Product test
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by Siri Schubert
Bose QuietComfort Ultra review: how ultra are they really?
15.11.2024
Translation: Patrik Stainbrook
The QuietComfort Ultra is Bose’s new over-ear flagship. Bose’s next step in the eternal battle for the consumer headphone crown against Sony and Sennheiser. I wonder what features are still to come. The answer? A lot. The manufacturing quality has been particularly improved.
The QuietComfort series has now been around for 24 years, and I’d venture to say it’s this product range that’s propelled Bose onto the Mount Olympus of consumer headphones. Since then, the US company has been presenting new noise-cancelling over-ears almost every two years.
The latest addition is called QuietComfort Ultra. For the first time, Bose has dispensed with a number in the name. That doesn’t bother me too much – the naming wasn’t logical (1, 2, 3 or similar) and therefore not that comprehensible anyway. Bose boasts that it’s combined – and, of course, improved – design elements from the 700 as well as the comfort and technology base of the 2021 QuietComfort 45.
First impressions: lightweight, comfortable and practical
As is standard, the manufacturer includes a stylish leatherette case and a USB-C to USB-A cable for charging. There’s also a 2.5 mm to 3.5 mm jack cable for the anti-Bluetooth faction. However, the manufacturer doesn’t provide any additional accessories such as replacement pads.
Second, the material makes a stable impression. Especially the headband, which is subjected to the most wear and tear in everyday life. Here, Bose uses aluminium and artificial leather.
Third, the headphones can be folded up, which is extremely useful for transportation.
And fourth, the earpads can be replaced. This increases the device’s lifespan, as disintegrating ear pads are a common reason why I’ve needed new headphones in the past. Above all, they can be clipped on – the headphones themselves have corresponding holes. No more annoying fiddling when pulling the artificial leather across the shell.
However, I was also a little irritated. The ear cups can only be turned to the outside. It annoys me because I like to rest my headphones around my neck when I’m not wearing them. That’s when I want the ear pads to face inward – to avoid rain damage, for example. To do that, I have to turn around the headphones first. But when I want to use them again, the left ear cup is on the right side. Speaking of rain, Bose has dispensed with an IP certificate.
As with the previous model, Bose’s headphones are controlled from the ear cup. If you’ve used Bose before, you’ll know how it works. Otherwise, you may need some time to get used to them. Bose relies on a hybrid between buttons and a touch surface. The latter controls the volume. Even if the surface area is small, it reacts reliably.
The app: I mean, why not…
The Bose app offers every control option you can use on the headphones themselves. There’s also the obligatory equaliser if you have individual preferences for bass and treble.
It’s kept simple. Bass Boost primarily amplifies the sub-bass, while Reducer lowers the bass. The treble is boosted or reduced – although I didn’t notice it much. The latter is particularly worthwhile if, for example, vocals are overemphasised (e.g. sibilant sounds). These become a little softer if you activate Treble Reducer in the app.
However, the app is particularly useful for two functions. On the one hand, the Shortcut function. With it, you can set what happens when you hold down volume control on the headphones – announce battery charge level, activate Voice Assistant, switch to immersive mode or start Spotify.
On the other hand, you can create your own listening mode. You can adjust noise cancelling strength, turn Immersive Mode on or off, decide whether Wind Block should be activated and so on. But be careful: the more you activate, the faster the battery runs out.
The sound: bass to blow your head off – if you want it
As usual, I listened to three pieces of music, each with and without Immersive Mode. A few things to consider before going into my assessment. Personal preferences aside, the QuietComfort Ultra features the Custom Tune function. When you press the power button, you’ll hear a sound. It measures your ears and adapts the sound output to their structure. It’s difficult to say to what extent and how much this has an impact.
Third, if you have an Android smartphone, you can benefit from AptX Adaptive. The codec supports lossless playback while remaining energy-efficient. Apple users will have to make do with AAC.
Keelhauled – Alestorm
I’ll start with an extremely fast folk-metal song.
Heart-Shaped Box – Nirvana
This song is purely acoustic, no electric guitar and the like.
You’ve also got Kurt Cobain’s raspy vocals. In contrast to Alestorm, his voice takes on a more dominant role. You can hear the instruments, but they’re more in the background. While this song is significantly quieter, Immersive Mode provides an intense depth of sound. It sounds as if Cobain’s standing next to me and shouting his suffering directly into my ear, while Alestorm sounded more like a concert earlier. This was much livelier.
Tokyo Drift – Teriyaki Boyz
I want to test what the bass is capable of with this song.
Bose has to cope with very low frequency ranges here. The bass really pushes into the eardrums and continues into the pit of my stomach. So if you’re a fan of electronic music, I’d recommend taking a look at the equaliser. Keyword – Bass Reducer.
Call quality
Calls can also be accepted using the buttons on the right earpiece. Bose has installed five microphones on each side. In practice, the people I spoke to were very satisfied. For me, the quality was also excellent. I set the ANC to Aware so that I could hear myself speak. Incidentally, it’s worth switching on Wind Block when you’re on the phone outside. It filters out annoying noise – and not just wind.
Noise Cancelling
Aware mode allows sounds into your ears via the microphone. Bose succeeds in making these noises sound natural and at the correct volume. Side note – if you change modes by pressing a button, you’ll be informed by a very mechanical robot voice. Why Bose didn’t quickly record this information with human voices will remain a manufacturer’s secret.
If you download the app, you can customise your own modes (see App section). You can also adjust the ANC continuously. If the noise suppression is set rather low, it only reduces higher frequencies. Good from the get-go.
The battery
Verdict: all-round success, minimal points of criticism
The price tag is quite hefty, but not any bigger than that of the competition at launch. Maybe that’s why you’ll want to wait until Sony releases new over-ears in the middle of summer – a very likely possibility. However, I can recommend the QuietComfort Ultra regardless.
In terms of sound, it’s in no way inferior to its Japanese competitors or Sennheiser. I actually liked it better in terms of noise suppression. The immersion is also impressive, even if it has a negative impact on battery life. I also find the interchangeable ear covers and foldability important. So if you want new headphones now, go for it. If you can wait a little longer, wait until the launch of the Sony XM6 and decide then.
Header image: Florian Bodoky
I'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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