Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen) review: comfort and silence, refined

The original QuietComfort Ultra Headphones launched in 2023 and quickly became a favourite for their silence and comfort. The second generation, released in September 2025 and still Bose's flagship in 2026, does not reinvent them. Instead it fixes the few weak spots: battery life, wired listening and some everyday usability quirks.

Drawing on Bose's specifications, expert reviews and owner reports, this review looks at whether the QC Ultra (2nd Gen) are worth their premium price and how they stack up against Sony's WH-1000XM6.

Design and comfort: light, soft and travel-ready

Comfort is where Bose stands out. At about 250g, the QC Ultra (2nd Gen) are lighter than most premium rivals, with plush pleather earpads, well-judged clamping force and a padded headband. Reviewers describe wearing them for many hours without discomfort, and the pads stay cool for longer than many.

The frame folds and the earcups swivel, so the headphones pack into a compact case. Build quality and finish are excellent. Colour options have included Black, White Smoke, Midnight Violet, Driftwood Sand and Desert Gold, plus limited editions. Some buyers feel rivals offer a more luxurious look for similar money.

Controls combine physical buttons with a capacitive strip for volume, and a shortcut button can be assigned to features such as Spotify Tap or switching Immersive Audio modes. The metal yokes and adjustment arms feel robust, and several colour options have brighter metal accents than before.

Bose QC Ultra (2nd Gen) noise cancelling

Bose's ActiveSense system adjusts cancellation automatically as your surroundings change. Reviewers consistently rank it at or near the top of the category, blocking engine drone, traffic and office chatter with no pressure or vacuum sensation. A slider in the app sets ANC strength and how much outside sound you hear in Aware mode.

A small but welcome change from the first generation is that noise control can now be switched off completely, instead of defaulting to Aware mode, which is handy in quiet rooms and helps save battery.

Sound quality and Immersive Audio

The tuning is punchy and lively, with confident bass, clear vocals and a large, well-organised soundstage. It is fun and easy to listen to across genres. Critics note that the ultimate level of detail is a notch below some audiophile-focused rivals, which becomes apparent on sparse, delicate recordings.

Bose Immersive Audio offers spatial sound in Still or Motion modes, and the second generation adds a Cinema mode for films and shows. An adjustable EQ in the Bose app lets you fine-tune the balance.

Reviewers who compared music files at different quality levels found the Bose rewarding with higher-resolution sources over USB-C, although most people will listen over Bluetooth. With aptX Adaptive on compatible Android phones, wireless sound quality improves further.

Battery life and charging

Battery life improves over the original. Bose quotes about 30 hours with ANC on, 45 hours with ANC off, and around 23 hours if Immersive Audio is running. A 15-minute charge adds close to three hours. These figures are competitive with Sony's WH-1000XM6, though still short of the longest-lasting headphones on the market.

• ANC on: about 30 hours
• ANC off: about 45 hours
• ANC plus Immersive Audio: about 23 hours
• 15-minute charge: close to 3 hours

Connectivity, calls and app

Bluetooth 5.4 with multipoint lets you connect two devices at once, and aptX Adaptive is available on compatible Android phones alongside SBC and AAC. A notable upgrade is USB-C digital audio, which accepts up to 24-bit/48kHz lossless playback from a laptop or phone with a single cable.

Ten microphones handle noise cancelling and voice pickup, and reviewers report responsive voice assistant use and clear calls. The Bose app covers the essentials, including EQ, ANC modes, Immersive Audio and a customisable shortcut, but it lacks the deeper feature list found in Sony's app.

Owners also appreciate the smart pause when you remove the headphones, and a low-power standby mode that saves battery when you forget to turn them off. These everyday details make the headphones feel more polished to live with.

Bose QC Ultra (2nd Gen) vs Sony WH-1000XM6

Noise cancelling is neck and neck. Bose wins on comfort and adds lossless USB-C audio and aptX Adaptive. Sony counters with a richer app, LDAC, a 10-band EQ, excellent touch controls and more advanced call features. If long-haul comfort is your top priority, Bose is the easier pick.

Are the Bose QC Ultra (2nd Gen) worth it?

For travellers and anyone who wears headphones for hours at a time, yes. The combination of silence, comfort and portability is hard to beat. Owners of the first-generation model will gain better battery life and wired audio, but the upgrade is only essential if those matter to you. If budget is tight, the original QC Ultra remain a good buy when discounted.

Key specs

Type

Over-ear, wireless, adaptive noise cancelling

Battery

Up to 30h ANC on, 45h ANC off, about 23h with Immersive Audio

Quick charge

15 minutes for close to 3 hours

Bluetooth

5.4, SBC, AAC, aptX Adaptive, multipoint

Wired

USB-C digital audio up to 24-bit/48kHz, plus analogue cable input

Microphones

10 in total

Weight

About 250g

Released

September 2025

Alternatives to consider

• Sony WH-1000XM6: Matching noise cancelling with a more feature-rich app, LDAC and superb touch controls.
• Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3: More refined, detailed sound and premium materials, with slightly weaker ANC.
• Apple AirPods Max: Premium build and deep iPhone integration for Apple users.

Frequently asked questions

The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen) take an already excellent pair of headphones and make them more practical. Silence, comfort and portability remain their core strengths, and longer battery life plus wired lossless audio fill the old gaps. If you spend hours on planes, trains or in open offices, they are one of the best investments you can make in 2026.

How we research: Reviews are based on the maker’s specifications, published independent tests and owner reports. Scores compare the product with others in its class.