Bose QuietComfort headphones (2nd Gen) vs. QuietComfort Ultra 2: what are the differences?
9.9.2026
Translation: Katherine Martin
Pictures: Florian Bodoky
Bose has upgraded its QuietComfort headphones with «ultra» features, including increased comfort and good active noise cancellation. On the flipside, this involves compromises on build quality, codecs and battery life.
Bose has given its QuietComfort line an upgrade. Despite being lighter and more affordable, the second-gen QuietComfort headphones now have some of the features of the premium model, the QC Ultra 2nd Gen.
There’s a reason for the additional plastic
Taking the headphones out of their case, it’s immediately noticeable that Bose has cut corners on the materials – unlike with the Ultra. Like with their predecessor, the entire housing is made of plastic. As a result, the Ultra, with its glossy, aluminium headband and slightly matt ear cups comes out looking pretty good in comparison. The housing on both pairs of headphones is less stiff than that of competing models, which could be a downside if you tend to handle your headphones a little roughly. On the other hand, it does make them really comfortable, as they don’t dig into your skin as much. Conveniently, the headphones are completely foldable, which helps when you’re carrying them around.
Another plus point of the extra plastic used in the QC 2? The headphones weigh just 230 grammes, so they’re nice and light – something I’m especially glad of during long listening sessions. The headband and ear cups are also very generously padded. In fact, Bose has apparently added an extra gramme or two of foam to the headband, making it more comfortable. Although the padding isn’t any wider, it extends further down the headband, cushioning a larger surface area.
On the outer part of the headband (also made of plastic), Bose has got rid of the set size notches. Depending on how precise you like to be when adjusting your headphones, you might see this as a downside. As is the case with the Ultra model, Bose has opted not to pursue IP certification. With this in mind, it’s unclear how the headphones fare when they’re exposed to water and dust.
Goodbye, troublesome touch controls! Hello, button overload!
While Bose has kept the Ultra headphones’ buttons minimal and added touch controls, the QC 2’s trump card is their physical buttons. Generally speaking, I like real buttons. They’re handy in winter when you’re wearing gloves and it’s dark. By contrast, when using the QC Ultra 2’s precise but narrow touch bar, the headphones occasionally registered false input from my fingers. That being said, there are too many buttons on the QC 2. Four, plus a slide switch, to be precise. They’re also distributed across both ear cups. It takes a while before you get to grips with which button on which side does what. Couldn’t Bose have gone down the route of fewer buttons and multiple pressing combinations?
On the bright side, there’s the app. It’s neatly organised and easy to follow. You can use it to check the headphones’ battery level, switch between ANC and transparency mode, manage Bluetooth connections and access all sorts of other features. However, the EQ only has three controls: bass, midrange and treble, as well as a few presets. You won’t find an 8-band or even a 10-band EQ here.
There’s also an immersive audio feature, carried over from the Ultra. If you’re just sitting still – say, on the train – you select Still. If you’re on the move, you select Motion. In Motion, there’s a head-tracking mode that detects your head movements and adjusts the sound accordingly.
In the app, you can also freely adjust the noise cancellation level. Interestingly, setting ANC to zero activates transparency mode. Simply turning off active noise cancellation means you still hear sounds around you, but at a reduced level due to the natural sound-blocking effect of the ear cups. It’s a little cumbersome, but definitely useful.
Warm and powerful, with plenty of bass
In their default settings, the QuietComfort 2nd Gen headphones deliver a warm, bass-heavy sound with a wide, though not particularly high, soundstage. Although the bass is prominent, it’s neutral and rarely overwhelming. In addition, there’s a bass boost preset in the app. This strengthens the bass, but not at the expense of other frequencies.
The mids are slightly subdued by default; some vocals sound less present, as if they’ve been made to take a backseat to other sounds. When that happens, it’s worth turning on Immersive Mode. This makes the overall sound, including vocals, more vibrant. It also allows you to hear more detail in the higher registers.
When it comes to trebles, it’s a mixed picture. Measurements taken by various experts show a few minor deviations from the neutral Harman Curve. The peaks are most prominent between nine and 14 kHz. Put simply, that means the headphones are louder at these frequencies than the curve indicates. So that frequency range is reproduced slightly more strongly. You probably wouldn’t notice it during everyday listening. The high notes never sound shrill. You may also notice more bass and softer mids – more specifically when you turn off ANC.
Noise-free, few codecs
When it comes to ANC, Bose is, as always, on top form. The feature is particularly effective in the low-frequency range. Wearing the headphones day to day makes even noisy train stations quiet, giving me a little slice of peace at the main stations in both Zurich and Berlin. Neither voices nor trains pulling into the station interfered with my enjoyment of my music. The noise of my surroundings melted away almost completely. The headphones’ natural noise suppression works well without ANC too. You can still hear high-frequency noises, especially when they’re sudden. However, they’re hardly noticeable because they’re so quiet.
With ANC activated, the QC 2 headphones last up to 24 hours. If you turn on Immersive Audio too, the battery life drops to 18 hours. While that’s enough for day-to-day listening, even for two days, it’s still way behind the competition. The king of battery life, the Sennheiser Momentum 5 Wireless, for instance, has blazed ahead of its US rivals, offering up to 90 hours of runtime with ANC turned off and 57 hours with ANC turned on. The QC Ultra 2 headphones’ battery lasts 30 hours and has a better fast-charging function than the Ultra. Fifteen minutes of charging time buys you four hours of runtime. With the QC 2, you only get two and a half hours for the same amount of charging time.
I wasn’t quite as impressed with Bose’s Aware Mode. Generally, it does work well; the sound of the outside world reaches your ears in a pleasant, natural way, without seeming artificially amplified. Sharp, very shrill sounds are slightly softened at higher pitches, making them gentler on the ears. One familiar drawback of the feature is its sensitivity to wind, especially when riding a bike. It gets in the way of listening to music or talking on the phone. If you create a custom mode in the app, you can activate a Wind Block function. However, you then need to keep ANC turned on. In which case, hopping on your bike probably wouldn’t be the greatest idea. It’s a trade-off you’ll simply have to live with.
The headphones support Bluetooth 5.4 with Multipoint. When it comes to codecs, however, you’ll have to make do with AAC and SBC. Although fine for day-to-day use, this is exactly where the Ultra version, with aptX Adaptive, has the edge. Once you factor cables into the mix, things get very interesting. Bose has declined to give the headphones a good old jack, instead including a USB-C-only cable and a 3.5 mm-to-USB-C cable. This transmits audio losslessly at up to 24 bits/48 kHz. It also works as a line-in for Teams calls. You listen and speak through the same cable.
In a nutshell
So good...and yet, there aren’t many reasons to buy them
I’m having a hard time with the Bose QuietComfort (2nd Gen) headphones. Sure, they’re comfortable, have stellar ANC and produce warm, impressive sound during long listening sessions. And they get extra brownie points for their comfortable headband and USB-C audio. Plus, I like the slightly complicated ANC app controls and the Immersive Audio feature. But is that enough for them to go toe to toe with the higher-end QC Ultra 2? Especially when you consider that the Ultra headphones aren’t much more expensive than the new QC 2nd Gen these days. Well, I’ve got a straightforward answer for you. If you dislike touch controls but really value comfort, then yes. If extra battery life and build quality are your main priorities, then no.
Pro
- Stellar sound
- Comfortable
- Interesting features, including head tracking
Contra
- Few codecs
- No jack
- Battery life way behind the competition
Header image: Florian Bodoky
Florian Bodoky
Senior Editor
Florian.Bodoky@digitecgalaxus.chI've been tinkering with digital networks ever since I found out how to activate both telephone channels on the ISDN card for greater bandwidth. As for the analogue variety, I've been doing that since I learned to talk. Though Winterthur is my adoptive home city, my heart still bleeds red and blue.
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