Bose has updated its top-of-the-line noise-cancelling headphones with longer battery, USB-C audio and premium materials, making the commuter favourites even better.
The second-generation QuietComfort Ultra headphones still have an expensive price tag, from £450 (€450/$450/A$700), which is more than most competitors, including Sony’s WH-1000XM6.
The headphones at least look and feel expensive. Bose has polished the sliding aluminium arms and tweaked the colours, while keeping the shape, weight and fit the same as their predecessors. The result is a pair of the most plush and comfortable headphones you can buy.
The controls for adjusting noise cancelling, immersion modes and playback are all responsive and fairly straightforward. The touch-sensitive volume slider is excellent, and it can double as a shortcut for your choice of action, including accessing your phone’s voice assistant or starting music from Spotify or similar.
The battery lasts for up to 30 hours of playback with noise cancelling, which is six hours longer than the outgoing model and competitive with the best rivals – certainly long enough for a flight or two. New is the ability to listen to the headphones while charging via Bluetooth, the headphones cable or directly over the USB-C cable for lossless listening with phones, tablets and computers.
They support Bluetooth 5.4 and can connect to two devices at once, such as a phone for calls and a laptop for music. In addition to the standard SBC and AAC Bluetooth audio formats, the Bose can also support Qualcomm’s aptX Adaptive for higher-quality audio with compatible Android devices or Bluetooth dongles.
Specifications
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Weight: 250g
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Dimensions: 195 x 139 x 50.8mm
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Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.4 with multipoint, 2.5/3.5mm, USB-C audio and charging
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Bluetooth codecs: SBC, AAC, aptX Adaptive
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Battery life: 30 hours
Great sound and noise cancelling
Bose is synonymous with noise cancelling and has led the pack for a long time. The new Ultra headphones have some of the most effective noise reduction available, dealing easily with the rumbles, roars and other sounds of flights and the commute. They can’t block out quite as much of the high tones, such as background chatter or keyboard taps, as the Sony WH-1000XM6 but they are close.
They also have a very good transparency mode that lets you hear what’s happening around you while dampening sudden or very loud sounds to keep things comfortable. Call quality is equally good, with my voice coming through clearly in quiet environments and noisy city streets while eliminating background noise.
The headphones sound great for everyday listening with a bass-accentuated profile that suits a lot of modern tracks. The bass is punchy and well controlled to avoid overriding other tones, while the highs are detailed and slightly boosted. Some may find Bose’s sound a little too clean, lacking a bit of rawness in some tracks, but good separation of tones and a system that keeps music sounding great at any volume makes them a comfortable listen, ideal for travel, the commute or working.
New for the Ultras is a cinema mode for Bose’s immersive sound system, which simulates surround sound for films and TV. It works pretty well and does so regardless of the phone, computer or tablet you connect it to, which is great for those with more than one brand of device. It joins the standard immersive audio mode that simulates having stereo speakers placed in front of you, which I found good for some big tracks but not for others.
Sustainability
The battery will last more than 500 full charge cycles and is replaceable by Bose. The headphones are generally repairable and replacement parts, including ear cushions, are available. The headphones do not contain recycled materials. Bose runs trade-in programmes and sells refurbished stock but does not publish individual product environmental impact reports.
Price
The Bose QuietComfort Ultra headphones (2nd gen) cost £449.95 (€449.95/$449.99/A$699.95).
For comparison, the Sony WH-1000XM6 cost £399, the Sonos Ace cost £299, the Beats Studio Pro cost £349.99, the Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless cost £199 and the Fairbuds XL cost £219.
Verdict
The second-generation Bose QuietComfort Ultra headphones are a quality set of cans that deliver more of what the firm is known for: good sound, great noise cancelling and supreme comfort.
They may no longer be the most effective noise cancellers available, with the recent Sony WH-1000XM6 taking the crown. But they are very close and are the most comfortable headphones you’ll find, making them ideal for travel and long listening sessions.
They fold up neatly and compactly, have a solid 30-hour battery life and can be connected by Bluetooth, analogue headphones cable or USB-C for charging and listening, so they should work with any device.
The very high price tag is sadly in line with rivals, but should come down in routine sales. With replacement ear cups and other parts available from Bose and third-parties, they should at least last a long time to make them worth the investment.
Pros: supremely comfortable, top-class noise cancelling and good sound, immersive/spatial audio, great connectivity including Bluetooth multipoint and USB-C or analogue cable audio, fold up for travel, cross-platform companion app, long battery life.
Cons: very expensive, sound and noise cancelling beaten by Sony, mics cannot be used with analogue cable.
