The Bose QuietComfort 45 and the Bose 700 are two of the best if you are looking for excellent ANC performance. They sit at different price points, with the QC45 going for less than the 700. But what are the differences between these two? Should you spend more for the Bose 700 or should you save some money by going with the Bose QC45? Aside from aesthetics, there are plenty of differences between them, and we detail them in our Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 vs QuietComfort 45 review and comparison below.
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Bose QuietComfort 45 vs 700 Comparison Chart
Build Quality and Comfort
The Bose QC45 are more comfortable, but the Bose 700 are better built.
Looks-wise, the Bose QC45 and NCH 700 can’t be more different than each other. While they both have modern and minimalist looks, the QC45 have a more traditional headphones design while the Bose 700 have a more futuristic look. The main difference is with their headbands. The QC45’s headband has yokes at the end for a more standard look, whereas the 700 have a thinner headband that connects directly to the ear cups. As far as looks go, we definitely like the design of the Bose 700 better.
When it comes to build quality, Bose 700 have the advantage. That’s not to say that the Bose QC45 are built poorly, in fact they have a good build quality. However, the Bose 700 are built with better quality materials and they feel more premium to the touch. Also, the Bose 700 have fewer moving parts that can be potential weak points. Their headband is adjustable and their ear cups can swivel, but that’s it. Meanwhile, the Bose QC45 also have an adjustable headband and folding ear cups, but they are also collapsible, which is great for portability, but increases the number of potential weak points in the construction.
True to their name, the Bose QuietComfort 45 are very comfortable headphones. They have a more relaxed clamping force than the Bose 700, they are lighter and their ear cups are deeper so they can fit more ear sizes. In contrast, the Bose 700 have a tighter clamping force and their ear cups are a bit shallow.
Features
You get better ANC with the Bose QC45, but the Bose 700 have more versatile controls.
Active noise cancellation performance is close between these two headphones. The Bose QC45 have two modes—Quiet and Aware. Quiet mode blocks noise from the outside while Aware mode amplifies your surrounding’s sound for better awareness. Meanwhile, you can adjust the ANC level on the Bose 700 from 0 – 10, so there’s a level of customization given to the user.
That being said, ANC effectiveness definitely goes to the Bose QC45 even though the Bose 700 are the more expensive pair. Both are excellent and they are among the best in the market, but we found the QC45 to be more effective when blocking out noise throughout the mid-range. They perform the same throughout the low and high frequency noise.
The controls on the Bose QC45 are exactly the same as the QC35, with buttons on both earcups. On the other hand, the Bose 700 have both touch and physical controls. The simplicity of the QC45’s controls is nice, but having both touch and physical buttons on the 700 may be preferred by more people. Extra features of the Bose 700 include built-in Alexa and Google Assistant as well as Spotify Tap.
Sound Quality
Both the Bose QC45 and 700 will sound good enough for most people, but one advantage of the latter is better microphone quality.
When it comes to sound quality, the Bose QC45 have boosted bass and treble with a fairly flat mid-range. Meanwhile, the Bose 700 also have boosted bass, but not to the same level of the QC45. Their mids are accurate and balanced, but the treble is underemphasized.
The Bose QC45 deliver a slightly brighter sound with more details due to their boosted treble, however, the bass can be a bit overpowering. The Bose 700 have a more veiled and dark sound due to having recessed highs. Fortunately, you can EQ both headphones to tweak the sound.
When taking calls, you’ll be heard clearly by the person on the other end. The sound quality is not the best, and it lacks richness, but you’ll be heard clearly, which is the most important. One advantage of the Bose 700 is their ability to separate your voice from your surrounding noise. The Bose QC45 might struggle if you are taking calls in a very busy environment.
Battery Life and Connectivity
The Bose QC45 have a longer battery life and faster charging than the Bose 700.
The Bose QC45 outperform the Bose 700 in battery life and charging. The Bose QuietComfort 45 can last up to 24 hours on a full charge with ANC enabled, which is an improvement over the QC35, but still lacking when compared against Sony’s WH-1000XM4. They have a 5-minute quick charge that gives the headphones 2.5 hours of playback time.
On the other hand, the Bose 700 have a battery life of up to 20 hours with ANC enabled. Not as good as the QC45’s, but still decent. They also have a quick charge feature—15 minutes of charging gives you two hours of listening time.
As for connectivity, you can use both headphones either wired or wirelessly. They come with a 3.5mm analog cable for wired listening, so you can use them on devices other than your phone.
Verdict
The Bose QuietComfort 45 have a slightly better ANC and battery performance, and they are more comfortable than the Bose 700, which have more features and better build quality.
Bose QuietComfort 45
Better ANC and battery performance
Bose 700
Better build quality and more features
Choosing between the two Bose headphones will come down to which factors are important to you. If you want better ANC performance, a longer battery life and a more comfortable fit, you should go with the Bose QC45. However, if you want a pair of ANC headphones with better build quality and more features, get the Bose 700. If you like Bose products, you won’t be disappointed with either.
FAQs
The Bose 700 are more expensive, but they’re not necessarily better than the QC45. They have more features and they are better built. ANC performance is close, but we give the advantage to the QC45 here.
The QuietComfort 45 are the latest noise cancelling headphones from Bose, released in September of 2021.
You can play with the EQ settings in the Bose Music app to increase bass.
There are conflicting information out there that the Bose 700 have an IPX4 rating, but on the official spec sheet and manual, there are no indications of any water or sweat resistance. If you want to play it safe, you shouldn’t use these for working out, especially if you sweat a lot.