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Bose
Bose QuietComfort Ultra (1st gen)
Bose's new top-of-the-line headphones are a welcome upgrade over past models.
Noise Isolation / ANC & sound
6.5/ 10
6.5
0.010.0
A 6.5 puts its noise isolation / ANC in the top half of over-ear headphones we've measured.
Measured on 86 of the 240 we've cataloged.
4.6/ 5
SoundMDAQS Overall4.6
1.05.0
A 4.6 puts its audio quality in the top quarter of over-ear headphones we've measured.
Measured on 44 of the 240 we've cataloged.
Key specs
Battery Life Wireless
27.62 hBelow average27.62 h
11 h100 h
below average for over-ear headphones — based on 150 of 240 we've cataloged.
Charging Method
USB-CMost commonUsb-c87%Micro usb10%Others3%
Usb-c is the most common — on 87% of the 135 over-ear headphones we've cataloged (of 240).
Bluetooth Version
5.3Most common5.326%520%5.218%5.411%
5.3 is the most common — on 26% of the 145 over-ear headphones we've cataloged (of 240).
Connection Type
Most commonWired-3.5mm48%Bluetooth44%Wired-usb-c7%Others1%
Bluetooth is the most common — on 44% of the 215 over-ear headphones we've cataloged (of 240).
Battery
- Battery Life Wireless
- 27.62 h
- Charging Method
- USB-C
- Full Charge Minutes
- 15 min
- Battery Life Anc On
- 18 h
- Battery
- Yes
- Fast Charging
- Yes
Connectivity
- Bluetooth Version
- 5.3
- Connection Type
- Bluetooth, wired-3.5mm
- Bluetooth Codec
- AptX Lossless
- Multipoint Devices
- Yes - 2 devices
- Headphone Jack
- Yes
- USB Charging
- Yes
Design
- Weight
- 250 g
- Color Options
- Black, white smoke
- Ear Pad Type
- Memory foam
- Foldable
- Yes
- Headband Type
- Adjustable over-head
Features
- Spatial Audio
- Yes
- Companion App
- Yes
- Control Type
- Physical buttons and touch-sensitive
- Eq Customization
- Presets only
- Auto Pause
- Yes
- Voice Assistant Support
- Google Assistant, Alexa
Build
- IP Rating
- None
- Material Chassis Primary
- Metal frame with plastic and pleather
- Water Resistance
- Yes
- Material Ear Cups
- Memory foam, leather
- Material Headband
- Aluminum with leather padding
Sound
- Acoustic Design
- Closed-back
- Ambient Mode
- Yes - adjustable level
- Anc Modes
- Off,anc,transparency,adaptive
- Driver Size
- 35 mm
- Driver Type
- Dynamic driver
- Noise Cancellation Type
- Active
Identity
- Model Number
- QuietComfort Ultra
Microphone
- Microphone
- Yes
- Type
- Microphone array
Release
- Msrp Usd
- 429 USD
SoundGuys review
Read the full review ›Noise cancelling8.5
Isolation6.5
Battery life9.5
Comfort & fit9.0
Connectivity9.5
Design8.0
The verdict
The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones are a credible step up from previous Bose ANC headphones, and they're built to hang tough with the competition for years into the future. No waterproofing is a bit of a letdown, but these headphones have the technical chops to make most quite happy.
✓What we like
✓Great ANC
✓Good passthrough mode
✓Snapdragon Sound
✓aptX Lossless
✕What could be better
✕Price
✕No IP rating
✕Immersive audio
✕Some channel matching issues
Lab data
How we test ›Objective measurements from the SoundGuys test lab — overlay other models to see how this one compares.
Bose QuietComfort Ultra (1st gen)SoundGuys Headphone Preference Curve
Measured frequency response (dB) against the SoundGuys house target — the dashed curve. The closer the measured line tracks the target, the more neutral the tuning; peaks ride above the target, dips fall below it.
Frequency response — measurement data
| Frequency (Hz) | Response (dB) |
|---|---|
| 20 | 6.0 |
| 25 | 8.2 |
| 32 | 9.1 |
| 40 | 8.2 |
| 50 | 6.7 |
| 63 | 4.9 |
| 80 | 4.2 |
| 100 | 3.4 |
| 125 | 2.1 |
| 160 | 0.3 |
| 200 | -0.9 |
| 250 | -2.0 |
| 315 | -2.7 |
| 400 | -3.1 |
| 500 | -2.9 |
| 630 | -2.1 |
| 800 | -1.6 |
| 1000 | -0.1 |
| 1250 | 3.3 |
| 1600 | 2.8 |
| 2000 | 3.0 |
| 2500 | 5.5 |
| 3150 | 4.5 |
| 4000 | 4.5 |
| 5000 | 2.6 |
| 6300 | 4.9 |
| 8000 | 2.9 |
| 10000 | 1.5 |
| 12500 | -2.3 |
| 16000 | -11.0 |
| 20000 | -19.6 |
Bose QuietComfort Ultra (1st gen)
Passive isolation (dB) with ANC off — how much ambient noise the fit blocks on its own. Higher on the chart means more attenuation.
Passive isolation — measurement data
| Frequency (Hz) | Attenuation (dB) |
|---|---|
| 21 | -2.8 |
| 26 | 2.2 |
| 33 | 0.3 |
| 41 | 0.5 |
| 52 | 0.3 |
| 65 | -1.1 |
| 82 | -2.9 |
| 103 | -4.4 |
| 130 | -4.0 |
| 163 | 1.3 |
| 205 | 4.0 |
| 259 | 8.7 |
| 325 | 11.7 |
| 410 | 11.1 |
| 516 | 11.9 |
| 613 | 14.1 |
| 772 | 19.7 |
| 972 | 18.8 |
| 1220 | 21.3 |
| 1540 | 19.7 |
| 1940 | 24.6 |
| 2440 | 26.4 |
| 3070 | 24.7 |
| 3870 | 29.4 |
| 4870 | 40.2 |
| 6130 | 41.1 |
| 7720 | 51.0 |
| 9720 | 47.8 |
| 12200 | 46.7 |
| 15400 | 49.6 |
| 19400 | 36.2 |
Bose QuietComfort Ultra (1st gen)
Total attenuation (dB) with ANC on — passive isolation plus active noise cancelling. Higher on the chart means more attenuation.
Noise cancelling — measurement data
| Frequency (Hz) | Total attenuation (dB) |
|---|---|
| 21 | 9.1 |
| 26 | 13.1 |
| 33 | 21.3 |
| 41 | 26.8 |
| 52 | 24.4 |
| 65 | 19.8 |
| 82 | 22.2 |
| 103 | 24.9 |
| 130 | 27.3 |
| 163 | 27.9 |
| 205 | 27.2 |
| 259 | 26.7 |
| 325 | 29.8 |
| 410 | 33.8 |
| 516 | 38.4 |
| 613 | 34.4 |
| 772 | 34.4 |
| 972 | 28.3 |
| 1220 | 21.9 |
| 1540 | 24.3 |
| 1940 | 29.6 |
| 2440 | 26.7 |
| 3070 | 23.8 |
| 3870 | 28.2 |
| 4870 | 40.1 |
| 6130 | 42.3 |
| 7720 | 49.2 |
| 9720 | 44.5 |
| 12200 | 47.0 |
| 15400 | 50.0 |
| 19400 | 36.2 |
Bose QuietComfort Ultra (1st gen)
4.8
3.2
4.2
4.6
Multi-Dimensional Audio Quality Scores (1–5), modeled from the measured response. Higher is better across timbre, distortion, and immersiveness — add other models to see where this one lands.
Video reviews and comparisons for this product.
Features & Opinions
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Tom TriggsContributor
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