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Bose is releasing a new pair of top-end over-ear headphones next month, and the company says they feature even better adaptive noise cancellation than their predecessors.
The original Bose QC Ultra headphones from 2023 still rank high on our list of the best over-ear headphones, taking the title of best noise-cancelling headphones. Bose says its new QuietComfort Ultra Headphones Gen 2 feature a new algorithm for more precise cancellation and natural sound.
Bose improved noise cancellation on its second-generation QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds earlier this year, and we found that the “earbuds are excellent at eliminating noise from consistent droning sounds, like the rumble of an airplane engine or the hum of an air conditioner.” Hopefully, the over-ear headphones impress us as much as those earbuds did.
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The QuietComfort Ultra Headphones Gen 2 also feature a new Cinema Mode designed to improve the dialogue experience when watching movies or TV shows. Bose says the feature will also be helpful when listening to audiobooks or podcasts.
Other improvements include a longer battery life of up to 30 hours with ANC turned on and 45 hours without it. That’s up from 24 hours with ANC turned on with the original QC Ultras.
If you’re using Immersive Audio features, that’ll be cut down to 23 hours on the Gen 2. However, the USB-C port used to recharge the headphones can now be used when you’re listening to them. Plus, that port can be used as a wired connection for audio, so you can plug these directly into your other gadgets to make the most of lossless audio.
Bose has also improved its on-head detection features. It works when the Ultra Gen 2 is in power-saving mode and turns the headphones on when you put them on.
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The same goes for turning them off when you place them down on a flat surface. The Bluetooth will turn off in a few seconds, and the headphones will enter a low-power mode until you pick them up again. Bose says the headphones will last for months in this mode.
(Credit: Bose)
The QuietComfort Ultra Gen 2 comes in four colors: the typical options are black or white, but you can also get them in Driftwood Sand or Midnight Violet.
You’ll have to wait a bit. The headphones are not launching until Oct. 2, but you can preorder them from Sept. 10. They cost $449 and are available directly from Bose. That’s a slight price hike from the last-gen, which cost $429 at launch.
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About James Peckham
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