BoseHeadphones 700, Noise Cancelling Bluetooth Over-Ear Wireless Headphones with Built-in Microphone for Clear Calls and Alexa Voice Control, Black

Bottom Line Up Front: These are great, fantastic, awesome, and a bunch of other words. The sound is fantastic, the ANC blocks out almost everything (in a normal and some not so normal environments), the mics do a fantastic job picking out only my voice on calls, the battery life is good, range is great, and (biggest surprise of all) the app works!Rest of the Story: I rushed to find a new headset after coming home and finding my JBLs lying on the floor in a state of repose that let me know that my toddler had done his worst. No amount of resuscitation worked; they were gone. Quickly cycling through the stages of grief, I set off to find a new respite from the constant cacophony that accompanies the child since I needed to have a sanctuary of calm and also a way to join calls without people informing me constantly about background noise.Read a bunch of reviews and guides; many people seem to have very particular tastes surrounding their very detailed preferences in sound quality, how the headphones look (because apparently one can improve their appearance wearing over-ear headphones), and any number of non-sensical comparisons. Here's my key features that I imagine are the most important to an average human just looking for a tool to get the job done:1. ANC works well within reasonable expectations of what is possible at a price point less than a used car2. Mic filters out unwanted noise while picking up my/your voice well3. Good battery life so it doesn't have to be ritually charged every day4. Connections to devices are easy and consistent5. Comfortable to wear for long periods6. Doesn't break the bank and, preferably, is a value7. Durable (see toddler comment)8. Sounds good9. Easy to useLet's explore:1. The ANC works very well and maybe too well. I was chastised because my wife was talking to me and stated a question multiple times before shouting at me and then I barely heard her from 5 feet away. It easily blocks out normal frequencies of everyday life, however, the piercing shrieks of small humans chasing a dog will still cut through a little bit. The levels are very adjustable, but I like my fortress of solitude so I choose to leave it at max and deal with the consequences.2. I asked several people on calls using Teams, cellphone, and Zoom if they could hear the chaos ensuing around me and it was reported that they could not hear anything other than me, although it did sound a little different than normal. Call it a win. I will add that the self voice feature is nice so I can hear myself speaking an a little bit of what is going on around me when on a call. Off the call, we are back to the fortress.3. It claims to have 20 hours of battery life and ever so nicely informs me of the state of charge in hours when turning the headphones on. I have not tried to listen for 20 hours straight because that is silly, but I can say that I used these on-and-off for a week without charging and, during that week, used them for multiple hours each day. I'd say that is pretty good and no need to compare further.4. These will maintain a connection to two devices at once and my most common use to was have them connected to the computer and phone simultaneously. It maintains a solid connection to both and I can hear music on one and get notifications on the other. If I am listening to music from the computer and a call comes in, it seamlessly switches to the phone. Hang up the call and the paused computer music picks back up. Switching to another device is easy using the (wait for it) Bose app that actually works! I could never get the JBL app to work right and I would have to disconnect from the work computer and then go into bluetooth settings on another to connect. The range, for me, was anywhere in the house; only had cut out when I went into the garage on the other side of a metal door and metal wall. I almost forgot: When turning them on, it tells you which two devices it connected to which is super nice if you have them set up for several possible connections.5. These are comfortable to wear all day if need be. The headband and ear cup foam are squishy yet supportive. I had no issue wearing these in a normal setting. Of course you will have sweaty ears if it hot outside and wearing these or if working out; duh. I saw someone talking about wearing these to weedeat; not the right application and people make devices with an actual NRR rating for that application. For normal uses, these are going to treat you well.6. These are a high performing audio piece of equipment and the price actually doesn't reflect that when compared to what else is out there. Sure, they aren't cheap, but quality does come at a cost. I would say that, when compared to it's peers that I'm sure you will find doing your own research, these are a relative value.7. These were probably never designed for wet environments so don't put them there (some reviews talk about this as a con). Otherwise, these feel solid and are constructed well. The phones slide down the bar rather than the bar extending; I think this is a good design feature that will make them last longer over all due to less moving parts and also keeps them set up correctly. The toddler has already attempted to replicate his earlier feat, but the Bose held it's own. To increase the protection of your investment, Bose has seen fit to include a hard case for travel/toddlers.8. Ultimately, you want a nice piece of audio equipment to sound nice; these do. They really, really do. I listened to my favorites on Spotify that I had heard a hundred times and picked up details I hadn't heard in songs before. Use the app that somehow actually works to adjust to your liking. I don't think these were engineered to blow out eardrums, but you can get a great bass thump if that is what you want. Overall, you won't be unhappy with the sound quality unless you are really looking to be unhappy with the sound quality.9. This one is maybe a bit nuanced; I think they are easy to use with the buttons and the swipe controls, but you might disagree. Some of it can be tailored in the app, but some of it will take a little getting used to. I do like having less physical buttons as opposed to more because I would inadvertently hit a button taking them off or putting on or I would fumble around for a button trying to do something simple like skip a song.Ultimately, my theme is function over form and these deliver on function. I am very pleased with the package Bose put together here and I think you will be too.

The noise cancellation is exceptional on these headphones. With 10 levels I can block out most of what is going on around me, when it is safe to do so. If you are someone that startles easily, like myself, you will probably get scared a lot because you will not hear what or who is walking up behind you. My husband finds this very humorous.The sound quality was every bit of what I expected from Bose. Crisp, rich audio, with an amazing range of clarity, from your treble to mid tones and excellent bass. It’s easy to slip into your own little oasis with these on.They are also quite comfortable, their padded band and ear cups are soft and do not apple much pressure against your head. They are very light weight and I can wear them for hours without issue.The included case is well made, sturdy and not overly bulky allowing my to pack it and take it with me anywhere. It has a storage compartment for your cables so you always know where they are.The battery life is excellent! I can go days without charging, but if I do need to charge, they replenish quite quickly and I am right back in business. I have easily gotten a full 20 hour charge out of these. I like that when you turn them on they immediately tell you how many hours they have left on their current charge and what devices they are connected to. This makes it easy to check how long you can use them on their current charge, before you head out somewhere where you might not have access to a plug. I found the time they tell me I have left on my charge to be quite accurate. I am able to connect to more than one device (like my iPhone and iPad) and they intuitively play the sound from the device I am using at the moment. I love that feature it’s easy to switch from watching something on my iPad to listening to music from my phone. Bose also includes a cable so you can plug directly to your device and go wired. I have not used this feature because the battery life is so long, I have not run into a situation where it was necessary.The buttons and touch features of these headphones are wonderful. I can turn Alexa (Siri or Google) on or off depending on my needs. I can control the volume sliding my finger up or down on the surface of one ear and can tap to pause and swipe to change songs. With one button I can rotate between 3 levels of noise cancellation that I can set within my app. I have not had the chance to utilize some of the AR on these yet but cannot wait to try it on our next vacation, it will be like bringing along our own tour guide.I love that Alexa is built in. I’m an artist and when I’m painting in my studio it is very nice to be able to use Alexa to change my music without needing to touch my device or my headphones.I saved and waited to get these after trying them and comparing to the Sony competitive model and I am so glad I did. I found the bass of the Sony WH1000 series to be a little scratchy sounding and the overall sound just wasn’t as crisp as the Bose 700 series. I had a pair of Cowin E-7s and those, while they were great at their price point and did the job while I was saving up for these, they just weren’t even in the same class as the Bose 700. These, in my opinion (and I spent a lot of time putting headphones on and off, listening to how everything sounded on each), set the bar and everything else is just trying to measure up. Only the Sony WH1000 series could come close, but for me their sound quality still fell short. The only way to describe it was, you knew you were listening to a recording, whereas the sound from the Bose 700, you could close your eyes and it sounded like you were listening to it actually being played by the artist live the sound is just that crisp and clear no echo or scratch it’s clear vibrant and rich, everything I expected from Bose.I am very happy with my purchase, they were worth the wait and I would certainly recommend them to everyone!One Note I have very sensitive sinuses and when I put on noise canceling headphones, I can actually feel a pressure in my ears and sinus cavities, this does happen with the Bose as well (it happens with every brand I have tried if the cancellation is of any really quality). That said it does not deter me, nor do I feel it’s would be a reason I wouldn’t recommend them or give them a lower star rating. I can feel it when I activate the noise cancellation at its max level but everyone else I have asked to try them, can’t. So chances are very likely this will not be something that the average person even realizes. I can still use the noise cancellation and can block out enough that I never hear my husband walk into my studio until he taps me on the shoulder and scared the heck out of me. I only include this info in case there are others out there that also experience this, with the Bose 700 you can control the levels and it’s easy to step your way up through 10 levels of cancellation and find one that blocks the noise out, while still being comfortable to your sinuses. That is why I would recommend to everyone! Other headphones are cancellation on or off and if you are sensitive to it that can render the feature useless. Again not the case with the Bose 700 series. I use this feature all the time, have found the level that is perfect for me and the noise cancellation is amazing. It is so nice to finally be able to use this feature.I will also add that unlike other headphones the noise cancellation does not affect the quality of the sound I am listening to either! I have tried many where the sound completely changes the moment you turn it on, not with these. The sound remains crisp and rich and clear as it did without the noise cancellation. The only difference is the world around you gets quieter and the music sounds amazing! If you read this whole review Thank You if you are considering these headphones and trying to compare, in my opinion there is no comparison and I don’t think you will be disappointed choosing the Bose 700 series. I hope this info helped.