Customer Ratings & Reviews

These headphones fit really good, out of all the ones i’ve tried these and the Sony xm5/xm4 are the best. The reason I chose this pair instead is because the price and the sound quality. I don’t really like heavy bass headphones, the whole point of spending this much money is for sound quality and noise cancellation. If you want heavy bass pick up Skullcrushers. These i would absolutely repurchase and recommend!

Really good headphones just wished they had more hard hitting bass but overall really good headphones I used them for the gym and you can’t hear your surroundings with the active noise cancellation

Bose has always been known to make high-quality products that sound great, so I was extremely excited to try out the new QuietComfort Wireless Noise Cancelling headphones. While I have been impressed with the build quality, nice sound, and high tech features, there are just a few things that keep these from being a “perfect” set of headphones. The Bose QuietComfort headphones ship in a sleek box, and included along with the headphones are a hard-sided carrying case, a USB-C charging cable, a 2.5mm to 3.5mm audio cable with an inline microphone, as well as warranty information. Inside the package is a QR code that will send you to the Bose Music app that is used to control the settings on the headphones. Downloading was simple, and my headphones were paired in a matter of seconds after I had finished charging them up. The Bose Music app really comes in handy when using the QuietComfort headphones, as it allows for customization options that aren't accessible by any other means. I appreciated that you can easily switch from “Aware” mode, which pumps in the ambient sound around you, and “Quiet” mode, which is noise cancelling. You can also create a custom mode that blends the two, with a slider used to dial in how much noise cancelling you want (or none at all). Unfortunately, there is no option to just use the headphones in Bluetooth mode with neither Aware or Quiet turned off; one or the other (or a combo) must always be activated. I found that the sound while in Aware mode was actually not that intrusive when it came to amplifying the sounds happening in the outside world around me. Basically, it did not sound overly harsh or synthetic that I was being fed in the ambient noise by the headphones mic system. Noise cancelling is also very good on these headphones, probably the best I’ve ever heard. While the QuietComfort headphones use fancy technology to achieve these results, it helps that the headset cancels out a fair amount of noise just by putting them over your ears. With the noise cancelling off, I noticed that I already had a hard time hearing the people around me; once the noise cancelling is turned on, it’s very much as if you’re in your own private world. I haven’t had a chance to use these on an airplane, but I’d imagine they would be excellent at negating some of the annoying noises found on most flights. Now here’s where we get to my first problem with the Bose QuietComfort headphones. The seal around your ears that is responsible for that awesome reduction in ambient noise, is also something that I’ve found I can only tolerate for small amounts of time. The sense of pressure on my ears is so noticeable, that it reminds me of in-ear earbuds and why I have a very hard time wearing those types of headphones. I thought that maybe it was only when the Quiet mode was on, but this sensation was persistent throughout my testing, and occurred even when the headphones were turned off and being used with a cable. The first day I had these, I wore them for about a total of 5 hours, and tried to ignore the feeling in my ears. Over the course of that night and the next day, I had a headache and my ears felt like I had been listening to music at full blast. I recognize that this is something that affects everyone differently, and that some people likely won’t notice this at all. However, I thought I should mention it, in case someone (like me) is very sensitive to headphones that create a strong seal on their ears. The upside is that aside from that sensation (for me), these are some of the most comfortable headphones I’ve ever worn. The headband is soft and padded, and the super squishy earpads are large and completely go around your ears. The inside of the cups is also deep enough that I never noticed my ears touching the drivers or the sides of the cup. Each side is adjustable using sliders that extend plenty far enough for my big head, with room to spare. On to the sound. (For testing, I used an iPhone 13, a MacBook Pro, and an Xbox controller with a 3.5 mm headphone jack). The sound profile of these headphones is very different when in Bluetooth, versus playing with the included cable. On a Bluetooth connection, the sound slightly emphasizes the bass, and the mids and treble sound defined, and thankfully the highs are also not too harsh. What is strange, is that if you push the volume past about 70 percent, the bass starts to artificially roll off as you approach 100 percent. I imagine that this is done to lessen the chances of blowing out the speakers (?), but what's interesting is that when played with the audio cable (no Bluetooth), you can push the volume to the max and easily tell that these headphones can handle it, no problem. While I don't listen to things at full blast all the time, I like knowing that I can raise the volume, and every facet of the sound will follow along. The artificial bass cutoff with Bluetooth turned on is so noticeable, and I honestly have no idea why they implemented it. Additionally, the QuietComfort headphones get LOUD in Bluetooth mode, but once again, with the dimmed-down bass at the top of the volume range, I saw no reason to push it to 100 percent. Audio quality with the included cable is like a totally different headphone. When playing music with the cable, the QuietComforts sound incredibly neutral, with bass that borders on anemic at times. Thankfully, the actual tone of the sound range is great, with tons of detail in the mids and highs, with genres like rock, country, and classical sounding pretty amazing with the power off. I do wish that the bass was more pronounced, but it can show itself in some more bass-heavy tracks found in hip-hop and electronic music. Overall, the audio cable sound was impressive, even if I wish there was just a touch more bass. As for the cable, this is definitely a weak point of the Bose QuietComfort headphones. While it has a mic (that works fine for phone calls), it is incredibly thin and flimsy feeling. Additionally, I didn’t measure it but it barely made the length from my headphones to my side pants pocket where my phone was. It also does not have any inline controls, so you cannot change the volume, answer calls, press play/skip, etc. This feels like the absolute bare minimum Bose could have included with these headphones, and almost urges you to use them in Bluetooth mode. Other things I didn't cover: -There are buttons on the headphones, for volume and controlling tracks/answering phone calls. These can’t be used when running the headphones via the cable (I tried). -There is another button used to switch between modes, or tell you the battery life (via a voice in the headset). -Battery life is rated at about 24 hours per charge, and I believe it. I haven’t timed exactly how long I’ve been using these in Bluetooth, but the charge lasts a very long time. -Cable charging is done with USB-C, so that is a plus! Although the included cable is so short I’m not sure how useful it is. -The Bose Music app lets you adjust the EQ of the headphones, which is nice, though I’m not much on using EQs on my phone to begin with. -Build quality is great, these headphones feel sturdy enough to hold up for the long haul, and all of the materials used feel great in the hand. Overall, I believe that Bose has created a great set of noise-cancelling headphones, with only a few downsides. I do think Bose could make improvements when it comes to being able to use Bluetooth without Quiet or Aware mode; no artificial bass cutoff in Bluetooth mode; and a better audio cable. If you’re looking for exceptional noise cancelling with good sound quality, and don’t mind the few issues I noted, the Bose QuietComfort Wireless Noise Cancelling Over-the-Ear Headphones should definitely be on the top of your list!

Sound quality is good overall, but its a bit disappointing that the base is so low and you cannot adjust it. Also, the volume cannot be adjusted up very much. Otherwise, they work great.

Comfortable, great sound. They are not bass heavy but had a full , great for movies. Ambient sound is amazing...

Top teir noise cancellation, great sound quality with that bose signature sound. These aren't bass heavy headphones so if your looking for bass i wouldn't reccomend these. But excellent headphones none the less!

Nice clarity but not enough base. Not loud enough and didnt me what i was looking 4

Bose really Rocks! I caught these headphones on sale which was great. I took them on a recent trip the noise cancellation was awesome. The sound was good although was lacking bass

30 years ago, I listen to a pair of headphones in an aircraft and wow what a difference. Well, I got these about a month ago and, WOW! Best noise cancelling and best deep rick base in my music.

Best Headphones I’ve ever used! The bass is perfect and hits the way you want, I wrestle and have always used beats but I’ve never looked back!

Clear sound but not enough bass, otherwise light but no matter how much i adjusted EQ i couldnt get sound i LIKED

I don't if others face this issue or not, but even at 32bit/44,000 hz streaming quality, wired or Bluetooth the speakers crack up at full volume or near to the full volume. Bass is average for now. I'm waiting for its burn in time to complete. Let's see then I'll update this review

The fact that Bose is still selling 2021's QC45 at $329 on their website is a testament to the staying power of their products. The QuietComfort series has been good for a very long time, and up until Sony released the WH1000MX3 headphones, Bose was the leader in over-ear noise-canceling headphones. I'm a long time fan of the QuietComfort series from Bose but also a daily user for the last several years of Sony's Mark3 and Mark4 headphones...so, that is to some degree a point of comparison. There are a lot of things that Bose got right with this next generation of QC headphones. I've become more impressed over the last few years when companies provide good unboxing experiences in sustainable packaging (or at least, far more sustainable than it once was). As a person who keeps the original packaging for many of my tech products, I appreciate durable packaging that isn't too flashy or overproduced. It's just right. Bose also still provides a hard clamshell case for transporting your headphones. They fold up to about as small as they can to remain flat. Also in the case is an auxiliary cable with inline microphone and a USB-C charging cable; both cables are on the shorter side but they definitely do the trick. It's also worth mentioning that the aux cable can be used without using any power--so a dead battery doesn't have to stop the music. The design of these new QCs are what I would consider 'classic' Bose, the sort of Ford F-150 of headphone designs. It's a good design that continues to look great despite not changing substantially over previous generations. There are no touch controls, which is wonderful. Physical buttons on the right cup control volume and track/call actions, and a separate physical switch powers the headphones and enables pairing. On the left cup is a single button that can be used to enable noise canceling, as well as provide battery levels OR trigger a Spotify shortcut. It would have been nice if that button could be used to alternatively trigger a digital assistant. They are very comfortable, as QCs have been for generations. They are about 20 grams lighter than my Sony WH1000XM4 headphones, which isn't particularly noticeable. The clamping pressure at my jaw line is a little more than I like, but it's not so much that it's an issue. Most notably, the ear cups have slightly more room than my XM4s, so my ears don't come into contact with the mesh backing. The foam cups feel great and are easily removed (so presumably replaceable). The only minor discomfort comes by way of material that doesn't breath particularly well, so sometimes my ears get a little sweaty. The sound on the QCs is excellent, but not excellent for every type of music. Bose has been strong for middle frequencies for a long time, and that is the case here as well. You're not going to get a booming bass experience, but there's enough bass to satisfy. Middle and higher range vocals shine brightly; audio is crisp provided the volume isn't at maximum. Classic rock sounds great, as would most modern pop music, but bass heavy tracks lack a little bit of depth (it's in this department that the XM4 continues to be a great alternative). Noise canceling is stellar. I remember when noise canceling first came to the QC product line, it was so good it made me motion sick. I've since adjusted as ANC has become pretty ubiquitous in consumer high-end headphones, but the new QCs are just as good as any other noise canceling I've experienced. There have been some updates to the Bose companion app since I last used it, and I'm liking what is available there. Custom levels of ANC can be configured based on your preference, as well as custom EQ settings. The headphones also support multi-point connection, allowing for handoff between devices somewhat seamlessly. These headphones retail at $349, which is about as much as the latest-generation QC headphones have always been. Despite the fact that everything seems to be getting more expensive, these QCs are right in line with previous generations. If you don't already have a pair of consumer-level high end headphones, these are most certainly worth the investment and will probably last easily for several years. Even after the battery doesn't hold a charge (and, it's worth pointing out, I don't know how many hours the battery is rated for), they can still be used wired.

Good quality. Not giving it 5 stars as I expecting a bit more bass.

There’s barely any bass that comes out of these headphones, even when you adjust the settings there was not much of a change. Glad I was able to return these and get my money back.

Overall they were good but I found the bass lacking.