QC35 - Annoying hissing/white noise in left earcup

[aditya]

I bought Bose QC35 last night only and was enjoying it. After using it for sometime, I upgraded the firmware from 1.0.6 to 1.2.10 via Android's BoseConnect app. It upgraded smoothly, but after the upgrade, after about 1 hour of usage, when I stopped the music, there is an annoying hissing sound emanating from the left earcup. Right earcup seems fine.

I know that ANC produces a LITTLE, negligible, hiss (which is acceptable and tolerable, and which didn't bother me, as I obviously tested the device in the showroom before buying it), but this annoying hissing is just too much to handle. It's like an assault on my left ear. 

I was really frustrated and disappointed with Bose and wanted to get a refund immediately (it's not even been 24 hours!), but thought I would first post about it here before doing that and seek some help.

Please help me regarding this issue and what to do! 

[Tony_G]

aditya

So sorry to hear that. Have you tried to reset the headset?

1. Turn the headset off and wait for 30 seconds.
2. Plug the headset into a USB power supply via USB cord and wait 5 seconds. (Power supply needs to be plugged into the wall with power on).
3. Unplug USB cord from headset and wait 1 minute.
4. Turn on the headset and test if the headset works properly.

Give that a try and let us know.

Tony

[aditya]

@Tony_G

I did that yesterday, and the hissing noise went away after that. However, after 1-2 hours of playing music, that annoying noise came back again in my left earcup! And the battery was 90%! It's not even like the battery was drained or anything. Please help!

[Tony_G]

Aditya,

In extremely quiet environments it is possible to hear the noise floor of the active electronics.This may be perceived as a low level hiss or hum.

However, if you feel your headsets are defective would recommend returning the headphones for a new set at the place of purchase or contacting your local Bose support HERE. Click on your country, scroll down to "Contact Us".

Hope that helped

Tony

[Wafflehat]

The hissing on the left earcup seems to be a pretty common manufacturing defect. I know exactly what you are talking about: You can hear a white noise hiss (which sounds like tape hiss) in the left earcup when no music  is playing (or when music gets quiet or fades out) and you are listening in a place that doesn't have much noise. The white noise sounds imbalanced, because you can only hear it on the left earcup. The problem is, that this defect is so common, that sometimes the set that they replace it with will have the same issue. Just keep in mind, this is not how they are supposed to sound and it is a defect. I've owned several pairs of Bose headphones and earphones, and the QC35, by far, has the worst quality control. I'm actually on my 5th replacement, and luckly this set works fine (and I know better than to upgrade the firmware at this time). Here's a breakdown of all of the defects that I have experienced.

Pair 1) An issue with having extremely low and almost non-existant volume, both corded and through Bluetooth.

Pair 2) An annoying constant hiss in the left earcup

Pair 3) Worked perfectly, but then Bluetooth audio would just freeze on a randmom note after about 3 hours of use and had to be manually reset (plugged in via USB and unplugged) in order to work again.

Pair 4) Annoying constant hiss in the left earcup (again) and bad audio quality after upgrading to 1.2.9

Pair 5) No issues. No constant hiss in the left earcup, and ANC and audio quality are fine (Not upgraded to 1.2.10.)

It really says something when a customer has to go through 4 faulty headsets before finally getting a pair that functions correctly. Bose charges a premium price for their equipment, and should have better quality control over both their products and the software that it uses. Basically, to answer your question, you should exchange them (and keep exchanging them until you get a pair that works).

[aditya]

@Wafflehat

Thanks a lot for the detailed information! It is extremely sad that I spend so much on Bose headphones, and already thinking of replacing them even before 24 hours have passed.

Sorry, but I had few follow-up question for you. Once I get the headphones replaced (they are obviously within the 30 days replacement period), does that 30 day period restart again, or can I replace them within the original 30 days period only? Also, that hissing noise goes away after I plug them to USB, but comes back again after a few hours. Should I take those headphones to the store for replacement once that issue is faced again (so that they can hear it themselves), or I can just say to them that there is this defect and please replace them?

Would really appreciate your response. 

[Wafflehat]

As far as my understanding goes, you have 30 days for returns (if you want to get your money back), but exchanges due to defects are covered for a year from the date of purchase if you purchased them from the Bose store, and one year from the date of manufacture if you purchased from a 3rd party retailer. The warranty starts over for a year the day they are exchanged. Despite some major missteps in manufacturing and quality control as of late, Bose does have an excellent warranty. Just keep in mind that it is easier to deal with the Bose Showcase store than with their customer support.

[aditya]

@Wafflehat

Thank you very much for your responses, Wafflehat! Really appreciate them.

Also, I really hope I am not bothering you again, but could you please let me know your thoughts on my second question that I asked? Quoting that question below.

"that hissing noise goes away after I plug them to USB, but comes back again after a few hours. Should I take those headphones to the store for replacement once that issue is faced again (so that they can hear it themselves as proof), or I can take the headphones to them and just say to them that there is this defect and please replace them?"

[Wafflehat]

I'd just go in and have them replace them without waiting for the hiss to come back. The problem with trying to recreate the issue in the store is that the stores are usually not as silent as it would be when using them in the home, so it'll be hard for them to hear the issue, even if it does happen again. I'd just go in, explain the situation, how you've been able to solve it, and tell them that you'd like to exchange them. If they try to give you the runaround, just tell them that you talked to customer support and they recommended an in-store exchange. In all honsty, the exchange process with Bose is usually pretty hassle free.

[aditya]

Again, thanks a lot for your response, @Wafflehat!