Just a table comparing these two popular noise-canceling headphones. This is based on my personal experience of owning and using the 1000xM2 and both versions of the QC-35’s.
| Criteria | Discussion |
|---|---|
| Noise canceling | I think the Sony has more effective noise canceling than the Bose. This might just be because the headphones are a bit bulkier and physically block more sound even when turned off. Bose has 3 settings for noise canceling - high, medium, and off. Sony has noise canceling mode, no noise canceling, and ambient sound mode. The ambient sound mode is a really cool feature, because it actually amplifies the ambient sound in your surroundings so that you can wear these while walking without worrying too much about not being able to hear people/cars around you. |
| Sound quality | Both headphones have similar sound quality (pretty decent, not fantastic). I think the Sony might be slightly better but not by much. |
| Connectivity | The Bose wins hands down. The Sony headphones have a huge problem with switching devices - if it’s in the range of the device it was previously paired with, then it cannot be switched to a different device unless the bluetooth is turned off on the first device. This is a huge problem when I want to switch between connecting to my phone and my laptop. |
| Battery Life | Battery life is pretty similar. If I just wear them at work for a couple hours a day, they last for more than a week per charge. If I also wear them at night when I sleep, they last 3-ish days. |
| Mobile App | The Sony app can be used to change the noise cancellation level using a slider and toggle ambient sound mode. I haven’t really explored the features of the Bose app yet, but it seems to have a better UI. |
| Physical handling/controls | I like the shape of the Bose a bit more than the Sony, it is less bulky and easier to sleep with. All the controls on the Bose use buttons, whereas the Sony’s right earpiece is touch-sensitive can be swiped to control the volume and tapped to play/pause the music. The Sony offers more versatility, but in practice can be a bit difficult to use especially when wearing gloves - it’s easy to accidentally pause the music while swiping to change volume. |
| Price | They’re both the same price, around $350 |