Hey guys!
I'm decently new to reddit in terms of posting but I wanna start doing so because I am that friend in the group where people ask me for advice on which headphones / earbuds to get just cause I really love audio equipment!

In terms of wireless headphones, I have tried the Bose QC Ultras (returned them), QC45, NC700, Sony xm4, Airpods Max, Airpods pros / 2, Sennheiser momentums, Beats studio and my other favourite now Soundcore QC 35.
This review will be in the perspective of purely Noise cancelling wireless headphones, so sound quality will be compared to that and not wired. Remember, this is a $550 AUD premium headphone as you read this review.

1. Comfort

• Within all the wireless headphones that I have bought, bose has always nailed it with comfort imo. Not surprising since they're pretty much a airline company before a consumer company, comfort plays a part for long flights. The Bose QuietComforts are in the same design range as the 45s and 35s so that soft boobiesque cushions on your ears all fluffed up and so much space that airs your ears like the open spaces that we will never get in this era of governments taking over the land, its really comfortable. Long gym sessions and flights of (8hours) all the way straight has been very easily worn and little to no fatigue for me. Compared to the ultras with shallow earcups, it does get hot after a few hours and for me the clamping force of Airpods Max can be a tad too much. So do with that what you will.

2. Noise Cancelling / Transparency

• This is THE reason why I upgraded from the QC45s. Outdoor mode. One simple tech change that changed everything for me. Essentially what outdoor mode is it only uses the noise cancellation mics in the earcups. So when wind is strong like the strong bitchy melbourne winds are, it wont affect the noise cancelling and thus wont have that harsh wind noises when the noise cancelling mics on the outside are turned on. The outdoor mode is more than enough to cut out most noise outside, for me loud noises include the Treadmill, people screaming as they drop a 10kg dumbbell (for some reason?). - Quiet mode, which is turning on all the mics for noise cancelling, is amazing for when you really wanna get into a podcast, movie, or whatever focus modes you need when you're in a still quiet room with maybe a fan running, or a coffee shop. It really drowns out almost everything.

• I was able to play a movie in my room at probably 40% volume with a fan right beside me, neighbours talking loud thru the halls as if they're at a rave, And when this mode is on, I can't hear any of that. To be honest I have to lock my door just in case my rooommate or whoever jumps in and give me a jump scare so yes. - Lastly, "aware" mode, honestly not on par with the Airpods, its good, its natural, but still a little shallow. I would only use it when I want to be aware of my surroundings, like traffic, or overhearing people's conversation in the library and them thinking I cant hear them (please tell me im not the only one). But to use it while having a normal conversation or ordering a coffee, it's kinda tough, id have to take one ear out. With the Airpods pros and Max, transparency is done amazingly well that you could talk without taking an ear out (of the earcups of course unless you have wireless ears).

3. Connectivity + Buttons

• ANOTHER reason why I returned the ultras. That sliding piece of crap that slides accross like a waterslide is horrendous. The tactile buttons of the Quietcomforts are easy to press, easily distinguishable and nothing for me to complain about. On Off slider? Apple? APPLE...? APPPLLEEE.. but yea really can't complain or praise too much, it just works as a product shouldicrophone

4. Microphone

• Not the best, but gets the job done. Speaking at regular volume or soft usually works more than find indoors and outdoors. Then again thanks to IOS's voice isolation mode that helps alot. So if you're using an android, ask chatgpt to helpout idk mate.

5. Sound Quality

• A lot more full than the QC45 imo. With the bose App and eq, I find myself with the bass up +5 to get a really good thump especially in the gym. The one thing that makes me unable to return to the soundcore is the clarity of bose. Bose and Apple has always nailed the vocal clarity that I always so desire in my music. Be it metal, kpop, (stfu i love kpop), pop, acoustic and podcasts. To have something that really thumps with the bass and clear vocals is something that's really hard to find. Comparing it to the XM5 and XM4 which to me is slightly too bloated in the mid bass. With these Bose, it seems to be the best compromise for me in the wireless scene. Though the soundstage isn't the best, it is fairly forward, the instrument separation feels very Left is left, right is right. rather than if something was on the right 90, or right 45, right 32 whatever it is, its all just right. But really in the wireless world, you can't get the best all in one in terms of sound, so take that into accoun

6. Complaints

• To be honest, this is my favourite wireless headphones so far that I paid full price for and have no regrets. I really have no complaints with it, it could use better soundstage but to be honest, when I'm doing my work, or in the gym, it does what it needs to do, get me focused. - My Main complaint would be the naming. I would LOVE to recommend these headphones to more people but it's so hard to make people understand with the naming. I UNDERSTAND why they did it, Bose is killing off all previous names and now just making two headphones.

• Bose Quietcomfort, Bose Quietcomfort Ultra. Sort of like Iphone 15, Iphone 15 pro, Samsung S24, Samsung S24 Ultra. I GET IT. BUT, they're still selling the bose quietcomfort 45 and Bose NC700, and my god, when you put it all together it is a cluster ****, its like my mum never being happy with how I vacuum the floor and always telling me i'm wrong and can never actually get me to do the right thing. I just can't recommend it to the normal person who just wants good noise cancelling headphones. The only way IMO this naming would work was to do a proper announcement (which bose doesnt do) or kill off the previous generation of products, either way, that's just me complaining

7. Overall Feeling

• Overall, in my personal opinion, anyone who gets these headphones will NOT be dissappointed. Though I would recommend to get it when there's discounts. And trust me bose does have discounts, ALOT. Literally 2 weeks after i bought this at retail price it dropped $100 on Amazon. Like what in the actual **********. But whatever it is, I love these headphones. I will always end off a review by saying know what you like, know when you're gonna use it, and you'll have your best answer. But for me, this confusing ass one hell of a headphone is a solid 8/10 for me.

edit: please bear with me on the format im still new :')

I’ve had a bunch of noise-canceling headphones over the years: AirPods Pro and Pro 2, Parrot Zik 3, Sony XM3, and for the last five years, I’ve been using Bose QC35II daily. I absolutely love those for how comfy they are.

When the Bose QC Ultra Headphones came out, I watched a ton of reviews and figured it was time for an upgrade. So, I bought them, used them for a month, ran into a bunch of issues that nobody really talks about, and ended up selling them.

Here’s what bugged me:

1. Hiss from the noise cancellation. In a quiet room, when no music’s playing or it’s super low, there’s this annoying background noise. I get that some hiss is normal, but with my old Bose QC35 or AirPods Max, it’s barely noticeable.

2. Clicks/crackling while wearing them. Even when I’m just walking calmly, every step causes these clicks in my ears. It feels like a sudden pressure change, and it’s rough on the ears.

3. Overkill noise cancellation. After 20-30 minutes of listening, my ears feel tired from the pressure, and I start getting headaches. This might just be me, but I’ve used plenty of ANC headphones before, and this is the first time I’ve had this issue.

4. Terrible for calls. During a call, if someone starts talking at the same time as you, your voice gets muffled on their end. People kept telling me I sounded like I was moving closer and farther from the mic, or they could barely hear me. Total nonsense. Probably some buggy software.

When I was watching reviews, nobody mentioned these problems. But after I bought them and started Googling these specific issues, turns out I’m not the only one dealing with this. So, what’s your honest experience? Are you seeing these same issues, or did I just get a dud pair?

[Tl;dr: These are a perfectly good pair of ANC headphones that will serve most people very well. They’re not super resolving and their slightly bassy consumer tuning and their layering and instrument separation leave a lot to be desired from an audiophile standpoint, but they sound perfectly nice and the ANC functionality is great; exactly what I’ve come to expect from Bose. They’re also a distinct step up from some of their competitors with regards to their controls and app-accessible tools. They’re my new recommendation for anyone trolling in that market; if I didn’t already own similar products that I like better, I would probably keep a pair of these for travel. Unfortunately, they have to compete with the Airpods Max and Bose 700s in my collection, and those are headphones that I REALLY, REALLY like for this use case.

Whole-hearted recommendation for most people, they’re just not for me.

Scores:

Cost-agnostic: 6 out of 10

Cost-sensitive: 7 out of 10