What happened to Bose?

I’ve had a pair of QuietComfort 35 II headphones since 2017, and a few months ago the battery finally gave out and wouldn’t hold any charge. Asides from that though (and regularly changing the ear pads!), they were still a brilliant pair of headphones. I’m very sensitive to noise, so would often wear them to work without any music, just to cancel out background noise.

Over the holidays I received a pair of Bose QC SC headphones and couldn’t believe how poor they were (they have been returned). The noise cancelling was not as good as my older model, plus it came with a loud hissing noise. The headphones felt cheaper, more plastic, even the on switch felt like a cheaper “click” compared to the previous smooth, springy switch. I also felt the sound quality was not as rich, and more scratchy. I remember when I first tried my 35 II headphones, it was an amazing sound experience! The noise cancelling felt a little like a suction vacuum.

Bose don’t offer repairs or battery replacements, rendering my perfectly good pair of headphones useless (unless I replace the battery myself which I’ve been advised against by a repair shop), and cornering me into purchasing a new pair which, by the looks of it, wouldn’t last very long.

Very disappointing. Shouldn’t products improve with future models, rather than worsen?