Next-gen Bose Quietcomfort Ultra Headphones step up on sound – but I’m more excited for this neat new feature
Auto-on and improved wear detection for the new top-tier over ears
Noise cancelling king Bose has levelled up its flagship over-ear headphones in a bunch of ways for its second iteration. The Quietcomfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen) gains lossless wired listening, an audio re-tune, and longer battery life – but it’s the new automatic startup I can see being a real winner for frequent flyers already enamoured with the firm’s impeccable ANC.
Beyond improving wear detection (which could be a bit flakey on the original Quietcomfort Ultra Headphones), Bose has adapted the sensors for an auto-on feature that that powers up and connects the headphones to your paired device automatically, saving you from scrabbling for a tiny power button. Take ’em off and they’ll go into low power standby, which Bose reckons could last for months. It’s something AirPods Max owners take for granted, so it’s neat to see Bose bringing something similar to non-Apple fans.
Like the Bose Quietcomfort Ultra Earbuds 2nd Gen, the styling hasn’t changed dramatically between generations. Polished metal yokes around the ear cups mark the 2nd Gen headphones out from the originals, whether you go with the safer Black or White Smoke colours, or be more daring with the limited-run Driftwood Sand and Midnight Violet shades. Naturally they still fold up for easy travel, and the ear cushions promise to be just as plush as before.
The biggest audio upgrades include lossless USB-C listening at up to 16-bit/48kHz, while the new Cinema mode widens the soundstage and gives background effects some extra priority for a more immersive experience when watching videos. Bose also reckons it’ll make spoken word podcasts and audiobooks sound like they’re in the same room.
While the dynamic drivers haven’t changed, Bose has retuned them to deliver deeper bass when you really crank up the volume. High-end frequencies should sound a little more nuanced now, too, and the background hiss generated by the noise cancellation system is lower than ever.
ANC is now fully adjustable through the Bose app, and can be turned off completely if you like. The aware mode has had an algorithm update too, for a smoother filtering of sudden loud noises.
Battery life has been boosted to 30 hours (slightly less with Bose’ Immersive Audio switched on, considerably longer with ANC switched off), and you can finally change them while listening now too. Other goodies include multipoint connectivity, Spotify Tap, Android Fast Pair, and AptX Adaptive Bluetooth support.
The Quietcomfort Ultra Headphones 2nd Gen are available to pre-order now from the Bose website, with general availability set for September 10. They’ll be arriving in Black and White Smoke, colours for £449. Driftwood Sand and Midnight Violet are also on the way as limited-edition hues. At the time of writing there was no word on US pricing.
Tom Morgan-Freelander
Deputy Editor 
