🌐
CNET
cnet.com › tech › mobile › headphones › bose quietcomfort ultra headphones review: sony has serious competition
Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones Review: Sony Has Serious Competition - CNET
Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones
Bose's new flagship QC Ultra Headphones make a very compelling alternative to both the Sony WH-1000XM5 and Apple AirPods Max.
Rating: 9.2/10 ​
Discussions

Bose Quietcomfort Ultra review. Some poor product decisions by Bose.
I ordered a pair and returned them. ANC was great but I felt that the build quality was quite poor, the buttons felt very plasticky and the top of the headband is plastic, instead of being covered in faux leather like the QC35ii. The volume control slider was also a bit fiddly. More on reddit.com
🌐 r/bose
199
268
January 11, 2024
Review of the new Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (over ear) tap to read
Thanks for the early impressions. I received mine today and had a few hours to play with it. TL;DR: Sound does feel like an upgrade vs. previous models. More clear for sure. ANC is much better than QC45 (and marginally better than NC700s), though to be frank I’m not sure if it’s as function of better passive sound isolation. I am impressed by the spatial audio features, but not yet sure if I’m going to use the for everything. Like OP said, it varies by type of music. So far loving the live music and classical music use case, jury still out about other genres. Comfort: Definitely more comfortable than NC700s (which tended to have higher tension on the head), thought not quite like the QC45s (PIllowy soft). A Goldilocks approach from Bose this time, I think. Couple of nits: Packaging looks and feels cheap compared to the packaging from the NC700s. These are the new ‘flagships’ - for a 450-dollar headphone the packaging leaves so much to be desired. Other competitors (Apple, B&O, B&W) know how to do this right. Potential durability of the faux leather on the part of the band touching your head. The NC700s had a silicone material that was essentially impervious to sweat and abrasion, but I can see the faux leather falling apart after a year or two of heavy use. If that’s a part that cannot be user replaced, that’s a huge fail on Bose’s part. Look forward to putting them through their paces on video/audio calls and other use cases and will update if anything comes up. More on reddit.com
🌐 r/bose
258
171
October 6, 2023
People also ask

How do the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones' EQ presets sound?

When you open the Bose Music app, you’ll be greeted with a menu option to equalize your headphones. Opening this menu will grant access to a 3-band EQ, and several presets — all of which will adjust the sliders for you. We’ll run down exactly what you can expect here.

Bass Boost:

Bass boost does exactly what it says it does, though it seems to bump up the sub-bass more than the upper bass.

Bass Reducer:

True to its name, again, the Bass Reducer EQ preset nudges down the bass.

Treble Boost:

Treble Boost nudges up some ranges in the highs, but it shouldn’t be too overwhelming.

Treble Reducer:

Similarly, Treble Reducer nudges down the highs a bit to cut down on some of the harsher sounds in your music, assuming they’re over-emphasized to begin with.

🌐
soundguys.com
soundguys.com › home › earbuds & headphones › bose quietcomfort ultra headphones review
Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones review - SoundGuys
How does the Bose QuietComfort Ultra mic sound in the real world?

Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones microphone demo (Office conditions):

Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones microphone demo (Street conditions):

Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones microphone demo (Windy conditions):

Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones microphone demo (Reverberant space):

🌐
soundguys.com
soundguys.com › home › earbuds & headphones › bose quietcomfort ultra headphones review
Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones review - SoundGuys
What do the Multi-Dimensional Audio Quality Scores mean?
  • Timbre (MOS-T): represents how faithfully the earbuds reproduce the frequency spectrum and temporal resolution (timing information).
  • Distortion (MOS-D): represents non-linearities and added noise: higher scores mean cleaner reproduction.
  • Immersiveness (MOS-I): represents perceived source width and positioning; how well virtual sound sources are defined in three-dimensional space.
🌐
soundguys.com
soundguys.com › home › earbuds & headphones › bose quietcomfort ultra headphones review
Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones review - SoundGuys
🌐
SoundGuys
soundguys.com › home › earbuds & headphones › bose quietcomfort ultra headphones review
Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones review - SoundGuys
Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones
After a few years without a new model, we welcome the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones to the fold: but are they top contenders? Bose's new top-of-the-line headphones are a welcome upgrade over past models.
Rating: 8.2/10 ​
🌐
TechRadar
techradar.com › audio › headphones › wireless headphones
Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones review: simply the best (apart from the battery) | TechRadar
Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones review: simply the best (apart from the battery)
Fun, comfortable, smart, portable and phenomenal-sounding… so close to perfect
Rating: 4.5 ​
🌐
The Guardian
theguardian.com › technology › 2023 › nov › 06 › bose-quietcomfort-ultra-headphones-review-supreme-comfort-and-noise-cancelling
Bose QuietComfort Ultra headphones review: supreme comfort and noise cancelling | Headphones | The Guardian
November 6, 2023 - With it off for regular stereo the QC Ultra are Bose’s best-sounding headphones yet, with punchy and detailed audio across the spectrum with a slight emphasis on bass. They still have the firm’s rather clinical sound, which some may not ...
🌐
Tom's Guide
tomsguide.com › audio › headphones
Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones review | Tom's Guide
Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones review
There's no doubt that the new Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones are the company's best-ever noise canceler. But while the newest flagship brings bags of improvements and Immersive Audio, the price feels high. Bose's flagship noise-canceling headphones are best yet
Rating: 4.5 ​
🌐
TechGearLab
techgearlab.com › audio › headphone reviews
Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones Review | Tested
Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones
World-class noise cancellation meets superb sound quality, all packaged in a design so comfy, you can wear them all day and then some. The Bose...
Rating: 4.7 ​
Find elsewhere
🌐
RTINGS
rtings.com › home › headphones › reviews › bose › quietcomfort ultra headphones wireless
Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones Wireless Review - RTINGS.com
November 7, 2023 - The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones Wireless are top-of-the-line noise cancelling (ANC) headphones. While they look similar to the Bose QuietComfort 45/QC45 W...
🌐
Reddit
reddit.com › r/bose › bose quietcomfort ultra review. some poor product decisions by bose.
r/bose on Reddit: Bose Quietcomfort Ultra review. Some poor product decisions by Bose.
January 11, 2024 -

I'm eager to give this feedback to both, other potential buyers as well as Bose, who I believe can greatly improve this product by just a few tweaks.

I bought the Ultra Headphones as an update for my previous QC45, I've also used 700's for some time ago, borrowed them from a friend to compare to my QC's. So I can talk about how these compare to all other latest Bose Headphones.

I was very excited about new immersive sound, better aptX codec, updated design and other features. Anticipation of all those improvements felt like a fair reason for increased price, but as a result the product lack a lot of important things. I will divide my feedback to a few categories:

  • Sound Quality
    Overall it is great, comparable with the rest of top consumer-grade Bose earphones. However, Bose advertised support for aptX codec, which is, if fact, doesn't work with most phones, because QC Ultra support only aptX Adaptive version which needs to be also supported by your other device. aptX issue is a result of a bad communication about a product. Immersive mode is nice, but at the end of the day, I almost don't use it.

  • Comfort
    While the general comfort is stunning, headphones are light, soft, greatly built, but there's a but. It is heavily compomised by a bad controls. I've described all of that below.

  • Durability
    Seems good, the only thing I personally don't like is a coating of a black headphones, it collects fingerprints and skin oils as crazy.

  • Ease of use
    This is a massive downside in my opinion because of a few things:
    Bose did not include a conversation mode from 700's which is insanely useful feature for a noise-cancelling headphones. I thought it would be available as a new "shortcut" action, but it is completely missing. Massive fail, I hope so much they will bring it back in an update.
    All controls are on one right earcup, would be much more usable to have at least one of them on the other cup, better for usability.
    Cost-cutting completely defeat usability, just one button for most controls, play/pause/next/previous by short presses, switching between modes by long press. Combine this with the absense of a conversation mode and as a result it is easier to just take them off completely every time you need to hear something.
    The last massive issue with Ultra's for me is that smooth sliding headband combined wit ha new case. New case for Ultra's have a dedicated concave place for each earcup. In order to put them back into case you need to push the adjustable headband into a fully retracted (closed) position. Otherwise they won't fit. And so every time you get them from the box, literally, you have to adjust them again by smooth sliding, because they don't have that clicky steps of different positions (like QC45 had) that you can rely on.
    I ended up marking my perfect fit with a black permanent marker on both sides of a headband. Disgusting thing which I'm getting reminded at least twice a day when I pack and unpack my headphones.

  • Appearance, Noise Cancellation and Voice Pickup are just fine, everything is just as I expected.

Conclusion.

These could easily have beed the best Bose headphones so far, real "ultra" headphones, but they just don't because of a few very strange product decisions that Bose made. Some of which can be easily fixed with a firmware update, some of them can't.

P.S. I've also posted this review to Bose website, but hopefully by also posting it here we can kick-in some conversation and rise Bose awareness about some issues.

Wondering what other issues I've missed.

Top answer
1 of 3
10
I ordered a pair and returned them. ANC was great but I felt that the build quality was quite poor, the buttons felt very plasticky and the top of the headband is plastic, instead of being covered in faux leather like the QC35ii. The volume control slider was also a bit fiddly.
2 of 3
7
I got the 60th anniversary version of the QC Ultra comforts. Absolutely in love. Don't see any of the issues presented whatsoever except that aptX codec is not available on iPhones. If you look up aptX codec and compare the quality improvements - its extremely small. And if you're in a profession or hobbyist that needs that marginal difference then you wouldn't be connecting it to an iPhone in the first place. Controls, all on one ear is totally subjective preference. For me personally I find that to be even better than having both ears have buttons because now I can just grab any part any time of my left ear to grab/hold/move/etc. my headphones without worrying about hitting a button or changing any settings. The case is amazing, yes it has indents for ear cups and requires you to slim down the headband if its too extended, this however ensures that its locked in and proper for travel especially flights which I have to make frequently for work. And the noise cancelling is very good especially on the plane haha. And I don't understand where there's any issue or even need to perfectly mark where to set the headband, just put it on your damn head it'll expand as much as it needs to fit automatically and that's why I love the headband slider instead of the traditional 'clicky' ones because the clicks usually falls JUST between where I actually need it to be for it to be perfect. These headphones, I take out of the case, I put it on my ears, it AUTOMATICALLY powers on, Instantly connects bluetooth, and off I go. I literally just put them on. And it works. Sound quality is great. Comfort is great. And the volume slider is quite responsive I tested it thoroughly just after reading this review. Appearance of mine is beautiful, highly recommend this pearly white 60th anniversary version, no difference whatsoever just appearance. Take reviews with a grain of salt, objectively speaking these are great headphones and the issues listed are mostly subjective opinion/preferences unique to every user. You can't make a one size fits all without pissing someone off. Bose went for a specific product design for a more specific set of users, and for me they nailed that. For OP, well, he sounds disappointed.
🌐
WIRED
wired.com › review › bose-quietcomfort-ultra
Bose QuietComfort Ultra Review: Killer Noise-Canceling That Costs | WIRED
October 31, 2023 - It might feel like more of the same, but nonetheless it's impressive to hear Bose continually one-up itself, planting its flag once again atop Mute Mountain with the QuietComfort Ultra. There’s more to the Ultra than just killer noise canceling, including a posh new design, delicate yet powerful sound, and Bose’s much-hyped new spatial audio system, which is likely to draw both detractors and defenders like most competing systems. Unfortunately, also like the competition, the Ultra follow a trend of premium headphone cost creep started by Apple's AirPods Max (8/10, WIRED Recommends).
🌐
RecordingNow
recordingnow.com › blog › bose-quietcomfort-ultra-review
Bose QuietComfort Ultra Review: WORTH IT in 2025?
June 3, 2025 - Compared to its peers from Apple, Sony, and Sennheiser, I would personally choose the QuietComfort Ultra over any of those at the time of this writing, and I’m daily-ing them as we speak. This one really shocked me. Admittedly, I was never “wowed” by Bose headphones when it came to sound, but after applying some EQ to these bad boys, I think these are in another tier. Still, the competition is as stiff as ever these days, so it’s worth checking out my other reviews if you are interested in any of the models mentioned in this article.
🌐
Techaeris
techaeris.com › home › bose quietcomfort ultra review: still the king of noise-cancelling
Bose QuietComfort Ultra Review - Still King Of ANC
Bose QuietComfort Ultra
Overall, the Bose QuietComfort Ultra headphones retain king of the hill in terms of noise-cancelling. I actually will be reaching for these on all my upcoming flights because of the ANC and improved sound. They probably won’t be my go-to while at home, but for travel, these are difficult to beat. The Bose QuietComfort Ultra are an excellent Christmas gift for that traveler in your family. At the time of this review... It has been a good number of years since I've used a pair of Bose headphones. I remember liking the pair I used a lot, the noise-cancelling was off the chart. Now, I finally have
Rating: 9.4/10 ​
🌐
Tom's Guide
tomsguide.com › audio
I've used the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones for 6 months — here's what I like and don't like | Tom's Guide
May 9, 2025 - It remains on, like a constant reminder that the battery life could be better, but Bose locked you into mediocre longevity. Sign up to get the BEST of Tom's Guide direct to your inbox. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. ... There’s one thing I’ll never lament for whenever I slip the QuietComfort Ultra headphones over my head — and that’s their effortless, all-day fit.
🌐
YouTube
youtube.com › watch
Bose QuietComfort Ultra Review - Better than Sony and Apple? - YouTube
In this video, Resolve reviews the Bose QC Ultra, provides a rundown on its active noise cancelling quality in practice, and shares his experience using the ...
Published   October 27, 2024
🌐
Bose
bose.com.au › en_au › products › headphones › noise_cancelling_headphones › bose-quietcomfort-headphones-ultra.html
QuietComfort Ultra Wireless Noise Cancelling Headphones
Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones
QuietComfort Ultra Noise Cancelling Headphones work as spatial audio headphones, audiophile headphones and noise cancelling headphones with a mic.
(4.5)
Price   A$449.95
🌐
Mashable
mashable.com › home › tech › headphones
Review: Bose QuietComfort Ultra headphones are unmatched in comfort | Mashable
Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones
Bose QuietComfort Ultra headphones are the brand's top-tier offering. Exceptionally comfortable, their finicky controls left us wanting a little more. These are the most comfortable pair of headphones you can buy right now. However, there are better noise cancellation options for the price.
Rating: 4.3 ​
🌐
YouTube
youtube.com › norbreviews
After a YEAR using the Bose QuietComfort Ultra vs Sony XM5, here's what I recommend - YouTube
I've owned the Bose QuietComfort Ultra for a year and the Sony WH-1000XM5 for two years. They are the champs of Noise Canceling! But what really sets them ap...
Published   November 28, 2024
Views   3K
🌐
THE GOODS
gethegoods.com › articles › review-bose-quietcomfort-ultra-headphones
Review: Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones
August 16, 2024 - Shiver journeys into Spies to Sparks and I’m sat atop a swing bench at Curtain Bluff, a luxury resort in Antigua, gazing at the emerald ocean giving way to foam. The noise cancellation silences the water and the beats of Will Champion’s drum take me away. These Bose QuietComfort Ultra headphones have afforded me the appreciation of an album I haven’t picked up in a while.
🌐
Bose
bose.ca › home › headphones › bose quietcomfort ultra headphones
QuietComfort Ultra Headphones | Bose
3 weeks ago - Quiet Mode engages full noise cancellation so you can focus. Aware Mode feels as if you aren’t wearing headphones at all. ... Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones is rated 4.4 out of 5 by 975.
🌐
PCMAG
pcmag.com › home › comparisons › audio › headphones
Big-Time Bose Battle: QuietComfort Ultra vs. QuietComfort Headphones | PCMag
November 22, 2024 - The Bose QuietComfort Headphones offer excellent active noise cancellation and a refined audio signature in a comfortable fit. ... Bose’s QuietComfort lineup is more crowded than ever, with the QuietComfort Ultra Headphones and QuietComfort replacing the Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 and the QuietComfort 45 Headphones as the company's flagship offerings.