has sold aviation headsets since 1989 and consumer headphones since 2000. The current range of headphones/headsets consists of over-ear, in-ear, aviation and military models.
Over-ear headphones
Development of the company's noise-cancelling headphones began in 1978 when the chairman, Amar Bose, tried a set of airline-supplied headphones during a flight and found that engine noise from the aircraft prevented the music from being enjoyed. In 1986, Bose and Sennheiser both presented active noise-cancelling headsets for aircraft pilots, with the Sennheiser design appearing in a Funkschau paper and the Bose design appearing in an ASME paper. A prototype Bose product was used to prevent hearing loss in pilots during the first non-stop around-the-world flight in the Rutan Voyager. The company was the first to release active noise cancelling headphones as a consumer product.
QuietComfort 25
The "QuietComfort 25" over-ear headphones were released in 2015 as the replacement for the. Unlike its predecessors, the QC25s can be used while the battery is flat. Another change is the elimination of the Hi/Low switch which increased the input gain for low-output sources like MP3 players. In 2014, the QC25s won the What Hi-Fi?Sound and Vision annual award for "Best Noise Cancelling Headphones".
QuietComfort 35
The QuietComfort 35 was released in 2016 as a successor to the 25. It supports Bluetooth wireless operation, the Bose Connectmobile app for advanced audio control, and contains an embedded rechargeable battery. In 2017, Bose released an updated model known as the QuietComfort 35 II, which adds a customizable "action" button on the left ear cap. By default, it is mapped to activate the Google Assistant, making it the first headphones to integrate with the service. The QC35 II was reviewed favourably for their noise cancellation, audio quality and comfort. In July 2019, users began to report that a firmware update to the QC35 II had inhibited the performance of the noise cancellation features. Bose stated that it had not made any changes to noise cancellation functions in their firmware. Some users performed firmware downgrades to the to revert back to an earlier version, but Bose later prevented this for security reasons. In October 2019, as part of an investigation, Bose began to allow owners within a "reasonable" proximity to the company's headquarters in Framingham, Massachusetts, to request a visit by a technician.
In 2019, Bose released the Noise Cancelling Headphones 700, a new high-end product positioned above the QC 35. It features a more contemporary design with a stainless steel band, and are controlled using a mix of buttons and touch-sensitive areas on the cups. Unlike the QC 35, they do not fold in half, but their earcups can rotate for storage. The embedded rechargeable battery is not replaceable which limits the lifespan of the headphones to the life of the battery. Bose promoted improvements to sound quality, noise cancellation and voice call quality over the QC 35. The NCH700 can also connect to two devices simultaneously, and integrate with Amazon Alexa and Siri in addition to the Google Assistant.
In-ear headphones
QuietComfort 20
The "QuietComfort 20" and QC20i in-ear headphones were released in 2015 and are the company's first in-ear noise cancelling headphones. The QC20 model is for Android, Windows and Blackberry devices, while the QC20i is designed for Apple devices and includes volume controls on the remote. The noise-cancelling hardware and rechargeable battery is contained with a box located near the headphone jack, similar to the. The earbuds are similar to the IE2 headphones. A button on the remote labelled "Aware Mode" reduces noise-cancellation to let in ambient noise.
The "A20 Aviation Headset" was released in 2010 as the successor to the "Aviation Headset X". It has a claimed battery life of 45 hours or can be powered by the airplane's electrical system. There are two versions, one with Bluetooth and one without. An updated version of the A20 was released in 2015.
A "Combat Vehicle Crewman Headset" was released in 1998, for use in armoured vehicles.
Triport Tactical Headset
A "Triport Tactical Headset" was released in 2004. It is designed for use in armoured vehicles and can fit under an infantry ballistic helmet. An updated version was released in 2012.
The Bluetooth sunglasses were released in 2019 and come in two styles – alto and rondo. The sunglasses have open-ear audio, UVA/UVB protection, an integrated microphone, a Bluetooth range of 9 metres, and are also AR enabled. The battery can sustain up to 3.5 hours of streaming music playback and takes up to 2 hours to charge.
