Bose 700 vs Sony XM4, AirPods Max & QC45 | Headphone battle! | Mark Ellis Reviews

I’m a bit late to the party with this one, but I finally have my hands on the Bose 700 noise-cancelling headphones. This is my full Bose 700 headphone review where I also pitch them against the Bose QC45, AirPods Max and Sony XM4.

CHAPTERS
00:00 - Intro
00:43 - Bose 700 specs and features
01:18 - Bose 700 sound
03:14 - Bose 700 design
07:03 - Call quality
07:29 - Verdict
07:56 - Bose 700 vs Bose QC45
10:21 - Bose 700 vs Sony XM4
12:59 - Bose 700 vs AirPods Max

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I have zero interest in deep spec dives or long-winded comparisons. I review laptops, smartphones, tablets, headphones and the latest tech based on real experience. I'll tell you how it'll make you feel, whether or not it's worth your time (and money) and help you find the tech you need to get stuff done.

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[MarkEllisReviews]

Which would you buy out of the Bose 700, AirPods Max, Bose QC45s, and Sony XM4s? And why?

[redataoussi]

Bought the nc700 and qc35 at their respective launch and still use them everyday on different occasion! Except the wear on the cushions that’s normal on all headphones, they are perfect!

For the tactile function of the nc700 I was like you at first, but then I started using it with my thumb instead of my index and it’s way more natural to play pause and turn the volume!

The only complain is to activate the transparency mode, you have to do a long press on the left button! I’d make it a quick two press

[ludosys]

Bose fan for the sound system in my cars for over 10 years (Alfa / Mazda), I use the employer supplied QC35 II now for 3 years in the office, for music they are brilliant but for making especially longer calls I prefer my own AirPods Pro. Great video once more Marc!

[corneliussmith]

The xm 4 have held me down since they came out and have aged very well. I use mine everyday and the battery never dies

[bmm]

I had the good fortune of stumbling across this video after shortlisting these 4 headphones. Great helpful review which has made my final decision much easier.

[mbs]

I have had my Bose 700 for about a year and absolutely love them. Tried the Sony but found them very uncomfortable especially the inside of earcups. Great review!

[adriantristan]

Nice. I have the Bose Q45 and it was not an easy choice. Lol. Cool thing is the updated firmware gives you an eq within the app. So I was able to scoop the mids a bit and raise the bass. End of the day, though, the QC45’s were on sale. The Sony’s felt great, but I’m not sure how they’ll hold up long term.

[willwalshe]

Just discovered your channel, many thanks for the excellent reviews! I previously had a pair of Bowers and Wilkins PX7's that were fantastic, but as odd as it might sound, they were almost too nice, as I found that I treated them too 'preciously' and was afraid to just throw them in my bag, etc. They also felt/looked very big when on the head. So it was always my intention to buy something that felt a bit 'less premium' so that I could actually use them more with an easy mind. With that in mind, prior to buying a replacement, I had narrowed my choices down to the NC 700's and the XM4's, mainly based on reviews, with a slight early preference for the XM4's. This was despite already having the Bose QC Earbuds (and loving them, especially the ANC), so within the Bose ecosystem already.

With that in mind, I did some research and testing before I bought them. I agree with other commenters, that the sound profile you prefer will generally be dictated by the music you like (I'm more into electronic/dance/rock), but truth be told, I didn't notice much/any difference in sound quality. However, when I tried the XM4's, I was quite disappointed as they felt quite 'plastic' and fidgety to me (mainly due to the articulation joints for folding), compared to the NC 700's, which felt a lot more solid and premium. So that switched me over into the Bose camp. And then on top of that, by sheer chance I became one of the lucky ones to also get the NC 700's for £170 on Amazon, and I absolutely adore them, just fantastic headphones with amazing ANC.

Despite being heavily ingrained in the Apple eco-system, I never seriously considered the Airpods Max (keeping in mind the issues I had with the B&W PX7's!): Far too expensive for what they offered, and while feeling very premium, they're very big and heavy...and draw far too much attention to themselves (as with everything, that will vary with personal preference, but I prefer something a bit more subtle). I also despise the 'case' and lack of automatic power off functionality. Anyway, thanks again for the video's, they're great!

[HiAleks]

A perfect and objective information, congrats and thank you. Great video, Audio.

[sylcollins]

Thank you so much for your review!! I purchased the 700’s based on your review, and I LOVE ❤️ THEM !!! And the magnetic 🧲 little compartment is epic !!! 💯

[alscarpa]

Thank you Mark. This is the review I have been hoping for. Excited to listen to it later today.

[alexdesdemicasa]

I bought the xm3, xm4 and Bose 700 to do the comparison myself during a couple weeks, because they are always too paired in any comparison: I found out that the pads on the xm3 were softer than the xm4, so that my ears got warm as hell by wearing them and got lightly pressed along time, making impossible to wear them for a long period. Xm4 has more features, are comfortable, sounds great, BUT the call quality NC is crap comparing to the Bose. It dumps a lot of sound, yes, but it doesn't eliminate it completely. The Bose 700 does it. Baby crying 1m away during a Teams meeting and nobody heard a thing. Also, for calling purposes, I highly recommend the Bose700 (I returned the other 2 😄), if that's not important for you, the xm4 are pretty good

[ivarhaaland]

have the bose 700. really happy with them. are really good to have on and are good sound. also really good ANC. whould recommed. good quality as well!

[DivorceSourceRadio]

Best review on these phones and I totally agree. Thanks!

[leelnard]

Wow! I usually never comment that much but what a banger of a video! I just had to leave my appreciation here.. Exactly the video I needed. Only thing missing is the aux cable support, but who needs cables on Bluetooth headphones anyways. Great content thank you very much.

[alandriver]

I watched so many videos on headphones over the last week, comparing the 700's, 45's, B&W PX7 and the XM4. So much conflicting information / opinions.
Annoyingly I have only seen this AFTER my new headphones arrived. I was reluctant to watch it but thought why not, could still return them if I'm convinced by a different set. Luckily this video has confirmed I made the right decision to go with the 700's. Very pleased with them so far.

[ThomasHoffDE]

nice review. the case for the newer bose is large which is a factor for me (and others I assume). size more important to me than a magnet although I get it ;)

[originaleu]

Great comparison. Wanting to get either the Bose 700 or the XM4's. Amazing video! :)

[papabits]

The 700s are my go 2 headphones for every day use, I love the touch controls as when it’s cold and you’re wearing mitts you just need one finger to switch songs. Noise canceling is absolutely superb.

[Mr.P]

Being able to change the levels of noise cancelling is great, for example when awaiting train announcements or attempting to cross a busy road, it allows me to be more aware of my surroundings in normal use and then back to full noise cancelling when on the tube for example