Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen) vs Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones

Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen)

Noise cancellation remains the QC Ultra's headline strength — adaptive ANC that reviewers repeatedly call best-in-class for travel and the office, measured at an 87% reduction in perceived outside loudness. The new option to switch ANC fully off is the main functional change; transparency (Aware) mode is good but lacks Sony's automatic talk-detection.

• Six months on, the noise cancellation is still without question the best the reviewer has heard on any pair of headphones tested.
• Lab testing measured the QC Ultra 2 reducing the perceived loudness of outside noise by an average of about 87% — a slight improvement on the original's ~85%.
• On a plane, the ANC easily reduces the 80-85 dB cruising hum of a jet engine to barely a background murmur, though there is sometimes a half-to-full-second delay before it fully clamps a sudden 100+ dB takeoff spike.
• Bose stays top of the tree with Sony when it comes to ANC headphones — the second gen keeps that crown.
• Switching ANC fully off is a new capability the first generation never had — and it is what unlocks the headline 45-hour battery figure.
• The big remaining gap versus Sony: with Bose you must press a button to switch into Aware/transparency mode, where Sony detects when you talk and does it automatically — owners call that a dealbreaker.
• Owner experience is nuanced: the ANC is fantastic on consistent noise like trains and buses, but less convincing against sudden, unexpected sounds.

Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones

Bose reclaims the ANC crown with the best noise cancellation available in consumer headphones.

• The ANC is the best I've experienced — airplane cabin noise, office chatter, and street sounds are effectively eliminated.
• Bose edges out Sony by a slim margin in ANC performance, particularly with low-frequency rumble.

Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen)

Comfort is a near-universal win — a light ~262g build, soft glasses-friendly pads and low clamping force make these one of the easiest flagship ANC headphones to wear all day. The design, dimensions and case are carried over unchanged from Gen 1, with only updated leather-style materials and a slightly more premium feel.

• After two months of daily use these are the best-feeling headphones the reviewer owns — wearable for very long stretches where many headphones get uncomfortable after two hours.
• The headphones weigh in at 262g — lightweight for a pair of premium ANC over-ears, where rivals often sit between 280 and 300g.
• Around 260g with a soft-padded headband, the ear cups fold inward on a proper hinge and drop into a hard-shell carry case with a magnetic clasp.
• The ear cups fold in, making the case significantly more compact than much of the competition — a real win for regular travellers.
• Bose has stepped up the build with aluminium elements and sturdier plastics while keeping the headphones light — a long-standing critique partially addressed.
• This is an iterative refresh: the dimensions, case and controls are identical to Gen 1, with the changes limited to a slightly different leather-style material and what Bose calls an updated design.
• RecordingNOW measured Gen 2 at 262g, around 8g heavier than the Gen 1 it tested — still light, but not a weight reduction.
• Reddit owners back up the comfort: they fit super nicely and are really light, with leather and build quality that feel top-notch and premium.
• The pads do not have the thickest foam, so passive (ANC-off) noise blocking isn't class-leading, and warm weather can mean airing the cups out occasionally.

Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones

Premium build and excellent comfort, though slightly heavier than the previous generation.

• These are incredibly comfortable for multi-hour listening sessions — the protein leather earpads are plush.
• They're noticeably heavier than the QC45 — I felt it after 3+ hours of continuous wear.