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Tech · Bose · 2023

Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones

The most convincing low-frequency isolation here, wrapped in the most comfortable clamp.

Noise-cancelling headphones, scored on five axes#2

Overall

8.1

out of 10

Axis scores

Tech is scored on these 5 axes. The total is their plain average — nothing is weighted.

Average of 5 axes

8.1/10

Performance
9.0
Value
6.9
Durability
7.8
Ease of use
8.4
Design
8.4
  • Performance — How well it does the core job
  • Value — What the same money buys elsewhere
  • Durability — Failure and fade reports past the one-year mark
  • Ease of use — Setup, daily operation, cleaning, maintenance
  • Design — Build quality and how it sits in a room

Specs

Type
Over-ear, closed
Codecs
SBC, AAC, aptX Adaptive
Battery
About 24 hrs with ANC on
Folding
Folds flat and inward

As published by the manufacturer. We didn't measure these ourselves.

Is it for you

Buy it if

  • Aircraft cabins and train carriages are your normal listening environment
  • You wear headphones for six hours at a stretch
  • Glasses make most clamping headbands unbearable

Skip it if

  • You want deep EQ control rather than presets
  • aptX is irrelevant to you and the premium is hard to justify

Bose has always tuned for the sensation of pressure disappearing rather than for measured attenuation across the spectrum, and that is exactly what makes cabin noise vanish. Owner reports on comfort are close to unanimous, which matters more than a decibel figure on a nine-hour flight.

What you give up is control. The app offers modes rather than curves, and the immersive audio processing is either a feature you like or one you switch off within a week.

Last updated . The scoring method is on how we rank.