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!

Hi! I’m a female college student looking to invest in a pair of Bose headphones. I’ve never owned any headphones before, only the Apple AirPods, so I’m not very experienced or knowledgeable about headphones. The AirPods I have aren’t noise canceling and they tend to make my ears hurt after about 45 mins of wear which is pretty annoying.

I’ve been looking into buying the Bose headphones based on recommendations from friends and reviews I’ve read online, but wasn’t sure if I should spend the extra money for the Ultras.

I’m mainly focused on noise canceling and comfort, since I tend to spend hours in the library, cafes, and other study spots on campus. Sound quality isn’t that big of a deal for me, but I’ve heard Bose is good in that aspect too.

What do you all recommend? I was thinking of just going with the basic QuietComfort headphones because there doesn’t seem to be enough justification to splurge on the more expensive Ultras but would love your thoughts!

My 8 year old Bose SoundLink AE2's are starting to cause trouble when charging and I've decided it might be time for a little upgrade.

I'm stuck between the QC or QC Ultra. Originally I had decided upon the Ultra's as the design feels like more of an upgrade from the soundlinks, considering headphones are not a regular purchase.

However I've seen conflicting reviews on the reliability of these headphones with some people returning multiple pairs & claims of the touch sensitive controls being infuriating?

The QC's on the other hand seem more reliable, albeit with a slightly more underwhelming design.

Nowhere nearby has them on display to compare, so I 'd like to be influenced based on others' experience of owning either pair

Thanks!

I am getting Quitecomfort ultra at 22000 inr(approx 250 usd) . Should i get those or wait for 2nd gen and buy them instead. Any major improvement in 2nd gen.i am new to Over ear headphones and it will be first ever over ear headphones.

Hoping the community can help with some simple insight. I’m currently rocking the corded QC25 that I’ve had for the past ~10 years. Looking to upgrade to either the quietcomfort or the quietcomfort ultra and would appreciate any guidance.

Trade-in program would get me the ultras for about $320 whereas the quietcomfort are on sale for $250 right now. I wouldn’t consider myself an audiophile but do fly for work about once a month, so quality noise cancelling is top of my list. Anything special about the ultras worth the extra $70? Clearly I don’t upgrade my headphones that often, so want to ensure I get a solid set that will last awhile. Appreciate any insight!

Told myself I wouldn't get the Gen 2, but could not resist at least checking them out. Still quite unsure whether or not to keep and replace my Gen 1. My very quick initial impressions:

• Gen 2 feel slightly softer and with even lower clamping force already straight out of the box (even though I had no complaints on Gen 1). They really are super comfortable (still).

• Gen 2 has noticeably less hiss/white noise during ANC mode. There is some hiss during the first few seconds, but then for me it goes down to an (almost?) imperceptible level.

• ANC I just tested around the house so far and struggled to find any clear differences. They might be there, sure, but at least not immediately apparent.

• With Gen 2 you can now turn ANC on/off and set ANC strength from 1-10

• Sound quality I could not discern any noticeable differences (disregarding the cinematic mode)

• Microphones/call quality I did not test yet

• Gen 2 sand color is gorgeous, but I am quite partial to the darker sandstone tone of Gen 1

• They are really very similar headphones (well, obviously), this is nowhere near the XM5 -> XM6

So absent any call testing (where I am hoping they will have improved), imo the most noticeable upgrades are on ANC customization and the hiss reduction, otherwise not a WOW!-impact upgrade.

EDIT:

• Also, I have not been able to reproduce the thumping/popping sound with stronger movements on Gen 2, but I really wouldn't want to give any guarantees it is fixed. Just did some very brief tests indoors.

SO...After some very long researches, my choices come down to those two. However, is the Ultra worth the proce difference?

Currently, the Quietcomfort are on sale for €210, while the Ultras are €324. I know the Ultras have a slightly better noise cancellation and immersive audio, which I would very much appreciate.

Do you guys recommend getting the Quietcomfort, the Ultras, or waiting for the future release of Ultras 2 and hence the drop in price of the Ultras?

Any opinion is highly appreciated.

Are there any noticble benefits of getting the regular Bose QuietComfort headphones instead of getting the QuietComfort Ultra headphones, obviously besides the price? Are there any features or controls or performance that you actually like better on the cheaper option of the two? Or is the Ultra better in every single aspect, completely justifying the price difference?

Been trying to decide between bose qc and bose qc ultra, with comfort being my number one priority.

Between both headphones, which is more comfortable? How anout when compared to ANC 700?

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?

Thinking of getting a pair of headphones for Christmas. Noise cancellation and comfort are the most important aspects for me.

What I like more about the QC is that they’re cheaper. The ultra seems to have a lot of complaints since it’s new so lots of glitches still, although noise cancellation is supposedly better but the question is by how much. I have construction near me so it’s important for the headphones to be able to block it out as I work from home.

I guess I’m wondering if the Ultra is worth the higher price tag?

i’m being really indecisive purely bc the price of the ultras is half my rent 😂 but i need the best ANC (i am autistic) because commuting and travelling is driving me insane. at the end of the day i don’t mind investing but only if QC ultra are extremely different from QC and worth double the price.

i tried sony xm4/5 but they were not good at all so i returned them. now i don’t know which ones should i choose between these two bose! thanks in advance

edit: would you buy from amazon or bose directly? (i’m uk)

edit2: thanks so much everyone. i have ordered them through amazon as they had £50 off! can’t wait to try them

I cannot for the life of me choose a pair.

My first pair of Bose, how do I choose??

Are the ultras worth it ??

Or do I stick with just the QC?

I’m leaning towards the sandstone color. I almost ordered the diamond when it was on sale the other day, but the White terrifies me.

So somebody help me choose do I pick the regulars or do I get the ultra?

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.

I have been wanting Bose headphones because I have heard the noise cancelling is good, but I don't know is I should get the ultra or normal quietcomfort headphones. Which one of those headphones have better noise cancellation?

I can get the Ultras for £270 from the Bose refurbished site which is a lot cheaper than on amazon or I can get the base QuietComfort's for £180. People who have bought from the refurbished website are the products still good quality? I've also heard from videos that there's not much difference in the sound quality and the ANC between them but correct me if I'm wrong? I also currently have a pair of Sony WH-CH720N which have lasted me like 3 years but would like a decent upgrade.

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!