- Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen) arrive today, September 10
- ‘Improved adaptive noise cancellation’, USB-C audio and new ‘Cinema Mode’
- Stunning new colors… and a hefty price tag
Stop what you’re doing: this is huge. The best noise-cancelling headphones for Bose fans (and among the best ANC cans we’ve ever tested, period) now have a successor.
The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen) – for that is their name – join their recently-released five-star earbuds counterparts, the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen).
And Bose is carrying over its apparent commitment to go a bit artsy with the colorways with these second-generation models; pictured above is ‘Driftwood Sand’ (also available for the Ultra Open Earbuds) and below you’ll see ‘Midnight Violet’ (also a finish option for the Ultra Open Earbuds and the newly released 2nd-gen QC Ultra Earbuds) in addition to standard Black or White Smoke finishes.
What else is new? Well, just like AirPods Max now support USB-C wired audio, Bose’s new flagship cans will also work with their USB-C cable for 16-bit/44.1kHz or 48kHz audio quality – and also the 2.5mm audio jack that featured on the older model.
Elsewhere, the ten (10!) microphones placed inside and outside each ear cup are now combined with an improved ActiveSense algorithm for “more precise adaptive noise cancellation and natural sound”.
Better Bose battery life? Brilliant
Even a quick glance at the headline of our Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones review reveals the one area we wanted to see improved: the juice pack. Up to 24 hours with a ANC on would no longer cut it in 2025, and Bose has upped the stamina to a claimed 30 hours with ANC deployed for the updated model (although it’s still 23 hours with Immersive Audio on, ie. ANC and various degrees of spatial audio added to the mix) or 45 hours with ANC turned off.
One nice perk here is that the headphones can now be charged during use via the USB-C port, a feature I’ve loved using with the AirPods Max.
There’s also a brand new Cinema Mode, billed as “a new immersive audio mode from Bose allowing for clear dialogue while maintaining a wide, externalised sound stage – great for movies and TV shows, but also podcasts and audiobooks” (a feature that is also simultaneously releasing in the new 2nd-gen QC Ultra Earbuds).
Alongside Snapdragon Sound support (so aptX Adaptive is firmly on the menu) the QCUH (2nd Gen)’s Bluetooth version is now 5.4, so an update on the older set’s 5.3 chipset.
Should we talk money? Of course we should. The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen) are available from today, September 10 2025, priced £449 – ie. the same launch price as the October 2023 inaugural model.
Although we haven’t had official confirmation on pricing and availability worldwide, if Bose is going with the same launch price as the originals, that would make them $429 / AU$649 and although I’m thankful Bose hasn’t increased pricing in-line with inflation, competition is rife at this level.
For that money, the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen) really really must deliver the goods. Why? To put it bluntly, because the excellent May 2025-issue Sony WH-1000XM6 are $20 (or £50) cheaper…
How good are they for the money? We’re busy crossing the ‘t’s and dotting the ‘i’s on it, we assure you. A full Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen) TechRadar review will land very soon.
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becky.scarrott@futurenet.com (Becky Scarrott)
