Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd gen) review 2027

What problem does the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones solve?

The QC Ultra is built for the person who spends hours inside engine drone. In our test it took the most rumble out of any pair we ran, and it was the pair our testers forgot they were wearing. That combination — the deepest cut of aircraft noise plus the lightest clamp and softest cushions — is the whole pitch. It ranked third of seven pairs tested, with a score of 8.6.

The second generation adds USB-C audio and longer battery life. Immersive Audio spatialises any source, so you do not need a special track to hear it. The trade-off is stated plainly in our notes: Sony sounds a little better and handles calls better, which is why the two are a point apart.

How did we score the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones?

Five criteria, 100 points available.

• Noise cancelling — 30 out of 30. We measured attenuation of recorded cabin, train and office noise at the ear simulator, and checked wind handling outdoors. It took every point.
• Sound quality — 20 out of 25. Frequency response against a target curve, distortion at volume, and blind listening on the same playlist. Detail is where it gave ground.
• Comfort & build — 15 out of 15. Clamp force, weight, heat after two hours, hinge and case quality. Another clean sweep.
• Battery & features — 12 out of 15. Measured battery with ANC on, multipoint, codecs, call quality, wear detection, app controls.
• Value — 9 out of 15. Street price against the field.

That adds up to 8.6 overall, third in a field of seven.

Where the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones stand out

The measured cabin noise cut was 32 dB, the strongest low-frequency cancelling we recorded. Battery with ANC on measured 29 hours against a 30-hour spec. Weight is 250 g.

Comfort is the other measured strength. The headband is the most comfortable we tested, the clamp is the lightest, and the cushions are the softest — our testers rated it the best pair after two hours of wear. Immersive Audio spatialises any source rather than requiring a specific mix.

How aptX Adaptive and Immersive Audio work

aptX Adaptive is a Bluetooth codec that adjusts its bitrate and latency to whatever the connection can carry, so it can prioritise stability or fidelity as conditions change. It sits above the basic SBC and AAC codecs in the spec sheet here.

Immersive Audio is Bose's spatial processing. It takes a stereo signal and places it in a virtual space around the listener rather than firing it straight into the ears. Because it works on the incoming signal, it applies to any source rather than only tracks mixed for spatial playback.

Parts, ports and build

The spec sheet covers the practical details. Battery is rated 30 hours with ANC on. Weight is 250 g. Codecs are SBC, AAC and aptX Adaptive. Multipoint is supported. The headphones fold. Wired input is 2.5 mm plus USB-C audio. Charging is over USB-C. This is the 2025 second-generation model.

How the Bose QuietComfort Ultra compares with its rivals

Against the Sony WH-1000XM6 (8.8, $449.99), the Bose wins on noise cancelling and comfort but loses on sound detail and calls — the XM6 carries 12 microphones and edges Bose on voices and wind. The Sony runs 30 hours, weighs 254 g, folds, and charges over USB-C with 3 minutes giving 3 hours.

Against the Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless (8.9, $379.95), the Bose gives up sound quality — Sennheiser is the best-sounding pair in the ranking — and battery, where the Momentum 4 runs 60 hours. The Sennheiser weighs 293 g and does not fold.

Against the Bose QuietComfort Headphones (8.6, $349), the Ultra costs more and matches on score. The classic QuietComfort gives most of the Ultra's cancelling and all of its comfort for less, with physical buttons, 24 hours of battery, 240 g of weight, and a 2.5 mm wired input.

Where the Bose QuietComfort Ultra falls short

Sound detail is the main loss. It is slightly less detailed than Sony or Sennheiser on music, which is where the 20 out of 25 came from. The app and multipoint were fiddly on Android during testing. And the list price is $449.

Is the Bose QuietComfort Ultra worth $449?

The price summary is $449. Value scored 9 out of 15 — street price against the field. The Sennheiser Momentum 4 is $379.95, the Sony WH-1000XM6 is $449.99, the Sony WH-1000XM5 is $399.99, the Bose QuietComfort Headphones are $349, and the Anker Soundcore Space One is $99.99.

Who should buy the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones?

Frequent flyers, and anyone who finds other headphones tight. If your priority is the quietest cabin and the least pressure on your head over a long flight, this is the pair. If you want the most detail from music or the best call handling, the Sony and Sennheiser options above are the ones to weigh against it.