Bose Headphones 700 Review

Bose stopped making the 700 in October 2024 and replaced it with the QuietComfort Ultra. Whatever's being sold here at $149.95 is old stock, not a supported current product, and that price only makes sense against what these have actually traded for used and refurbished, roughly $100 for a used pair on the resale market per Swappa's average sale price, up to $219 for a professionally refurbished unit per Reebelo, not against the $379-399 sticker it launched at. Buy it as a discontinued pair of ANC headphones at a real discount. Don't buy it expecting Bose's current flagship experience.

The noise cancelling still holds up. SoundGuys measured the 700 pulling low frequencies down to one-sixth of their original loudness, and a Tom's Guide retest six years after launch still put noise reduction around 95%, on par with the current QC Ultra. Sony's WH-1000XM5 beats it in the low end though, by up to 15dB in the 50-200Hz band per SoundGuys' measurements, which is the range that matters most for engine drone and HVAC hum. If low-frequency cancellation is your priority, the XM5 wins that fight.

Where the 700 is genuinely best in class is calls. Forbes, CNET, and Wired independently rank it above its Sony rivals for voice pickup, and there's a spec behind it: eight microphones total, six of them handling ANC, and of the four assigned to voice pickup, two overlap with that ANC array while two are dedicated purely to isolating your voice from wind and background noise. If you're on calls outdoors regularly, this headphone handles it better than almost anything else in the category, discontinued or not. The touch controls on the earcups, unusual at launch, still hold up better than Sony's swipe gestures on the XM5 years later.

Comfort is the real weak spot, and it's not in the bullet points. SoundGuys reported ears running hot and sweaty after a couple of hours, with pads noticeably stiffer than Bose's older QC35 II. Separately, a number of one-star Amazon reviews call out clamping pressure at the top of the head that gets worse the longer a session runs. If you sit in headphones for four-hour blocks, try these before you commit.

Battery is 20 to 21 hours measured, which was mediocre at launch and is the weakest number in its class now against Sony's 30-38 hours. Some owners report it degrading further after months of regular charging, consistent with normal lithium cell wear rather than anything Bose-specific, but it's one more reason this isn't the travel pick.

Two things the listing leaves out. The earcups don't fold flat, so the hardshell case isn't optional for travel, it's required, and it adds real bulk. And Bluetooth reliability draws consistent complaints: dropped connections that need a full charge cycle to clear, two-device multipoint pairing that doesn't reliably hold, and a companion app criticized for forced repeated sign-ins and slow or failed Bluetooth handshakes. Some owners report firmware updates introducing new problems, skipping, distortion, ANC cutting out, rather than fixing existing ones.

Build quality has no real complaints attached to it: unibody metal headband, leather cushions, and owners six years in report no visible wear. It's IPX4 splash resistant only, not built for a run in the rain.

At $149.95, this is a fair price for excellent ANC and the best call quality in its category, from a company no longer supporting it as a current product. Buy it if calls matter more to you than all-day comfort and you're fine with a case-required travel setup. Skip it if you want long comfortable sessions, the strongest low-frequency ANC available, or a headphone still getting active firmware support, the QC Ultra or Sony's XM5 cover those better, at a higher price.