Firmware update brings Alexa to Bose’s QuietComfort 35 II wireless headphones

By Kris Wouk Published August 10, 2018

By directly integrating support for Google Assistant, Bose’s QuietComfort 35 II took an already great pair of headphones and made them even more useful, earning spots on both our list of the best wireless headphones and our list of the best noise-canceling headphones in the process. Now they’ve gotten even better thanks to a recent firmware update that brings support for Amazon’s Alexa voice assistant.

If you don’t already own the headphones, Alexa will be integrated right out of the box, which will now have an Alexa logo on it letting customers know about the new feature. If you do already own the headphones, you’ll need to update your firmware, which can be done using the Bose connect app. You can also connect the headphones to your computer via USB and head to the Bose firmware update site.

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Once the headphones are updated (or you’ve just taken your new headphones out of the box) you’ll now be able to choose which virtual assistant you prefer in the options menu of the Bose Connect app. You’ll be able to invoke your preferred assistant by pressing the “Action” button on the headphones. The Siri integration, which is the same provided by many other wired and wireless headphones, is unchanged, allowing you to access the assistant by holding down the Play/Pause button for two seconds.

Support for Amazon Alexa isn’t the only benefit the firmware update brings. A number of bugs have been fixed, including a security-related update that could let Android phones connect to Bluetooth without the user initiating the connection. Other fixed issues include better stability for Bose multi-point, which lets the headphones connect to two different devices simultaneously, and an issue that would cause voice prompts to play multiple times. For a full list of fixed issues, see the announcement on the Bose community site.

Bose’s QuietComfort 35 II wireless headphones sell for $350 and are available now. For more information on the headphones, see the Bose website. Meanwhile, if you’re not sure what you need in a set of headphones, check out our headphone buying guide to help you figure out exactly what to buy.

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Former Digital Trends Contributor

Kris Wouk is a tech writer, gadget reviewer, blogger, and whatever it's called when someone makes videos for the web. In his…

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Bose QuietComfort 45.

Bose today unveiled its new QuietComfort 45 headphones -- the successor to the highly popular QuietComfort 35 II.

Bose is trumpeting simplicity with this upgrade. The QC45 model has just two settings -- Quiet and Aware. Quiet mode is what you'd normally call active noise cancellation, which uses microphones inside and outside the earcups to blot out anything other than what you're hearing through the headphones. Bose says the transition from noise to nil is down to a fraction of a millisecond with the QC45. The Aware mode allows for full sound transparency, where you can hear everything outside the headphones as well as what's being pumped through them.

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Bose QuietComfort 45 headphones.

In July, we got our first glimpse of the Bose QuietComfort 45, the noise-canceling headphones that are expected to replace the existing QuietComfort 35 II. Those images were part of filed Federal Communications Commission (FCC) documents, but shortly after they had been published, Bose apparently asked the FCC that they be removed from the site. Now, thanks to a newly leaked set of images and details from WinFuture, we know a lot more about Bose's next wireless cans.

As with the FCC photos, these new leaked images confirm that the new headphones borrow heavily from the design of the QuietComfort 35 II, instead of following the path laid out by Bose's current flagship, the Noise Cancelling Headphones 700.
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Bose QuietComfort 35 II noise-canceling headphones are only $199 this Prime Day

Now that's a wireless headphone deal to write home about!

bose quietcomfort 35 ii prime day deal 2020 quiet comfort lowest price

Need new headphones with great sound quality? The Bose QuietComfort 35 II wireless headphones are discounted to $199 for Prime Day this year. that's $150 off their original price of $349. This is one of the best Prime Day headphone deals currently available so if you're looking for over-ear headphones, it really doesn't get better than Bose. Buy them now before stocks run out!

The Bose QuietComfort 35 II are known for their noise-cancellation features that allow you to immerse yourself into your music, without any outside distractions. There are three levels of noise-cancellation, which means you can tailor your noise-cancellation needs to your environment easily. These headphones also work with Alexa and Google so you can ask your voice assistant to cue your favorite playlist, discover new music, and even check which appointments you have left for the day. Their battery life is pretty great too, lasting up to 20 hours on one single charge. You'll also be satisfied with their comfort quality. The plush ear cushion molds to your ear and the adjustable headband is wrapped in Alcantra fabric, meant to give you a luxurious, comfortable feel.