About Mutnat

@Mutnat wrote: @Marriner wrote: The build date of the replacement QC30 is April 12,2018. The firmware (which upgraded shortly after arrival) is 2.5.3. I am still very pleased with the call performance of the replacement pair. I no longer think about it when using them. I no longer feel compelled to ask "can you hear me ok"  It looks like this pair is a winner.   Thanks @Marriner!   @ST @Mohsin_S can you guys please confirm whether something has changed in recent builds such as this one?     Radio silence?  really?  Come on, guys..... please comment?? ... View more

@Marriner wrote: The build date of the replacement QC30 is April 12,2018. The firmware (which upgraded shortly after arrival) is 2.5.3. I am still very pleased with the call performance of the replacement pair. I no longer think about it when using them. I no longer feel compelled to ask "can you hear me ok"  It looks like this pair is a winner.   Thanks @Marriner!   @ST @Mohsin_S can you guys please confirm whether something has changed in recent builds such as this one?   ... View more

@larrygoldberg wrote: Mutnat - this is great information! Can you try the mic on the Jabra in the outdoors? This is where the QC30 is quite useless unless you remove the right earpiece and hold it up to your mouth.    @larrygoldberg great question!  I just took a few mins standing outside my place on a moderately busy street (not a side-street, but not a major artery) and tried a few things.  The mic didn't perform as well as I'd hoped and my voice broke up more than I'd want, especially if I was trying to speak fairly softly (felt silly talking to myself outdoors LOL).  I tried taking the right earbud out and letting it rest on my chest (hanging down normally) and I think my voice was slightly clearer that way.  The mic is in-line rather than on the ear-piece (like the QC30).  Basically where the QC30 has the inline remote with no mic, the Elite 65e has an inline mic with no remote (buttons are all on the collar arms).  I'll try a bit more when I'm in a busier part of town tomorrow. ... View more

Very early impressions on the Jabra Elite 65e, in case anyone is curious:   Comfort: The neck band is probably a bit more comfortable on the Jabra.  The ear tips and wings are a similar design but the QC30 seems a bit more comfortable in and on the ear.   ANC: ANC is definitely not as strong as on the QC30.  It's pretty stubtle but better than none.  I'll have to experiment a bit more here but I think it works okay.   Music: Sounds pretty good!  Not as nice as the QC30 but has similar amounts of separation and layering which is nice.  Some things sound more detailed on one or the other.  Overall I prefer the sound of the QC30 so far.  The Jabra has an adjustable EQ, which is a double-edged sword.  On the one hand, it's nice to be able to adjust; on the other hand, I feel like I have to keep adjusting to figure out what works best for what tracks and so on.  The QC30 is simpler for not having this, since you just turn them on and listen and it almost always sounds great.  I have noticed some sibilance on some tracks with the Jabra, and it doesn't mask digital artifacting as well as the QC30's.  Possibly more detailed in the high end but a bit more fatiguing.  I think Bose has a sensible roll-off in the highs, strong enough to avoid fatigue but subtle enough to not really notice much detail being lost.  I will have to keep experimenting with the Jabra EQ ("Sound+" app) to try to get close.   Phone calls: NIGHT AND DAY.  I've made a few test calls to my voicemail and recorded myself a message and played it back and the clarity is really good, better than my previous Plantronics Voyager Edge and Voyager 3200 for sure, and runs circles around the QC30.  When I stood right next to my running dryer (laundry dryer) and tried talking into my voicemail it did garble, so it won't handle the strongest background noise perfectly, but backing up just a little bit it was crystal clear.  I have also had a couple of real calls near the AC at work and near my running laundry at home and although I didn't ask the caller how it sounded, they appeared to have zero trouble hearing me (and vice-versa).    And conveniently, the Sound+ app from Jabra allows something we have been asking Bose for since the mic issues came to light:  adjustable side-tone!  You can have it on or off, and when on, adjust the amount via a slider:     Bose, this is how it's done!  Can you give us this in the Connect app, please?  I don't know that it alone would fix the mic issues but it couldn't hurt.   ... View more

@Mutnat wrote: I'm curious--has anyone tried the Plantronics Voyager 6200 UC (review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_qXK-VB9leI), Jabra Evolve 75e (review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bMrVenVC6Cw) or Jabra Elite 65e (similar to 75e but without the UC cert and USB adapter which I don't actually need) as an alternative to the QC30?  I'm quite intruiged as both seem to offer similar comfort (in fact, the Plantronics model is compatible with the StayHear+ tips, so you can swap them out if desired) and functionality but FAR superior phone call performance.    The Plantronics has 4 mics, located at the ends of the neck collar, and the Jabra has 3, with the main voice one in the in-line remote (where Bose SHOULD have put the QC30 mic--I'll never understand why they put it on the right earbud away from your mouth).  I'm really tempted to try one of these.    Reviews on both seem to comment on weak noise reduction in the earbuds, far inferior to the QC20/30, which would be unfortunate, but maybe I could live with that for a good all-rounder that I don't need a separate headset for calls.  I'd love to know if the audio quality is anywhere near as good as the QC30's for music, and if the mics really do perform well in the real-world.  The test in the two videos I linked look promising, with the Jabra perhaps offering slightly better mic performance.   There's also this video comparing the two https://vimeo.com/261859513.     I bit the bullet and ordered a pair of Jabra Elite 65e from Amazon to try out.  Should be here later today.  Looking forward to trying them.  I'm 99% sure they won't be able to touch the QC30s for ANC or for music playback, but if they are at least close in those regards *and* have a usable mic for phone and VoIP calls, I'll be a very happy camper.  I'll post back in a few days with impressions. ... View more

@Marriner wrote: I cautiously would like to report some good news. I emailed support with the links provided in this group and was sent to another email entity called escalations or something like that. They took my complaint seriously.  I requested a different product to replace my QC-30. They were only able to replace it with the same model number. I was convinced I would be getting another pair of headphones that i can't use for making telephone calls.   I recieved the replacements today, I have made several calls and recieved several calls. The results are good! I had my TV on in one example and asked the person on the phone if they could hear the TV, was it louder or as loud as my voice, etc. I also conducted a call in my car at freeway speed. Bottom line is I was easily understood, background noise was not intrusive and everything sounded normal.   I am pleasently surprised by the performance of my new QC-30 headphones.   @Marriner this is encouraging!  What's the build date of your replacement pair, and what firmware version are they running?  Are they still seeming to perform well? ... View more

I'm curious--has anyone tried the Plantronics Voyager 6200 UC (review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_qXK-VB9leI), Jabra Evolve 75e (review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bMrVenVC6Cw) or Jabra Elite 65e (similar to 75e but without the UC cert and USB adapter which I don't actually need) as an alternative to the QC30?  I'm quite intruiged as both seem to offer similar comfort (in fact, the Plantronics model is compatible with the StayHear+ tips, so you can swap them out if desired) and functionality but FAR superior phone call performance.    The Plantronics has 4 mics, located at the ends of the neck collar, and the Jabra has 3, with the main voice one in the in-line remote (where Bose SHOULD have put the QC30 mic--I'll never understand why they put it on the right earbud away from your mouth).  I'm really tempted to try one of these.    Reviews on both seem to comment on weak noise reduction in the earbuds, far inferior to the QC20/30, which would be unfortunate, but maybe I could live with that for a good all-rounder that I don't need a separate headset for calls.  I'd love to know if the audio quality is anywhere near as good as the QC30's for music, and if the mics really do perform well in the real-world.  The test in the two videos I linked look promising, with the Jabra perhaps offering slightly better mic performance.   There's also this video comparing the two https://vimeo.com/261859513. ... View more

@wallism wrote: How do we get on a list so help beta test possible fixes? If that's not possible I'll be sending them back and requesting a replacement product (not QC30 or 35).   @wallism I don't believe Bose does this type of testing.  If they do, they do it quietly and privately.  If you're able to request a different replacement product, I'd suggest you do so since there is zero (visible) momentum on a fix for the past year or so. ... View more

@vahid wrote: Hi, So when do we know you have an update for this?   @vahid I'm going to venture a guess:  never.  Sadly.   ... View more

@OZmOZis wrote: The QC35s owe us nothing. Very pleased with our purchases.  OZmOZis   @OZmOZis that's great!  Just don't try to use them for phone calls unless you are prepared to be significantly less pleased with your purchases. ... View more

@Peter1001 wrote: Should I keep them or return them? I’m torn......   @Peter1001 excellent question.  We can only try to predict the future based on the past.  At this point in time, I would say that most of us have come to believe that there is no fix forthcoming for this issue, and I've seen nothing change in recent history that would change my view in that regard.  So, to your question, I would say:  if you need these headphones to be able to use competently and confidently for phone calls, and you are still within your return period, I would highly suggest you return them and look at alternatives.  If you are otherwise happy with them and are okay with using them simply for media consumption (music, moves, whatever else you use them for other than phone calls), then consider keeping them.   ... View more

@amazed_engineer wrote:   One idea is to have a feature (AI possibly) on the headphone to recognize the voice of owner (or option to add multiple users) and disregard everything else as background noise. I read a bit about how human voice is unique so spinning off of that. That being said I am not particularly familiar with the science of that part so not sure how difficult this would be to implement. If there are rules that could be defined, a computer program can be setup to do the job. It could be a start.    @amazed_engineer interesting idea, but I doubt it's practial on the existing hardare (sadly). ... View more

@domiradas wrote: Well, absolutly right, it is a big bummer.   The aftersales service did replace the headset saying it should be ok, but I have some doubt... I received it few days ago at my brother plce and will let yu all know if it has chnged something or not...   @domiradas any updates here?   ... View more

@gus gutz wrote: They won't update these with a new design. We would want that as a replacement. I think that is why we are still here. Bose knows that. There were cheaply made with a design flaw.   I hope they do eventually.  And as much as I'd like to say I'd never buy another Bose product, I have to admit I'd probably pick up a new model if it came out.  I don't like most earphones at all because they are uncomfortable in my ear canal--and the ones that are looser and more comfortable usually sound awful due to sound leakage.  The first time I put on a pair of QC30's to try them out in the Bose store, I knew they were the best of both worlds--comfortable and sounded good with minimal outside noise.  I've effectively been spoiled by them and the thought of sticking regular earphones into my ear canals again is very unappealing.  I wish there were more alternatives but I'm guessing the "StayHear+" tips are patented up the wazoo.  Unfortunately they are the perfect design for me, with the notable exception of having to carry around a Plantronics Voyager 3200 bluetooth headset for phone calls.   ... View more

@Newbie wrote: I have just received my QC30s and tried to have my first skype call with them, I have this very same problem the person on the other end complained that my mic was picking up all the background noise.   so my question is simple, has this been or will this be fixed?   @Newbie your question is indeed pretty simple!  The answer, it would seem, is more complicated.  Bose's official answer is to contact your local Bose support for exchange.    In my own experience, and that of many in the community, this does not seem to resolve the issue. Many of think it's a hardware design flaw that cannot be overcome via firmware, since Bose investigated this about a year ago and came back with the suggestion to just exchange any units people are not happy with.  They have not said anything about any hardware revisions, and to the best of my knowledge from following along in the community threads, newer build dates do not seem to resolve the issue.  You're welcome to try this route and exchange, but I wouldn't expect a miracle.  Frankly, I'm really surprised we haven't seen a new model (e.g. QC40 or something) to replace, with a completely different mic setup.  The QC30 are a bit long in the tooth now (on the market for a while) and could actually use a refresh.   ... View more

@mom522x I'm not sure if you ever wear collared shirts or not, but if you do, wearing the neck band on the outside of the collar definitely helps in my experience:  https://community.bose.com/t5/Headphones-Archive/QC30-s-slipping-around-Possible-workaround/m-p/51817.  Your mileage will vary I'm sure. ... View more