With the Bose QuietComfort Ultra headphones, Bose created a pair of headphones that block out everything, without it being uncomfortable (like the AirPods Max) or compromised by gizmos (Sony WH-1000XM5). It just works.
The best noise-canceling headphones have since had a permanent place in my backpack whenever I leave the house to go and do like, anything. But then a different pair of headphones came along that usurped them as my primary travel cans — the new Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3.
Which got me thinking: Is there more to life than really really, ridiculously good noise canceling, and has my opinion of the QuietComfort Ultra Headphones changed since I started using them 6 months ago?
I love: The ANC
The Bose QC Ultra allow for silence. Eerie, immersive, all-encompassing silence. With a simple orchestral swell, the ANC initiates and blocks out the noise of just about everything, giving you a permanently blank sonic canvas onto which your music can paint its very own watercolor.
It’s as good as the day I first slipped the headphones onto my head — and every time it wows. I love it! It’s great! But, since I first experienced it, I’ve found some… problems.
The ANC remains on, like a constant reminder that the battery life could be better, but Bose locked you into mediocre longevity.
It’s great that it’s there, but sometimes I’d like to turn it off. And I don’t just mean transparency, or a lowered level with a name (‘Immersive’ in this case), I mean off. So that the algorithm isn’t fiddling with the frequencies in my music, or playing havoc with the battery life. Off.
Yet, alas, there is no way for the ANC or its other modes to be turned off. It remains on, like a constant reminder that the battery life could be better, but Bose locked you into mediocre longevity.
I love: The fit
There’s one thing I’ll never lament for whenever I slip the QuietComfort Ultra headphones over my head — and that’s their effortless, all-day fit. They are light, they are well cushioned, and feature a very well judged clamping force.
As a result I’ve been able to wear them for hours and hours at a time, only taking them off to go for what is supposed to be my half-hourly leg stretch. They’re easily some of the most comfortable headphones I’ve ever worn, out-comforting the likes of the Sony WH-1000XM5 or the AirPods Max.
I don't love: The battery life
Speaking of battery life, it remains substandard. 24 hours wasn’t enough when they were released in 2024, and it’s certainly not enough now in 2025.
Now I am still of the opinion that you don’t need days upon days of battery life. I think 30 hours reaches the perfect sweet spot for decent staying power, with plenty for most journeys. The QuietComfort Ultra Headphones, while better than the Apple AirPods Max, do not reach this milestone of battery life.
You can’t even extend it because, as I said earlier, you can’t turn the ANC off. Instead, you can only make it worse by activating other features. The QuietComfort Ultra Headphones are some of the very few that I’ve ever been caught short with battery life-wise — and that’s annoying.
I don't love: "Immersive Audio"
I am not a great lover of many spatial audio formats, and the QuietComfort Ultra Headphones are no different. Occasionally over my months of on-the-road testing, I’ve re-attempted the “Immersive Audio” feature of the cans, and every time it's fallen flat.
As with so many spatial audio implementations that don’t use the Dolby Atmos standard, it uses a custom algorithm to make your music sound ‘bigger.’ That means using only what was already in the mix, and I find that it only serves to make things sound thinner rather than more immersive.
The battery trade-off really isn’t worth it — 18 hours instead of the 24 you usually have on tap. Spatial audio might be here to stay, but I am yet to find a version that actually makes sense to me.
I don't love: The build
I can’t say that the QuietComfort Ultra headphones are built badly, because they’re not. They feature some lovely metal accents in the hinges, and their plastic parts feel good.
But over my six months of fairly heavy use, I’ve found some build issues. When I put them in the case, for example, I’ve found that the left earcup cushion gets squeezed, and it’s left a funny divot in the foam. Shake them and they rattle like a bag of bolts — something that can’t be said of similarly priced headphones.
As other headphones are released that are built far better for a similar price, it feels a shame that I can’t heap praise on the Bose.
I’ve not had any issues with the synthetic leather Bose has used to cover the foam on the earcups and the headband, but it does feel slightly thin. I am very careful with my headphones — they go straight into their case when I’m not using them — but the pleather feels thin enough that I’m slightly concerned with its longevity.
They’re built about the same as the Sony WH-1000XM5; which is to say fine. But as other headphones are released that are built far better for a similar price, it feels a shame that I can’t heap praise on the Bose.
I don't love: The sound
Bose has never been known for class-leading sound, and while the QuietComfort Ultra Headphones marked a big step up for the brand, they’re still not exemplary. Don’t get me wrong, they sound pretty good in a vacuum, with solid frequency representation across the board, but there are better-sounding headphones for the same money.
The highs are detailed and crisp — the sharp cymbals of Opeth’s §6 are clear, and there’s plenty of plonk to piano notes in Menahem Pressler’s Deux Arabesques recording. The mids are well defined for guitars and vocals, with loads of lovely acoustic body to enjoy in Allegaeon’s Refraction.
But the bass is a bit too much. It’s ‘big’ and fairly uncontrolled. It has a habit of running rampant, like a bull in a china shop. I call the presentation a ‘wall of bass’. Loads of listeners will like it, although I’d wager a comparison with something that highlights the sonic shortcomings will quickly demonstrate the problem.
I don't love: The controls
Touch controls: My mortal headphones nemesis. When I first used the QuietComfort Ultra Headphones, I found touch controls that I didn’t think would annoy me — until they did.
The touch implementation on the cans is a kind of touch slider thing for the volume. In theory, it works well — swipe up for more volume, and down for less. Simple. Until it accidentally boosts the volume to ear-destroying levels, or quiet enough that it wouldn’t wake a sleeping mouse.
All playback functions and ANC modes are controlled by one button.
Then there’s the physical controls — all playback functions and ANC modes are controlled by one button. Multiple presses activate skip, play, and pause, while holding it down cycles the noise-canceling functions. Time has only hardened me to the control method of the QuietComfort Ultra Headphones controls. I don’t like them.
With time comes clarity
It might seem like I don’t actually like the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones — that’s not true. I still really like them and their all-conquering ANC, but my extended time with them has revealed more and more chinks in their shiny, shiny armor.
While the ANC is excellent, I wish it could be turned off to extend the battery life. The battery life itself needs to be better, and the build isn’t quite up to scratch. The spatial audio setting doesn’t do it for me, and the controls are annoying.
The final nail in the ‘into the pile you go’ coffin is the sound quality. I just value sound too much for the ‘wall of bass’ not to create a bitter taste in my mouth whenever I come off the back of something that sounds better.
They’re still a great pair of headphones — if you want the best ANC, there really is nothing better. But I’ve had an affair. A blue one. With Bowers and Wilkins written on the earcups.
My new fling
They peek at me from within their textured carry case, their imminent style and presence tempting. A flash of physical controls, a glimpse of some thick, plush comfort foam.
The Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3 and I have been seeing each other for the last few weeks, and they’ve managed to slip into my heart like little else. Their ANC might not reach the same level as the QuietComfort Ultra headphones, but they’re even more comfortable, and they sound so good.
At the moment, the Px7 S3's are only available in the UK — Bowers & Wilkins is waiting to see how the tariff situation plays out — but should be coming to the U.S. in a few weeks.
So now I have something new to accompany me on my travels. I’m sorry, QuietComfort Ultra Headphones, it’s not you, it’s me — and I am not immune to something newer and shinier. I’m sorry.
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