Headphones and earbuds · Bose
Owners keep the QC Ultra for strong noise cancellation, comfort they can wear for hours and sound they rate well against Sony and B&W rivals, and most who summed it up were satisfied.
Sound quality is the theme owners raise most, and it is clear praise. Owners who tested it at home beside the Sony XM6 and B&W models came away happy with it, and one found it sounded right out of the box where the Sony had too much bass for them.
Build quality is a clear complaint, raised negatively far more often than positively. One owner choosing a replacement passed on the Ultra partly because its metal hardware adds weight.
QuietComfort Ultra is Bose's top noise-cancelling line, sold in two shapes: over-ear headphones and in-ear earbuds. Today Bose sells the QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen, from October 2025) and the QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen, from June 2025), with the first-generation versions of both still listed at lower prices. It is for people who want strong noise cancelling and Bose's Immersive Audio and are willing to pay for the top of the range.
Several models, specs differ.
The headphones sit over the ears and run up to 30 hours on a charge (2nd Gen); the earbuds sit in the ears, run about 6 hours per charge, and the case holds three more charges. The 2nd Gen headphones add wired lossless audio over USB-C, a Cinema Mode, better on-head detection, and charging while in use; the 2nd Gen earbuds add wireless charging, clearer calls, and case battery level shown in the app. Noise cancelling, Immersive Audio, and the Quiet and Aware modes are shared across all four models.
Pick up to three. You get a page with just those, side by side, on the subjects owners raised.
Once the novelty passes, owners still credit the noise cancellation, the comfort and the sound, and all three are praised. Owners describe it as light and comfortable enough for long wear. Some found the sound good straight away, and one settled on an EQ profile from a reviewer and now uses it all the time. Owners are divided on the noise cancelling theme and on ANC performance, with both sides represented. One owner who experimented found that a full shutdown worked better than auto-off and also saved battery.
The routine friction comes from the software around it. App usability and firmware updates are both clear complaints, and one owner was put off by the voice prompts and how long it takes to connect. Many feel the full price is too high, so value for money is a concern. Owners suggest buying on sale or returning a full-price pair to buy it again at a discount. Battery life is split, with owners on both sides.
Owners are divided on durability. Some say Bose headphones put up with plenty of rough handling, and one owner wears them over pricier headphones for exactly that reason. Others call the Ultra far from durable. Build quality is a clear complaint, and customer support is too, so owners who run into problems often come away unhappy with how they were handled. Firmware updates are a clear complaint as well.
Long-term accounts of the QC Ultra itself are thin. Several of the durability comments are about older Bose models or rival brands rather than this headphone, so there is not yet a reliable picture of how it holds up after years of use.
From 1 owner account that said how long they have had it. Own one? Add how long yours has lasted.
Counted from the owners who raised each subject, not from everyone. A subject is judged once at least 4 owners raise it.
47 more subjects came up from fewer than 4 owners each, which is not enough for a fair reading. To see how it stacks up, compare it with another machine.
The same owner, asked again at each point. Fills in as owners answer.
Two questions: how long you have had it, and anything you would like to say about it. Then we ask again as it ages. This helps our mission.
More in headphones and earbuds: Sennheiser Momentum 4, Sony XM6, Sennheiser M5.
Among the 1 owner accounts here that gave a duration, 0 described a failure.
Before you buy one used, ask the seller: how old it is, whether it was ever repaired and by whom, and whether any of the parts above have been replaced. Ask to see it run. A receipt tells you the warranty start date; most makers honour the term only for the first owner.
Public discussions we read and summarised in our own words. Nothing here was submitted to Still Kicks.
Counted from public accounts by people who said they own it, and summarised by Still Kicks in its own words. Not a manufacturer claim, a lab test or an estimate.
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