Bose QuietComfort Ultra review: how ultra are they really?
15/4/2024
Translation: Patrik Stainbrook
The QuietComfort Ultra is Bose’s new over-ear flagship. Bose’s next step in the eternal battle for the consumer headphone crown against Sony and Sennheiser. I wonder what features are still to come. The answer? A lot. The manufacturing quality has been particularly improved.
The QuietComfort series has now been around for 24 years, and I’d venture to say it’s this product range that’s propelled Bose onto the Mount Olympus of consumer headphones. Since then, the US company has been presenting new noise-cancelling over-ears almost every two years.
The latest addition is called QuietComfort Ultra. For the first time, Bose has dispensed with a number in the name. That doesn’t bother me too much – the naming wasn’t logical (1, 2, 3 or similar) and therefore not that comprehensible anyway. Bose boasts that it’s combined – and, of course, improved – design elements from the 700 as well as the comfort and technology base of the 2021 QuietComfort 45.
First impressions: lightweight, comfortable and practical
As is standard, the manufacturer includes a stylish leatherette case and a USB-C to USB-A cable for charging. There’s also a 2.5 mm to 3.5 mm jack cable for the anti-Bluetooth faction. However, the manufacturer doesn’t provide any additional accessories such as replacement pads.
Source: Florian Bodoky
In the first few minutes after unpacking, I notice four positives. First, the Ultra is really light. 250 grammes, the manufacturer states. 236 according to my (uncalibrated) kitchen scales – they’re definitely very comfortable to wear for headphones this size. The ear cups are also very large. My ears aren’t pressed or squeezed anywhere – they aren’t even touched. The faux leather tops are also quite narrow – it’s hard to say in these temperatures, but I could imagine that these thin pads cause less heat to build up in summer than wider pads from other manufacturers.
Source: Florian Bodoky
Second, the material makes a stable impression. Especially the headband, which is subjected to the most wear and tear in everyday life. Here, Bose uses aluminium and artificial leather.
Third, the headphones can be folded up, which is extremely useful for transportation.
Source: Florian Bodoky
And fourth, the earpads can be replaced. This increases the device’s lifespan, as disintegrating ear pads are a common reason why I’ve needed new headphones in the past. Above all, they can be clipped on – the headphones themselves have corresponding holes. No more annoying fiddling when pulling the artificial leather across the shell.
Source: Florian Bodoky
However, I was also a little irritated. The ear cups can only be turned to the outside. It annoys me because I like to rest my headphones around my neck when I’m not wearing them. That’s when I want the ear pads to face inward – to avoid rain damage, for example. To do that, I have to turn around the headphones first. But when I want to use them again, the left ear cup is on the right side. Speaking of rain, Bose has dispensed with an IP certificate.
Source: Florian Bodoky
As with the previous model, Bose’s headphones are controlled from the ear cup. If you’ve used Bose before, you’ll know how it works. Otherwise, you may need some time to get used to them. Bose relies on a hybrid between buttons and a touch surface. The latter controls the volume. Even if the surface area is small, it reacts reliably.
Under that, there’s a small power and pairing button. It’s quite far back – if you’re wearing the headphones, you may need a moment to find it. Somewhat irritatingly, Bluetooth pairing mode starts if you hold it down. However, the corresponding LED that shows when pairing is activated is located on the left ear cup. So I was always a bit confused at the start – is it actually pairing? Or not? And if my device was already connected and I pressed too long, starting the pairing process anew, my connection got interrupted. It takes getting used to. Then there’s a larger button for play/pause as well as the various sound modes and «Immersion Mode» – but more on this later.
The app: I mean, why not…
The Bose app offers every control option you can use on the headphones themselves. There’s also the obligatory equaliser if you have individual preferences for bass and treble.
Source: Florian Bodoky
It’s kept simple. Bass Boost primarily amplifies the sub-bass, while Reducer lowers the bass. The treble is boosted or reduced – although I didn’t notice it much. The latter is particularly worthwhile if, for example, vocals are overemphasised (e.g. sibilant sounds). These become a little softer if you activate Treble Reducer in the app.
However, the app is particularly useful for two functions. On the one hand, the Shortcut function. With it, you can set what happens when you hold down volume control on the headphones – announce battery charge level, activate Voice Assistant, switch to immersive mode or start Spotify.
On the other hand, you can create your own listening mode. You can adjust noise cancelling strength, turn Immersive Mode on or off, decide whether Wind Block should be activated and so on. But be careful: the more you activate, the faster the battery runs out.
The sound: bass to blow your head off – if you want it
As usual, I listened to three pieces of music, each with and without Immersive Mode. A few things to consider before going into my assessment. Personal preferences aside, the QuietComfort Ultra features the Custom Tune function. When you press the power button, you’ll hear a sound. It measures your ears and adapts the sound output to their structure. It’s difficult to say to what extent and how much this has an impact.
Second, there are two versions of Immersive Mode, Still and Motion. The aim is to create a three-dimensional soundscape, with sound seeming to come from everywhere at the same time – just like the spatial sound effect. So if you’re sitting or standing somewhere and not moving, it makes sense to select Still. Then it’ll be as if you were listening in the absolute best seat in a concert hall, with sound from the front. When you move, choose Motion. The same will happen here, with the difference being that sound comes from the side when turning your head – just like in a concert hall. Of course, you can also switch off Immersive Mode completely.
Third, if you have an Android smartphone, you can benefit from AptX Adaptive. The codec supports lossless playback while remaining energy-efficient. Apple users will have to make do with AAC.
Keelhauled – Alestorm
I’ll start with an extremely fast folk-metal song.
The song is characterised by an extremely high tempo. In the past, I had problems with other headphones. The vocals, some of which were polyphonic, became unclear and the drums rattled. So I was curious to find out what this song would sound like, and was pleasantly surprised. The QuietComfort took off like a rocket from the word go. Tones are precisely defined. Despite the fast drums and bass guitar, reproduction remains clear and doesn’t blur – individual elements can always be easily distinguished. The result is a high level of intensity that continues throughout the entire song. Despite the immersion, however, there’s no reverb and the sound is somewhat flat.
Heart-Shaped Box – Nirvana
This song is purely acoustic, no electric guitar and the like.
You’ve also got Kurt Cobain’s raspy vocals. In contrast to Alestorm, his voice takes on a more dominant role. You can hear the instruments, but they’re more in the background. While this song is significantly quieter, Immersive Mode provides an intense depth of sound. It sounds as if Cobain’s standing next to me and shouting his suffering directly into my ear, while Alestorm sounded more like a concert earlier. This was much livelier.
Tokyo Drift – Teriyaki Boyz
I want to test what the bass is capable of with this song.
Bose has to cope with very low frequency ranges here. The bass really pushes into the eardrums and continues into the pit of my stomach. So if you’re a fan of electronic music, I’d recommend taking a look at the equaliser. Keyword – Bass Reducer.
Call quality
Calls can also be accepted using the buttons on the right earpiece. Bose has installed five microphones on each side. In practice, the people I spoke to were very satisfied. For me, the quality was also excellent. I set the ANC to Aware so that I could hear myself speak. Incidentally, it’s worth switching on Wind Block when you’re on the phone outside. It filters out annoying noise – and not just wind.
Noise Cancelling
The noise cancelling is definitely some of the best I’ve heard in a while. You can choose from two modes, Aware and Quiet. Simply press the button provided. Quiet mode ensures absolute silence – I’ve tried it out in busy train stations, restaurants and even a club (the stares…). Nothing gets in. However, the QuietComfort does suffer from a low yet perceptible buzzing. Of course, you won’t hear this when music or a podcast is playing. But if you simply want to use it as hearing protection, you’ll notice.
Aware mode allows sounds into your ears via the microphone. Bose succeeds in making these noises sound natural and at the correct volume. Side note – if you change modes by pressing a button, you’ll be informed by a very mechanical robot voice. Why Bose didn’t quickly record this information with human voices will remain a manufacturer’s secret.
If you download the app, you can customise your own modes (see App section). You can also adjust the ANC continuously. If the noise suppression is set rather low, it only reduces higher frequencies. Good from the get-go.
The battery
Finally, there’s the one small drawback – the battery. According to the manufacturer, the battery life is 24 hours when Immersive Mode is switched off. The manufacturer doesn’t say whether active noise cancellation is included in this calculation. With Immersion Mode you’ll get 18 hours. In my test, I was more or less able to confirm the manufacturer’s specifications. That’s not much for over-ear headphones in this price range. The competition, Sony or Sennheiser, achieves 30 or even up to 60 hours with their premium models, the WH-1000 XM5 and Momentum 4 Wireless.
I always ask myself how many hours a pair of headphones could or should last in one charging cycle. Even for me, who listens to music through my headphones for two to three hours a day, one charge a week is enough. If the battery lasts longer, there’s more of a risk that I’ll forget to charge when I really need to. In addition, a shorter battery life likely also results in a physically smaller battery – and thus also in lighter headphones. However, it’s difficult to say how quickly the battery performance will deteriorate and thus slip into an unacceptable range – it’s just certainly more likely to happen than with a 30- or 40-hour battery.
Verdict: all-round success, minimal points of criticism
The price tag is quite hefty, but not any bigger than that of the competition at launch. Maybe that’s why you’ll want to wait until Sony releases new over-ears in the middle of summer – a very likely possibility. However, I can recommend the QuietComfort Ultra regardless.
In terms of sound, it’s in no way inferior to its Japanese competitors or Sennheiser. I actually liked it better in terms of noise suppression. The immersion is also impressive, even if it has a negative impact on battery life. I also find the interchangeable ear covers and foldability important. So if you want new headphones now, go for it. If you can wait a little longer, wait until the launch of the Sony XM6 and decide then.
Header image: Florian Bodoky
I've been tinkering with digital networks ever since I found out how to activate both telephone channels on the ISDN card for greater bandwidth. As for the analogue variety, I've been doing that since I learned to talk. Though Winterthur is my adoptive home city, my heart still bleeds red and blue.
