The Bose QuietComfort 35 II was getting on in years when it was replaced by the QuietComfort 45 last year. There is now a SE model available, which appears to be a rebranding of the 45. This was a quiet debut, so it almost went unnoticed, yet they are now available in various US retailers (and should be coming to Europe soon as well).
The Bose QuietComfort SE promises 24 hours of play time on a single charge (up from 20 hours on the 35 II and comparable to the 45) and requires 2.5 hours to recharge. A fast 15-minute top-up is sufficient for a 3-hour trip. Owners of the 35 II will be relieved to see that microUSB is not included.to be seen, the SE use USB-C instead (just like the 45).
As with prior generations, high-quality Active Noise Cancellation is included. It and other functionalities, such as Aware Mode (Bose's term for ambient mode), are controlled by hardware buttons rather than touch controls. Of course, there is a mobile app that allows you to fine-tune settings similar to an equaliser.
The retail package includes a travel case, the headphones, a USB A-to-C connector, and a 3.5mm to 2.5mm audio cable if you choose to plug in rather than use the Bluetooth 5.1 wireless connection.
These are lightweight and comfy headphones that can be folded flat for easier transportation, as is common for the series.
