For such different headphones, the new JBL Elite 750NC and the Bose QuietComfort 35 II have many similarities. Both are noise cancelling headphones, both can be customized with an app, and both are designed with portability in mind. So which one is better? And who might be interested in each model? Today, let’s find out with this JBL Everest Elite 750NC vs. Bose QuietComfort 35 II Comparison.

The Battle for Noise Cancellation – JBL Everest Elite 750NC vs. Bose QuietComfort 35 II Comparison

In the Box

Both the JBL Elite 750NC and the Bose QuietComfort 35 II come with robust hard-shell carrying cases. They are quite similar in look and feel and would be great for taking on the road, on a plane, or in a bag.

Both headphones also come with a micro USB charging cable, a 3.5mm cable for wired listening, and a quick guide.

In addition, the JBL 750NC also comes with an airplane adapter.

Design

Comfort

While the JBL Everest Elite 750NC is heavier than the Bose QC 35 II, it’s hug around the ears is looser and more comfortable. The Bose QC 35 II is lighter but hugs the ears tighter which might make them more uncomfortable for longer duration listening. As a result, the QC 35 II has better overall sound isolation (before noise cancellation is turned on) than the 750NC.

Portability

Each headphone is outstandingly attentive to portability. Their headbands each fold so that the ear cups can collapse inward and fit snuggly in their cases.

Noise Cancelling

The 750NC’s noise cancelling features are weird to me. The amount of cancelling is customizable inside the corresponding app. But instead of merely increasing or decreasing the level of cancelling, you actually can increase or decrease the level of ambient noise. The ambient noise is picked up by a microphone on the headphones, and thus, when the ambient noise is set to maximum, it almost sounds as if the ambient noise is louder than if you just took the headphones off. When Noise Cancellation is at its greatest level, it is less intense than the QC 35 II.

On the other hand, the Bose QuietComfort 35 II has very powerful noise cancellation. In my opinion, Bose is still the best in the game at noise cancellation and these headphones are no exception. Via the Bose Connect app or the action button (depending upon how the headphones are set up), one can set the noise cancellation to high, low, or off and these presets are the perfect settings for my taste. High blocks out all noise and low blocks out most noise.

Bluetooth

Codec

The JBL Everest Elite 750NC supports Bluetooth 4.0. Information about the Bose QuietComfort35 II’s Bluetooth codec was harder to find. According to Bose, it supports AAC and SBC. Neither support aptX.

Connectivity

Both headphones connected to my phone quickly and easily. The apps also integrated seamlessly. But the range is where the 750NC really was able to shine.

Range

The JBL Everest Elite 750NC had an impressive range! I walked well over 30 feet and with no breakups. Only after I passed behind a wall did it start to break up. Very impressive!

The Bose QuietComfort 35  II headphones performed standardly. The Bluetooth connection started to break up at right around 30ft.

App

In general, the JBL Headphones App has a few more features than the Bose Connect App. To ask which is better is a matter of preference.

First and foremost, the JBL Headphones App has an Ambient Awareness control. Each ear, left and right, is controlled independently of the other. Therefore, you can have noise cancellation just in the left ear, for example. The JBL Headphones App also has a basic customizable equalizer including various presents based on genre.

On the other hand, the Bose Connect App has the Noise Cancellation level control, either high, low, or off. There is also a section of the app for the Action Button. You can either set it to toggle among the various Noise Cancellation levels, or set it to activate the Google Assistant on your phone. It is a simple layout and I prefer the Bose Connect App over the JBL Headphones App for that reason.

Sound

The sound is where these headphones differ the most. The JBL Everest Elite 750NC has a big boost in the low frequencies, both somewhere around 80 Hz and around 150 Hz. The mid-range is scooped a bit, although there seems to be another boost somewhere around 5kHz. The high end is pronounced with a boost somewhere between 8kHz and 10kHz. It has a smiley face EQ which means it has character and sounds fun, but is probably not the best for all genres. The 750NC worked best with hip-hop, pop, and rock music.

One of the coolest sound features of the Bose QuietComfort 35 II headphones is its Volume Optimized EQ. This feature changes the EQ slightly depending on how loud you are listening to your headphones. In audio, the Fletcher-Munson curve describes the fact that low frequencies sound quieter to the human ear than high frequencies, especially when listening at quieter levels. Therefore, Bose has implemented an EQ so that when you listen at lower volumes, the bass is boosted in an effort to keep the overall sound signature consistent no matter how loud one is listening. The boost feels around 100Hz. There is also a boost in the mid-range around 2kHz, which make vocals stick out a bit more. There are also boosts around 5kHz and 10kHz. The QC 35 II has a more versatile sound and will handle a wider array of genres better, for example, jazz or classical in addition to pop, rock, and hip-hop.

Overview

So which headphone is better? I think it depends on what you are looking for.

If you know that you will be wearing the headphones for long durations, I would recommend sticking to the JBL Everest Elite 750NC headphones, or at least trying them on to compare to the QC 35 II headphones. They fit looser and are a bit more comfortable, at least on my head. I would also recommend the 750NC headphones if you like to listen to only hip-hop, pop, and/or rock music.

But, if you care more about total noise cancellation, the Bose QuietComfort 35 II headphones are the better choice. They will also sound a bit better on more music genres.

The Bose QuietComfort 35 II is not available for purchase yet, but the JBL Everest Elite 750NC can be found for the best price here:

JBL Everest Elite 750NC at Audio46

JBL Everest Elite 750NC on Amazon

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