If you put a pair of premium ANC headphones on the market, people usually ask if they must go with Bose or Sony.
You can’t go wrong with the Bose NC700 or the new Sony WH-1000XM4, but there are some significant differences between them.
Today we will compare Sony 1000XM4 with Bose NC700, but I will also go for Bose QC35 for those who are considering upgrading.
Let’s compare Sony WH-1000XM4 VS. Bose NC700 Vs Bose QC35 II.
Sony WH-1000XM4 Vs Bose NC700 Vs Bose QC35 II Review
Carrying Case
Let’s talk about the bearing cases that are included here. These headphones are included with decent hardshell cases so that if you plan to travel with your headphones or travel a lot, you will have no problem securing your headphones.
And both Sony and the NC700 have storage bogies for your cables, which is a great touch. However, I don’t want to mention that Bose also sells a separate carrying case for the NC700, which will give you an extra battery of 40 hours.
Most people don’t need it now, but you may want to consider this if you are a regular traveller.
Build Quality
Quality builds. All these headphones are equal to each other. They all feel strong in your hands and have zero cracking or shouting whenever you handle them.
However, there are some significant material differences to consider. Most of these Sony 1000XM4 has a slate finish and soft-touch hints on their ear cup caps.
Since most of the Bose QC35 II have sleek bodies, the unique feature is that they have a suggestion of ornament under the headband that feels very nice. But then there’s the Bose NC700, which they think is very different if you have it in your hand than Sony.
With the NC700, you get a smooth plastic ear cup, and then you get this exposed stainless steel headband mostly covered in padded silicone.
But I think the most significant build quality difference between these headphones is their laterite.
The Bose NC700 has the fantastic feel of a synthetic literate, and the Bose QC35 II literate is close to second. Where Sony’s literate feels very artificial, it feels good enough to do the job.
But compared to the literature on Bose headphones, it looks very plastic. After all, the Bose NC700 feels more luxurious than Sony’s when they’re in your hands and on your head. But when it comes to their design.
The NC700 can be a bit polarizing. I don’t mind how they look, but I hope their headband doesn’t have so many bulbs.
Where Sony’s headband is, the lower the profile and the more handsome they look. Sony’s headband is still lower profile than the QC35 II headband.
Fit
All of these headphones are allowed big heads when it fits because none have too many clamping balls. However, QC35 II has significantly less clamping power than the other headphones.
And the Bose QC35 weighs a little less than the other two headphones weighing 240 grams. Where Sony weighs 254 grams, and the Bose NC700 weighs 264 grams.
However, all these headphones’ lightweight loss is because the weight of the most premium ANC headphones in this category is between 270 to 290 grams.
Thanks to their lightweight, all these headphones can easily forget that you had them on, and they are not very noticeable in your head when you are walking around with them.
But there are some significant differences when it comes to their ear pads. The earpads of 1000XM4 are slightly wider than the earpads of 1000XM3. So these headphones should be able to fit some more people.
If you have larger ears or ears stuck a lot, you won’t go with any of these Bose headphones. Now Sony headphones fit me perfectly, but I’ll admit that the Bose NC700’s extra breathing space is excellent.
But another essential thing to note here is that the Bose NC700 ear pads have less contact with your skin than these two headphones. The NC700 heats up a bit more slowly than these two headphones.
These other two headphones have no problem with overheating, but the NC700 cannot be cooled for longer. After all these headphones fit so well, you can wear them for a few hours without any problems, and Sony should accommodate most people.
But if you have more prominent ears or ears stuck a lot, you can’t go with the Bose NC700.
Tech Specs
Both Sony and Bose NC700 should be charged through their USB C port. However, the Bose QC35 is still charging via a micro USB port, which is a hassle.
Battery Life
Regarding battery life, both of Bose’s headphones will do the job, but I think they can do better.
Both Bose headphones had an advertised battery life of 20 hours in length, which is slightly below average, and we would like to see at least 25 hours of battery life.
Sony has advertised battery life as soon as their ANC is turned on, and if you turn off the ANC, you can extend them up to 38 hours.
Connectivity
When it comes to Bluetooth connection, thankfully, all these headphones can be connected to two devices simultaneously so that you can easily switch hot from one device to another.
This is because of a more massive deal a new feature for the 1000XM4. Now it’s not a huge deal that your headphones can do it. But it’s pretty cool to be able to.
Watching Movies
Whether you are using an iPhone or an Android device, all of these headphones have zero delays across the board, which is always great.
And a significant but essential thing here is that you can use all these headphones with a wired connection because they still have audio jacks.
Now I mean this because some manufacturers have started removing the audio jack on some of their headphones, just like Apple did with their Beats Solo Pro, but they will be more than happy to charge you $35 for the light port from the audio.
Audio Quality
Let’s talk about listening to music with the reasons for these headphones while listening, and Bose headphones are very different from Sony headphones.
Now both the Bose QC35 II and the Bose NC700 are more suitable for people without worrying about the Boss on both Bose headphones. The bass on Bose headphones is mostly on the audible side.
It resonates a bit, but it can resonate just like some other headphones out there that can provoke gossip. The Bose NC700 has a compatible issue, and you can raise the Boss on these headphones.
Even if you make them ten years old, they don’t physically crack your head. So, for this reason, many people may say that Bose’s headphones are flat. But they don’t. They’re feeding different audiences.
Bose NC700 works with Sony’s sound stage and instrument separation. The sound of the Bose NC700 is then more exposed than the Sony 1000XM4, making you feel more involved in your music, whereas Sony’s soundstage is decent.
Even though Sony sounds a bit narrow. But at the end of the day, I feel that Sony will be able to make most people happy. Thanks to their fully customizable issue, you can sound them.
If you want a neutral for a vocal-focused EQ like Bose, you can do it, or if you prefer a heavier massive EQ, you can do it. And unlike Bose, the Sony bus will physically spread your head in a decent amount, and it should satisfy most people.
Now I want to use these headphones with this stock equivalent. Still, when I see a movie with them, all the extra massive bass gives you a different level of immersion.
Still, I want to switch them to a weightier massive issue I never see Bose Like where you watch a movie when you don’t get the same immersion level as the reason for their more charged bus.
So the Bose NC700 is excellent above all if you want a better sound stage and more detail, whereas, like Sony, they will be able to please most people, but if you’re going to feel your pitfall physically, they are the way to go.
Control
The Bose QC35 II uses physical buttons, which may be the deciding factor for some people who dislike using the touchpad on their headphones. Now the touchpads of both these headphones are fine.
But personally, the touchpad on the Bose is my favorite because it’s not small, but I also don’t like that you have to continually pull these touchpads up or down to adjust your volume.
You can go up or down and continuously increase or decrease your work, which seems incomprehensible. But on top of these two, the headphones are easy to use and have the perfect touchpad.
Now Sony has something that doesn’t wear Bose sensors, so when you remove these headphones, they will pause your music, and when you put them behind, they will start playing your music again.
Now I care about wearing sensors, so I turn them off, but I still want to address them.
ANC
Let’s talk about active sound cancellation on these headphones. Both the first out of the Bose NC700 and the outclass of the Sony 1000XM4 are the first to start the Bose QC35 regarding ANC performance.
These headphones have significantly less cabin pressure than the Bose QC35, which gives me a headache. It may not be with everyone, but it is with me. So for me, the real ANC will be a comparison between these other two headphones.
These two headphones have very little ANC cabin pressure. But Sony’s cabin pressure makes it a little less comfortable. The ANC on any of these headphones doesn’t change how your music sounds; they also capture an impressive amount of sound.
These two headphones capture an impressive amount of noise. But in the end, this controlled test of the Bose NC700 manages to intercept some more noise where these headphones block all the same audio samples.
When blocking street noise or constant low-frequency noise Sony has a high-pitched tone in the background where there is no boss.
And while it was like blocking out the high-frequency sound of chatter or random, even though it seems to block the same amount of noise from Bose and Sony, Sony is allowing a hair to make more noise.
The Sony WH-1000XM4 will sound a bit louder than running their 2.0.6 firmware, which is the latest firmware in this recording. Now, in the end, I’m splitting the hair here because most people won’t notice the differences.
I wouldn’t say I like the ANC towards the Sony WH-1000XM4 due to the reduced cabin pressure of the Bose NC700.
I mentioned Sony in their full review. Running their 4.5.4 firmware of 1000XM3 blocks more noise than 1000XM4, and they block more noise than Bose NC700.
So we should look at our Sony 1000XM4 ANC’s performance again after they get another firmware update. It’s still great, but we know Sony could do better.
Ambient Mode
The ambient mode of both these headphones seems to be very familiar, there are zero hissings in the background, and both headphones work great to block the sound of wind when exiting the door.
But unfortunately, the Bose QC35 II does not have an ambient mode. You can reduce their active voice cancellation but not pump the sound into them.
Ultimately, I prefer Sony’s ambient method because Sony has an active service mode, which means they will actively block any sudden spikes at high volume.
Software Updates
Over the past few months, software updates to all of Sony’s headphones have gone very smoothly without any problems, and they’ve also added features to their headphones throughout their lives.
On the other hand, with Bose, the last 18 months of Bose’s software updates are somewhat spot on.
Sometimes they take a long time to install, or they take multiple attempts, and sometimes there are bugs.
And I’ve experienced a few bugs in the past with my headphones. Now though, Bose’s valuable support is quick to help you.
People want their stuff to work, and I get nervous whenever I update these headphones. So I’m just saying if you get a bad firmware update, you’ll have to reach out to Bose’s Costume Support one day.
Overall
Most people at Sony should be right. If you have more large ears, it’s best to go with your Bose NC700. And besides, the extra home space with the Bose is very lovely.
For those still holding the Bose QC35 II, it’s time to upgrade, especially since these new ANC headphones turn off more noise with less cabin pressure.
And whether you are a passenger or not, the modes around these headphones are beneficial.
But when it comes to choosing between these two headphones. There is no better one than the other. It goes to your needs. But I will say Sony does not feel comfortable.
