The $349 Bose QuietComfort Headphones replace the $329 QuietComfort 45 in the company's lineup, bringing a revamped sound signature with richer bass and slightly less sculpted highs. Otherwise, the QC Headphones offer the same Bluetooth connectivity, slick companion app, and top-notch active noise cancellation (ANC) as their predecessors. Just keep in mind that they don't incorporate the immersive audio modes and higher-quality Bluetooth codecs of the upcoming QuietComfort Ultra Headphones ($429). They absolutely won't disappoint if you want to save a bit of money, but they fall just short of earning our Editors' Choice award because of these feature limitations.
Comfortable and Easy to Control
In terms of design and comfort, the QC Headphones are the same as the QC 45, though a limited-edition Cypress Green color (the model I tested, pictured in this review) joins the Black and White Smoke options. The headband and earpads feature a familiar blend of memory foam cushioning with vegan leather lining. The internal 40mm dynamic drivers haven't changed either, though they benefit from new tuning. As usual, Bose doesn't share frequency range specs.
(Credit: Tim Gideon)The QuietComfort Headphones are compatible with the Bluetooth 5.1 standard and support just the AAC and SBC codecs. Curiously, they don't use the Snapdragon Sound Platform like the Ultra Headphones and Ultra Earbuds, which unlocks Bluetooth 5.3 and AptX Adaptive support. Sony's $399.99 WH-1000XM5 headphones still enjoy an advantage in this regard thanks to their support for the hi-res-capable LDAC codec on compatible devices.
Bose SimpleSync is a connectivity feature that allows you to easily pair the QuietComfort Headphones with specific Bose soundbars and speakers. Once you do, you can then play audio from your headphones and the other source simultaneously, as well as control their individual volume levels (including muting them). The headphones also support multipoint connectivity, though you have to enable that feature in the app.
The tactile on-ear controls are sensibly organized and easy to operate. The right earcup’s side panel has an array of three buttons. Tap the center button once to play or pause, twice to skip forward a track, and three times to go to the previous track. This multifunction button also handles too many call actions to list here, including everything from setting up a conference call to muting your voice. The other two buttons on this earcup handle volume. On the left earcup, a single Action button switches between Quiet (ANC) and Aware (transparency) modes by default. You can change which modes are available in this cycle via the app. Alternatively, you can press and hold the Action button to either hear the current battery level or activate Spotify Tap for quick access to your playlists on that platform. I wish more options were assignable to the Action button, but this control layout covers all the necessities.
(Credit: Tim Gideon)The headphones ship with the same zip-up, hard-shell case as the QC 45 and collapse inward to fit inside. The case is much more manageable than the one for the non-folding Sony WH-1000XM5 and the barely-there carrying case for the Apple AirPods Max. An internal pocket stores the two included cables: a USB-C-to-USB-A charging cable that connects to the USB-C port on the right earcup and an audio cable that connects to the 3.5mm input on the left earcup. The latter cable includes an inline mic that, for me, sits at roughly chin level when I wear the headphones. With more people working from home, this accessory seems more useful now than it did previously.
Bose estimates that the QuietComfort Headphones can last roughly 24 hours per charge, but your real-world results will vary with your volume levels. That's slightly better than the QC 45's 22-hour battery life. Since you can’t turn off the ANC or Aware modes, this claim factors in whatever effect they have. The headphones take roughly 2.5 hours to fully charge from empty.
Bose QuietComfort Headphones App Experience
The Bose Music app (available for Android and iOS) looks clean and offers just enough features and controls to be useful. Notably, it unlocks some mode customization options that aren't available for the QC 45 headphones.
On the main screen, you see an image of the headphones with their remaining battery life. A volume slider appears below this, along with Modes, Source, EQ, Shortcut, and Tips tiles. At the bottom of the screen, a playback control bar shows the track and artist details for what you're listening to.
In the Modes section, you start with Quiet (maximum ANC) and Aware (maximum transparency). Any other modes you add (there’s a list of presets you can rename like Focus, Home, and Outdoor) simply blend ANC and Aware levels. In other words, you can't fully disable one without switching the other to its maximum setting. The only other option here is to enable the Wind Block feature, but doing so switches the ANC to its highest level, so it doesn't add too much in the way of customization. Unlike with either Ultra model, there are no immersive audio settings to configure for these modes, since you don't get access to Bose's new spatial audio-like feature.
(Credit: Bose)The Source section shows your paired devices and lets you toggle multipoint connectivity. The EQ section features four customizable presets (Bass Boost, Bass Reducer, Treble Boost, and Treble Reducer) and gives you the option to craft a custom profile via three bands (bass, mid, and treble). This is a fairly limited implementation, but is better than nothing and works effectively.
You can enable or disable the Shortcuts section. If it's active, you can choose between the battery level and Spotify Tap functions for the Action button. The Tips section is essentially a user guide with sections for Controls, Phone Calls, Modes, and Voice Assistant.
Press the settings icon in the top right corner of the main screen to download firmware updates, set the headphones to remember the current audio mode, control how much of your voice you hear on calls, and toggle voice prompts.
Top-Tier Noise Cancellation
The QuietComfort Headphones deliver the same best-in-class noise cancellation as the QC 45. The only advantage the former has in this regard is access to the customizable modes in the app.
In testing, the headphones dialed back powerful, low-frequency rumble to a very low level and cut back a wide swath of sound from a loud white noise recording. The highs and some mids remained audible from the latter, but this is a challenging task for all noise-cancelling circuitry. The headphones also dramatically tamped down the highs and mids from a recording of a busy restaurant while dampening the lows. I noted a barely audible high-frequency hiss during some tests, but this is a common experience with noise-cancelling headphones.
(Credit: Tim Gideon)For comparison, the QuietComfort Headphones are better at cancelling mids and highs than the Sony WH-1000XM5, but they are about even against low-frequency rumble. Both outperform Apple's $549 AirPods Max.
Bose's Aware mode lets you accurately hear your surroundings without requiring you to remove the headphones. However, in the app, you can't adjust the Aware mode level without engaging ANC, let alone prioritize conversations. The headphones also don't offer the Active Sense Aware mode for simultaneously tamping down loud environmental sounds, something you get with the Bose QuietComfort Ultra.
More Natural Audio
Ostensibly, this should be the biggest area of improvement over the QC 45. Bose reps explained that it adjusted the digital signal processing (DSP) of the former with a focus on creating “a smoother, more natural high end” and adding more deep low-frequency response to bring “more punch without [things] sounding muddy.”
To uncover these changes, I A-B tested the QC 45 and the QC Headphones with the same set of tracks. Indeed, there is a notable difference. What stood out most plainly was the older model's more prominent sculpting in the highs. Cymbals and higher-register strings sound brighter, though not necessarily more detailed. By contrast, the QuietComfort Headphones sound more full-bodied and rich. They also have a crisp, high-frequency delivery but sound more natural overall. That said, if you prefer a brighter audio signature, you can easily get close to the QC 45’s sound by boosting the treble via the in-app EQ.
On tracks with intense sub-bass content, like The Knife’s “Silent Shout,” the QuietComfort Headphones deliver a deep low-frequency response. Bass lovers should enjoy the rumble the drivers can create. Importantly, the dialed-up bass doesn't upset the basic balance of the mix, though some might still prefer a slightly brighter approach.
The QuietComfort Headphones easily reproduce the sub-bass beginning at the 34-second mark of Kendrick Lamar’s “Loyalty.” Every single aspect of this progression comes across with gusto and the lows sound powerful right down to the deepest note, a feat not all headphones can manage. The various vocal performances on the track sound clear and present even though it sometimes feels like there's a subwoofer inside these earcups.
(Credit: Tim Gideon)Bill Callahan’s “Drover,” a track with far less deep bass in the mix, gives us a better sense of the sound signature. The drums on this track sound relatively natural, which indicates that Bose is not widely boosting the entire low-frequency range. These drums fall into the woofer range, rather than in subwoofer territory, for reference. Otherwise, Callahan’s baritone vocals are equally rich and crisp. The higher-register percussion details are bright and detailed, though not quite as much as through the QC 45.
On orchestral tracks, like the opening scene from John Adams’ The Gospel According to the Other Mary, the QuietComfort Headphones focus more on the lows and midrange than the QC 45. Both headphones sound bright, but the QC Headphones pack a bit more lower-frequency presence. Overall, I prefer the presentation of the new model here, though neither sounds accurate by any means.
The voice mic array works well and I didn't have any trouble understanding every word from a test recording to my iPhone. The signal sometimes sounds a little fainter and less clear than what I am used to on true wireless earphones, however.
Even Better, But No Longer Unbeatable
A tweaked sound signature, a new color choice, and the ability to create custom ANC modes make the Bose QuietComfort Headphones subtly better than their predecessors. That said, they cost more and you don't get the immersive audio features or updated Bluetooth specs of the company's upcoming QuietComfort Ultra Headphones. You should also consider the Sony WH-1000XM5, particularly if you're using an Android phone that can benefit from the LDAC codec support. And Apple fans will still find plenty to like about the AirPods Max because of their seamless iOS integration. But if you're simply looking for class-leading noise cancellation and don't need high-end codec support, it's easy to recommend the Bose QuietComfort Headphones.
