🎧 Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen) Review: Familiar Design, Sharper Sound
Bose is taking the “if it isn’t broken, don’t fix it” route in 2025. Rather than releasing an entirely new flagship, the company refined its already excellent QuietComfort Ultra Headphones with meaningful performance upgrades. Priced at $449, this second-generation model doesn’t reinvent the wheel — but it polishes nearly every aspect that mattered.
Subtle Design, Smarter Power
Visually, the new QC Ultra Headphones resemble their predecessors almost identically, except for a shiny new gloss on the metal yokes. Some might find it flashy, while others find it elegant — it depends on one’s taste. The soft ear cushions remain as plush as ever, offering supreme comfort for hours of wear.
The real improvements come in power management. Battery life now stretches up to 30 hours with ANC, 45 hours without, and about 23 hours when using both Immersive Audio and ANC together — all up by roughly five hours from before. A new low-power standby mode conserves juice when you forget to switch them off, and rotating the earcups flat now triggers an even deeper sleep mode.
Better Sound and Stronger Silence
Bose continues to dominate when it comes to Active Noise Cancellation (ANC). The second-gen QC Ultra Headphones push things further with refined ActiveSense tech, adapting to sudden sounds more naturally. Whether it’s airplane engines or office chatter, the outside world fades into near silence.
Sound quality also gets a welcome boost. These headphones now support lossless audio via USB-C, letting you stream studio-quality tracks (16-bit/44.1kHz or 48kHz). Meanwhile, Cinema Mode enhances dialogue clarity and widens the soundstage — ideal for movies and shows.
And then there’s Bose’s signature Immersive Audio, a spatial effect that makes music sound fuller and more alive without needing special content. Vocals feel crisp, drums hit harder, and acoustic guitars have a new sense of space.
Still Premium — and Pricey
The only downsides? The $449 price tag remains steep, even if it matches competitors like Sony and Apple. And that glossy finish may not appeal to everyone — especially on the tan Driftwood Sand version, which leans more showy than sleek.
Still, these minor quirks don’t overshadow what Bose has achieved here. With extended battery life, richer sound, and refined ANC, the QuietComfort Ultra 2nd Gen are hands-down the best noise-canceling headphones you can buy today.
Verdict
Bose didn’t try to reinvent its classic formula — it perfected it. The new QuietComfort Ultra Headphones take everything fans loved and make it more efficient, more immersive, and more reliable. They might look familiar, but what’s inside makes all the difference.
Pros:
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Best-in-class ANC gets even better
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Longer battery life across all modes
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Lossless audio and refined spatial sound
Cons:
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Still very expensive
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Glossy accents may not suit everyone
Bottom Line: The Bose QuietComfort Ultra (2nd Gen) is an evolutionary upgrade that delivers exactly what matters — comfort, quiet, and clarity.
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