Customer Ratings & Reviews

In 2024, we all know Bose for delivering top-notch audio experiences, but let's dive into the nitty-gritty of the Bose QC Ultra headphones. First off, a bit of a letdown – no passthrough audio when using a cable. You've got to make sure the battery is juiced up and the headphones are turned on to catch those beats when connected with a 3.5mm cable, even if you are using a DAC. Now, speaking of cables, you might want to invest in a longer one. The included cable is pretty short, even for in-flight use. The physical buttons are a nice touch, but there's a minor hiccup – a 4 to 5 second delay from pressing the power button to hearing the chime when turning them on and other unreliable results when pressing the buttons, so you got to get used to it. Connectivity is smooth if you stick to one device, but the multipoint feature is a bit wobbly. It tends to auto-pause music or disconnect randomly. AND, you have to manually switch devices using the button (a bit of a bummer). Let's talk noise-canceling – it's downright impressive. However, calls are a different story. The self-voice feature is a letdown, and the automatic turn-off when not in use is hit or miss. Don't be shocked to find your headphones drained if you forget to manually power them down. A quick note on Aptx – it supports Aptx Adaptive, not Aptx, Aptx LL, or Aptx HD. Also, Snapdragon Sound is cool, but only a handful of devices support it, making it more of a "future-proof" feature for a future that hasn't quite arrived. Now, onto comfort – they're cozy to wear. I appreciate the design; it's not too big or small. However, those flat hinges might play a little pinchy with your ears, fingers, or neck occasionally, and it's worth noting that they tend to collect fingerprints (see photo). Why am I airing out these grievances but keeping them? Well, I'm hopeful that some of these quirks will get sorted with firmware updates. Plus, let's be real – they sound fantastic, and the noise-canceling is the cream of the crop. BUT, if you're not too fussed about immersive audio and "snapdragon sound" (which can be a bit gimmicky), a previous model might suit you just fine (and be nicer with your pockets).

I’ve been using the Bose QuietComfort Ultra headphones for a while now, and the experience has been a mixed bag. On the positive side, the sound quality is outstanding. It sounds rich, balanced, and detailed across all ranges. The noise canceling is some of the best I’ve ever experienced, blocking out everything from office chatter to plane engines. Comfort is also top-notch. I can wear them for hours without any fatigue or head pain. Unfortunately, the microphone is a major letdown. Total trash. On calls and video meetings, people constantly tell me I sound muffled or hard to hear, and the mic also seems to pick up every bit of background noise. Compared to my older QC35 II, the mic performance is significantly worse, which is disappointing for a premium product at this price point. Overall, while the headphones excel in listening experience and comfort, the poor microphone quality is a dealbreaker for me. If I had to do it all over again, I wouldn’t buy the QC Ultras.

It fits better than the giant bulky sony ones and are more compact. Fantastic sound that lives up to its name. Unfortunately it has a weak microphone compared to sony. I tried adjusting and troubleshooting all sorts of ways but the internet confirmed, it's just the way it is. I'm actually getting it from Bose direct instead because Best Buy wouldn't price match it.

I had the previous version of these headphones and loved them. I also have the QC Ultra earbuds and really appreciate the immersive audio setting. While at my local Best Buy, I found a really good deal on an open box set of these in Lunar Blue and bought them thinking immersive mode would be even better on them. That said, I have no complaints on the sound quality or the comfort of the headphones with long term use during work. I DO however have a complaint about not being able to use the audio cable without the headphones being powered on! This seems like a no brainer. Use the cable when your headphones are dead or if you want to save your battery. The previous version worked this way, but these don't. If you plan on taking a really long flight, or if you know you're going to kill the battery on these and want to use the jack, you might want to get something else. Uploading a screenshot from the manual (pg 33 English version) that says exactly this.

My honest opinion is that I think these are overrated and overpriced. The most annoying thing to me is that it has to be powered on if you plan to use the 3.5mm wired connection. So if the battery dies on this thing which it likely will because the battery life ain’t wonderful then you can’t even use the standard wired connection because you’ll hear nothing through the headphones, ugh. I have a portable retro game that has headphone jack and I can’t use my Bose headphones if the battery dies, that really sucks. As for sound quality, it’s alright. Comfort is also good, not great. Although it can be connected to multiple devices via Bluetooth, it doesn’t switch seamlessly from one device to another like Apple AirPods or the Sony Mark 4. Another annoyance is that there is a delay when you power on the headphones which sometimes has me wondering if I pressed the right button. One area that I think it really shines is with the ANC. You can really block out your environment with these headphones and that’s the only really great thing about it. I had Sony Mark 4 before but the hinges were no good and broke with mild usage within 1-1/2 to 2 years. I should have enrolled in or taken an extended warranty on the Sony headphones . I love the Sony headphones plus the app too which was loaded with useful features and very intuitive. These Bose headphones have me missing my Sony Mark 4. I really hope Sony fixes the problem with those flimsy hinges. Anyhow, I don’t like wasting money so I’ll be sticking with the Bose QuietComfort Ultra until they go bad. Hopefully by then Sony will get its act together with those horrible cheaply made hinges.

The sound is amazing. Which expected from Bose. Their ear cushion quality is less than expected. 103 days from the date of purchase and the cushions are separating at the seems. Bose said the cushions are an accessory and not part of the limited warranty....we did call Bose and they are standing behind their product. Just going to be upset when we have to replace them again in 3 months....at the cost of almost $50. To me, crap quality for $450...

The Bose QuietComfort Ultra headphones offer exceptional noise cancellation and a user-friendly app interface. However, the bass quality may not satisfy all audiophiles.

after about 4-5 months of use the foam started showing and popping out

They are better than the older versions . I like the fact that you could choose more than one color

I really wanted to like these headphones enough to keep them, (I have since returned them) and there are some things that I did really like so I’m going to start with those things. The first thing that I enjoyed about these headphones is how light and comfortable they are! They weigh basically nothing. And they are cute. They have a very sleek design. I also enjoyed how I could control my personal sound experience through the app. Mind you, it is a three band equalizer, so you don’t have much control over the sound but it’s enough to make a difference with your experience. Immersion mode was enjoyable, you could experience some cool things by selecting “still” mode and walking around, it would create a sort of “far away” experience, almost as if you’re at a concert and listening on a speaker. I also enjoyed how user-friendly and straight to the point the app was. I would describe the sound as very clean, although I did experience some weird audio / bluetooth glitches. The sound itself was partially enjoyable, I enjoyed hearing parts of songs I hadn’t noticed before and playing around with the EQ like I previously mentioned. I listen to a lot of music, and I enjoy feeling like I am part of the song when listening. Here are some of my issues with the product and why I decided to return them: Instantly when I first put the headphones on, the noise canceling had a certain frequency to it. I understand that all ANC headphones are going to emit some sort of white noise, however these headphones have a very specific sound to them. It made my ears feel like they were being sucked outwards and it gave me a headache. The pressure was personally way too much for me. The issue is that you cannot fully turn off noise canceling, but these are $400 headphones (assuming you add a protection plan, it totals out to be around/above that price.) and I feel like if you’re spending that much, you should have the option to turn it on / off. Because of the intensity of the ANC, it always felt like there was a gap between me and the song. Like the white noise/frequency/pressure almost made it hurt to listen and stood between me as the listener and the song itself. Another thing that I noticed was when I would walk, I would sometimes hear the hardware of the headphones clicking and the stomp of my feet would overpower the music in my ears. I also found that wearing them around my neck was pretty uncomfortable for some reason. It felt like it was choking me so I would end up putting them away when not in use. But, putting them back in the case requires you to fold them, and you have to adjust them back to the smallest size every single time. Going back to the options you have when listening, there are multiple settings that you can listen on - the main three being aware, quiet, and immersion (still mode or motion). The aware mode is the closest you can get to having no noise canceling, aka no ear sucking, pressurized sensation. The issue with aware mode is that it amplifies the ambience around you, so no matter how loud your music is, the voices/sounds around you will also be very present. No matter how low I turned the noise cancelling feature, and it’s important to note that you CAN control how much there is - it still felt too intense for my ears. It seems that while you can control how much noise cancelling there is, you can’t really control how intense it is. When I went to return these today, the man helping me actually told me that he had the same experience, except that after using these headphones for a few days - he had some hearing issues that lasted a couple weeks from the noise canceling feature. Like I previously said, the sound is very clean, bright, and mostly enjoyable (I ended up listening mostly in aware mode in quiet settings.) Something I did notice though, as I listen to a lot of R&B, Rap, bass heavy music… is that the bass felt a bit underwhelming for me. Even when turned all the way up, the bass sounded almost separate from the music. I wanted to like it at first, because I felt like I was hearing parts of the song that I had never heard before. After having them for almost 2 weeks, I just started to get annoyed by this. No matter how high I bass boosted the song, or turned up the actual volume - Yes, I could feel the bass and it was nice and clean but not really integrated into the music. It didn’t get me hype. If turned up all the way, It would overpower everything else in the song after a certain point. As I wrote previously, I like to feel like I am a part of the music and because of the white noise “gap” I was describing, and the bass situation… I just didn’t find it that enjoyable to listen. I read another review saying that it just didn’t “give them joy” or “pack the punch” they needed. I fully agree. Another really important thing to note, is that you cannot use these headphones unless they are charged. Meaning, that you cannot use the aux cord unless the headphones are on. And even if you are listening with an aux cord, the noise canceling feature still cannot be turned off. I think this product will be good for somebody who: 1. Isn’t bothered by this specific ANC feature. I know that everybody is different and that some people would probably really enjoy how quiet these get, even with no music playing. 2. I would recommend these for somebody who flies frequently, or genuinely needs this level of noise cancellation for school, work. 3. Doesn’t mind the fact that they are only usable when charged, regardless of aux cord usability. I would not immediately recommend these for: 1. People with autism. Everyone is different like I said, but the pressure I experienced from the ANC was painful and distracting and uncomfortable. If you’re a person with autism, and are looking for something noise cancelling to help you function… just keep in mind that this feature may cause discomfort or further overstimulation. 2. Someone who listens to bass heavy music. I just think there’s better, less expensive options that sound better when it comes to bass. The selling point for these really seems to be the ANC and immersion mode features that add the extra price tag. 3. Someone who wants to be able to listen to music at any point, regardless of charge. This is my personal experience as somebody who both listens to music and creates it. I also am autistic and often get overstimulated by my surroundings, and use music to retreat into my safe space. These headphones simply did not allow me to fully enjoy my music and so I decided to return them. Given all of this information, I encourage everybody to try out all of the options and make their own decisions based on their personal needs. I never write reviews, but I felt compelled to this time. As for battery life, it was pretty good. However, the ANC uses a lot of battery life. I had a few issues with connectivity, like I took them to the beach and was about 5 ft from my phone and they started glitching. It happened for about 5 mins and then stopped. I also recall trying to pair my phone with my partners pair (we got matching ones, black & white) and it was impossible for both of us to pair our phones with the others headphones. I have since purchased the Sony XM5’s and am enjoying them so far, as the ANC on these is completely different and way less painful and uncomfortable. It’s barely noticeable compared to the bose, and I don’t really mind them being less “powerful” in that way. It just didn’t feel healthy for my ears.

These headphones are rather comfortable to wear however if you have sensitive hearing you shouldn't buy these While wearing them with noise cancelling there is a noticable pressure gap that will hurt your hearing for a while and make them hard to wear after roughly an hour of use They have good sound quality for watching videos or general use, phone-calls but if you buy these to use them and you game, you should look for different headphones, these are absolutely horrible for gaming and even a 15 dollar headset would be better than these, the sound quality is so horrible while trying to talk to people in a voice chat and listen to a game, it sounds as if you are listening to something underwater, very muddied sound and quiet You also cannot control these without a phone, you need to have a phone and have the app otherwise they are unusuable, there is no windows application for these at all, the user documentation is very poor if nonexistant, the build quality is extremely good, they are nice to the touch and very durable.

Ive lwys biught the cheap $59 and under headphones. Even with NC you could hear things around you. This was my first pair of high end Bose headphones. The settngs for where the sound was xoming from was interesting, the NC blocked out everything. I couldn’t even hear myslef breathing or typing. That was the first 30 minuets wearung them. I bought them to wear at night while sleeping. I bought a pillow that has a hole in the middle to accommodate them sicne i sleep on my side. At first i tried just the NC and a brown noise, but my tinnitus kept getting louder. So I put a thunderstorm track on and went to bed, and woke up 30 minutes later freaked out from claustrophobia. Not something I have ever experienced before. I kept trying different sounds and even turned off the NC. But apparently unless my brain can hear “me” it freaks out. Intried three nights in a row same each time. I went back to playing the thunderstorm on my hatch clock at almost the highest volume to block out the noises. I work at hime so i dont need these to block peole out. After them sitting in my night stand for a week without being used I decided to put them on when using the leaf blower. Put them on, walk across the room and suddenly felt like I had vertigo. It went away after sitting downa and taking them off. I started researching online if NC can cause claustrophobia or vertigo to see if it is common or if i was foing insane. Turns out there is a small percentage of people that do have this reaction, so its not just me. Something do with the pressure that can build in the ear canal. One oerson said it felt like their fight or flight would kick in when they couldn’t hear their breathing. So they would meditate with them on until they got used to it. I tried but it didnt help. These were just to expensive to dred wearing. They were the most comfortable headphones ive worn and the NC is amazing. But between my tinnitus getting louder with them on and my brain being dramatic i decided to return them.

The Bose QC Ultra are very comfortable but I have come across some issues after 2-3 weeks. When adjusting the EQ the overall volume always decreases. In fact the volume just isn’t loud enough across the whole device. iTunes on my computer for some reason plays it much louder than when I’m on my phone playing music. Battery life is okay at 24hrs/ 18hr for immersion mode. Wind reduction is very noticeable so that was cool. Still don’t know if all the little upgrades like immersion, auto play, wind reduction, and the new button layout makes the ultras worth the extra $200 compared to the basic qc 45s. Connection has dropped a few times but not very consistently so a quick reconnect and I usually forget about it. Sometimes the auto play feature kicks in and I don’t realize it or it’ll keep playing music even though the headphones are off my head. Tried using it to play video games but if you have multi point connectivity and someone calls you on your phone mid game it’ll switch over to the phone so kinda got a little annoying for me. Overall sound could be better, neutral tone might just not be for me plus the sound limits are too low, battery life is average, and the connectivity isn’t perfect. I will say though movies and anything focusing on vocals are amazing. The bass rumbling in my ears caught me off guard while watching a movie since it doesn’t usually happen when playing music. Don’t know why that is maybe the movie had a better bass medium or the actually bass chord used was more sensitive to vibrations. Also, can’t leave out the amazing noise cancelling. These headphones are the best at ANC (active notice cancelling). So if you’re a student just looking for headphones to study in the library with these will keep you very focused. Others might not like you though if you have the volume too high because there is a bit of sound leakage. Anyways, I would like to try out a different pair of headphones to compare. I hear the Sony XM5s have a nice bass but comfort goes down with them and the main reason I chose the QC 45 Ultras was for comfort. Maybe I’ll give the regular QC 45s a go and save $200 and just lose the little upgrades. The perfect headphone, in this price range, just might not exist.

I got these because i was getting some ear pain after wearing my Sony headphones for a long drive. Quiet Comfort are lighter but not much more comfortable. The controls on the app are confusing and not intuitive. I want Noise Cancellation on or off! Simple & clear it is not. Always struggle getting them back in case. The charge does last a good 8 hours or more. I do like the blue color. For $299 not what I expected.

I love the sound of these — even more than the Apple AirPods Max — but the connectivity with Apple devices is a mess. As a Hollywood sound engineer, I’ve owned several Bose headphones and earbuds, and while these aren’t for work, just walks and casual listening, I really wanted them to my choice go-to for casual listening. Unfortunately, Bose still hasn’t figured out reliable Bluetooth performance with iPhones. The sound quality and comfort are top-notch, but the inconsistent connection and half-working controls make them frustrating. I use $3K Sennheisers for studio work, so I know what great audio is — and these get close in sound, but far from Apple’s seamless functionality. I lost a pair of Ultra Earbuds and had similar issues. At this point, I’m probably done with Bose — unless they finally fix their Apple integration. Shame, really. I wish I could put their sound in Apple’s hardware.

Fantastic sound and bass in quiet environments, super lightweight, compact. Max noise cancelling is incredibly effective. Definitely buy these if you LOVE noise cancelling on all the time. Issue for me: unlike prior versions (I own the prior two generations of QCs), there's a sliding scale adjustor on the Bose app that controls the noise canceling - from completely transparent to max noise canceling. On the one hand this is super cool, but there didn't seem to be a way to use the headphones in normal mode without noise canceling and without transparency (like most other high end models allow - B&W, Air Pod Max, etc.,). Putting the sliding scale in the middle gives you the worst of both worlds. This was a deal breaker for me especially during travel. Maybe Bose can do a firmware update that just allows for no noise canceling or transparency like the prior models. Also had some issues with the Bluetooth connectivity which I had not had with prior models. Ended up returning these and getting the Bowers & Wilkins Px8. The No recommendation is based on my own preferences, doesn't mean they're not great headphones.

I have a set of Galaxy Buds2 Pro. I bought these headphones based on very good reviews, but the volume level is nowhere close to my earbuds. ANC, sound quality, and comfort are great, but i need it to be loud if I want. Returned.

These headphones are made with only non-video music in mind. I wanted these while I played video games, but there was a considerable lagging effect to what was happening on screen. Even watching a youtube video was a grating experience. Again, if you are only using these for music there shouldn't be an effect, just do not purchase if you want to use these for gaming.

The sound if the headphones is great. I use it in and outside, for business and pleasure simultaneously. The material has held up with bo signs of wear. The issues that I’m experiencing are with connectivity and battery life. Connectivity drops and doesnt automatically connect to my device when on. A typical day of working on the computer, i may use it for a total six hours. The battey drains down to around 25%. I’m hoping that this is covered within the GS warranty and hooe to get a replacement.

They feel good to wear, sound quality was great, but they trap heat and my ears get very hot wearing them. Not really a pleasant feeling or something you’d think would happen. If you don’t run hot or plan on exercising in them, sound quality is great.