https://www.rtings.com/headphones/reviews/bose/quietcomfort-ultra-headphones-wireless#test_423

Ultra are providing not that great ANC measurements but contrary to that Rtings is claiming ANC is the best. What a mess. Measurements seem not to be able to realistically capture the ANC behavior.

The preface of this review is that the standard 2023 QC headphones cost 200€, with the QC Ultras costing 350€. I wanted to understand if the extra +150€ could be justified.

Sound: I am no audiophile by any means, but I have very sensitive ears. The sound on the QC Ultra's was a touch better, but to anybody's untrained ears, there is nowhere near a substantial enough difference to call this any more than a tie. Most of the frequency tests I could find online showed minimal differences between the two. I wondered if the difference I could feel was actually placebo based on how both headphones felt different on the head, something I bet is a factor - despite never being talked about by reviewers.

ANC: Again, a very slight increase on the QCU. Then again, the clamping force is stronger on the QCU, so I wonder if this is actually giving the impression of less noise. Both are excellent. I would say the ANC on the standard QC is still an upgrade over the AirPod Max, for those who have tried them.

'Aware-mode': The transparency on the QCU was noticeably better, especially when listening to one's own voice. I wouldn't put it very far behind the AirPod Max transparency, which many consider to be the GOAT. The standard QC's were definitely good enough though - good enough that I wouldn't feel the need to take the headphones off when talking to people (although I often find it is more polite to do this with strangers...).

Comfort: Both are extremely comfortable, as everybody already knows. The clamping force is stronger on the QCU, and it is a tad heavier. This means the QCU does get hotter on the ears quicker. I would definitely give the point to the standard QC here, especially for those with large heads like myself.

Build Quality: both have great build quality. The QCU is a bit better, with aluminium arms and more protein-leather rather than plastic. Personally I prefer an all-black headphone, I wasn't too happy about having satin silver visible on the QCU. The point would still go to QCU, though subjective.

Controls: QCU has the annoying touch capacitive volume which is absolute sh*t. I have medium-length hair, which often covers that area and stops me from using the volume, not to mention when wearing gloves how difficult it is. Even with a bald head, it's hard to get the volume exactly where you want. Standard QC just has traditional buttons, much easier! They also have an easier on/off switch, though I do not understand why they chose to put it in the middle of the cup!?!? Point goes to QC, though I admit the QCU looks cleaner with less visible buttons. Subjective.

Portability: The standard QC's can be ordered with the SC (soft-case) version, which has a significantly smaller profile whilst maintaining decent protection. Personal preference I guess, but for me, the soft case is much better for travelling, especially since it takes up no space without the headphones inside.

QC Ultra Extra Features: I found the immersive mode to me pretty crap. I knew I wouldn't be using it much for music since I am mostly on the move, but I thought maybe it would be good for podcasts. It's not. Voices just sound weird, and actually makes it harder to focus on what they are saying with other distractions around you. Apple does a better job with their Spatial Audio. I'd argue that maybe for watching TV it could be cool, but then again, there aren't many people who use headphones with a TV! QCU also uses a more modern Bluetooth version, I doubt anyone in this price range cares about the difference between Bluetooth 5.1 and 5.3, though. QCU also has head detection, for me it is more of an annoyance.

QC Extra Features: the standard QC comes with an inline microphone attached to the audio cable, the QCU does NOT! This is a big one for those who want to use the headphones for gaming on PC or Console. The QC with their inline mic work great on my Xbox Series X. I have actually gotten rid of my previous gaming headphones. Mystery why the QCU does not have an inline mic included, since they actually also work on the QCU with no problem. QC also has better latency, twice as fast, according to RTINGS.

App: both use the same app and have access to pretty much all of the same important features, like wind-reduction and EQ etc. Both can do multi-point connection.

Conclusion: It is an easy choice to return the QCU and keep the standard QC. The upgrade is absolutely not worth 150€. In fact, the standard QC just wins in most of the categories for me anyway. Better portability / better comfort / better controls / "all-black".

Let me know what your thoughts are!

Hello everobody,

Can somebody tell me the difference between this two headphones, like why is so big price gap and why are Ultra Headphones so much expensive?

I am thinking about to buy one if this two - just for meetings and music…and want some user expiriencies, to see what is better for me…Thanks!

https://www.rtings.com/headphones/reviews/bose/quietcomfort-ultra-headphones-wireless

I'm not an insiders member at Rtings, but I'm quite curious to know what is Rtings opinion on the new Ultra headphones. Hope it will be available to all soon.

Just got a pair of QC in white smoke for our daughter and spent some time comparing against my Utras.

For me, the Ultras win in comfort. The earpads and headband cushioning are thicker and more plush. The QCs aren’t uncomfortable, but the thinner cushioning is noticeable.

In our house the ANC sounds and feels the same between the two. Any difference in quiet and aware mode is splitting hairs in a relatively quiet environment.

Both have Bose’s warm sound profile, but the QC is more forward sounding, so the soundstage isn’t as wide as the Ultras. The bass on the QC extends a little lower and has slightly more attack and definition than the Ultras.

The mids and highs are decently represented on both. The QCs are more forward/direct while the Ultras have a more delicate touch with both.

A couple of reviews I watched noted some channel imbalance with the QC and I hear it. Out of the box they favored the right side slightly or quite a bit depending on the song. I did a factory reset which helped, but I can still hear some imbalance and it’s still more prominent on some tracks vs others.

I like both and I think it comes down to preference in soundstage. Those who like a more forward punch may prefer the QC. Those who like more spaciousness may prefer the Ultra. I prefer the Ultras for classical and acoustic stuff, but I’d have no problem using the QC for punchy rock and pop stuff…especially if I were in the mood for more bass.

Hi,

I've been using QC25 for several years now and am really happy with them. However I wouldn't mind an upgrade to Bluetooth, as the cable is a bit annoying sometimes, and I'd welcome it too in case the NC is slightly better (the NC of the QC25 is already really good, but better is always better :) ).

My questions...: Are the QC Ultra really better than the QC25, and in what regards? According to RTings ( Bose QuietComfort 25/QC25 vs Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones Wireless Side-by-Side Headphones Comparison - RTINGS.com ) they're pretty similar in sound quality, and the QC Ultra are very slightly heavier and have slightly higher clamping force, which is a minus for me, as weight and clamping force bothers me quite a lot.

Additionally I'd be using it mostly with an iPhone, which according to my understanding, doesn't support Adaptive aptX, so would I be stuck with noticeably bad Bluetooth audio quality and latency? Would I notice lip-sync issues when watching a Netflix movie on the iPhone with the QC Ultra? (I usually do notice these things more than the average person and I care about them, I would say I like good sound & video quality and can hear/see some differences, but I'm not a super extreme audio/videophile either.)

Is the NC in the QC Ultra significantly better?

Would the QC Ultra be a good upgrade for me or do I better stick to the QC25 (which are still great...) and just continue living with the (slightly annoying) cable?

If I sometimes also listen from a PC (where I could use the Bose USB Link thing I guess), would that change things significantly?

Thanks a lot for any input.

I am in the market for some new headphones. I went and tried on both headphones at an electronics store and the comfort was pretty much the same. The QC Ultras did have a more premium feel but for an extra $130, are the Ultras worth it over the QC? Just wondering if the sound quality is much greater in the Ultras and if Bluetooth 5.3 is worth the upgrade from 5.1 in the QC?

I'm debating between https://www.bose.com/p/noise-cancelling-headphones/quietcomfort-acoustic-noise-cancelling-headphones/QC-HEADPHONEARN.html and these https://www.bose.com/p/headphones/bose-quietcomfort-ultra-headphones/QCUH-HEADPHONEARN.html?dwvar_QCUH-HEADPHONEARN_color=BLACK&quantity=1 . I currently have the QC45 and want to get an update because I have had them for a while. Are the ultras worth the extra $100? I use my headphones for music and noise cancelling and I am interested in the spatialized audio but I don't know anything about headphones. What are the pros and cons? Please dumb it down for me because I literally don't know anything about headphones. Thanks!