Bose QuietComfort Ultra (2nd Gen) Headphones Review

Our Bose QuietComfort Ultra (2nd Gen) Headphones Experience

The Bose QuietComfort Ultra 2n Gen headphones are a high-end, premium pair that deliver some of the best performance on the market. We appreciated the easy-to-use compact design and case, and the inclusion of a charging and audio cables.

The Bose pair equally well with every operating system we tried, including Android and iOS. It had seamless multi-point connections between devices, making it a potential shoo-in for those who work across platforms with various connection needs.

The Bose have pillowy soft earcups wrapped in pleather that is soft and very skin-friendly. The padding feels somewhat like memory foam, with similar padding on the headband to cushion the top of the head. They were lightweight, easy to wear, and didn't fall off when stretching or bending over.

Making calls is a lovely experience with the 2nd Gen. No matter how busy or chaotic the environment, voices remain front and center with a loud and clear presence. The environment essentially melts away. Some voices sound somewhat echoey or distant from the microphone, but there is no cutting in and out, and they are loud and easy to understand.

The Bose case and compact size make them travel-ready and easy to stow or retrieve from your bag. We love how they are ready to go straight from the case with previously paired items, which means less listening to the annoying drone of the passing world.

A comparison of the original Ultra (left) and the 2nd Gen Ultra (right).   Credit: Matt Lighthart

Both the Bose Ultra (left) and the Ultra 2nd Gen (right) offer superior comfort.   Credit: Matt Lighthart

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Sound Quality

The sound quality of the Ultra Gen 2 is impressive, featuring a beautiful mix across frequencies and an expansive soundstage that surpasses most competitors.

The bass is delicious in that guilty pleasure way we love (and expect) from premium Bose cans; they are a bass superstar. Powerful without being grumbly. Warm, rich, hearty lows that glow with invigoration and emphasis. They still form a V-shaped curve, similar to prior versions, with over-emphasized lows and forward highs. However, for those seeking a dramatic sound signature not tied to realism, this will definitely please. Their out-of-the-box settings are dramatic, fun, and immersive, but not as neutral as some listeners might want.

The mids are a lovely spectrum of color and texture. They create a rainbow ideally suited to the unique qualities of each voice with accuracy and engaging detail. They provide nice clarity throughout the range without getting lost in the heavy lows or feeling overwhelmed by emphasized highs.

The Bose treble is floaty yet full-bodied, capable of a light, sparkling gracefulness while also providing warmth and enough weight to hold its own against the heavily developed lows. These highs have a lush and creamy feel like a comforting mac 'n cheese. While they don't match the integrity of the highest performing headphones, they are miles above most of the mid-range and budget headphones.

The Bose frequency response shows a similar curve to our listening experience, with an overemphasis in the bass, creating a more dramatic experience than our Target Response Curve prefers. This makes it less neutral than some listeners will want, but the bass blends in and creates an enjoyable sound mix we think most listeners will enjoy, even if they feel it is a bit theatrical.

Soundstage

The Ultra's soundstage is wide, deep, and surprisingly tall. There is a nuanced, layered experience that brings each track to life with vivid color, precision, depth, and focused dynamic attacks.

The separation of instruments and vocals is simply stellar, with very clean tracking between the left and right ears. The ability to handle dynamic shifts with care adds a standout quality to building this soundstage. From the most delicate fade out (al niente) to a building, booming crescendo that knocks our socks off, these headphones can do it while staying in their lane without compromising on size or scale.

Comfort and Fit

Traditionally, Bose offers comfy headphones, and the Gen 2 are no exception. These headphones are some of the most comfortable in the group.

If long listening sessions with superior comfort are the order of the day, the Ultra Gen 2 is a top contender. The clamping force is gentle and didn't press on glasses. We were able to wear them for more than ten hours without needing a break.

Noise Cancellation

The noise cancellation is even better than in prior generations, and it strikes the sweet spot of providing the listener with a silent reprieve from the world at large. It is one of the top performers compared to the competition.

The average decibel reduction is 32.3 dB across ranges, with the most significant blocking occurring in the treble range, exceeding 40 dB. Passive cancellation is pretty darn good. We could hear the hum of the fireplace and a hint of keyboard tapping, but it was quiet and muffled; significant enough to be used without activating active noise cancellation if a more subtle cancellation is desired.

With active noise cancellation (ANC), the world melts away. It truly is one of the best ANC we've tried, but only marginally better than the prior version. Some sounds are completely eliminated, like keyboards. Other sounds are significantly reduced, like microwave buzzing and coworkers talking loudly nearby.

App and Controls

Bose provides an app to work with the Ultras. While we found ourselves mostly listening to the regular music mode, it is nice ot have the option to customize the EQ and other settings. The immersive audio feature truly slaps with a fun and lively sound, but otherwise, the presets and EQ maps are largely lackluster. There is a noise cancellation mode, multipoint control to turn off other devices, a wind block feature, and an auto-pause setting. We appreciate that they have finally given the user control over completely turning off active noise cancellation, a feature missing in prior generations.

Controls

The Bose has a combination of touch and actual buttons to control the headphones without the app. It features a touch slider for volume that is very responsive and easy to use, but it can easily become too loud if the swipe is too large. There are two buttons for changing modes and controlling media. We had to look up the buttons as they didn't seem intuitive, but this could be user-specific, and once we did, they were easy to track. All of the buttons worked consistently.

Battery

The Bose has a claimed battery life of about 30 hours (23 if you use immersive audio). They are so comfortable; those hours are going to whiz by, and we wish the battery life were longer, though it is longer than in prior generations.

Once the battery is dead, there is no passive playback, so you'll need to recharge before listening again. It takes 3 hours to charge to a full capacity, and you can charge while wearing them, but the process will take longer. A quick 15-minute charge will provide an additional 3 hours of listening time.

Call Quality

The Bose offers one of the best call quality experiences in the group. While not the best of the bunch, they come close enough to please most users.

Voices in our office calls were loud and clear. There is a hint of background distraction, but it is brief, and it's unclear what it was. Occasionally, the voice takes on a grainy quality, but it's short and minor.