Bose QuietComfort 20 vs. Bose QuietComfort 35

A friend of mine lent me their QuietComfort 20s for a while, so I guess here’s my quick take on it.

Impressions#

Well, it’s Bose’s earbuds with acoustic noise-cancelling – just a whole lot smaller, with wires and not an entire headset.

tl’dr Same Bose features, different form factor, along with the “features” that come with said form factor.

Preferences#

Hmm, this is tough because of the purchasing bias that I have over with the QuietComfort 35s. I’ll try my best anyway:

• Audio - QC35, better soundstage, more complete audio range although maybe a bit much bass. On the other hand, QC20s have a more direct feel since it’s straight to your ears.
• Noise-cancellation - They’re the same. Differences lie in their form factor with QC20s' silicone ear tips vs QC35s' closed cans approach and your own sense of hearing.
• Comfort - QC20s because they’ll produce a lot less sweat in the long run, but in a good room environment I’d prefer the QC35s (since the ear tips do feel tiring with my old AT setup.)
• Convenience - QC35s all the way. Wireless is the way to go and it’s highly pleasing in many scenarios. Heck, I’m becoming a believer (as much as how sad it is) on Apple’s take on the headphone jack because of how good wireless works. Seriously.
• Extra - I like how you can toggle ANC with the QC20s. I also like that it uses a normal 3.5mm jack compared to the QC35s.

My take on all this: Once again, try before you buy. Once that’s done, choose only one of them unless you’re filthy rich. My pick would obviously go for the QC35s because I think wireless is so darn convenient after using these for a few days.