Bose and Sony currently stand among the top producers of noise-canceling headphones in the world. Their products are guaranteed to deliver top-notch performance and quality at reasonable costs. At present, the best models from each brand are the Bose QuietComfort 35 II and the Sony
Navigation
Bose vs Sony Noise Cancelling Headphones Comparison Chart
Model | Bose QuietComfort 35 II | Sony |
Amazon product | Amazon product | |
Price | Amazon product | Amazon product |
Rating | Amazon product Amazon product | Amazon product Amazon product |
Material of Construction | Glass-filled nylon, fabric, steel | Plastic, fabric |
Weight | 8.2 oz | 9 oz |
Design | Over-Ear (Circumaural) | Over-Ear (Circumaural), Over-the-Head |
Frequency Response Average Standard Deviation | 0.45 dB | 0.34 dB |
Bass Standard Error | 1.55 dB | 3.53 dB |
Treble Standard Error | 2.88 dB | 4.17 dB |
Microphone Gain | 37.46 dB | 29.59 dB |
Microphone Frequency Response Standard Deviation | 1.78 dB | 3.72 dB |
Average Noise Cancellation | 21.6 | 23.1 |
Noise-Canceling Control | Adjustable | Yes |
Bluetooth Codec Support | SBC, AAC | AAC, SBC, aptX, aptX HD, LDAC |
Controls | Physical buttons | Touch gestures |
Charging Port | Micro USB | USB-C |
Design
Bose introduces a glass-filled nylon build while Sony puts in plastic shell ear cups.


The Bose QuietComfort 35 II and its predecessor share the same overall aesthetics. However, the QC 35 II is now built from glass-filled nylon to make them sturdier. Its leather-padded outer headband is paired with soft ear pads for comfortable long-term listening. This is finished off with a reflective logo on each ear cup for added flair.
Meanwhile, Sony removed the faux-leather ear cups and replaced them with plastic shells in their
Sound Quality
Bose offers a crisp, wide sound but Sony delivers richer, clearer quality especially on wired mode.

Carrying over the audio qualities of the original QC35, the Bose QuietComfort 35 II gives crisp and wide sound. High and mid notes are handled well thereby creating balance. No single range of notes stands out over others which is good when equalizing music. Low notes lack depth, however, and treble sounds uneven.
The frequency response on the Sony
Microphone Quality
The Bose microphone blocks ambient noise while the Sony microphone struggles with background interference.

The microphone on the Bose QuietComfort 35 II is able to block out ambient noise and produce clear vocals. While this makes it perfect for answering calls, it struggles with capturing sounds that are below 200Hz which is an issue if you have a deep voice.
The Sony
Noise Cancelling
Bose still outmatches the Sony with regards to active noise cancellation.

The Bose QuietComfort 35 II has two different active noise cancellation (ANC) modes, namely Low and High. Both suit different listening situations with Low adjusting noise cancellation in windy or quiet environments and High optimizing audio. The Qc35 II is better at blocking out sounds below 100Hz such as car engines too.
Trying to keep pace, the Sony
Other Specs
Bose has physical buttons and a slider but Sony has a touchpad along with higher Bluetooth codec support.

The controls on the Bose QuietComfort 35 II are found on the right side of the headphones. They include play/pause and volume buttons as well as a dedicated Action button for activating the noise-canceling modes. Bearing fewer buttons, the Sony
The Bose QuietComfort 35 II allows for AAC and SBC Bluetooth connectivity. The Sony
Verdict
Though the QuietComfort 35 II lacks a touchpad or a USB-C port, itβs clear that Bose does noise cancellation better than Sony.
Amazon productThe Sony
FAQs
Bose beats Sony when it comes to noise cancelling capabilities. The QuietComfort 35 II is proof of this, equipped with two different active noise cancellation (ANC) modes, namely Low and High.
The Bose microphone is able to block ambient noise quite well while the Sony microphone struggles with background interference such as the wind.
Bose offers a crisp, wide sound but Sony is able to produce a richer, clearer quality especially on wired mode.
Bose introduces a glass-filled nylon build while Sony puts in plastic shell ear cups.