not very user-friendly. It also requires you to sign in to Bose Music and create an account. This makes it difficult to access settings for the Bose 700 if you get disconnected from the internet.

The app has a few positives, including the ability to switch between Bluetooth audio devices and adjust volume and noise cancelling levels. You can also change the volume of the calls so you don't hear your voice as much. The app also allows you to play or pause music, but we didn't find it consistent.

Bose AR compatibility is a potentially interesting feature on the Bose 700. This allows you to experience 3D spatial augmented reality audio. In theory, this could lead to some really interesting integration with other apps such as virtual tour guides, but unfortunately this feature lacks app support and is only available if you're using the headphones with an Apple device—no Android support yet.

Prices: You Get What You Pay for

The Bose 700 MSRP is $400, which is not cheap. However, the value is worth it. Bose 700's incredible sound quality, comfort and noise cancellation make it worth the investment. They also have a robust construction that will outlast any cheaper alternatives. It's important to note that wireless noise cancelling headphones are also available at a lower price.

No Bad Choices

The market is very competitive right now for wireless headphones, which is a great thing for consumers. A wide range of high-quality headphones are available for a fraction of the price. They offer similar features, as well as solid sound quality.

The Sony WHXB900 is nearly half as expensive as the 700, but they have a great sound quality and a beautiful exterior. They are a much better set than the 700 but not as bad as their price difference suggests.

The Jabra Elite 85H costs $300 and offers noise cancellation and sound quality that is almost equal to the Bose 700. It also has a companion app and nice features. There are physical buttons and not finicky touch controls. The battery life is nearly twice that of the 700. The Bose 700 is still a significant improvement over the 85H in all areas.

Final Verdict

Incredible headphones, despite a few flaws

We loved our experience with the Bose Noise Cancelling headphones 700, despite its shortcomings. The Bose 700 is a great choice because of its amazing sound quality and powerful noise cancelling technology. It also offers blissful comfort that makes it stand out against many other excellent options. These headphones are worth every penny if you have the means to afford them.

Specifications

Product Name Noise Cancelling Headphones 700
Bose Product Brand
UPC 017817796163
Prices from $400.00
Weighing 0.56 lbs.
Dimensions of the product: 6.5x2x8 in
Color Black, Silver
Form Factor over Ear
1-year warranty
Noise Cancellation Digital Hybrid Active Noise Cancellation (ANC), passive noise cancellation.
Microphones 8
Battery life: 20 hours
Bluetooth Connectivity Options
3ft Wireless Range