Supreme comfort with Bose’s exceptional noise cancellation.

Elevated commuting option featuring high-quality audio and enhanced Bluetooth connectivity, albeit with a considerable price tag.

Bose’s latest flagship headphones mark a notable advancement, showcasing an upscale design, advanced connectivity, immersive spatial audio, and an exceptionally comfortable fit. Nevertheless, their premium quality comes at a significant cost.

Priced at an impressive £450 (€500/$429/A$649), the QuietComfort Ultra headphones surpass the previous top-of-the-line NCH700 from 2019, which was priced at £350. This positions them in the realm of ultra-premium headphones alongside Apple’s £500 AirPods Max and B&W’s £599 Px8.

Bose has revisited and elevated the enduring design of its widely popular QuietComfort series, presenting a refined iteration in the form of the QC Ultras, which is a welcome update.

The upper headband and luxurious ear cushions boast generous padding in sumptuously soft faux leather. The aluminum arms smoothly adjust into the headband for size customization, and the ear cups provide a wide range of motion to conform to the contours of your head. Undoubtedly, these headphones are the most comfortable I’ve had the privilege of wearing, surpassing Sennheiser’s Momentum 4 in terms of comfort.

Interactive controls

The QC Ultra features a novel touch-sensitive volume slider that is both responsive and user-friendly. By pressing and holding the middle of the slider, users can activate shortcuts, such as altering the sound mode or launching Spotify. Playback controls are managed through the multi-function button, with single, double, and triple presses, while holding it adjusts noise-canceling modes. The power button conveniently cycles through Bluetooth devices, audibly announcing their names.

These headphones automatically pause when removed, enter standby after 10 minutes of inactivity, and power down after 24 hours of dormancy. Alternatively, users can manually turn them off using the power button. The battery provides around 24 hours of playback time with Bluetooth and noise cancellation, though some competitors offer longer durations. Activating the immersive sound mode reduces battery life to approximately 18 hours, and a full charge via USB-C takes about three hours.

Capable of connecting to two devices simultaneously, the QC Ultra supports Bluetooth 5.3, including the SBC and AAC audio formats. It stands out as one of Bose’s first products allowing instant pairing with Android devices and Qualcomm’s aptX Adaptive audio format. A forthcoming update will introduce support for the LC3 audio format, promising improvements like reduced latency and enhanced audio quality. The package also includes a headphone cable for wired listening.

Call quality is impressive, effectively isolating the user’s voice from background noise for clear reception. However, the onboard microphones are inactive when the headphones are connected using the headphone cable.

Specifications

• Weight: 250 grams
• Size: 195 x 139 x 50.8 millimeters
• Connection: Bluetooth 5.3 with multipoint, 2.5/3.5mm, USB-C for charging
• Bluetooth codecs supported: SBC, AAC, aptX Adaptive
• Battery duration: Approximately 24 hours

Sustainability

The battery is projected to withstand more than 500 full charge cycles, but Bose does not offer replacement services, making the headphones non-repairable.

Although certain elements of the headphones, like the ear cushions, can be fixed, the headphones themselves are not constructed from recycled materials. While Bose does not provide product-specific environmental impact reports, the company does release annual sustainability reports.

Exceptional noise cancellation

These headphones blend outstanding comfort with cutting-edge noise cancellation capabilities. They outperform competitors, especially in handling sudden and high-pitched sounds like conversations. When set to maximum noise cancellation, they efficiently reduce distractions, low-frequency vibrations, and unwanted noise. Additionally, Bose introduces a new transparency mode, akin to Apple’s AirPods Pro 2, effectively protecting against sudden loud noises. This feature works seamlessly, enabling awareness of surroundings without being overwhelmed by intrusive sounds, like the screeching of train wheels.

The headphones provide up to seven distinct modes that can be personalized to create various combinations of noise cancellation and sound profiles tailored to different scenarios, such as walking, working, or relaxing at home, and switching between them is effortlessly done.

Revolutionary audio experience accessible to everyone

The Bose Ultra headphones represent Bose’s first venture into supporting immersive or spatial audio, a feature present in top-tier competitors. This technology emulates the feeling of having a pair of stereo speakers positioned in front of you, resulting in a more expansive and less direct auditory experience. Users can choose between two options: ‘motion,’ which doesn’t track head movement, and ‘still,’ which preserves the illusion of stationary speakers even when your head turns.

Similar to Jabra’s recent earbuds, the QC Ultra can deliver the immersive audio effect regardless of the device or content being played, offering convenience for users across various device brands. Generally, this feature significantly enhances the audio quality of movies and TV shows, infusing them with rich bass and impact. The effectiveness of the immersive mode with music may vary based on the genre or track; it tends to work better with more grandiose musical compositions.

With the immersive mode turned off, the QC Ultra headphones provide Bose’s finest audio quality to date, delivering dynamic and precise sound across the entire spectrum with a subtle emphasis on bass. They maintain Bose’s signature clinical sound, which may not appeal to everyone, but the advantage is that they sound exceptional at any volume level, ensuring that you can enjoy your music even at lower volumes without missing any details.

Price

The Bose QuietComfort Ultra headphones are priced at £449.95 (€499.95/$429/A$649).

For comparison, the QuietComfort headphones are priced at £299.95, the QuietComfort Earbuds 2 at £279.95, the Sony WH-1000XM5 at £319, the Sennheiser Momentum 4 at £309.99, and the Apple AirPods Max at £499.

While recent Bose headphones are renowned for exceptional noise-cancelling capabilities and clear sound quality, the QC Ultra headphones distinguish themselves by prioritizing unparalleled comfort. If you’re seeking headphones for all-day, everyday wear, your search ends here. Additionally, these headphones conveniently fold into a compact case for travel.

They also provide support for higher-quality Bluetooth audio formats, particularly benefiting Android and Windows users. The cross-platform immersive audio feature elevates the audio experience for TV shows and movies. Although the Bose headphones may not surpass Sennheiser or Sony in pure sound quality, they still deliver outstanding performance.

The considerable price tag, subject to potential reductions during sales, and the absence of an easily replaceable battery are noteworthy drawbacks. In the event the battery wears out, Bose does not offer a replacement, though third-party solutions may be available. However, if they maintain the legendary durability of previous QuietComfort headphones, you can anticipate long-lasting enjoyment.