Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones 2 Gen

Functions and new features of the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones 2 Gen

• Active Noise Cancelling (ANC):From the first fit it’s clear: the noise cancelling remains reference-grade – aircraft, train or office, intrusive sounds are confidently suppressed.
• Immersive Audio:There are updates here. The spatial sound mode brings more presence to music and films. A dedicated Cinema mode improves dialogue intelligibility. You can also link the QuietComfort Ultra with Bose soundbars as an additional “speaker”. Bose calls this SimpleSync, and it also works with compatible smart speakers from the US manufacturer.
• USB audio:The big new feature of Gen 2 – Bose now enables a direct digital connection to computers and consoles.
• Snapdragon Sound:With a certified Android device, the QuietComfort Ultra Headphones 2 Gen automatically run aptX Adaptive.
• Multipoint & Bluetooth 5.4:Parallel connection to two devices, but no Auracast.
• Battery:Bose’s quoted \~30 hours with ANC (24 on the predecessor) are largely borne out; three solid workdays left the QC Ultra with 30% remaining. Via USB audio you can go even longer, as the headphones can charge while in use.

Design and build

Visually, the headphones remain true to themselves: the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones 2 Gen stick to the familiar minimalist design with high-grade materials. Build quality and haptics are first-class. The (replaceable) earpads are soft, the revised hinge is sturdy, and the fit stays comfortable even over long sessions.

At 250 grams the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones 2 Gen is still one of the lightest in its class. The 200-gram carry case is likewise compact. Thanks to a clever folding mechanism, the QC Ultra 2 collapse to a very small footprint and stow neatly in the case – an easy win with frequent travellers.

Operation and app

As before, Bose uses a mix of buttons and touch gestures, and operation is intuitive. The volume swipe on the right ear cup remains a highlight. Press-and-hold on the volume strip can trigger shortcuts you assign in the app:

• announce battery level in the system language (also on wear; can be disabled)
• toggle Immersive Audio modes – handy if you want to switch movement/head-tracking without reaching for your phone
• invoke the phone’s voice assistant using the built-in mics
• start a Spotify track from suggestions/favourites – useful when a podcast ends and you want music without fishing out your phone.

A rear multifunction button cycles through listening modes. Nicely done: hold to have the modes read out; release to select the last spoken mode.

Factory defaults provide five standard modes:

• Quiet– ANC at maximum.
• Aware– classic transparency; music and surroundings are balanced. ActiveSense can damp overly loud noises so speech or podcasts remain intelligible even when, say, a train roars through a station – impressively effective in our testing.
• Immersion– enables Spatial mode; head-tracking (off, fixed, motion-based) can be set in the app.
• Walk– ears open for traffic and acoustic cues in nature; includes a Wind setting that reduces wind noise via ANC (works in light breezes; scooter/bike slipstream and stronger winds remain audible).

Bose does not specify an IP rating, so it’s best to keep the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones 2 Gen dry. You can create additional custom modes; Bose suggests templates like “Workout”, “Run” or “Focus”.

Overall, day-to-day control is excellent: you rarely need your phone, with most actions available tactually or by voice. The app is user-friendly, and the terminology is clear. A detailed PDF manual is accessible via the app on Bose’s website.

A practical extra: over USB-C the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones 2 Gen enumerate as an audio interface – you can enjoy high-res audio on a laptop without relying on Bluetooth. Gamers also benefit from the now largely latency-free experience on the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones 2 Gen.

This is how the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones 2 Gen sound

The QC Ultra 2nd Gen keeps the Bose house sound: warm, easy-listening tuning with a solid bass foundation and gently lifted mids that flatter voices. Treble is smooth and never sharp, making long listening sessions effortless. Bose has further refined CustomTune, introduced with the previous model. The presentation is subtly tailored by genre so the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones 2 Gen tends to sound “very good” most of the time.

The source matters. With an iPhone you’ll top out at 16-bit/48 kHz – which the Bose handles with aplomb. With an Android handset featuring a Snapdragon platform (e.g., Samsung S24 or Nothing 2a Pro), you can, at best, enjoy lossless streams up to 24-bit/96 kHz. Spotify is currently rolling out Lossless at 24-bit/44.1 kHz, i.e., classic CD resolution.

USB audio adds transparency and detail with high-res formats. Immersive Audio brings extra spaciousness; it enlivens speech content nicely, while for music it’s a matter of taste. Bose relies on in-house processing rather than Dolby Atmos here.

Our listening spanned on-the-go with and without ANC, quiet rooms with high-res material via USB-C, and a range of genres (classical, jazz, electronica, rock/pop). Isabelle Faust’s Bach Violin Concerto in 24-bit/96 kHz (Qobuz over USB audio) was a joy – with ANC on, the Bose transported me from office clatter to the concert hall. The headphones handle the nuances of great classical recordings with poise. Keith Jarrett’s piano on “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” (New Vienna live, 24-bit/48 kHz stream) shone via the Bose flagship.

Bose fans celebrate the compact, punchy bass. Personally, for electronica and rock/pop it can be a touch too forward (e.g., “Music Hit You” with Jah Batt from our Spotify playlist). A small bass cut helps, though it can sap some midrange body – and fiddling with the EQ on every track isn’t ideal. Still, sound is subjective, and to the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones 2 Gen’s credit, its core character delivers delight across genres; with its various modes and immersive option there’s something for most tastes.

In Cinema mode the performance was similarly assured. Flicking through a few favourite Netflix series on an iPad, dialogue clarity improved with Cinema enabled. Not only paired to a Bose soundbar on a TV, but also in a “tablet cinema” setup, the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones 2 Gen will please cinephiles. The ANC (and the different transparency modes) is top-tier and, even in extreme situations like busy tram rides, repeatedly impressed with its effectiveness.

Lastly, calls: video and audio calls worked flawlessly, and Multipoint made juggling devices painless. Incoming iPhone calls muted a laptop stream and could be answered reliably via the right-hand button.

Conclusion

The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones 2 Gen build sensibly on the strengths of the first generation: superb ANC, high comfort and an agreeable, musical tuning. USB audio is the headline addition for audiophiles and gamers. If you already own Gen 1, you don’t have to rush to upgrade. If you’re shopping for a new premium headset that also excels as a travel companion, the QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen) are among the best options available.