If you’ve landed on this Bose QuietComfort Ultra review, chances are you’re in the market for some of the best noise-cancelling headphones. You don’t need to look any further — these cut out distractions better than any others and do so while delivering some of the most impressive audio you can get for under £500.
Bose revamped its whole lineup of headphones back in 2023. The flagship QuietComfort Ultra replaced the Bose Noise Cancelling 700, and the QuietComfort 45 were switched out for the new QuietComfort Headphones. For those who prefer a more discreet in-ear design, Bose also released the QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds.
The Bose QuietComfort Ultras launched at £450 and now regularly sit at around £400, although they dropped to £370 during sale events like Prime Day and Black Friday. If you’re looking for some of the best over-ear headphones under £100, you won’t find them here, these are pricey but so worth it!
I’ve been testing the Bose QuietComfort Ultra headphones for a while now, and this is my take on everything from their design, fit and battery life to their performance, noise-cancelling and connectivity.
Bose QuietComfort Ultra key specs
| Battery life | 24 hours |
|---|---|
| Weight | 250g |
| Water resistance | None |
| Noise cancelling | Yes |
Bose QuietComfort Ultra review: design and fit
The Bose QuietComfort Ultra look every bit as sleek and premium as you would expect. You can buy them in three colours: black, white smoke and sandstone. I tested out the black model. The design is simple but stunning.
The durable matte plastic on the earcups is combined with metal bars and cushioned pleather on the headband, the reflective Bose logo sits discreetly on each earcup and the controls are kept to a minimum.
There’s one button to activate Bluetooth and one multifunction button which you can use to control the music and answer calls, then there’s a slim bar which you can glide your finger across to adjust the volume or to access your shortcuts. Bose has again opted to steer clear of touch controls for its headphones, whether that’s a choice you agree with or not is entirely up to you.
Fantastic for travel, the Bose QC Ultras fold up and come with a hard-shelled protective carry case, which is great for chucking in your bag without the risk of damage. Also included in the case is a 3.5mm to 2.5mm audio cable and a USB-C cable for charging.
Weighing 250g with plenty of cushioning around the earcups and headband, I found these super comfortable to wear. I could have them on for hours before I started to feel any discomfort. You can alter the length of the headband by pulling out the earcups, the adjustment is firm and stays in place.
While these feel sturdy, like most over-ear headphones, they don’t have an IP rating so can’t claim to be waterproof or even water-resistant. That would make me concerned about using them on a drizzly or rainy day – if you need protection against the elements, you’ll be better off looking at the best waterproof headphones.
Bose QuietComfort Ultra review: performance and noise-cancelling
Bose’s gadgets rarely disappoint when it comes to audio quality, and in true form, the QuietComfort Ultra headphones sound phenomenal. Whatever genre of music you’re into, these will deliver it impeccably.
The sound is rich, textured, balanced and dynamic with impressive range. The Bose QC Ultras produce a good amount of bass without overshadowing the mid-range which pushes through convincingly, alongside a crisp, precise treble. I could hear every detail of every track, every twang, rumble and vocal was noticeable.
On their default settings, these headphones might be a little too bassy for some, but that’s easily fixed using the equaliser in the Bose Music smartphone app (available for iOS and Android). You can adjust it manually across three bands or choose one of the preset sound modes. There’s a choice of four including Bass Boose, Bass Reducer, Treble Boost and Treble Reducer.
Bose’s noise-cancelling takes the listening experience to a whole new level. At the moment, no other brand has managed to nail ANC like Bose.
The QuietComfort Ultra have three default different noise-cancelling modes to flick between and you can create new modes with varying levels of ANC.
The first is Immersive Audio — it’s a spatial audio feature that makes the music sound as though it’s coming from in front of you, even when you move your head around. It replicates the live music experience while cutting out noise from your environment and keeping you completely tuned in with each track. You can use it on the go by switching the settings over in the smartphone app. I’m a huge fan, it makes me feel like I’m in my own impenetrable world of music.
To go alongside the Immersive Audio, there’s a standard ANC Quiet mode which stops outside noise from coming in. It works very well, with a song playing I couldn’t hear much at all, not even the sound of my keyboard taps. It will stop you from getting distracted in a chatty office and it’ll easily drown out loud underground trains which can reach up to 90dB.
The final ANC mode is the Aware mode. It uses microphones on the ear cups to let surrounding sound through and then balances it with your tunes. It means you don’t need to take them off or pause the song to hear train announcements or to talk to the person at the supermarket checkout. Many brands struggle to make this feature work, but Bose does it very well because you can hear everything you need to clearly.
Call quality is equally as good. The QuietComfort Ultras do a great job of isolating your voice and I could hear the person on the other end very clearly.
Bose QuietComfort Ultra review: battery life and connectivity
Bose claims the battery life of the QuietComfort Ultra is up to 24 hours or 18 hours with the Immersive Audio feature turned on. That’s perfectly fine by me, however, some headphones take battery life much more seriously. For example, the Sennheiser Momentum 4 lasts up to 60 hours of playback.
Once the battery does run dry, it’ll take about three hours to recharge them fully. They have a fast-charge feature so if you plug them in for 15 minutes, you’ll get up to three hours of use.
Bluetooth 5.3 connects the headphones to all of the best smartphones. I was pleased with the connectivity, it never dropped or wavered during testing.
You can use the included audio cable to listen to music through a wired connection, like on a plane, but there’s no way of listening using the USB-C port. The wired audio connection doesn’t let you use them when the battery is dead, unfortunately.
One other useful feature worth mentioning is multipoint connectivity. You can quickly and seamlessly switch the connection between devices, so if you’re listening to music on your phone and a video call comes through on your laptop, you won’t need to disconnect and reconnect them.
Bose QuietComfort Ultra review: drawbacks
There’s not much bad to say about the Bose QuietComfort Ultra headphones. The biggest drawback is undoubtedly the price. At around £400, they don’t come cheap.
I’d also expect such an expensive pair of headphones to feature touch controls instead of buttons (although this is up for debate) and I’d have liked to listen to high-resolution music using a wired USB-C connection. The battery life could be longer too, although 24 hours is still plenty. Some might also be looking for more neutral tuning, but I enjoyed the punchy sound.
Bose QuietComfort Ultra review: verdict
Are you searching for comfortable headphones with class-leading noise-cancelling and outstanding audio? You will be happy with the Bose QuietComfort Ultra. While they might be expensive, they also deliver everything they promise to.
Perfect for travel, the noise-cancelling cuts out annoying sounds from your environment, they fold up neatly and I could wear them for hours without discomfort. My music sounded amazing, whether I was listening to slow ballads or bouncy drum and bass. To add to that, the smartphone app is simple to use, the Immersive Audio feature is impressive and they deliver crystal clear call quality.
If you’re willing to splash out, you won’t find better ANC headphones than the Bose QuietComfort Ultra.
Bose QuietComfort Ultra review: also consider
The Sony WH-1000XM5 are the biggest competition to the Bose QuietComfort Ultra. Most people will get on with Sony’s noise-cancelling headphones because they have people-pleasing sound, reliable ANC and an easy-to-use smartphone app. They’re not quite as good for travel because they don’t fold up, but they are also slightly cheaper than Bose’s cans.
If you’re on a budget, our top pick at the time of writing is the 1More SonoFlow headphones. They’re noticeably less effective than the Bose QC Ultra at noise-cancelling, but they boast up to 70 hours of battery and a comfortable design for less than £100.
