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.

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.

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!