The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen) are the 2025 follow-up to the original Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones Wireless from 2023. Rather than reinventing the headphones altogether, the next-gen Bose cans add a few bells and whistles, including new colors and USB-C wired listening. Still, much remains the same in the companion app, the controls scheme, and the Bluetooth codec suite, which isn't totally unwarranted, given that what's comfortable (as in the name, 'QuietComfort') is often synonymous with what's familiar.
Our Verdict
The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen) are good for sports and fitness, depending on the type of workout. While they're really comfortable to wear, they don't excel at staying put with vigorous exercise. So, if you solely use them for upright movements like cable pulls, they'll do, but calisthenics and bench presses are likely to cause them to slip free. That said, their long battery life will last several visits to the gym, and their tuning suits a variety of genres. Plus, the case can protect them from other necessities in your gym bag, like keys. Still, they don't have an IP rating, and they're rather large and not as breathable as earbuds.
Remarkable noise isolation.
37-hour battery life.
Very comfortable.
Not stable enough for most exercise routines.
The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen) are amazing for travel. Their adaptive ANC and passive isolation excel at reducing background noise, such as bus rumble and ambient plane cabin din. Their lightweight design and ample padding make them a comfortable companion for long flights, along with the 37-hour battery life. Besides multi-device Bluetooth pairing, they'll also connect to various wired inputs available on flights, like 3.5 mm analog and USB-C ports, while you can still access ANC. By default, they offer a full low-end, somewhat neutral mids, and a slightly darker top-end. Plus, their app lets you change their EQ and listening modes to taste. Still, despite their folding frame and padded zip case, they're not very small because they're over-ears.
Remarkable noise isolation.
Bluetooth, analog, and USB-C audio.
37-hour battery life.
Very comfortable.
Bass and mids can vary on different people.
Mic doesn't work when used wired.
The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen) are great for office work. Thanks to their cushiony padding and light weight, you can wear them for long periods without discomfort. The 37-hour battery life can nearly last a full work week of nonstop playback. Their noise isolation performance is remarkable, but with office noises specifically, they don't fully block out lows as strongly (it depends on your particular office's types of noises). Their mic system sounds decent and captures your voice, sounding more or less natural, while prioritizing your voice above the background noise. That said, the mic doesn't completely reject environmental sounds, and using the wired connections disables the mic too. Still, multi-device Bluetooth pairing alongside USB-C and analog audio grant plenty of options for connectivity.
Remarkable noise isolation.
Bluetooth, analog, and USB-C audio.
37-hour battery life.
Very comfortable.
Bass and mids can vary on different people.
Mic doesn't work when used wired.
The Bose QC Ultra Headphones 2nd Gen aren't ideal for wireless gaming. They're Bluetooth-only and introduce latency, which can throw you off during fast-paced games. They support aptX Adaptive (Low Latency), which is one of the best-case scenario codecs for gaming with Bluetooth headphones, but it's not widely supported and tends to be limited to mobile gaming on Android devices.
The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen) are satisfactory for wired gaming. Although you can use them with either the analog audio cable or USB-C, the active power introduces more latency than passive headphones. It's not a significant amount of latency, though. You also can't use the microphone when they're plugged in, which is fine for solo games, but you'll need an outboard mic to talk to teammates. Otherwise, the headphones deliver a solid low-end, giving enemy footsteps enough volume to detect and locate, clear mids, and a slightly warm top-end. Still, their frequency response consistency is influenced by your anatomy, which alters what you hear, even with the CustomTune tech. They're amazingly comfortable and lightweight to carry you through marathon sessions. Their stellar noise isolation also ensures you can focus.
Very comfortable.
Analog or USB-C audio connectivity.
Bass and mids can vary on different people.
Mic doesn't work when used wired.
The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen) have great audio reproduction accuracy. Their frequency response has minimal peaks and dips, except in the treble, where there are some fluctuations that can sound relatively sharp or dull, depending on the pitch. The drivers are well-matched overall, though there's a very slight difference in the mids. They also have low harmonic distortion, which won't be audible. Relative to our target curve, they yield a somewhat fuller bass, a mostly flat mid-range, and a warmer treble. Their PRTF indicates that they interact with your outer ear to somewhat mimic the effect of listening to an angled reference speaker.
The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen) demonstrate superb noise isolation performance. Their active noise cancelling includes adaptive modes to offer you options to suit different needs and situations. They comprehensively attenuate background noise, making them a good choice for dealing with street noises and airplane cabin din.
The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen) have a decent microphone system. Their frequency response is mostly flat where human voices reside, resulting in somewhat natural-sounding captured speech. The mic's noise rejection is satisfactory because it prioritizes your voice above sounds in the backdrop, but it doesn't completely eradicate the noise.
The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen)'s frequency response consistency is okay. They can sound different between people, especially those wearing glasses or who have a small head. The headphones have CustomTune, meant to modify the sound profile based on your anatomy, and because the function is always on, we can't say how much of a difference it makes. However, low bass and high-mids are particularly prone to variation between people, even if the sound is reasonably consistent for the same person between listening sessions.
Performance Usages
Changelog
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Updated Mar 12, 2026:
This review has been updated to Test Bench 2.1, which removes the Group Delay test and rebalances scoring for the Harmonic Distortion test and Audio Reproduction Accuracy performance usage. For more details, consult our full changelog.
- Updated Mar 12, 2026: This review has been updated to Test Bench 2.1, which removes the Group Delay test, and rebalances scoring for the Harmonic Distortion test and Audio Reproduction Accuracy performance usage. For more details, consult our full changelog.
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Updated Nov 05, 2025:
The Noise Isolation - Common Scenarios audio demos have been re-uploaded because their audio tracks were previously muted.
- Updated Oct 30, 2025: Review published.
Check Price
Differences Between Sizes And Variants
The colors for the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen) include: 'White,' 'Black,' 'Desert Gold,' 'Midnight Violet,' and 'Driftwood Sand.' Our unit (label here) is the 'Driftwood Sand' colorway.
If you encounter another variant of these headphones, please let us know in the comments.
Popular Headphones Comparisons
The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen) deliver a handful of incremental updates to the previous flagship Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones Wireless. These headphones and the step-down Bose QuietComfort Headphones Wireless share the same app, comfortable fit, and fantastic noise isolation performance. An extended battery life, lossless playback via USB-C audio, and a 'Cinema' Immersive Audio mode are available on the QC Ultra Headphones 2nd Gen. The QC Ultra Headphones 2nd Gen sound warmer in the treble range than the QC Ultra and QC Headphones Wireless, which comes down to personal taste. In the premium tier, the Sony WH-1000XM6 are a clear contender with marginally better ANC, more extensive controls, and a better equalizer. However, the Bose QC Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen) are more comfortable with more space for your ears, and they're a little bit better built. Still, each pair have different approaches from the perspective of how people want to experience their headphones.
For more recommendations, check out the best travel headphones, the best noise cancelling headphones, and the best USB-C headphones.
The Sony WH-1000XM6 and the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen) are both flagship noise cancelling headphones with different selling points. With the Sony, you get a bit stronger noise isolation performance (though it's quite close) and a somewhat more excited default tuning. The touch controls are more comprehensive, but some people may prefer buttons on the Bose. For the most part, preferences are the deciding factor between these headphones. If you want more user control over things like EQ, the Sony may appeal. Meanwhile, the Bose gives you some tools to carve out a sound, but some modes are combined or more minimal. They feel very comfortable on more people and have a longer battery life with USB-C audio, too. They also give a more consistent sound if you wear glasses. However, if you take a lot of calls, the Sony might be a better pick, but the Bose's mic is fine for calls, and both pairs aren't necessarily worlds apart.
Depending on your core usages, you may prefer the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen) to the older Sennhesier MOMENTUM 4 Wireless. The Bose, being a newer flagship model, outperform when it comes to noise isolation performance. They're also more portable over-ears and a bit more comfy. Plus, their mic offers better fidelity, which is fortunate if you take a lot of calls. Their Bluetooth range is better, too. Even so, the Sennheiser have a stellar 62 hours of battery life (versus 37 hours for the Bose), and their app includes a more comprehensive EQ. Since they're a couple of years older, you may find them for a cheaper price and still get USB-C and analog audio alongside aptX Adaptive (available on the Bose, too). It's worth picking the pair that more closely matches your preferred tuning, if the noise isolation and better mic on the Bose isn't enough to decide.
There are small tweaks to features between the newer Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen) and the previous Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones Wireless. However, overall noise cancelling strengths are similar, so whichever you choose, it ought to be for other reasons than ANC. The 2nd Gen has a longer battery life, adds USB-C audio, and has less excited treble response. They're slightly more padded, but both are quite comfortable. Their app features, like three-band EQ and presets, mean they share more in common with the original QC Ultra Headphones, than not. The QC Ultra Headphones keep up well with their successor and adhere closer to our target frequency response in the treble (though it depends on your tastes). Both have virtual soundstages, similar control schemes, and aptX Adaptive suite for low-latency or high-quality Bluetooth connection.
The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen) are the next generation flagship after the Bose QuietComfort Headphones Wireless, which belong to the step below the flagship in the QC line. The QC Ultra (2nd Gen) have a more premium build, a considerably longer battery life, USB-C audio, and somewhat better noise isolation performance. Their mic sounds better, too. On the other hand, the QC Headphones have an in-line mic, so you can still use the mic when you plug them in, which is useful for gaming. Their slightly smaller frame takes up a little less room in your bag, and the smaller ear cups contribute to considerably more consistent sound between listening sessions and different people. They share many of the same app features (like three-band EQ), except for Immersive Audio, available with the QC Ultra (2nd Gen), too. Depending on your tastes, you may prefer the warmer top-end of the QC Ultra (2nd Gen) or the much more excited, V-shaped tuning of the QC Headphones.
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Test Results
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