AirPods Studio vs Bose 700 (2021): Can Apple Make a Splash in the Noise-Canceling Headphones Scene?

Rumor has it Apple is getting into the noise-canceling headphones game with the so-called AirPods Studio. Considering their possible price point, they’ll be in direct competition with one of the top dogs: the Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700.

The question then is, how will the Cupertino brand’s first over-ear headphones fare in comparison? It goes without saying it’s going to have to step up if it wants to win. Apple hasn’t said anything official just yet, but rumors have already made the rounds online. At that, we piece together the bits of info about the AirPods Studio and compare them to the Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700. That way you can get a clearer picture of what to expect.

AirPods Studio vs Bose 700 Comparison Chart

Design

The AirPods Studio are said to have a “retro look.”

From just about any perspective, the Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 are premium. They have a sleek yet eye-catching profile, and their headband’s metal build adds a sturdy feel overall.

On the other hand, the AirPods Studio are expected to sport the trademark Apple look (surprise, surprise). According to rumors, they may have a “retro” design with metal arms for their headband. Also, they might be modular, meaning you could swap the paddings of their headband and ear cups.

Now the Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 come in Black and Luxe Silver. There’s even an Eclipse limited edition in the mix. Historically, Apple has only released AirPods products in white, but there’s a chance the AirPods Studio could also be available in black.

Sound Quality

If their name is anything to go by, the AirPods Studio could have studio-quality audio.

On the sound front, the Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 can deliver. The lows, mids, and highs are all balanced, meaning none of them drown each other out. They have the precision to match and a wide soundstage to boot.

Sure, they won’t be at the top of of any audiophile’s list. After all, they don’t support high-resolution audio codecs, but despite that, they perform exceptionally well.

In the AirPods Studio’s case, there’s not much info to work with regarding how they’ll sound. At the very least, they’ll have to be a cut above the AirPods Pro, which aren’t exactly known for audio quality. That’s if they want to be comparable to the likes of the Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700.

Noise Cancellation

The AirPods Studio are said to have active noise cancellation or ANC and Transparency mode, just like the AirPods Pro.

The Bose name is more or less synonymous with noise canceling, so you can expect nothing less than excellent from the Noise Cancelling Headphones 700.

Apple is rumored to include active noise cancellation or ANC and Transparency mode in the AirPods Studio’s feature set. That doesn’t come as a surprise since the AirPods Pro have them too.

At the moment, there’s no way of telling how they’ll perform. However, it’s pretty safe to expect that the AirPods Studio may do better than the AirPods Pro. That’s because they’ll likely offer superior passive noise isolation, thanks to their ear pads.

Battery Life and Other Features

Apple’s H1 chip could make the AirPods Studio power efficient.

Bose crammed a battery pack into the Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 that can last up to 20 hours. That’s pretty par for the course.

Meanwhile, it’s still unclear how long the AirPods Studio can go on a single charge. At any rate, they’re said to be powered by Apple’s H1 chip, which is what makes the AirPods Pro energy efficient, or something newer. Speaking of, they’ll likely support hands-free Siri and offer fast pairing times if that’s the case.

Rumors also say the AirPods Studio will have head and neck detection. That supposedly means they’ll know where you’re wearing them and do things like pause audio content when they’re around your neck. On top of that, they could also house sensors for ear detection. They’ll automatically route audio channels to your left and right ears accordingly regardless of how you wear the headphones, or so the theory goes.

Verdict

If you’re in the Apple ecosystem, then the AirPods Studio are definitely worth the wait.

Between the two, there’s no clear winner just yet until we can take the AirPods Studio out for a spin. But assuming the info so far proves to be true, then the Cupertino brand’s over-ear cans will have nifty features worth waiting for.

At the end of the day, it’s hard to go wrong with the Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700—if money’s no object, that is. They’re on the expensive side, after all.

On the other hand, if you’re already sold on how the AirPods Studio could turn out to be, then there’s no harm in waiting for them to hit the shelves. How long that’ll be isn’t clear, though. The word in town is they’ll launch sometime in September, but others say they won’t be out until early 2021. In terms of price, they’re expected to start at $349, so there’s that.

This goes without saying, but take these rumors about the AirPods Studio with the proverbial grain of salt.

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