Overview
This project documents the Bluetooth protocol used by the Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700. The goal is to produce a complete, reproducible protocol specification and an open-source control library, so these headphones can be managed from Linux without the Bose Music mobile app.
Why the NCH700
Section titled “Why the NCH700”The NCH700 (internal codename “Goodyear”) shares some protocol DNA with the earlier QC35. Denton-L’s based-connect project mapped the QC35 command set over SPP, and David V’s blog post documented the wire format. The NCH700 still responds to a subset of those QC35-era commands on RFCOMM channels 8 and 9, but it also introduces an entirely separate ff55 framing protocol on channel 14 and an fe03 status beacon on channel 27. These new protocol layers appear to carry the features that distinguish the NCH700 from the QC35.
NCH700-specific features
Section titled “NCH700-specific features”The following capabilities exist on the NCH700 but not the QC35, and are the primary targets for reverse engineering:
- 11-level noise cancellation — The QC35 offered three settings (high, low, off). The NCH700 exposes a continuous range from 0 to 10.
- Conversation mode — A quick transparency toggle that lets ambient sound through without removing the headphones.
- Adjustable EQ — Bass, mids, and treble controls added in firmware v1.4.12.
- Multi-point connection — Simultaneous pairing to two source devices with seamless switching.
- Bose AR head tracking — IMU-based spatial orientation data for augmented audio applications.
- Configurable voice assistant button — Assignable to Alexa, Google Assistant, or Siri.
Project phases
Section titled “Project phases”Phase 1: Traffic Capture — Complete. RFCOMM channels mapped, initial packet captures collected via btmon, and the three protocol variants (ff55, QC35 legacy, fe03) identified.
Phase 2: Protocol Documentation — In progress. Mapping the command set for each protocol variant, with a focus on noise cancellation level control and EQ adjustment.
Phase 3: Implementation — Future. A Python library for programmatic NCH700 control, with integration into the mcbluetooth MCP server for tool-assisted workflows.
Device identity
Section titled “Device identity”| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Model | Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 |
| Codename | Goodyear |
| Vendor ID | 0x009E (Bose Corporation) |
| Product ID | 0x4024 |
| Device Class | 0x240418 (Audio/Video — Headphones) |
| MAC Address | C8:7B:23:55:68:E8 |
| Local Alias | ”Bombay” |