#qc25

After about two years with my Bose QC25, I finally decided to switch to the Sony WH-1000XM2 (jeez Sony… your product naming division is the worst.).

Here are some quick thoughts for anyone looking into purchasing noise canceling headphones for travel… or looking into going from QC25 to 1000XM2 or simply looking to lose the wire so that when you’re in a crowded train someone’s bookbag won’t snag on your wire and rip your headphone off (personal experience). 

My initial thoughts on the change… While the QC25 sounded good and clear with whatever I listened to, it was never quite immersive. I realized this once I listened and compared the same songs back to back on the 1000XM2. But sound is subjective and is different for each individual. Any responsible consumer should try each headphone out at a store before taking the plunge. Honestly, one does not buy these kind of headphones for sound quality first…. which brings me to the noise canceling.

From all the research I’ve done, the Sony’s noise canceling is the best. Even slightly better than Bose’s QC35 II. Which pretty much is a wireless version of the QC25 with Google Assistant added and some app connectivity (which is one of the main reasons I went with the Sony). The QC25’s Active Noise Canceling (ANC) is simple; on/off. When it is on, the world goes quiet. I don’t ever complain about crying babies on flights anymore. When I take the subway, “SHOWTIME!” is a whisper. I mean, I stood next to a dude drumming with plastic buckets and didn’t lose focus on a podcast.

As for the Sony, I can tell the ANC is better with my short time using it. At 50% volume, and a crying baby in the bed room, I’m in the living room, I can’t hear her. I heard her like a whisper with the QC25, same volume, same song, same distance. When I walked to the bedroom and my daughter is still crying, I can barely hear her with the Sony. Yes, it passed the crying baby test.

The 1000XM2’s app also has a noise cancel optimization that somehow measures several factors and improves the noise cancellation based on the results. As someone who has only had an on or off ANC switch… all this app connectivity and ANC measuring is a bit complicated. The QC35s also have an app and it also has some different levels of ANC as well.

Comfort. I had on the QC25 for about 95% of my flight to Japan / Hong Kong (16 hours?) and never felt pains. Bose lives up to its name, it is the Quiet Comfort. As for these Sony’s, right off the bat I felt the earcups are not as soft as the Bose and also not as big. People with bigger ears might find the fit annoying and uncomfortable. It also has a slight tighter clamp. I also felt a bit more pressure on the top of my head. I have yet to field test the 1000XM2 for long durations, but judging by the two criteria above, the QC25 or 35 (since the designs aren’t that different) for that matter beats the Sony in comfort.

Update (after field testing): I took the 1000XM2 on my daily commute to work. The sound is great, and the noise canceling I got was similar to what I was getting from the QC25. The odd thing about noise canceling is it is different. 

Example: The Bose did better at blocking out the subway pre-recorded announcements, whereas, the Sony did better at blocking out people having conversations close to me. Both headphones will quiet down your commute, therefore it comes down to the preference of sound and comfort. I took the Bose out the next day and immediately noticed how natural it felt… but the sound coming out was just as the saying goes, no highs no lows, must be Bose.  I also had the 1000XM2 on for about an hour or two while working and it does heat up faster than the QC25.  As for comfort for long duration.  The Bose excels hands down.  Knowing what I know now, if I did not already have the QC25, I would buy the QC35 II for ANC and comfort alone.

Price. The price for a set of QC35 II and 1000XM2 are about the same. My decision mindset was ANC > Comfort > Sound > Price. Also, the fact that I already had the QC25 made my decision easier. If I was paying that kind of price for headphones, I wanted a significant difference in upgrade. The Sony’s gave me a better sound experience (equalizer settings within the app if needed), and slightly better ANC than if I had gone with the Bose QC35 II (the safe choice).

In the end, it comes down to personal preference. You really can’t go wrong with either headphones if your number one priority is ANC.

For those who have the QC25 and don’t want to shell out the chunk of change for a pair of QC35 II or 1000XM2… there’s Airmod. It is specifically designed for the QC15 and QC25 and brings bluetooth connectivity to those headphones without looking out of place. The battery life isn’t as great, but it is an option for those who want to lose the wire.

Check out this video link below for an in-depth comparison of the Bose QC35 II and Sony WH-1000XM2. He goes into further details and provides as close to having the headphones in front of you experience for ANC and audio comparisons.