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  1. Table of Contents
  2. Top
  3. Main Differences
  4. Design
    1. Style
    2. Comfort
    3. Controls
    4. Breathability
    5. Portability
    6. Case
    7. Build Quality
    8. Stability
    9. Headshots 1
    10. Headshots 2
    11. Top
    12. In The Box
  5. Sound
    1. Sound Profile
    2. Frequency Response Consistency
    3. Raw Frequency Response
    4. Bass Accuracy
    5. Mid Accuracy
    6. Treble Accuracy
    7. Peaks/Dips
    8. Imaging
    9. Passive Soundstage
    10. Virtual Soundstage
    11. Weighted Harmonic Distortion
    12. Test Settings
  6. Isolation
    1. Noise Isolation
    2. Leakage
  7. Microphone
    1. Microphone Style
    2. Recording Quality
    3. Noise Handling
  8. Active Features
    1. Battery
    2. App Support
  9. Connectivity
    1. Bluetooth
    2. Non-Bluetooth Wireless
    3. Wired
    4. PC / PS4 Compatibility
    5. Xbox One Compatibility
    6. Base/Dock
  10. Comments

Bose QuietComfort 35/QC35 Wireless 2016 vs Bose QuietControl 30/QC30 Wireless

Side-by-Side Comparison

Products

Bose QuietComfort 35/QC35 Wireless 2016
Bose QuietControl 30/QC30 Wireless

Tested using Methodology v1.3.1

Updated Mar 14, 2024 05:38 PM

SEE PRICE
Amazon.com

Tested using Methodology v1.4

Updated Oct 20, 2021 08:14 PM

SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Bose QuietComfort 35/QC35 Wireless 2016 Picture
Bose QuietControl 30/QC30 Wireless Picture

Variants

  • QuietComfort 35 (Black)
  • QuietComfort 35 (White)
  • QuietControl 30

Our Verdict

Bose QuietComfort 35/QC35 Wireless 2016

Bose QuietControl 30/QC30 Wireless

The Bose QuietControl 30/QC30 Wireless are a better choice if you want a compact earbud design, but if you prefer over-ears, then get the Bose QuietComfort 35/QC35 Wireless 2016 instead. The QC 35 are a bit more comfortable for everyone, thanks to their lightweight and well-padded over-ear fit. They're also a bit easier to use overall than the QC 30 and have a better battery life, wireless range, sound quality, and soundstage. The QC 30, on the upside, are a lot more compact and travel-friendly and still provide enough isolation for most commutes and long flights. They also barely leak so you can play your music louder without distracting the people around you, which is great for the office.

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Notice: Two or more of the products selected have been tested with different test methodologies, so some of the results below aren't directly comparable. Learn how our test benches and scoring system work, and read more about the latest changes to our headphones test methodology.

Main Differences for

Threshold 

0.10

Mixed Usage 

7.5
7.3

Soundstage 
 

5.1
0.7

Comfort 
 

8.5
7.5

Breathability 
 

6.3
8.9

Leakage 
 

6.6
9.2

Battery 
 

8.3
7.1

Portability 
 

6.1
7.2

Full Comparison

Design

Style  

Design Picture 2  

Bose QuietComfort 35/QC35 Wireless 2016 Design Picture 2
Bose QuietControl 30/QC30 Wireless Design Picture 2

Type  

Over-ear
Earbuds

Enclosure  

Closed-Back
Closed-Back

Wireless  

Yes
Yes

Transducer  

Dynamic
Dynamic

Show text

Comfort 
 

8.5
7.5

Comfort Picture  

Bose QuietComfort 35/QC35 Wireless 2016 Comfort Picture
Bose QuietControl 30/QC30 Wireless Comfort Picture

Weight  

0.52 lbs
0.14 lbs

Clamping Force 
 

0.69 lbs
0 lbs

Show text

Controls 
 

6.4
7.5

Controls Picture  

Bose QuietComfort 35/QC35 Wireless 2016 Controls Picture
Bose QuietControl 30/QC30 Wireless Controls Picture

OS Compatibility 
 

iOS
Not OS specific

Ease Of Use  

Good
Good

Feedback  

Good
Okay

Call/Music Control  

Yes
Yes

Volume Control  

Yes
Yes

Microphone Control  

No
No

Channel Mixing 
 

N/A
No

Noise Cancelling Control  

No
Adjustable

Talk-Through 
 

No
Adjustable

Additional Controls  

No
No

Show text

Breathability 
 

6.3
8.9

Breathability After Picture  

Bose QuietComfort 35/QC35 Wireless 2016 Breathability After Picture
Bose QuietControl 30/QC30 Wireless Breathability After Picture

Avg.Temp.Difference  

6.3 °C
1.1 °C

Show text

Portability 
 

6.1
7.2

Portability Picture  

Bose QuietComfort 35/QC35 Wireless 2016 Portability Picture
Bose QuietControl 30/QC30 Wireless Portability Picture

 

5.12"
5.81"

 

5.71"
6.38"

 

3.15"
0.8"

Volume  

92 in³
29.65 in³

Transmitter Required  

N/A
No

Show text

Case 
 

8.0
8.0

Case Picture  

Bose QuietComfort 35/QC35 Wireless 2016 Case Picture
Bose QuietControl 30/QC30 Wireless Case Picture

Type  

Hard case
Hard case

 

8.27"
6.38"

 

5.91"
6.81"

 

2.17"
1.42"

Volume  

105.7 in³
61.7 in³

Show text

Build Quality 
 

7.5
7.0

Build Quality Picture  

Bose QuietComfort 35/QC35 Wireless 2016 Build Quality Picture
Bose QuietControl 30/QC30 Wireless Build Quality Picture

Show text

Stability 
 

7.0
7.5

Stability Picture  

Bose QuietComfort 35/QC35 Wireless 2016 Stability Picture
Bose QuietControl 30/QC30 Wireless Stability Picture

Show text

Headshots 1  

Angled Picture  

Bose QuietComfort 35/QC35 Wireless 2016 Angled Picture
Bose QuietControl 30/QC30 Wireless Angled Picture

Side Picture  

Bose QuietComfort 35/QC35 Wireless 2016 Side Picture
Bose QuietControl 30/QC30 Wireless Side Picture

Headshots 2  

Front Picture  

Bose QuietComfort 35/QC35 Wireless 2016 Front Picture
Bose QuietControl 30/QC30 Wireless Front Picture

Rear Picture  

Bose QuietComfort 35/QC35 Wireless 2016 Rear Picture
Bose QuietControl 30/QC30 Wireless Rear Picture

Top  

Top Picture  

Bose QuietComfort 35/QC35 Wireless 2016 Top Picture
Bose QuietControl 30/QC30 Wireless Top Picture

In The Box  

In The Box Picture  

Bose QuietComfort 35/QC35 Wireless 2016 In The Box Picture
Bose QuietControl 30/QC30 Wireless In The Box Picture

Show text

Sound

Sound Profile 
 

Frequency Response  

See details on graph tool

Frequency Response  

See details on graph tool

Bass Amount 
 

0.93 dB
0.94 dB

Treble Amount 
 

-0.88 dB
-2.4 dB

Frequency Response Consistency 
 

8.1
8.8

Consistency L  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Consistency R  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Avg. Std. Deviation 
 

0.37 dB
0.25 dB

Show text

Raw Frequency Response 
 

Raw FR L  

See details on graph tool

Raw FR L  

See details on graph tool

Raw FR R  

See details on graph tool

Raw FR R  

See details on graph tool

Bass Accuracy 
 

9.1
9.1

Bass  

See details on graph tool

Bass  

See details on graph tool

Std. Err. 
 

1.15 dB
1.21 dB

Low-Frequency Extension 
 

10 Hz
10 Hz

Low-Bass 
 

1.81 dB
0.75 dB

Mid-Bass 
 

0.97 dB
0.71 dB

High-Bass 
 

0.81 dB
1.94 dB

Show text

Mid Accuracy 
 

8.4
8.8

Mid  

See details on graph tool

Mid  

See details on graph tool

Std. Err. 
 

2.19 dB
1.58 dB

Low-Mid 
 

-0.02 dB
0.12 dB

Mid-Mid 
 

-1.83 dB
-2.3 dB

High-Mid 
 

-0.28 dB
0.08 dB

Show text

Treble Accuracy 
 

8.2
7.2

Treble  

See details on graph tool

Treble  

See details on graph tool

Std. Err. 
 

3.26 dB
3.77 dB

Low-Treble 
 

1.3 dB
-0.16 dB

Mid-Treble 
 

-2.82 dB
-4.3 dB

High-Treble 
 

-1.51 dB
-8.96 dB

Show text

Peaks/Dips 
 

7.7
8.0

Peaks/Dips Graph  

See details on graph tool

Peaks/Dips Graph  

See details on graph tool

Peaks 
 

1.38 dB
1.21 dB

Dips 
 

1.52 dB
1.33 dB

Imaging 
 

8.1
9.2

Group Delay  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Phase Response  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Weighted Group Delay 
 

0.11
0.09

Weighted Amplitude Mismatch 
 

1.99
0.41

Weighted Frequency Mismatch 
 

1.89
1.23

Weighted Phase Mismatch 
 

5.33
1.66

Show text

Passive Soundstage 
 

5.1
0.7

PRTF  

See details on graph tool
Bose QuietControl 30/QC30 Wireless PRTF

PRTF Accuracy (Std. Dev.) 
 

4.21 dB
N/A

PRTF Size (Avg.) 
 

9.15 dB
N/A

PRTF Distance 
 

11.82 dB
N/A

Openness 
 

1.4
1.9

Acoustic Space Excitation 
 

4.3
0.9

Show text

Virtual Soundstage 
 

0.0

Virtual Soundstage  

Bose QuietControl 30/QC30 Wireless Virtual Soundstage

Head Modeling 
 

No

Speaker Modeling 
 

No

Room Ambience 
 

No

Head Tracking 
 

No

Virtual Surround 
 

No

Weighted Harmonic Distortion 
 

7.8
8.3

Weighted Harmonic Distortion  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

WHD @ 90 
 

0.161
0.158

WHD @ 100 
 

0.150
0.090

Test Settings 
 

Firmware 
 

Unknown

Power 
 

On

Connection 
 

Unknown

Codec 
 

SBC, 16-bit, 48kHz

EQ 
 

No EQ

ANC 
 

Maximum

Tip/Pad 
 

Silicone (small)

Microphone 
 

In-line
Isolation

Noise Isolation 
 

8.6
8.1

Noise Isolation  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Isolation Audio 
 

Overall Attenuation 
 

-25.16 dB
-21.24 dB

Noise Cancelling  

Yes
Yes

Bass 
 

-15.7 dB
-18.26 dB

Mid 
 

-25.58 dB
-17.58 dB

Treble 
 

-35.18 dB
-27.64 dB

Show text

Leakage 
 

6.6
9.2

Leakage  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Leakage Audio 
 

Overall Leakage @ 1ft 
 

41.87 dB
26.11 dB

Show text

Microphone

Microphone Style 
 

Integrated 
 

Yes
Yes

In-Line 
 

No
No

Boom 
 

No
No

Detachable Boom 
 

N/A
No

Mic  

Yes
Yes

Show text

Recording Quality 
 

5.9
5.6

Microphone Frequency Response  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Recorded Speech 
 

LFE 
 

281 Hz
276.97 Hz

FR Std. Dev. 
 

2.54 dB
3.94 dB

HFE 
 

2,152.7 Hz
2,121.83 Hz

Weighted THD 
 

16.622
11.554

Gain 
 

39.75 dB
37.24 dB

Show text

Noise Handling 
 

6.4
6.2

SpNR  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Speech + Pink Noise  

Speech + Subway Noise  

SpNR 
 

16.69 dB
14.72 dB

Show text

Active Features

Battery 
 

8.3
7.1

Battery Type 
 

Rechargable
Rechargable

Continuous Battery Life 
 

18.5 hrs
11.4 hrs

Additional Charges 
 

0
0.0

Total Battery Life 
 

18.5 hrs
11.4 hrs

Charge Time 
 

2 hrs
2.5 hrs

Power-Saving Feature 
 

Auto-Off Timer
Auto-Off Timer

Audio While Charging 
 

No
No

Passive Playback 
 

Yes
No

Charging Port  

micro-USB
micro-USB

Show text

App Support 
 

7.0
7.0

App Picture  

Bose QuietComfort 35/QC35 Wireless 2016 App Picture
Bose QuietControl 30/QC30 Wireless App Picture

App Name  

Bose Connect
Bose Connect

iOS  

Yes
Yes

Android  

Yes
Yes

macOS  

N/A
No

Windows  

N/A
No

Equalizer 
 

No
No

ANC Control 
 

Adjustable
Adjustable

Mic Control  

N/A
No

Room Effects 
 

No
No

Playback Control 
 

Yes
Yes

Button Mapping  

N/A
No

Surround Sound  

N/A

Surround Support 
 

No

Show text

Connectivity

Bluetooth 
 

8.8
8.6

Bluetooth Version 
 

4.1
4.2

Multi-Device Pairing 
 

2 Devices
2 Devices

NFC Pairing 
 

Yes
Yes

Line Of Sight Range 
 

116 ft
120 ft

PC Latency (SBC) 
 

189 ms
191 ms

PC Latency (aptX) 
 

N/A
N/A

PC Latency (aptX HD) 
 

N/A

PC Latency (aptX-LL) 
 

N/A
N/A

iOS Latency 
 

111 ms

Android Latency 
 

175 ms

Show text

Non-Bluetooth Wireless 
 

0.0
0.0

Non-BT Line Of Sight Range 
 

N/A
N/A

Non-BT Latency 
 

N/A
N/A

Wired 
 

9.5
0.0

Cable Picture  

Bose QuietComfort 35/QC35 Wireless 2016 Cable Picture
Bose QuietControl 30/QC30 Wireless Cable Picture

Analog Audio 
 

Yes
No

USB Audio 
 

No
No

Detachable  

Yes
No

Length  

3.84 ft
N/A

Connection  

1/8" TRS
No Wired Option

Wired Latency 
 

0 ms

Analog/USB Audio Latency 
 

N/A

Show text

PC / PS4 Compatibility 
 

PC/PS4 Analog 
 

Audio Only
No

PC/PS4 Wired USB 
 

No
No

PC/PS4 Non-BT Wireless 
 

No
No

Xbox One Compatibility 
 

Xbox One Analog 
 

Audio Only
No

Xbox One Wired USB 
 

No
No

Xbox One Non-BT Wireless 
 

No
No

Base/Dock 
 

0.0
0.0

Type 
 

N/A
No Base/Dock

USB Input 
 

N/A
No

Line In 
 

N/A
No

Line Out 
 

N/A
No

Optical Input 
 

N/A
No

RCA Input 
 

N/A
No

Dock Charging 
 

N/A
No

Power Supply 
 

N/A
No Base/Dock

Show text

Bose QuietComfort 35/QC35 Wireless 2016

Bose QuietControl 30/QC30 Wireless

Comments

  1. Comparison

Bose QuietComfort 35/QC35 Wireless 2016 vs Bose QuietControl 30/QC30 Wireless: Main Discussion

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