Bose QuietComfort 35 II gaming headset review

For as many bells and whistles and specialty features they bring, sometimes the best gaming headset you can find is just the best pair of headphones you can find.While many audio companies offering hardware bespoke gaming headphones would disagree, Bose seems to share that view. The company's first foray into the gaming space brings an old(ish) classic. The Bose QuietComfort 35 II gaming headset is exactly what it's looks like: a QC35 II with a detachable boom microphone.

Is this addition enough to really make it a gaming headset?

Editor's note: This review was updated on April 27, 2021 to update the sound quality performance sections to carry new samples.

Who is the Bose QuietComfort 35 II gaming headset for?

Players

who want something with noise cancellation, they can unplug it and go.

home workers

looking for something that works well on a

Zoom call

and can drown out the din of a packed house.

What does the Bose QuietComfort 35 II gaming headset look like?

Although the rose gold highlights are new, this is the same QC 35 II you can find for a long time.

The Bose QuietComfort 35 II gaming headset is a pretty familiar thing. In many ways, it's just the

Bose QC 35 II

, which we reviewed back in 2017. That means a lot of what's important about this headset is what we've already discussed. We'll go over some more, but the focus is on what's new here.

The set of Bose QuietComfort 35 II gaming headsets consists of three elements. First, there is the Bose QC35 II headset. They are Bluetooth

wireless headphones

Made mostly of plastic, with comfortable leatherette-covered cushions, lightweight construction and a slim profile. The design may be years old at this point, but the QC35 II still looks quite stylish. The added rose gold shimmer to the Bose logos on the sides brings just the right amount of flair, even if you're not looking for something that's also a fashion statement.

If the plastic part of the base wasn't molded specifically to the QC35 II, the mic might have worked with other Bluetooth headphones.

The headphones now come with a detachable boom microphone, which plugs into the 2.5mm jack on the headphones and terminates in a 3.5mm cord just over a meter long, which is required for console compatibility. The mic has an inline mute switch, but otherwise it's a pretty basic offering.

Additionally, a USB-A volume dial is included. This is intended for use with a PC and has a 3.5mm jack to plug in headphones. The large volume dial provides satisfying resistance and bottom rubberized, so it won't slide around your desk. It also houses a button to activate microphone monitoring. Repeatedly pressing it toggles between three monitor volume options.

Using the Bose QuietComfort 35 II gaming headset is pretty simple for gaming because it works just like any other 3.5mm stereo gaming headset. Just plug it in and it works, you don't even have to. no need to turn it on. The mic is powered by whatever the cord is plugged into, whether that's a console controller or the USB volume button, just like headphones. Of course, you can always turn the headphones on for noise cancellation and wireless use. However, the attached boom microphone won't work via Bluetooth, so you're stuck with wired headphones when you want to game.

They are still very comfortable headphones.

The QC35 II also has a wide range of non-gaming features. It supports the

Bose Connect+ app

, which lets you manage Bluetooth connections and download firmware updates. in our headphones review. Suffice it to say, whatever you could do with the Bose QuietComfort 35 headphones II, you can still do now. However, it's true that none of the onboard controls will affect the volume or the detachable microphone when using the console headset or

PC games

.

How does the Bose QuietComfort 35 II connect?

The Bose QuietComfort 35 II gaming headset is primarily a wired experience for gaming, over 3.5mm or USB. For this reason, the headset supports PC,

PlayStation 4

,

Xbox One

, and

nintendo switch

.However, the QC35 II headphones are still the same old Bluetooth headphones we picked up in 2017. They support SBC and AAC.

Bluetooth Codecs

, which means Android users won't have a great option for streaming high-quality music, because AAC just doesn't work as well with non-Apple products.

How is the battery of the Bose QuietComfort 35 II?

Having separate volume controls becomes second nature pretty quickly.

Just like when it launched, the QC 35 II will last around 20 hours on a single charge. When we first reviewed them, the earbuds had exactly 15 hours, 46 minutes of playtime when subjected to a volume at 80% constant volume, and, well, they're the same headphones. As long as you're not listening to music at very high volumes, you shouldn't have any issues. Also, if you don't have Don't feel like using noise cancellation, you can use the headset to game without turning it on at all - it's hard to run out of power if you don't use it in the first place.

Game with the Bose QuietComfort 35 II gaming headset

The volume wheel is intended for use with a PC, but anything that takes USB audio will work with it, as long as you can get the cord to reach.

Playing with the Bose QuietComfort 35 II gaming headset is quite simple. Unlike connecting via Bluetooth, the headset is extremely simple to use for gaming. Other than the new microphone, there are no additional features, such as

virtual surround sound

or separate gaming and chat channels. However, that doesn't mean it's not good for gaming. The headset is comfortable enough to wear all day without issue and sounds great.

While shooters love

Fortnite

Where

brave

maybe not a perfect match for a headset like this, the stereo experience is excellent in just about every way.This is the official gaming headset of the

League of Legends

World Championship, and as you might expect, it handles that game's hectic soundscapes with ease. While the lack of surround sound is a little disappointing for such an expensive gaming headset, it still handles competitive shooters like

Apex Legends

After all, surround sound is nice, but not necessary to do well in games like this.

How does the Bose QuietComfort 35 II gaming headset sound?

The Bose QC35 II has a very neutral frequency response, save for its user-friendly bass boost.

If you've decided to skip ahead to our review of the regular QC35 II, much of this section will sound familiar – we've already reviewed these headphones after all.

The Bose QuietComfort 35 II gaming headset features the same neutral orientation

response frequency

like the QC35 II did. Although there is a bit of wobble on the graph in the high end and a noticeable bump in the sub-bass, but for the most part pretty much everything should sound like it should. These are headphones that

corresponds quite well to our target

all things Considered.

In music, an audio output like this is great for just about any genre.

sugar pills

by I DON'T KNOW HOW BUT THEY FOUND ME, everything from the

rhythm bass line

, to the hums and beeps that pop up in the background, to the more subtle, harmonizing choruses that come through clearly without overshadowing each other. on the consumer, as they often boost the bass output, but unfortunately there is still no way to equalize these headphones.

In gaming, a frequency response like this means you won't have to worry so much about battlefield din overpowering other sounds. Explosions and gunfire are always going to be the loudest things to some time (depending on how close you are), but they won't be any louder than a game's developers intended.

Is the noise cancellation good?

The Bose QuietComfort 35 II are excellent noise canceling headphones.

The Bose QuietComfort 35 II gaming headset has the same

insulation

and

Noise cancellation

performance than the QC35 II, go figure.Compared to newer noise canceling headphones like the

Shure AONIC 50

and

Sony WH-1000XM4

, Bose noise reduction gave way a bit. However, the Bose QC35 II offers better isolation than any gaming headset on the market by a country mile. You should have no problem hearing your games. , even in noisy houses.

How is the new microphone on the Bose QC 35 II gaming headset?

Don't be fooled by the graphic, this mic sounds better.

The Bose QC35 II handles the voiceband very well, but if you have a deep voice, you might experience issues with your call quality.

The Bose QuietComfort 35 II gaming headset still has its solid internal microphone, which delivers decently accurate sound. In fact, on paper, it sounds more accurate than the new detachable boom microphone, which matches the most of

gaming headset microphones

, but frequency response is hardly the only factor in judging a microphone.

The new detachable mic has a larger diaphragm, and there are just fewer obstacles between it and your voice. Plus, the de-emphasis in the bass range is there to deal with proximity effect, where the bass in someone's voice can cause the microphone to explode when talking nearby. This is not something the internal mic needs to worry about. Both microphones still struggle a bit with the sound of the bass, but the difference in clarity is hard to argue. Listen for yourself:

Example of Bose QuietComfort 35 II internal microphone:

https://www.soundguys.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Bose-QC35-II-voise-sample-Adam.mp3

Example of a Bose QuietComfort 35 II boom microphone:

https://www.soundguys.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Bose-QC35-II-mic-sample.mp3

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Should you buy the Bose QuietComfort 35 II gaming headset?

If money is no object and you really want active noise cancellation, the Bose QuietComfort 35 II gaming headset is definitely worth a look.

If you could just buy this it would be an easy recommendation.

The Bose QC 35 II are a great pair of noise-canceling headphones, and have been for years. In theory, that should mean the Bose QC 35 II gaming headset is a great gaming headset, but it's a little more complicated than that. To be clear, as a gaming headset, it has the best isolation, great sound, a decent mic, and it works on most platforms, a compelling combination, of course.

Also, it is important to mention that this offer is currently only available as a bundle. If you already own the QC35 II, you cannot purchase any standalone microphone accessories, only a headset which costs 30 $ more than the one you own. That's pretty disappointing - the mic mount and volume wheel are easy to use and well-designed, and they'd be easy to recommend as some sort of add-on "gaming kit".

Bose QuietComfort 35 II Gaming Headset

All prices quoted in USD unless otherwise stated. Prices may change over time and vary by region. Unfortunately, we cannot list Amazon prices on the site as they vary widely by currency.

$ on Amazon

$329 at Best Buy

$329 at Bose

The Bose QuietComfort 35 II gaming headset is a great switch, but it's very expensive and doesn't bring a lot of gaming features to the table - many much cheaper headsets sound just as good, work wirelessly while gaming, and offer more features. Thinking of the QC35 II as a pair of earbuds that offer some gaming features feels like a bit of an easier sell, but if you already have everyday earbuds that you love, this just not worth it.

What are the best alternatives to the Bose QC 35 II gaming headset?

Much like the Bose QC 35 II gaming headset, the SteelSeries Arctis 7P lacks LED lighting.

If you're looking for an audio option that can do it all, this is a great choice. However, if you're looking for one gaming headset in particular, this one is hard to recommend. The only features this headset brings that most headsets gaming features don't have are Bluetooth and ANC, and it doesn't include common gaming features like virtual surround sound - it's not even wireless when you're gaming. three times as much money as excellent gaming headsets like the

Razer BlackShark V2

,

HyperX Cloud Alpha S

, and

Logitech G Pro X

depends on your personal preference. Even wireless options like the

SteelSeries Arctis 7P

Where

HyperX Cloud Flight S

are less than half the price. If you want to spend a good chunk of change on a gaming headset, the

Corsair Virtuoso Wireless SE

offers vastly superior mic performance, plus it's wireless and still over $100 cheaper.