Which of these two premium and feature-filled headsets is more deserving of your Rs 30,000?

For frequent travelers and anyone functioning in a noisy environment, active noise-cancellation headphones are a boon. With the ability to block out certain kinds of specific sound by generating a reverse frequency, it helps block out droning, low sounds such as airplane engines, machinery and even some kinds of office chatter. However, the quality of noise-cancellation is an entirely different matter. Apart from offering you quiet, active noise-cancellation also helps improve the overall listening experience.

While Bose has typically been the champion of the active noise-cancellation in headphones, the last couple of years have seen Sony mount a serious challenge to the dominance of the American company. With the Sony WH-1000X (the first edition), Sony showed off the advances it had made in the space, and came close to Bose in terms of quality. And while both brands have updated their offerings since, the competition remains as fierce as ever.

The most recent product from Sony is the new WH-1000XM3, which has just launched at Rs 29,990 in India. The new headset takes on the Bose QC35ii, which is priced at around the same point and has been in the market for some months now. We’ve had a chance to compare these two headphones in a head-to-head test, to find out which of these two will gain the crown as the best active noise-cancellation headset available today.

Design and Specifications

Both headphones in this shootout are wireless and come with active noise-cancellation technology, putting them directly against each other in terms of approach and positioning. With similar core features, you’d think that very little will separate these two, and you’d be right to a large extent. However, the differences in functionality are slightly different, with the Sony WH-1000XM3 sporting a slightly better feature set with sound optimization and adaptive sound control.

In comparison, the Bose QC35ii takes a more simplified approach to the feature set. Noise cancellation can be controlled in terms of the strength of the actual effect, with three levels of controls (high, low and off). Some of the controls on the Sony may come across as gimmicky at first, but do truly serve a purpose if you use the noise cancellation and adaptive sound control features regularly. One big advantage for the Sony WH-1000XM3 is its USB Type-C port and faster charging, along with its battery which tends to run for a few hours longer than the Bose QC35ii.

In terms of design, the padding on the Sony headset makes it a bit more comfortable to use than the Bose option. It’s also larger, making passive isolation a bit better as well. However, the Bose QC35ii does have one advantage over the Sony in terms of controls. The gesture controls on the Sony WH-1000XM3 may seem futuristic, but don’t always work as expected. Solid buttons on the Bose headset make adjusting volume, answering calls and skipping tracks a bit easier. Furthermore, the power switch is a bit more intuitive and user-friendly than the button for both pairing and switching the headset on and off.