Why You Shouldn’t Buy Bose’s QC 35 Headphones Just Now

The Bose QC 35 headphones, and the legendary Bose QC-series in general, have been the go-to pair of headphones for great audio quality and the best noise-cancelling. But if you’ve been mulling a pair, don’t pull the trigger just yet.

Now is the worst time to buy a pair of Bose’s $499 QC 35 or QC 35 II headphones, because the company just recently announced a brand-new line of premium noise-cancelling cans. (For the QC 35 aficionados out there, don’t worry – Bose isn’t totally replacing them with the new 700 model.)

Bose calls the new model the Noise Cancelling Headphone 700, and it will be fully released on June 30 with a $US400 asking price.

Why wait?

I haven’t tried out the new Bose Noise Cancelling Headphone 700 – which I’ll simply call the “Bose 700” from now on. But Bose claims they have the company’s “next generation” of noise-cancelling technology, which could mean they’re even better than the QC 35 series at shunning ambient noise.

Bose also claims its 700 headphones have greatly updated voice pick-up technology, which means phone calls will be clearer for you and the person you’re speaking with when you’re in a noisy environment.

Bose also says the enhanced voice pick-up tech in the 700 headphones will let your smart voice assistant understand you better when you’re in a noisy place, too. I’ll let you decide whether that’s useful or not, as I don’t use smart voice assistants with headphones, at least when I’m out in public where there would be a lot of noise.

Another quick thing to point out: Bose is finally using a new design! The Bose QC 35’s design is based on the old Bose Quiet Comfort II headphones from 2003, and they feel awfully plasticky for a pair of $499 headphones. The design is recognisable and iconic, but it’s nice to see something new from Bose using more premium materials like stainless steel.

The Bose 700 headphones are available to pre-order right now. My best advice is to wait until you’ve read a few reviews, including my own review once I get my hands on them, to see if the 700 headphones are worth it.

And if they’re not – the Bose QC 35 will likely come down in price to make way for Bose’s new model. You can currently get them for $100 off the RRP on Amazon Australia – but you can expect that price to drop further as Bose positions the 700 as its new premium offering. As the adage goes, good things come to those who wait.