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).

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

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.

For the price point, I was really hoping these were going to be my holy grail headphones but I'm afraid they fall short. There are some really good and a few really annoying things about these that I think you should know before jumping into them. PROS: -The sound is great to my ears. I definitely enjoy immersion mode and feel like I'm getting a rich sound from them. As a disclaimer though, I'm not an audiophile-I just like music. -The look. They're sleek and unobtrusive. Not bulky at all. -The auto off function. They know when they're not on your head and go to sleep accordingly. They also turn all the way off after a set amount of inactivity. Appreciate this from a battery saving standpoint. -Best in class noise cancellation. Almost freaky how little of the outside world I can hear if I choose to. CONS: -I have a head that most headphones seem to be just shy of fitting. These fit better than the Razer Blackshark V2 Pro headphones I was using previously (those were WAY too low on my ears), but for it to totally fit I would need to be able to make them a little smaller than their smallest fit. It's subtle but if you have a small head you should be aware. -Charging. Why on EARTH can I not listen to my $400 headphones while they're charging?? In 2024?? This is really annoying. If you connect to a USB while they're on, they no longer use their own battery but they don't actively charge. My previous much cheaper headphones were able to do this, I don't think it should be that crazy of an ask, especially because when the computer is on that means I'm on it and presumably needing to use the headphones and when I'm no longer on it and the headphones are freed up for charging the computer is now not able to charge because it's off or hibernating. One of the top annoying things about these. -Clamp. After a few hours, these do hurt my ears. I actually think even though the Razer headphones were heavier monsters they didn't cause me pain like this and I guess it's down the clamp. That noise cancellation does require a seal, after all. Overall for my needs, fit and comfort was one of my top priorities and I would say if it's one of yours and you have a small sensitive head, these aren't quite the right headphones for you. I'm keeping them, but only because I threw out the box before realizing I'd probably want to return them. As an aside though, my husband has these too and he loves them. His head is larger so the fit is better for him and he doesn't really get the kind of ear pain that I do.

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.

Love these headphones, but man does Bose leave out obvious features. They look great, sound great, but: 1. Can't use them with just 3.5mm jack, need to power them on 2. Can't use them with USB-C for audio 3. Takes forever to start up, 1-2 delay 4. No way to use these without ANC or awareness mode, meaning your battery is always draining faster Sound quality, fit, connectivity... none of these things matter if it's inconvenient and designed to be restricted to how Bose wants you to use them. Too bad they sound amazing and cancel sound great.

Makes this weird interference noise it’s quite annoying and overpowering. It randomly happens. The setting are so basic but yet complicated. The bass terrible. I think this is more for home theater use then music use. Also the noise canceling isn’t all that great either. Maybe I got a faulty one but so far I think it’s the folding mechanism is good I like that I can compact it into a small bag charges fast battery is decent but I’ve wore for an hr and the battery went from 100 to 75. Definitely not worth the price.

These should be more comfortable and the ear mapping tech isnt quite perfected yet. Sometimes theres a rattle in the right ear and occasionally, the set I have will conpletely lose audio even at max volume, and the simplest way to fix it is by plugging the set into a wall jack. For the asking price, these should be flawless and they're rough. The actual sound quality is the only good feature. Not great for exercise, they'll come right off.

I have a lot of bose products and they all work well

Light, comfortable, and easy to stow away. Noise-cancelling is not as good as it should be for $329. I could hear just about everything happening around me on flights, even with noise-cancelling at max level. When I would turn my head or look down the sensor would malfunction at times, and it would cut the sound from the headset. The price point is a bit excessive compared to other brands that perform better with noise-cancelling tech. They are light and easy to travel with, but the durability lacks. Overall- Good, not great, at that price point.

I used a different brand for two years, then it started making horrible noises. Then I purchased the Bose, and the sound quality and noise cancelation were excellent. The other brand provides better battery life and is cheaper, and sometimes I have connectivity issues with the Bose. I didn’t have that issue with the other product. For this price tag I would hope for faster charging, longer battery life and better connectivity.

It is not loud enough. Sound is great. Bass is ok but could be better

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.

Honestly, this pair of headphones were great. The sound quality was one of a kind. It has a lot of beneficial features. Like changing the level of noise cancellation. Having at most 2 devices connected to the headphones. Those features were amazing. The only thing that threw me off is that I cannot turn off the noise cancellation and/or transparency modes. Sometimes I would want them off like a normal pair. And the noise cancelling feature sometimes it gives me a headache. Even at the lowest setting was a little too strong for me. Those were the only reasons that I had to returned them and got myself beats. It’s not the same but at least I can turn off the modes.

I wanted to love these. These headphones are something I had been aspiring to buy and when I did, I was so excited. Then, I got on the bus with them and the music skipped when the bus went over some bumpy terrain. I thought it was a one off thing, but it happened again. I put on my Sony headphones to test if it was my iPod and no. IT WAS THE HEADPHONES. I then tried them on my laptop and the volume was ridiculously low, even when I tried to turn it up. I have never spent the amount of money I spent on these headphones, despite them being on sale, but the skipping was a dealbreaker

Comfortable, noise canceling on the ear pieces work, microphones are too sensitive to use for conversation or conference calls.

They're okay, but they don't even approach the performance of the Apple AirPods Max. There are noticeable delays to start reproducing quick and sudden sounds. When you put your iPhone on standy, for example, there's a lock sound. These headphones struggle to play this lock sound, often missing it entirely (it is never heard). They also often clip words that I need to hear when studying languages on apps such as Duolingo. Also, the quality of noise cancelation is lousy compared to my AirPods Max. This was my first and last time buying Bose headphones.

Sound was disappointing and bass was lacking. I returned them and got the Sennheiser Momentum 4. For this price I expect a lot more sound quality. I will admit that the NC is excellent.

Can’t stop the ANC if we want to completely. Also the aux cable will only work when the headphones are powered on. The immersive sound is great though. They are comfortable to wear in general, although the ANC could cause headache for some.