Bose is launching its own record label, but not in the traditional sense. Bose Studios is described as a "music-focused content platform" which will combine "original content, artist-led experiences, music TV and film projects, and partnerships designed to help fans discover new artists and connect more deeply with music."

But questions remain over exactly how it will work.

Bose CMO Jim Mollica told Business Insider that Bose Studios won't aim to compete with the big three record labels, and that it will help break under-appreciated or new artists. Bose won't take a cut of their sales or streams, and won't own the masters, but it will be able to use the music in its adverts.

Bose artists will also be free to sign with other labels.

Mollica promised its original TV and film projects have attracted "some legendary Hollywood names", though he stopped short of naming them. We're also promised a YouTube series, podcasts, and live music events.

It's all a way of giving people "a deeper connection to the music they love," Bose says. The fact it describes this as a shift for the brand as it "expands beyond traditional campaign marketing and invests more directly in music culture" suggests its core business of selling speakers and headphones won't be going anywhere.

Bose has previously formed relationships with artists through its marketing. Earlier this year, it collaborated with Grammy-nominated Twitch streamer PlaqueBoyMax, who created music on the hoof for a livestream during the NBA's All-Star weekend.

We've contacted Bose for more information. Bose will announce its first artist soon, which it says "will provide more context around the platform."

MORE:

How record shops are thriving in the digital age

The best music streaming services

The best record players you can buy

Over the past few days, I’ve been out and about testing an in-car sound system. The Bose Surround Sound System for the electric Porsche Macan, to be precise.

I’m going to be comparing this system with the step-up Burmester option in a future article, but during my time testing the Bose, I came across a setting in the system menu which I’d previously seen only on a TV before: an ‘Eco’ mode.

Having such a mode in this car makes complete sense. EV ownership centres around power consumption, efficiency and squeezing the most mileage possible from the car’s battery. Why wouldn’t you want to try to save energy wherever possible?

Now, in the world of TVs, an Eco mode normally means a setting which is designed to lower power consumption by reducing things such as brightness and dynamic contrast.

In our experience, though, it’s a mode that can really upset picture quality. And – would you believe it? – the Porsche’s Eco mode has a similar impact. Here, though, of course, it is the sound quality taking a hit.

I reached out to Bose to ask what the mode actually does. Its representative replied, “When the system is in Eco Mode, energy consumption is reduced by limiting playback to selected speakers in the front of the cabin, while the rear speakers and subwoofer are temporarily inactive.

Depending on listening volume and content type, this approach can help lower overall energy usage while still delivering a rich and engaging listening experience for front-seat occupants.”

Well I found that this translates into a shrinking of scale, diminished dynamics and a more laid-back and less expressive sound.

Playing Eric Prydz’ anthemic dance tune Pjanoo, the song has less of an impact. There’s less of a sense of scale, and dynamics are dialled back.

The stomping bassline doesn’t kick quite as hard, leading edges are softened and there’s an audible drop in power. Overall, it’s a more laid-back and less expressive presentation, which means it communicates less with you, the listener.

Bose couldn’t supply any data on how much energy the mode could save, so I have reached out to Porsche and am still waiting for a reply (the mode is also present on the optional Burmester system).

I’m intrigued, because enabling the mode didn't seem to have any effect on the car's remaining range, at least according to the display. Perhaps this is something you will notice only over a much longer period of time with the car?

I can certainly see the appeal of an energy-saving mode when listening to, say, spoken-word radio and podcasts through the system.

Switching from music, the drop in audio quality isn’t felt as much; voices still sounded natural, balanced, and on the whole speech is still intelligible. When listening to voices, the number of speakers used and the impact of a subwoofer doesn’t matter quite as much.

It really depends on your priorities. For me, switching the Eco mode on and off does add an extra step, and if you’ve got a car full of passengers, having no audio out of the rear speakers isn’t going to be ideal.

Assuming other systems in the car, climate control being an obvious example, affect power consumption more, I would concentrate my eco-attention elsewhere first, leaving the sound system free to entertain me.

MORE:

Bentley announces Naim for Mulliner high-end car stereo system with Dolby Atmos

7 things I’ve learned testing in-car hi-fi for a decade

Should I use my TV in Eco mode? The pros and cons of energy-saving settings

Read our Sonos Premium Sound System (2026 Audi A3) review

Stop what you’re doing – there’s a new pair of Sony wireless headphones in town.

The 1000X range has been Sony’s flagship wireless series for a whole decade, and the brand has decided to mark this anniversary with a completely new addition to its established line-up: the Sony 1000X The Collexion over-ears.

These may be ‘celebratory’ headphones, but think of The Collexion as a fully fledged product in their own right, rather than a limited edition one-off designed for the sake of novelty or sentimentality. These are headphones which exist separately from Sony's WH-1000XM6 – with their own unique sound, design philosophy and materials – and sit comfortably above their stablemates in price.

In fact, Sony has focused on sound above all else for The Collexion cans, for what it has dubbed “the best sounding headphones we’ve ever made”. When you consider some of the absolute gems the Japanese brand has produced in the past few years, that’s a mouthwatering claim. We’d be letting you down if we didn’t give them a listen…

Price

While the 1000X series has always remained a decidedly premium line, Sony had always resisted the urge to move up into the sort of ‘high-end’ territory occupied by the likes of the the Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2 (£629 / $799) and the Focal Bathys (£699 / $799), but with the 1000X The Collexion clocking in at £550 / $650, these are the closest Sony has ever come to operating within that more rarefied area of the market.

With the B&W and Focal rivals above them, the new Sonys have the likes of the Apple AirPods Max 2 (£499 / $549) and Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen) (£449 / $449 / AU$700) sitting just below.

If you need reminding, the What Hi-Fi? Award-winning Sony WH-1000XM6 are priced at around £400 / $450 / AU$699, even if discounts are now knocking a few pounds or dollars off that RRP, while the five-star rival Sennheiser HDB 630 will set you back around £400 / $500 / AU$1000.

Build & comfort

Get hold of a pair of Sony’s latest and, if you squint your eyes a little, you might be fooled into thinking that you’d picked up a pair of Sonos Ace instead. The Sonys have the same clean, minimalist exterior as the Ace, as well as similarly designed oval earcups adorned with a few metallic physical buttons on the left earcup.

Sony’s engineers describe 1000X The Collexion as a pair of cans that should both look good and make you feel good when you wear them, and for the most part, that aim has been achieved. Everything on The Collexion is made either from metal or faux leather, with a nicely padded headband designed to spread pressure evenly for extended user comfort and slightly firmer ear padding than found on the WH-1000XM6.

We don’t have an issue with the look or feel of the faux leather, though our test pair are more susceptible to marks and stains than the smooth plastic of most of Sony’s other headphones. That faux material adorns pretty much the whole exterior of the earcup, so grubby fingers, not to mention the rigours of everyday use, do end up making their mark after a time.

A slimmer profile does help to add lightness, though, with the width of the earcups measuring around 40mm from inside to out, compared with the 45.4mm of the WH-1000XM6.

That does make for an appreciably lightweight and unobtrusive wearing experience, and though The Collexion actually weigh more than their XM6 counterparts – 312g against 254g – rarely do we feel that extra weight.

Some of our testers did experience some rocking and instability from the earcups when walking from place to place, but if you’re stationary, the new Sonys often simply melt away into obscurity as you forget you’ve got a pair plonked on your head at all.

While there are a few physical buttons to be found, touch controls are the main way of controlling your Sony over-ears. They work as well as you’d expect, responding quickly and effectively to our various commands, with ample levels of control customisation available via the useful Sony SoundConnect app.

Unlike the XM6 over-ears or the Bose QC Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen), these aren’t headphones which fold up into a ball, but their flattened profile and accompanying carry case – with its hollowed-out handle putting us in mind of a small handbag – mean they’re still relatively portable.

Features

Sony has very much positioned its new premium cans as sound-first headphones, but the 1000X The Collexion’s feature set matches the same generous level as that found on the do-it-all WH-1000XM6.

Battery life clocks in at around 32 hours with ANC off and roughly 24 hours with noise cancelling switched on, and while that’s down from the 30-or-so hours of the WH-1000XM6, it’s still a reasonable lifespan. The AirPods Max 2 only manage around 20 hours, although the Sennheiser HDB 630 are streets ahead with a whopping 60 hours with noise cancelling in play.

If you’re a fan of spatial audio, you get three versions of Sony’s ‘360 Reality Audio Upmix’ tech – ‘Music’, ‘Cinema’ and ‘Game’ – each of which add varying degrees of spatial processing depending on the media content. They’re fun modes to play around with, and we particularly enjoy the more immersive ‘Cinema’ setting which just about lives up to its billing by providing a more open, cinematic experience when watching movies.

On the subject of signal processing, these are the first Sony headphones to make use of its DSEE Ultimate tech for improving lower-quality digital audio files. In the app, you also get access to a 10-band equaliser for tweaking the sound alongside several simple presets, or you can deploy ‘Background Music’ mode to make it seem as though your tunes were playing in the distance to better aid your concentration.

The 1000X The Collexion support standard SBC and AAC codecs alongside higher-quality LDAC – which lets you stream hi-res music at higher data rates over Bluetooth from a compatible source device, such as Sony’s latest smartphones. Bluetooth LE Audio is also on board for lower power consumption and better-quality sound. You can also listen to the Sony headphones wired, thanks to the included 3.5mm to 3.5mm audio cable, though note that the headphones will have to be powered on when listening through a physical connection.

Sony’s Speak-To-Chat feature, which drops the volume level when you start talking, also returns, though we’d caution that the headphones can often confuse human speech with other sounds, particularly wind. If you don’t want your cans to keep cutting out every few minutes, we’d suggest switching Speak-to-Chat off when you’re outdoors and it’s a bit blustery.

ANC & call quality

While Sony has warned that noise cancelling wasn’t as much of a focus for The Collexion as it was for the WH-1000XM6, it’s still operating at a decidedly high level. Much of the same tech from the XM6 is on-hand here, including the QN3 chip and a total of 12 mics to capture and monitor surrounding noise.

When working in full noise-cancelling mode, Sony’s latest over-ears do an excellent job of suppressing noise throughout the frequencies, and while you might get the slightest hint of a shrill bird tweet just about breaking through that barrier, middle and lower range frequencies are filtered out expertly. The ANC quality on the WH-1000XM6 is still Sony’s best, but it’s very unlikely that you’ll feel short-changed by the noise cancelling on offer with The Collexion.

Call quality is excellent, too. The Collexion house six beamforming mics complemented by a wind noise reduction structure for enhanced vocal clarity and reduced external sonic intrusions, and it really pays off. Voices are clear, articulate and emotive, while background sounds rarely, if ever, intrude on our conversation as we stand next to a busy motorway on a decidedly blustery day.

Sound

Let’s reiterate what we mentioned in our introduction – the 1000X The Collexion are distinct headphones in their own right, with a sound, says Sony, which prioritises refinement, detail and maturity over the punchier, more flavoured personality of the WH-1000XM6.

To achieve this, The Collexion headphones feature a bespoke carbon composite 30mm drive unit, constructed using soft edging and a hard centre in pursuit of an “exceptional frequency response”. Sound has been optimised using a low-phase noise crystal oscillator, while premium components and circuitry, including advanced gold-containing solder, aim for an improved signal to noise ratio to reveal finer musical details and offer a wider soundstage.

That’s a lot of tech under hood, but how does that translate to the real-life listening experience?

Well, in many ways, the Sony 1000X The Collexion do live up to their billing. Just as described by Sony, they’re headphones that deal primarily in spaciousness and clarity, qualities which suffuse nigh-on every track as we bounce from Max Richter’s Never Goodbye to Radiohead’s Everything In Its Right Place.

That latter track sounds particularly good – The Collexion’s wide, open presentation grants the track a broad canvas on which to play, like an epic drama unfolding on a lovely big widescreen TV.

Detail levels are excellent, and when you have a pair of over-ears that offer clarity, textural insight and spaciousness to this extent, it’s hard not to be impressed. The elegiac strings on Never Goodbye are rich and mournful, while the piano on Debussy’s austere Sarabande strikes a wonderful balance between rich intent and subtle delicacy.

For all of their openness and delicacy, the Sonys don’t lack musical muscle. Think of them as being like a pro ballerina – nimble and graceful, yes, but strong and immensely robust when the time calls for it. It’s a nice balance to have, all aided by a deep, powerful yet controlled lower-end reproduction.

Bass tones are expertly handled, something that really comes across when we load up Massive Attack’s Atlas Air and feel the full force and punch of the tune’s full-blooded drum hits. That bass is nicely separated from the overlaid synth sounds working away above, yet not to the extent that the composition starts to lack any sense of cohesion between frequencies.

These premium Sony headphones really are impressive performers in so many aspects, but they appeal more to the head than to the heart. They certainly trade off some of that signature expressiveness we’ve heard in other Sony headphones for greater openness and detail, something that reduces the extent to which we feel truly involved with our music. Talented as they are, there’s something slightly removed, almost standoffish, about their reproduction.

That’s not something of which we’d accuse the outstanding, and cheaper, Sennheiser HDB 630. The Sennheisers have a more natural fluidity, especially with how they handle dynamic shifts, which makes them a more engaging listen. For us, the Sennheisers seem to strike that balance between naturalness, entertainment and analysis a touch more acutely than the Sonys.

Their rather aloof personality also robs the Sony cans of some of their intimacy. Listen to the first 30 seconds of Black Veil Brides’ Saviour II, and there’s a greater feeling of closeness to the opening guitar and vocal lead when listening via the costlier Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2. When the track opens up as the chorus hits, however, The Collexion show their hand, allowing it to blossom and reveal its gothic grandeur with more scale than the rival B&W cans.

Verdict

There’s much to admire about Sony’s 1000X The Collexion over-ears. It’s impossible to ignore their poised, detail-rich performance, while that ample feature set and classy construction make them tough to resist.

There is a ‘but’, however. In pursuing a particular sonic signature – namely, one that goes after scale, detail and clarity – it’s hard not to feel as though Sony has slightly thrown the baby out with the bathwater.

Yes, these are seriously talented performers, but deep down, they feel like headphones which were built to impress rather than entertain. As a result, we find ourselves admiring them rather than completely falling in love.

Review published: 19th May 2026

SCORES

• Sound 4
• Build 4
• Features 5

MORE:

Read our review of the Sony WH-1000XM6

Also consider the Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2

Read our Sennheiser HDB 630 review

Sony WH-1000XM6 vs 1000X The Collexion: which premium wireless headphones should you pick?

Best wireless headphones reviewed and rated by our in-house experts

Bose has a new soundbar. The Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar is part of Bose's new Lifestyle Collection, and bears the same Ultra moniker as the brand's wireless headphones.

The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) and QC Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen) have fared very well against some stiff competition. It'll be fascinating to see if the new Bose Ultra soundbar can do the same.

It will have its work cut out. Standing between it and home cinema glory is the Award-winning Sonos Arc Ultra.

We've only been hands-on with the Bose Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar at this stage, so we're comparing them based only on our initial impressions and the all-important features and specs. Let's get started.

Bose Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar vs Sonos Arc Ultra: price

There's really not much to choose between these two soundbars in terms of price.

The Bose Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar costs £1000 / $1099 / AU$1800, while the Sonos Arc Ultra is £999 / $999 / AU$1799.

But that's not the full story.

The Sonos has been out for over 18 months now, and so is more prone to discounts. Most recently, it had £150 off, for example. So we'll give this round to Sonos.

** Winner: Sonos Arc Ultra **

Bose Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar vs Sonos Arc Ultra: design

Making a soundbar look attractive is no mean feat, so Bose should be applauded – its new 'bar looks genuinely different to any other.

That's mostly thanks to the sleek glass top that stretches out across a good proportion of the unit. It's not a glorified coffee table, but a home for the touch-sensitive controls.

Now admittedly not many people are going to get up off the sofa to change the volume by sliding their finger around the inner edge, but it's nice to have the option.

Either side of this are the up-firing drivers, which shoot sound up at 90 degrees to add a sense of height to the audio. As with all up-firing soundbars, it does limit your placement options – stick it under a shelf, and the sound will fire point blank into the shelf.

These are joined by four ‘racetrack’ drivers and two Bose PhaseGuide drivers, which use processing to more widely disperse sound. These are all housed in a textured-knit fabric that, like the Sonos, comes in either black or white.

You can wall-mount the Bose, but the wall mount costs extra.

It's a little smaller and heavier than the Sonos Arc Ultra – the former measures up at 6.7 x 111 x 12.5cm (hwd) while the Sonos is 7.5 x 118 x 11cm.

The Arc Ultra also features touch-sensitive buttons on top, though these are situated on the ledge at the back. It's not quite as sleek as Bose's implementation.

It too has a fabric grille which looks and feels pretty premium, as you would want it to at this price.

For its innovative styling, we're giving this round to Bose for now. But we reserve the right to change our minds once we've had a good look at it in our test rooms.

** Winner: Bose Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar **

Bose Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar vs Sonos Arc Ultra: features

These are both high-end soundbars, so as you'd imagine, they're full of features.

Bose's has two QuietPorts on the back – these promise deep and controlled low frequencies with minimal distortion. The only physical connections are an ethernet port and an HDMI eARC socket – like the Sonos, there are no HDMI 2.1 inputs.

You do get plenty of wireless options, though. As well as Bluetooth 5.3 and wi-fi, you get Google Cast, Apple AirPlay and Spotify Connect. Tidal Connect is missing at launch, but we're assured it will arrive at some point. The Arc Ultra does support Tidal Connect, but not Google Cast.

Both 'bars support Dolby Atmos, which will be made more immersive by their up-firing drivers. Neither supports DTS or DTS:X. This format is less common than Dolby Atmos but it's an absence all the same.

Both have room calibration tech for optimising the sound to your surroundings. Bose CustomTune and Sonos Trueplay use the microphone on your phone to analyse your room's dimensions, surfaces and furniture placement to adjust the audio accordingly. Both work on iOS and Android devices.

They both use their company's respective apps, too. The Bose app is more intuitive than it used to be, and lets you tweak the sound. There's no remote control, so you'll find yourself using the app quite a bit.

Sonos' app has had its troubles, but is now much better than it was – and the company is vocal about the fact it's prioritising improvements.

Both soundbars support voice controls, including Amazon Alexa, and the Sonos pairs nicely with the Sonos Ace headphones to give you dynamic headtracking – you just 'swap' the audio from the 'bar to the cans.

Given the quality of Bose's wireless headphones, it's a shame the Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar doesn't partner with them.

** Winner: Sonos Arc Ultra **

Bose Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar vs Sonos Arc Ultra: sound

What do they offer in terms of sound quality?

As we haven't tested the Bose yet, we can't give a verdict, but we did go 'ears-on' with it at a briefing.

A sandstorm from the movie Dune proved suitably enveloping, with the 'bar spreading the audio across the sound field convincingly.

We didn't hear any signs of distortion at high volumes, and when the scene switches to calm, it did a good job of communicating the change of pace.

We also watched a scene from Ray to test the Speech Clarity mode. It turned dialogue from a mumble to being "lifted out of the hustle and bustle of the effects around it, with the edges of words a little clearer and better defined," as we said at the time.

It also impressed as part of a 7.1.4 Dolby Atmos system, paired with the Lifestyle Ultra Subwoofer and Lifestyle Ultra Speakers as surrounds. But we were only able to have a quick listen at the event – it's no substitute for hearing it in our test rooms.

The Arc Ultra has some impressive specs (9.1.4-channel configuration, 15 Class D amplifiers powering 14 drivers), and as an Award winner, it sounds just as impressive as you would imagine. A "crackingly musical soundbar" we concluded in our Sonos Arc Ultra review.

Tool’s Invincible is bristling with energy and excitement, making for a very engaging listen. But it's even better at conveying movie audio.

Chapter two of Blade Runner 2049 is a good test of bass, and it's a test that the Arc Ultra passes with flying colours, delivering plenty of weight and an impressive amount of control. The bass is "tight, tuneful and expressive in a way that is rare in the soundbar world".

Spatially, it's excellent. Effects sound like they're coming from all around you, and are placed with precision, while certain sounds (like rain) stretch far beyond the confines of the TV to which the soundbar is connected.

And there's plenty of detail without it ever sounding forced – it's delivered naturally, which adds to the sense of realism.

Suffice to say, Bose has its work cut out to compete with what this Sonos can offer.

** Winner: TBC **

Bose Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar vs Sonos Arc Ultra: early verdict

The Bose Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar certainly looks impressive.

It's very easy on the eye, and – while a bit less feature-stacked than Sonos' flagship – it offers plenty to get your teeth into. As ever for us, it will all hinge on how it sounds.

On that front, the Arc Ultra is the soundbar to beat. As it's been out for a while now, it's also discounted during most big sales. Your move, Bose...

We'll update this article once we've fully reviewed the new Bose soundbar.

MORE:

Read our Bose Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar hands-on review

And our Sonos Arc Ultra review

The best Dolby Atmos soundbars you can buy

Surround sound systems come in practically every shape and size these days, but there's one modern alternative that we've seen sweep the world of home cinema.

We are, of course, talking about wireless soundbar systems. Bose has just unveiled its Ultra Lifestyle soundbar, subwoofer and wireless speakers, and it joins the likes of Sonos, LG, Sony, Yamaha and Samsung in offering an ecosystem of home audio products that can work together to essentially create a proper surround sound experience.

While they vary in quality – we've recently raved about Samsung's superb HW-Q990H, while LG's Sound Suite system didn't quite hit the mark – there's no doubting they are super popular, convenient, and effective ways to achieve surround sound without filling your living room with bulky floorstanding speakers.

We're even seeing companies get creative with their soundbar systems. Majority recently impressed us with its pint-sized Bowfell Halo Atmos system, and Hisense scored a coveted What Hi-Fi? Award with its superbly affordable AX5125H package.

While they won't suit everyone, and a true surround sound speaker package will always win in terms of delivering proper cinematic sound, there are plenty of great options around, and it's reminding us of a previous home cinema audio trend.

A full surround sound system in a box isn't a new phenomenon; in fact, they were all the rage in the early 2010s. Samsung, Panasonic, LG and many more used to sell a whole home cinema in a box, combining a DVD or Blu-ray player alongside a compact wired 5.1 speaker set, unlocking surround sound for the masses without the need for an AV receiver.

Our review of the Panasonic SC-BTT590 from back in 2012 highlights how capable these systems once were. We complimented this system, saying "the handover between speakers is smooth, making for a convincing surround sound".

Stretching even further back to 2010 with the Award-winning Sony BDV-E370, which featured an "easy, idiot-proof set-up" and speakers that "deliver surprising scale and power".

These nifty, streamlined systems were made to combine cinematic sound with plug-and-play convenience, which sounds like a very similar objective to the soundbar systems we're seeing today.

The biggest difference between the home cinema in a box systems of old and the current soundbar packages is the inclusion of a Blu-ray player that once acted as a hub to drive these speakers.

That's to be expected in a world dominated by streaming and massively improved wireless audio protocols, but being the physical media advocates that we are, it's a shame nonetheless.

But it's not all doom and gloom. Sonos, Bose, LG and Sony all take a modular approach, allowing you to connect surround speakers and subwoofers as you see fit, and most of these companies offer components at different price points.

More customisation and different speaker configurations mean you can essentially build a surround sound package that better suits your needs and budgets, which is always a plus.

Sony, in particular, has welcomed this approach with open arms, as it now offers five different optional subwoofers and three different types of wireless sound speakers.

So, are soundbar systems secretly just a revival of one of the 2010s ' best home cinema trends? We think they're more of a spiritual successor with the same mission statement in mind: save people from their TV speakers by bringing simple, effective cinematic sound to the masses.

MORE:

Check out our picks for the best Dolby Atmos soundbars

As well as the best surround sound systems

And find the best soundbar deals here

Bose has just taken the wraps off its new Lifestyle Collection, a three-strong line-up of multi-room-friendly audio products, which it hopes will give a certain brand – cough, Sonos, cough – a serious run for its money.

The focal point is the Bose Lifestyle Ultra Dolby Atmos soundbar.

Bose claims it represents the biggest change to its soundbar design in a decade and boasts a whole new architecture, designed to deliver improved immersion, detail and clarity.

It uses nine drivers in total, including six full-range drivers, which are split into four front-facing units and two upfiring for handling Dolby Atmos soundtracks (no DTS decoding is built into the ’bar). When you’re not watching Atmos, Bose’s TrueSpatial technology takes over the processing to create a similar effect.

These drivers work with a pair of Bose’s proprietary PhaseGuide drivers, which help spread sound in specific directions to give a wide, all-encompassing soundstage.

• Hands on: Bose Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar review

The Bose Lifestyle Ultra soundbar features a textured-knit fabric that wraps around the unit with a glass top which stretches across the soundbar and includes a touch-sensitive control panel for playback, volume and Bluetooth pairing.

Struggle to understand conversations in modern movies and TV shows? Bose’s new SpeechClarity technology uses an AI algorithm to boost dialogue but not the effects around it. There’s also CleanBass technology, which works with Bose’s QuietPort design (there are two ports on the rear of the bar) to deliver quality bass without any unwanted distortion.

To help with set-up, you can use Bose CustomTune (which used to be called Bose ADAPTiQ). This is a technology that analyses your room dimensions, surfaces and furniture placement to deliver the best audio experience for your particular room layout. It’s all done through the microphone in your Android or iOS device.

No remote control is provided in the box, although one is sold separately (as is an optional wall mount. Bose has revamped its own app, which you use to control and set-up the soundbar, connect a subwoofer and/or surrounds and alter audio settings.

You do get an HDMI cable, though, which you can use with the soundbar’s eARC-supporting HDMI socket.

There’s an ethernet port on the rear of the bar for a wired connection, or you can use the built-in wi-fi. Music streaming is enabled via Bluetooth 5.3, Google Cast, Apple AirPlay or Spotify Connect. Surprisingly, there’s no Tidal Connect at launch, but Bose guarantees us that it is working on bringing it to the Lifestyle Collection as soon as possible post-launch.

The Bose Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar is available in black or white smoke and costs £1000 / €1000 / $1099 / AU$1800, which puts it right up against the all-conquering Sonos Arc Ultra.

Want to add more oomph to the soundbar? This is where the matching Bose Lifestyle Ultra Subwoofer comes in. Priced at £900 / €900 / $899 / AU$1300 and available in the same black or white smoke finishes, the sub is ported underneath and features a 10-inch upfiring woofer.

If you want to add a couple of surrounds to the system or simply want a wireless speaker for another room in your house, Bose has also unveiled the Sonos Era 100-rivalling Lifestyle Ultra Speaker. Priced at £300 / €350 / $299 / AU$550, it uses a three-driver array (two front-facing and one up-firing) to disperse sound, although unlike the soundbar, it doesn’t support Dolby Atmos when used by itself.

It is available in the same black or white smoke finishes, but there is also a rather fetching ‘Driftwood Sand’ option, which features a solid white oak base. At £349 / €369 / $349, it does set you back a little bit more.

Like the rest of the products in the range, the Lifestyle Ultra Speaker includes Bose’s CleanBass technology, which combines the speaker’s QuietPort on the rear of the speaker with clever DSP (digital signal processing) to deliver deep, tight bass.

The Lifestyle Ultra Speaker can be used on its own or in a pair for stereo playback. Alternatively, you can add them as surround channels for the Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar. The speakers aren’t backwards compatible with any of Bose’s older soundbars, though.

Like the soundbar, the wireless speaker features Alexa support, wi-fi connectivity, Bluetooth 5.3, Google Cast, Apple AirPlay and Spotify Connect. It adds an auxiliary 3.5mm input should you want to connect an external source. You also get touch-sensitive controls on top of the device, including the ability to mute the built-in microphone.

The Bose Lifestyle Ultra Speaker, the Bose Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar, and the Bose Lifestyle Ultra Subwoofer will ship from the 15th of May and can be preordered today through the Bose website.

MORE:

Read our Bose Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar hands-on review

And our Sonos Arc Ultra review

Our pick of the best Dolby Atmos soundbars you can buy right now

Is the crown starting to slip on Bose, the king of noise-cancelling headphones?

It’s fair to say the quality of JBL’s flagship wireless headphones has been increasing gradually over the years, even if they haven’t been quite able to match their biggest rivals in the space such as Sony, Bose and Bowers & Wilkins.

We’ve already tested JBL’s current Tour One M3 over-ear flagships and deemed them solid four-star performers. And JBL will be hoping its latest move will go one step further in catching up with the competition.

So what has happened, exactly?

There’s been an interesting development, which looks like it’s ushering in a new direction for sound quality from the brand’s top headphones, starting with the Tour One M3.

JBL has tweaked what it calls its sound curve, which is a given target response that its headphones have been designed to meet.

According to JBL, users can expect “a sound that is clearer, more balanced, and truer to the artist”. It also claims that the updates will be “setting a new benchmark for precision and clarity”.

So, how do you get the new, improved audio quality? The sound curve change is available as a firmware update for the over-ears from today, 23rd April.

"The way people listen has fundamentally shifted with better hardware, higher-quality content and smarter streaming, making today's ears more discerning than ever.

"We are always striving to push the boundaries of sound performance and saw this as the perfect moment to refine the JBL sound curve for our premium headphones,” says Carsten Olesen, President of Consumer Audio at Harman.

With the change coming as a result of a firmware update rather than a hardware update, it will be interesting to hear how the sonic character changes and if it is indeed for the better.

JBL is also updating the interface of the Smart Tx transmitter, which is an accessory for the Tour One M3 over-ears and the interface of the charging case for its flagship Tour Pro 3 earbuds. They share many similar features and functions.

It’s promising a new menu system with horizontal and vertical scrolling, better graphics, larger icons and more intuitive layouts designed to make for a smoother user experience.

Last, but by no means least, the headphones and earbuds are also getting a new green finish (see above), complete with copper accents. It has been “Inspired by heritage British motorsport and modern luxury trends” and looks particularly striking in the images we’ve seen so far.

The new finish will be available from mid-May in select retailers and from JBL’s website, with pricing for the JBL Tour Pro 3 at £279.99 / €299.99, the JBL Tour One M3 £329.99 / €349.99, and the JBL Tour One M3 with Smart TX £379.99 / €399.99.

MORE:

Read our JBL Tour One M3 Smart Tx review

And our JBL Tour Pro 3 review

Portable hi-fi has progressed so much, I'd choose it over a traditional system

Our pick of the best wireless headphones you can buy

It’s been a big month for our best wireless earbuds buying guide, the place where our team of reviewers hand-picks and highlights the top pairs you can buy for your money.

There’s something for everyone on the page, whether you want a top-value pair that works for a tight budget or something more premium that can take your listening experience to another level.

A new flagship pair has arrived in our test rooms and immediately gone about setting a new performance benchmark, blowing many of its close rivals out of the water.

You might not be surprised to know that the model we are talking about is Sony’s new flagship, the WF-1000XM6.

These wireless earbuds take top spot as our “best overall” recommendation. They sit at the more premium end of the price spectrum, but we feel they deliver a stunning performance for the money. If you experience only one pair of wireless earbuds this year, we urge you to make it the Sonys.

As we say in our Sony WF-1000XM6 review, the earbuds are “out of this world and put in an all-round performance good enough to worry every major rival at the money.”

They make the Bose QC Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) sound “overblown and lacking sophistication and refinement” and make the Technics EAH-AZ100 sound “like they’re holding back dynamically”.

This is no mean feat and just goes to show you how highly we rate them. The Sonys also excel when it comes to noise-cancelling and push the Bose extremely close.

There’s something about the way the XM6 deploy their ANC so naturally, which makes them so easy to get along with.

Call quality is excellent, and the Sonys have a very generous feature set too, which includes eight hours of battery life per charge (which rises to 24 when including the wireless charging case), Multipoint Bluetooth and a ten-band graphic equaliser.

The only area where we think there is some room for improvement is the eartips – it can be tricky getting a good seal the first time due to the firmness and thickness of the material used. We also think a larger tip option could help here.

That aside, the Sonys deliver such a wonderfully refined, natural and dynamic sound that it’s impossible not to be impressed. As we say in our review, “The Sonys make instruments and vocals sound believable, just as if you were standing in the room getting a private performance.” This is the new benchmark for sound quality at this level.

MORE:

Read our full Sony WF-1000XM6 review

The Sony WF-1000XM6 are giving me a serious case of déjà vu, but it’s not all positive

Sony WF-1000XM6 vs WF-1000XM5: which premium wireless earbuds are better?

Our pick of the best wireless earbuds you can buy for every budget

Despite plenty of competition in the wireless headphones space, JBL is one brand that shows no sign of slowing down on the product front.

It has just launched two additions to its Live series of headphones, both of which boast battery life that rivals such as Sony and Bose still struggle to deliver.

The JBL Live 780NC and Live 680NC are over- and on-ear designs, respectively, and each uses a 40mm dynamic driver to deliver sound.

Compared with previous Live models, JBL has refreshed the design, opting for sleeker looks, smoother surfaces, and metallic accents this time around.

Both pairs are fully foldable with soft-touch ear cushions and both customisable button and touch controls which can be tweaked through the JBL Headphone app.

The headphones also feature JBL’s True Adaptive Noise Cancelling 2.0 with real-time noise filtering; the processing power has been given a boost, so background distractions are reduced even more than with previous iterations.

Both pairs also use two beam-forming mics combined with an “an enhanced AI-trained noise-cancellation algorithm”, in an attempt to enhance call quality and more efficiently remove traffic, wind and background hum.

Battery life is claimed to be 50 hours with ANC on and around 80 hours with ANC off. That’s even more than what both the flagship Sony WH-1000XM6 and Bose QC Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen) can muster.

JBL Spatial Sound is included for those seeking extra immersion from their music and movies, and both pairs of headphones offer LE Audio and LDAC support for higher-quality Bluetooth streaming. There is also Multipoint Bluetooth, which allows two devices to be connected to the headphones simultaneously.

Available in five different finishes (which sees new green and blue colours added to the standard Champagne, White and Black options), the JBL Live 780NC and JBL Live 680NC are available to order now for $249.95 and $159.95, respectively. UK availability is TBC.

MORE:

See our pick of the best noise-cancelling headphones

Read our Sony WH-1000XM6 review

Is the crown starting to slip on Bose, the king of noise-cancelling headphones?

In all my years of testing wireless headphones, one thing I have never thought to myself is, “is Bose falling behind the competition?”

After all, this is a brand that has consistently mixed it with the best in the market and has been a benchmark for noise-cancelling headphones of all shapes and sizes.

And it’s not just because of its brilliant noise-cancelling that Bose consistently found itself among the class-leaders. Historically, its wireless headphones have produced some of the best sound quality too.

But in the past year or so, I’ve been testing Bose’s premium wireless earbuds and wireless headphones, comparing them with their main rivals; and the more time I’ve spent listening, the more I have found myself thinking that the cracks are starting to show.

Most recently, I’ve heard the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) against the Sony WF-1000XM6, and the QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen) against the Sennheiser HDB 630.

Both Bose pairs are still very comfortable, with good build quality, great noise-cancelling and decent features for the money. But there is a clear gap between them and the competition when it comes to overall sound quality.

The Bose offerings aren’t poor performers by any stretch, and when compared with their predecessors, you can certainly hear that the tech brand has managed to make small improvements in sound quality.

But when you compare the levels of detail, dynamics and clarity, they just can’t match what the class-leaders now offer.

And that lies at the heart of Bose’s current position. Rival brands have made significant advancements in sound quality in recent years.

Apple is now a serious contender in the headphones space – its AirPods Pro 3 earbuds being arguably its best wireless earbuds to date. And the AirPods Max show there is room for luxury wireless headphones at higher price points, offering exceptional build quality and sound quality for the money.

Technics has arrived on the premium scene and is now a contender, while Bowers & Wilkins has continued to push its headphones to new levels of performance. We have also seen Sennheiser do its own disrupting in the space with its new flagship, the HDB 630.

The market has evolved and improved when it comes to sound quality, and rivals now offer much more bang for your buck – they, it seems, have been making significant strides compared with Bose’s baby steps.

Have we reached a point where perhaps it's time for Bose to consider a serious overhaul of its tech and engineering? Possibly.

If its current trajectory continues, the noise from the competition could become too loud for even Bose’s talented noise-cancelling to handle.

MORE:

Our pick of the best wireless headphones you can buy

Sony WH-1000XM6 vs Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen): which flagship wireless over-ears are best?

Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3 vs Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones: which noise-cancelling pair is better?

Sony WH-1000XM6 vs Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen): which flagship wireless over-ears are best?

Epson has announced the launch of its Lifestudio Flex Special Lux Edition EF-73, which builds upon the four-star EF-72 projector with a new, premium look and a couple of new features.

It retains the overall shape of the Lifestudio Flex, and it seems to deliver much of what that projector had to offer in the picture and sound space, too.

It still produces a 4K image up to 150 inches via Epson's Triple Core Engine light source, which is its term for a 3LCD laser system.

Furthermore, it retains the claimed 1000-lumen peak brightness, HDR10 and HLG compatibility, and an auto-calibration system that includes Epson's Auto Focus, Auto Keystone, Auto Screen Fit, and Auto Obstacle Avoidance systems.

Sound-wise, the EF-73 appears to retain the 10W built-in sound system tuned by Bose, which we found to be a bit safe-sounding in our full EF-72 review.

More power output would've been appreciated, but Bluetooth 5.2 is still on board if you wish to connect this projector to a wireless speaker for improved audio output.

Google TV is also built in for onboard streaming duties, meaning you don't have to sacrifice the single HDMI socket for a streaming device.

What really sets this new Special Lux Edition apart is the upgraded build. It now comes in a Night Black colourway, which includes premium materials such as "tempered glass, suede, and anodised gold", according to Epson.

Furthermore, the top panel of the stand base now doubles as a wireless charger for your smartphone, which is a nice touch as Epson continues to bill this as being right at home on a bedside table.

As such, the rather nifty ambient lighting feature that we were fond of on the EF-72 also returns, making this an ideal bedroom lamp, too.

Finally, Epson will launch its Projection Studio app next month, with which the EF-73 is compatible.

This will let you control the projector from your phone, beam photos onto your wall with ease, and there's even an option to connect multiple phones to the projector at once to allow for interactive elements.

The Lifestudio Flex Special Lux Edition will launch in April of this year, and the Projection Studio app will launch the following month. We have reached out to Epson for pricing information.

MORE:

Check out our full Epson EF-72 review

As well as our picks for the best projectors

And our best portable projectors

I’ve been testing the Sony WF-1000X6 for a few weeks now, but from the moment I first unboxed them and saw what lay in store, I had a feeling this article could be the end result.

You see, I’ve been here before. Following the launch of Sony’s previous flagship wireless earbuds, the WF-1000XM5, I wrote an article explaining how there was one thing I’d change, and it wasn’t the noise-cancelling.

Now you could click through to that article, or I could save you precious seconds and explain that it was written about the eartips that came with the XM5.

As much as I had time for their sound quality and ANC, I wasn’t finding the buds quite as comfy as some of their close rivals from around that time.

Now, when I heard that Sony had tweaked the design of the new WF-1000XM6 during their launch event earlier in February, I was excited to see if this might improve overall comfort levels. But my excitement was tempered when I saw that Sony was insisting on persisting with the same eartips as before.

If you haven’t been following Sony eartip developments over the past few years (and I’m sad to say I have), then please indulge me in a bit of scene setting.

Sony introduced this particular tip back with the WF-1000XM4 back in 2021. Explaining it in our WF-1000XM4 review, we said, “Made from polyurethane, which feels like a cross between silicone and foam, Sony claims they help secure a tighter, more stable fit. The thousands of tiny bubbles in the tips are also supposed to help reduce and dissipate noise.”

Back then, you had only three sizes of tip to choose from to help you get a seal (small, medium or large). For WF-1000XM5, Sony introduced an extra-small tip, presumably for people with small ear holes who found the other sizes uncomfortable.

For XM6, though, nothing has changed. An extra-large eartip might help, but I’m not sure it's the actual size that is the issue for me, more that choice of material.

You see, it’s neither proper memory foam, nor silicone. The hybrid that Sony has settled on just doesn’t feel pliable enough. I don’t think it’s related to the shape of the earbuds either – they seem to fit well in the curve of my inner ear – it’s more that I can feel the tips pushing against my ear, and that you sometimes have to move the tips around a bit more to get the seal right.

I don’t have to look far in the What Hi-Fi? stockroom to find pairs of wireless earbuds that immediately feel more consistently comfortable.

Apple’s AirPods Pro 3, have new “foam-infused eartips” with “a new layer of foam-infused microspheres” which feel slightly thicker and a bit more substantial. I’ve tried them and like them.

I also get on swimmingly with Bose’s slightly shallower, less domed silicone eartips, which don’t burrow as far as some rivals but still give you the feeling that they’re sealing the parts of your ear that they need to.

Also, the tips for the Award-winning Technics EAH-AZ100 are relatively bulbous, but the dome of each tip is relatively thin, which doesn’t seem to rub my ear up the wrong way either.

Having canvassed the opinion of other members of our review team, it appears I’m not the only one who is slightly unsure about this issue. And the law of averages suggests that there will be plenty of others out there who feel the same way.

Don’t get me wrong, when you do get the fit right with the Sonys, the results are great; and you do have to remember in all of this that no pair of ears is the same – fit is always about personal preference.

I just spend a bit too much time adjusting and readjusting the fit before every listening session and wondering, “is that right?”. It’s not a terrible fit; it’s just that I can get rival earbuds settled in my ears quicker.

It’s not enough to put me off buying a pair or to stop me recommending them. I do, however, think that, for its next flagship buds, Sony might want to revisit the material it uses.

Ironically, I haven’t had any of these issues with Sony’s cheaper wireless earbuds, none of which uses this kind of tip. Perhaps that could be a starting point?

MORE:

Read our full Sony WF-1000XM6 review

Check out the best wireless earbuds for all budgets

Sony WF-1000XM6 vs Technics EAH-AZ100: which flagship wireless earbuds are better?

Sony WF-1000XM6 vs Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen): which should you buy?

6 settings you should immediately tackle on the Sony WF-1000XM6 wireless earbuds

So here we are again. Over the last few years, Sony and Bose have consistently made some of the best wireless earbuds money can buy. And now we're pitting their latest flagships head to head.

The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) launched in June 2025, and maintained the brand's prowess for active noise cancellation (ANC) and a comfortable fit, while improving the sound quality.

But Sony isn't one to sit back and watch the competition. The WF-1000XM6 launched in February 2026, following the Award-winning XM5, and they too have managed to improve on their predecessors’ sound, features and noise cancellation.

But which new model is best? That's what we're here to find out. We've put both through their paces during our exhaustive review process, and here we'll compare them side by side. Ready? Then let's begin.

Sony WF-1000XM6 vs Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen): price

When it comes to premium wireless earbuds, Bose's pairs are usually a little pricier than Sony's. But that's not always the case – a lot depends on which country you're in, and whether there's a sale on.

The Bose QC Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) launched at £299 / $299 / AU$450, and the Sony WF-1000XM6 at £250 / $330 / AU$500. While the Sonys are too new to have seen any discounts at time of writing, the Bose have fallen to £249 / $249 / AU$382. So if you're in the US or Australia, the Bose are significantly cheaper, while in the UK it's a tie.

Both brands usually feature in the sales, but given that the QC Ultras are a few months older, we would expect them to see the bigger discounts.

** Winner: Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) **

Sony WF-1000XM6 vs Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen): design & comfort

Bose has consistently excelled in this area – its buds are among the most comfortable around. And if you want a snug fit, the Bose buds are hard to fault.

This is as true as ever with the QC Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen). They're a more traditional stem design, which some might feel looks dated, but it's effective, and they are very comfortable and definitely stay put thanks to their stability bands.

They're good enough to compensate for the buds only coming with three sizes of eartips, and if you're looking for a pair to use during exercise, these should definitely make your shortlist.

Bose's touch controls are responsive, intuitive, and customisable – all in, it's a great design.

The XM6 are a slim, stemless, boxier design that fills your ear opening.

They offer great isolation when you get the fit right, but some may find the Bose sit a little more securely.

The buds come with four sizes of ear-tips, but they aren't as supple as Bose's. When the fit is good, it's very good, but achieving this is more finicky than we would like. We think a fifth, extra-large ear-tip would make a big difference here.

The Sony buds also have a new matte finish, while the Bose opt for a slightly glossier, smoother plastic.

The Sony case is surprisingly bulky and tall, and it does feel a little cheap. However, that's not to say the Bose is better. It also feels relatively cheap and is taller, deeper and just as bulky as the Sony offering, if not more.

The Bose buds come in more finishes than the Sony (five to two), with the Deep Plum being particularly eye-catching.

They might be the more traditional-looking wireless earbuds, but the Bose have plenty going for them and enough to win this round.

** Winner: Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) **

Sony WF-1000XM6 vs Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen): features

The XM6 boast Sony's new QN3e, the third generation of its HD Noise Cancelling processor.

This is the brains of the buds, and controls all sorts of operations from ANC to DAC performance. They also boast Sony's integrated processor V2 with 32-bit processing.

DSEE Extreme is Sony's sound engine, which boosts sound quality from lower quality music files. The Sony Sound Connect app lets you customise the sound, whether you use the 10-band equaliser or just choose a sonic signature to match your style.

By contrast, the Bose only have a three-band equaliser and a limited selection of presets to choose from.

The Sonys also have Ambient Sound, Quick Attention and Multipoint Bluetooth to connect two devices at once. They're rated IPX4 water-resistant.

The Bose have the same water resistance and Multipoint, as well as ambient sound features as the Sony (though they go by different names).

Their six-hour battery life is outgunned by the Sonys' eight hours, but they both offer a total of 24 hours of use when using the carry case to recharge on the go.

Both pairs support the standard AAC and SBC Bluetooth codecs, but the Bose boast aptX Adaptive, while the XM6 have Sony's own LDAC. Both codecs offer higher quality listening, but of the two, aptX is more commonly used.

Both pairs also offer spatial audio (Bose calls it Immersive Audio), which attempts to immerse the listener more in what they're listening to.

This round is close to call, but the Sonys with their superior battery life from a single charge just about take it.

** Winner: Sony WF-1000XM6 **

Sony WF-1000XM6 vs Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen): noise cancellation

Like comfort, noise cancellation is another area where Bose excels. The firm invented the technology (originally for use in headsets worn by pilots), so it's hardly surprising it continues to lead the field.

The QC Ultra 2 put in an excellent performance. Transitions are smooth when adjusting for sudden spikes of noise like sirens or car horns, softening both these and constant low-level rumbles very effectively.

The Quiet preset is the most powerful setting, casting a blanket of silence over pretty much every noise. There's no doubt it's very effective – but for some, it might be too intense, especially over longer listens. It's like it sucks all the air out of your ears.

If that's you, you can set your own level of ANC in the app, or choose Aware or Immersive (i.e. spatial audio) modes.

Sony has also upped its noise cancellation game. The Adaptive NC Optimiser (which automatically adjusts the ANC to your fit and environment) deals very effectively with both constant sounds and sudden, sharp noises.

It's not as intense as the Bose effect, but it's definitely more subtle and natural. Bose just takes this round, but Sony is definitely closing the gap.

With regards to call quality, both the Bose and Sony are on an even keel. They both deliver voices with clarity and do a good job of reducing environmental noise and effects such as wind.

** Winner: Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) **

Sony WF-1000XM6 vs Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen): sound

Now we come to the main event: which pair sounds better?

The QC Earbuds 2 have the same driver as their predecessors, but tweaked to improve bass response and smooth out high-end frequencies.

Nick Cave and Warren Ellis’ Song For Bob shows the buds "sinking to impressive new depths while retaining the requisite tautness and agility of their lower-end reproduction", we wrote in our Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) review.

Notes have a satisfying body and texture, and the performance is clearer than their predecessors', while also richer and more authentic.

The XM6 sound warm and natural but don't sacrifice any detail or insight.

Timing is on point, the midrange is expressive, the bass weighty and well-defined while the highs are kept under control.

"The Sonys make instruments and vocals sound believable, just as if you were standing in the room getting a private performance," we wrote in our review.

"Playing Tom Odell’s Black Friday, the Sonys give you a front row seat and reveal themselves as expert communicators. There’s delicacy and subtlety in spades, which helps the earbuds extract fantastic emotion and feeling from the track."

They're both talented pairs, but sonically, the Sonys are a clear step above.

Compared to the Sonys, the Bose sound overblown – the XM6 exhibit much better control, detail and texture in the bass, but the overall clarity and insight are much better, too.

They communicate the subtleties of the music you're playing better and make the Bose sound like they're lacking sophistication.

The XM6 are more revealing for detail and dynamics and are just more capable performers.

** Winner: Sony WF-1000XM6 **

Sony WF-1000XM6 vs Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen): verdict

The Bose have plenty going for them. They're among the most comfortable, stable earbuds around, they sound good, and their noise cancellation is as class-leading as ever.

But the XM6 are a formidable opponent. They're bursting with features, they have the more natural-sounding ANC, and the battery life from their buds is better. And in terms of sound quality, there's a clear gap between the two which the Bose can't bridge.

It's close, but pound-for-pound, we would opt for the Sonys. There's still plenty of life left in the Bose, but we can't ignore that gap in sound quality.

** Winner: Sony WF-1000XM6 **

MORE:

Read our full Sony WF-1000XM6 review

And our Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) review

Also, check out our list of the best wireless earbuds you can buy

Some brands have trouble following up a successful product with an even better sequel, let alone doing it three or four times in a row, with each new model outperforming the previous one.

But that’s exactly what Sony’s achieved with multiple generations of flagship wireless earbuds as it now attempts to make it five in a row with the WF-1000XM6.

It’s a testament to the tech giant’s ability to evolve its earbuds over time, add new features, improve existing ones, and still keep improving where it matters most – sound quality – but in today’s market, there’s no shortage of competition for Sony to contend with.

Bose has always been there or thereabouts, Apple has upped its game in recent years and the recent emergence of Technics as best-in-class won’t make the job easy.

But if anyone can do it…

Price

The Sony WF-1000XM6 launched in February 2026 for £250 / $330 / AU$500. These figures are pretty much par for the course at this level, but given the older WF-1000XM5 cost £259 / $299 / AU$419 at launch, you’ll see it’s a mix of good and bad news depending on the territory.

It’s similarly mixed news when you see that the WF-1000XM6 are cheaper than the Bose QC Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) in the UK (£250 versus £299), but more expensive than the Bose in the US and Australia, where they cost $330 / AU$500 (versus $299 / AU$450).

The other big rival for the Sonys comes in the shape of the five-star and Award-winning Technics EAH-AZ100, which cost £259 / $299 / AU$499. The Technics dropped lower (£209) during Black Friday last year, and over Christmas, but at the time of writing, they are back to their normal price. We’d expect them to follow a similar pattern this year.

Will we see any discounts on the Sony WF-1000XM6? Given they’ve only just launched, we doubt there will be any immediate cuts. Potentially, during Prime Day or Black Friday you could see some money off, but any drops will only be temporary and won’t be huge.

Design & comfort

Sony has a habit of tweaking the design of its flagship earbuds with each iteration, and WF-1000XM6 is no different.

The first sign that things have changed is the wireless charging case, which is surprisingly bulkier and taller than the WF-1000XM5 case. Its rounded top and straight sides actually give us slight WF-1000XM3 vibes for those of you who remember Sony’s likeable third-generation earbuds.

The case does feel a little cheap, though, and we’re struggling to understand why it’s bigger than before. It's taller and wider than the slim case that comes with the Technics EAH-AZ100.

Flip the box open, and you’ll see the body of each earpiece is also a bit more, er, boxy, especially when you compare them to the more teardrop-shaped WF-1000XM5.

The rectangular shape is to accommodate an extra mic and help give room for the new ventilation structure (highlighted by the perforations on the underside of each earbud), which increases airflow within the device to reduce any internal noise you might hear generated from things like chewing or footsteps.

The WF-1000XM6 have also been designed to be more ergonomic and sit in the ear more comfortably – Sony claims this has partly been achieved by making them 11 per cent slimmer than the WF-1000XM5.

Inside each earbud, you’ll find an 8.4mm driver unit similar to the one used in the previous model, but the design has been tweaked so it now uses a ‘soft edge’ surround for greater bass performance, and also has a new fitting which makes it easier to squeeze into each earpiece.

The antenna used in the WF-1000XM6 is one-and-a-half times larger than the one used in XM5 and claims to allow for a more stable and solid connection.

During testing, we find this to be the case and don’t have any issues in crowded airports or train stations, where the headphones are competing with multiple wireless signals bouncing around.

WF-1000XM6 comes in two different finishes – black and platinum silver. Gone is the glossy, slightly slippery plastic of the older model, and instead, it’s been replaced by more of a matte feel.

We certainly find them easier to get to grips with, but it’s interesting to note that there are subtle differences between the new finishes too.

The black boasts a slightly smoother surface, while the platinum silver finish has more of a texture to it, which comes from, according to Sony, “added metal flakes and glass beads”.

Sony has chosen to stick with the same eartip material as the older model and the same sizes: extra small, small, medium and large.

We were hoping Sony might revisit the material or at least include an extra large eartip size to experiment with – a couple of members of our test team don’t feel quite as confident with the fit and seal as they do with rival models from Bose and Technics.

Sony does provide an air pressure fit test in its Sound Connect app, which gives you a tick if your fit/tip choice is isolating you properly.

After a few attempts, our fit gets the green light, and during long listening sessions, the WF-1000XM6 don’t feel uncomfortable, but everyone’s ears are different, so we always recommend trying them for yourself.

Features

Brand new for WF-1000XM6 is Sony’s third-gen HD Noise Cancelling processor QN3e. It’s the brains behind multiple elements of the earbud’s performance, from helping to control the mics and noise-cancelling to reducing the signal-to-noise ratio and improving the DAC performance.

The new model carries over the integrated processor V2 from the old model but it’s now capable of handling 32-bit processing, compared to 24-bit previously.

Sony’s DSEE Extreme processing is once again present and has been a mainstay for a couple of generations now. It helps improve the sound of low-quality music files, and if you do tend to listen to tracks that are compressed, even podcasts, we’d recommend having this switched on. In our experience, it does provide a subtle but audible uplift in sound quality.

The Sonys are IPX4 rated and also offer Multipoint Bluetooth so you can connect up to two devices simultaneously. Technics still has the edge here, though, as the EAH-AZ100 give you the option of hooking up to three devices at once.

Anyone who wants to tinker with the audio from their WF-1000XM6 earbuds can delve straight into Sony’s Sound Connect app. Here you’re given a wide range of customisation options, including a 10-band graphic equaliser which will help you fine-tune their performance.

Know the kind of sound you like, but don’t want to get your hands dirty playing with the manual EQ? You can use the Find Your Equaliser function, which takes you on a journey of different sonic signatures so you can settle on your favourite flavour.

The Sony app also give you other customisation options which include rearranging the functions of the touch controls (which, incidentally, work well and are responsive), optimising the earbuds for spatial audio, and altering the intensity of Sony’s Ambient Sound (transparency) mode when you’re out and about.

The mode gets a boost for the WF-1000XM6, and it’s impressive the amount of information the earbuds allow you to hear while they’re still in place, even if it does give voices a slightly processed edge when talking.

The same goes for the Quick Attention mode, which kicks in when you press and hold down on the left earbud. It lowers the volume so you can, say, hear an announcement that’s going on in the background.

• 6 settings you should immediately tackle on the Sony WF-1000XM6 wireless earbuds

Battery life

Battery life for the WF-1000XM6 comes in at eight hours, which we’d call solid but unspectacular for a flagship pair of earbuds. It’s longer than the six hours offered by the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) but two hours short of the ten you get from Technics EAH-AZ100 with noise-cancelling turned on.

We’re a little disappointed Sony hasn’t been able to stretch it out to nine or more, but it appears the new processor requires a little extra juice, which has prevented Sony from going for longer from a single charge.

You do get two extra full charges out of the wireless charging case, which makes for a total battery life of 24 hours.

ANC & call quality

As we’ve alluded to further up this page, Sony’s taken several steps to get the best noise-cancelling and call quality possible out of WF-1000XM6.

The addition of the new QN3e processor ups the computational power, and you’ve got four mics in each earbud, which work to isolate you from outside noise.

You’ve also got Adaptive NC Optimiser, which automatically adapts the ANC algorithm to your fit and for the environment you’re listening in.

And during testing, it certainly feels like the quality of ANC has been given a bump compared to the XM5, especially in the midrange and higher frequencies.

We took the Sonys on the London tube and on a couple of short-haul flights, and they impressed us with their consistency and ability to extract both low-frequency rumbles of carriages and aeroplane engines, but also more high-pitched screeches and whistles that crept into our environment.

It still doesn’t quite feel as intense as Bose’s ANC and the QC Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) might still have the edge in blocking out low frequencies, but the gap between Sony and Bose is now as small as it’s ever been.

Like their ANC performance, Sony’s recent premium earbuds have performed strongly with regard to call quality, and the WF-1000XM6 continue this trend.

The AI beamforming, mixed with the bone conduction sensors, the presence of the extra mics and the wind noise reduction design all combine to great effect.

During testing, we find the Sonys do a great job subduing and minimising background noise, including tricky-to-handle wind noise – voices come through loud and clear with a great level of detail.

Sound

It’s great to have ANC and call quality that’s up to scratch, but where do the Sonys stand sonically?

Speaking to Sony at a press briefing for the WF-1000XM6, representatives told us to expect a more natural sound than the WF-1000XM5.

And during testing, it doesn’t take longer than a minute or two to hear that the new buds are quite a different beast.

There’s a newfound sense of natural warmth throughout the frequency range. But before you start getting worried that this is achieved at the expense of detail and insight, don’t be.

Everything that you expect to be present in a pair of flagship wireless earbuds is there: a fantastic sense of timing, an expressive midrange, weighty yet well-defined bass and crisp, nicely controlled highs. The Sonys cover all the bases and then some.

The WF-1000XM6 make the WF-1000XM5 sound lean and lacking substance in comparison. They also show the Bose up as being overblown and lacking sophistication and refinement.

Listen to the two, one after the other, the Bose sound like a blunt instrument compared to the Sonys, which dispatch not just lows, but also highs and mids with accuracy and razor-sharp precision.

But don’t think the Sonys deliver analysis at the expense of emotion, which can sometimes be the case with earbuds that just want to deconstruct the music. This is where their natural tone and superb sense of integration come into play.

The Sonys make instruments and vocals sound believable, just as if you were standing in the room getting a private performance.

Playing Tom Odell’s Black Friday, the Sonys give you a front row seat and reveal themselves as expert communicators. There’s delicacy and subtlety in spades, which helps the earbuds extract fantastic emotion and feeling from the track.

As fingers slide up the neck of the acoustic guitar, you can explicitly hear the little shifts in dynamics and the fine details in the gentle piano play, both of which mix beautifully with the sweeping strings that flow alongside both instruments.

The WF-1000XM6 capture and express the sadness and raw emotion in Odell’s voice superbly. They drag you in even further than the Technics EAH-AZ100, and make the Award-winners sound like they’re holding back dynamically. The Technics are still sweet-sounding, smooth and refined, but the Sonys give you a bit more insight into the music.

We switch to Dead Inside by Muse and the Sonys exhibit all the bass power and weight you could ask for, but it’s the way the notes are controlled and defined which really sets the Sonys apart from some of their rivals. They make the lows dispatched from the Bose QC Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) sound unkempt and overcooked.

There’s great depth to the bass notes and drum thwacks, but there’s also great agility. Notes don’t hang around longer than they need to, but they’re packed with texture and information and never feel like they’re telling you only half the story.

Add the Sony's newfound naturalness, and it brings the whole presentation together – the track sounds like a complete performance with no element too prominent or hidden away.

We finish off with Sugarhigh by King Unique, a slice of noughties dance music with a great mix of drum beats and percussion, and the Sonys’ rhythmic abilities come to the fore. The tribalistic drum beat drives the track along, and the XM6 dispatch it effortlessly.

As layers of electronica, percussion and drum machine come in from all angles, the Sonys keep a fine grip on all the different elements – the XM6 slot straight into a groove and never sound in danger of veering away from it.

Verdict

The premium wireless earbuds market has never been healthier, and your choices have never been wider and more varied.

But just when you thought Sony might be pulled back into the chasing pack, the WF-1000XM6 push the brand ahead again with a breathtaking all-round performance.

Sony might have changed the flavour of sound, but it’s all for the better with a natural tone that just connects with the listener, whatever track you care to throw at them. Dare we say, it’s benchmark-setting at the money…

Add noise-cancelling that’s up there with the very best, brilliant call quality and broad customisation options, and you’re left in no doubt the WF-1000XM6 are serious contenders.

Review published: 12th February 2026

SCORES

• Sound 5
• Comfort 4
• Features 5

MORE:

Read our review of the Technics EAH-AZ100

Also consider the Apple AirPods Pro 3 review

Sony WF-1000XM6 vs WF-1000XM5: which premium wireless earbuds are better?

Sony WF-1000XM6 vs Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen): which should you buy?

Sony WF-1000XM6 vs Technics EAH-AZ100: which flagship wireless earbuds are better?

Best wireless earbuds: top pairs tested by our reviewers

If you want a great pair of premium wireless headphones, you are currently spoiled for choice. Many of the major audio brands are desperately vying for wire-free supremacy, with each sending its flagship champion out to bat armed with alluring designs, bulging feature sets and boundary-pushing sound in a bid to tempt would-be buyers into making a lasting commitment.

Sony’s What Hi-Fi? Award-winning WH-1000XM6 spent much of 2025 as the champions of the arena, but don’t think for a moment that this is a one-horse race. The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen) are still staking their claim as the active noise-cancelling kings, while Bowers & Wilkins’ Px7 S3 blend style and substance into one very appealing package.

Then there’s Sennheiser’s five-star HDB 630 flagship headphones which made a late play at the end of last year with one thing on their mind: knock Sony off its perch and take the premium wireless crown back to Sennheiser Towers.

We’re struggling to think of a time when this particular space has been so competitive. That’s great news for the consumer – higher standards and greater choice are never a bad thing – but all of that fierce competition can be a double-edged sword. After all, how are you supposed to know which cans deserve a place atop your noggin when they all promise potent performance and so many tantalising tricks?

That’s where we come in. Thanks to our exhaustive Group Test of the most talented premium headphones around, we're in the best position possible to let you know which wireless wonders are right for you.

We have tested the top four models across a range of criteria, including design, comfort, features and sound quality, putting you in the best position when it comes to picking your perfect pair of premium partners.

Each year, it seems, the needle is pushed further and further north, so that some brands which could once have expected a full five-star haul might find themselves outmatched by the sheer quality showcased by their talented rivals.

In isolation, Bose's flagship QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen are better than ever, and their punchy, entertaining sound is certainly a noticeable step up over their first-generation antecedents.

For their lightweight comfort, foldable design and class-leading noise cancelling, they have so much to recommend them, especially for frequent flyers and commuters who value noise-cancelling above all.

Bose’s problem is that it hasn’t quite kept up with the rest of the pack on the audio front. We can still see the appeal of the overall package they provide, but if you’re looking for the best sound available at this premium level, their price-comparable adversaries have widened the margin to such an extent that Bose is in danger of being somewhat left behind.

Partly responsible for such a growing divide are the Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3. While the Sony WH-1000XM6 and Sennheiser HDB 630 advance things further in the sound quality department, we can’t deny that the B&Ws’ premium quality materials and design make them worthy of their high price tag.

Their noise-cancelling abilities may not be class leading, but they deliver a rich, full-bodied sound that drops you into the centre of your music to thrilling effect.

Bluetooth codec support is impressive. The higher-quality aptX Adaptive codec is on board, and of the four pairs of headphones tested here, the Px7 S3 are the only ones to offer support for aptX Lossless, offering CD quality (16-bit/44.1kHz) audio transmission from compatible sources.

The B&Ws’ sonic talents, combined with the sleek, prestige design, will make them an eye-catching proposition to anyone who values style as much as substance.

The Sonys push those sonic boundaries even further in nearly every area, all while boasting some of the most impressive all-around credentials you’ll find. Whether it’s their excellent noise cancelling, the superbly detailed and excellent dynamic presentation, effortless usability or superb comfort, the WH-1000XM6 are headphones built to please most of the people most of the time.

Topping the might of their predecessors was never going to be easy, but clever design and performance tweaks have elevated Sony’s flagship cans to the next level.

That next level is, on the sound front at least, not quite enough to overcome the fresh challenge of the Sennheiser HDB 630 – the HDB 630 have proved themselves to be a true force of nature.

Their standard sound quality is nuanced, spacious and a detail-rich delight, outstripping the Sony XM6 for textural insight, emotional engagement and the breadth of their soundstage.

The clever USB-C Bluetooth dongle that comes bundled with the headphones takes the sonic ability to new heights, as it lets you stream in hi-res aptX Adaptive Bluetooth quality from practically any source you plug it into, be it Android or iOS.

Plus, they don’t leave us feeling starved in other areas. While they might look a little bland for some (especially at this premium level), and they don’t quite reach the heights set by Sony or Bose’s noise-cancelling powers, they are still capable enough for everyday use. The HDB 630s’ plush headband and well-cushioned earpads make long listening sessions a breeze.

Additionally, a claimed 60-hour battery life and solid call quality only sweeten the deal. If only they folded away…

It’s gratifying to see the myriad ways the biggest headphone brands in the game have approached the premium wireless space, with each of these strong contenders bringing their own unique skillset to the table to appeal to specific needs.

For us, sound quality is king, so we’re giving the win here to the headphones that impressed us the most on the audio front. If you want the best-sounding wireless headphones you can get at this level it’s impossible to look past the benchmark-setting Sennheiser HDB 630 – for our money, they’re the cream of the current crop.

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I love spatial audio, but there's one feature I can't get my head around

Best noise cancelling headphones: rated and reviewed

It can’t be easy making a pair of wireless headphones in today’s market. Your main priority should be to get the audio sounding as good as it can possibly be, and that’s a tricky beast when customers are becoming increasingly aware of just how good a set of decent buds or over-ears can sound.

It’s even trickier when you’ve got a near-endless raft of competitors looking either to make a name for themselves or further cement their burgeoning reputations. Apple, Bose, Sony, Dali, B&W, Sennheiser, JBL – it’s hardly a one-horse race these days.

Overcome that particular hurdle and the job is barely even half done. Considerations regarding design and comfort must come high on the agenda, and then it’s time to think about supplying your latest contenders with the bulging feature-sets customers now so greedily expect. Noise cancelling, on-head wear sensors, custom equalisers, ‘find my’ facilities, spatial audio; the list goes on.

That last one remains relatively divisive, but I know plenty of people who are keen exponents of pure spatial tech. In short, it creates a wider, more immersive soundscape by making sounds seem as though they are anywhere within a three-dimensional space. (I also know many others who avoid it like the plague). I know not everyone is a fan, but I'm rather fond on Bose's patented 'Immersive Audio' spin on the technology – it's not perfect, but for some tracks, it works a treat.

What I have never found is a person who, when listening to music, actively and openly proclaims their love of spatial audio’s quirky cousin: spatial audio with head tracking. So am I missing something, or is head tracking one item that could be culled from an ever-growing menu of headphone features?

What is head tracking?

For those not familiar with the concept, head tracking is essentially a type of spatial audio which sticks your sound source to a single point in the soundscape rather than having it follow you around naturally as your head moves.

The idea is that by anchoring the sound to a single location – move your head right and it moves to your left ear, move it to the left and it moves it to your right – you’ll receive the experience of standing in front of a stage or speaker at a live performance. That's the core concept.

Except, you never do. Aside from all of the other ingredients missing from this apparent simulation of a live gig – overpriced refreshments, heaving crowds, low standards of personal hygiene – it’s almost impossible to convince yourself that head tracking is actually having the desired effect of making the audio sound as though it's emanating from anywhere other than inside your cans.

The problem is, listening to music with earbuds or headphones is such a specific sonic experience that it’s almost impossible to convince yourself of head tracking's desired effect.

Standard spatial audio can be effective in pulling the soundstage further away from your head to mimic the openness of a fully fledged surround system, especially if it works well and you’ve got a really decent pair of high-end cans such as the Apple AirPods Max. But I have yet to find any form of head tracking which has created the intended illusion of a source of live fixed audio.

That’s partly because the sound is so localised in your own head, and partly because head tracking with headphones essentially uses a sort of binary system whereby the audio has to switch from one earcup to the other.

That flitting from left to right isn’t something you naturally experience in the real world; but with headphones, that slight delay as the sound shifts from one side to the other – something we experienced with the otherwise commendable Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen) – shatters the illusion.

I’m not the only one to have picked up on this particular problem. To quote our ever-perceptive contributor Joe Svetlik: “When I'm pottering around my kitchen, hearing the audio adjust every time I move my head just reminds me I'm wearing headphones, which is the antithesis of an immersive experience. I want to get lost in the music, not have the left headphone cut out because I put my phone in my right pocket.”

Too right, Joe.

Android, on its spatial audio explainer page, freely admits that while head tracking “helps the user understand the nature of the spatialized sound stage being simulated around their head”, the experience “is effective only when the latency is low”. If a delay is present, as it often is, the illusion very quickly shatters.

Also, I don’t know about you, but my head tends to stay on a pretty set axis whenever I’m firing out my favourite tunes. Yes, occasionally I will turn one way or the other to look out of a window or notice that the dog is currently chewing her way through another pair of trainers that need rescuing. For the most part, though, I spend most of my time staring dead ahead.

If I do have to move my skull from side to side, I have never once felt that the immersion was shattered by having the sound move with me as I do so. It’s music from headphones – it goes where you go. Isn't that sort of the point?

Move over, music

Let’s not be all doom and gloom. Head tracking might have its place in your headphones' arsenal of weapons; just possibly not when it comes to music. If the technology isn't quite capable of effectively replicating the experience of having music emanating from a fixed source, it may make more sense when it comes to enjoying your favourite movies and TV series.

Here's our TV and AV editor, Tom Parsons, to explain why:

“I share Harry’s fairly negative view of headphones head tracking for music; but I’m actually a big fan of it for movies. When my family hits the hay, I often switch from my ‘real’ Dolby Atmos system to listening via my AirPods Max, which are connected to an Apple TV 4K.

“The way the Spatial Audio head-tracking anchors the audio to the on-screen movie makes for a really natural aural experience that’s much closer to the listening-out-loud experience than you usually get from headphones. I genuinely think this is a great way to enjoy Dolby Atmos movies if you don’t have the space or budget for a home cinema speaker system.”

That makes a lot more sense. If you're not able always to enjoy your movies ‘out loud’, a technology which can replicate the feeling of having audio emanating from the screen, all while keeping it from spilling out all over the place when you’re trying not to wake up the wife and kids, feels far more appropriate.

Provided you have a pair of headphones that are good enough in the first place, of course…

The right tech in the wrong place?

Head tracking, it seems, has its place – just not when it comes to listening to your favourite music.

I can still see an argument for the virtues of pure spatial audio, yet it's hard to think of an instance when adding head tracking into the mix elevates, say, Nirvana's MTV Unplugged in New York set to the heights of the original recording. I don't think the tech is going to get to the point where I'm convinced I'm sitting in the same room as Kurt Cobain and his tatty green cardigan.

For movies, however, I'm far more sold. As many of my colleagues have pointed out, it feels far more appropriate for immersing you in your cinematic experience, especially when circumstances demand that you are restricted to head-bound listening.

Perhaps the lesson here is that there’s a time and a place for every emergent audio technology: you sometimes just have to figure out what works best for you.

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We were hoping for big things from Apple’s 3rd Gen flagship wireless earbuds when they entered our test room (and our ears). After all, the Pro 2 was the first pair of Apple buds that we’d ever deemed worthy of a five-star rating.

But just because the old version of a product was five stars doesn’t mean the result will be the same for the new model. There have been occasions in my almost two decades on What Hi-Fi? where our reaction has been one of disappointment rather than delight.

Thankfully, though the AirPods Pro 3 did enough to convince our review team that not only did they deserve five stars, they also deserve to go straight into our best wireless earbuds buying guide as the best AirPods you can currently buy.

Okay, so the AirPods Pro 3 don’t rewrite the rulebook when it comes to the category, but they do take what we loved about their predecessors and build on it in several ways.

One thing that does separate them from the outgoing Pro 2 model is that the design has been tweaked. When you read about the changes and see what has happened (the main body of each bud is slightly smaller and the nozzle now points more towards your ear canal), it doesn’t sound like much, but the AirPods Pro 3 do feel different.

Apple has also tweaked the design of its tips, which now feature a layer of 'foam-infused microspheres'. This isolates the user more, and we found that during testing, the added thickness might mean it's worth trying a smaller size of eartip.

The new Pro 3 design sticks out more, but some members of our review team found they actually fit more securely, while others preferred the shallower profile of Pro 2. As is the case with all wireless earbuds, only after you’ve tried them for yourself will you be able to tell if they’re for you.

Back to the Pro 3, and our review team was impressed with how Apple has managed to up the noise-cancelling ability. It was good before, but as we said in our AirPods Pro 3 review, we think they now “shave off a greater amount of mid and low frequency noise” (compared to the Pro 2 model).

You’re a bit more aware of the strength of the noise-cancelling, but its ability to block out environmental noise effectively is very impressive.

Sonically, the AirPods Pro 3 build on the wonderfully balanced, cohesive sound we were treated to in their predecessors, but the new model sounds even clearer and more detailed. Voices have a bit more body and texture to them, and highs sound purer, too.

Are they perfect? No pair of wireless earbuds is, and if there’s one thing to highlight is battery life. Eight hours per charge in itself is fine and par for the course at this price point, but the charging case only provides an additional two charges, which seems stingy by current standards.

Obviously, if you don’t own an iPhone, the lure of the AirPods Pro 3 won’t be particularly strong – thankfully, though, there’s no shortage of alternatives out there which we rate just as highly.

Our list includes the Award-winning Technics EAH-AZ100, the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) and the older Sony WF-1000XM5, all of which you’ll find over on our best wireless earbuds buying guide.

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Epson has announced the latest addition to its Lifestudio projector range – and it's a departure from the stylish EF-72 that we reviewed last year.

The Lifestudio Grand EH-LS970 is the brand's new flagship ultra-short-throw (UST) projector that instead hopes to steal the spotlight from Hisense. It certainly has the credentials to do so on paper. It replaces the EH‑LS800, a projector we reviewed at four stars back in 2024.

The EH-LS970 boasts a “Real 4K UHD” resolution, according to Epson, featuring 8.3 million pixels and a maximum screen size of up to 150 inches.

It uses a 3LCD laser light source, which Epson boldly claims features “no rainbow effect”; we'll have to verify that ourselves when this new beamer lands in our home-cinema testing room.

Furthermore, that light source can reportedly deliver a staggering 4000 lumens of brightness, which is 1000 lumens more than the Hisense PX3-Pro's claimed maximum. You needn't worry about changing that light source, either: it reportedly boasts a 20,000-hour life span.

While that is an impressive picture specification on paper, Epson is also collaborating with a big name in the audio space to help it sound as good as it looks. The EH-LS970 features a Bose-engineered sound system with support for Dolby Audio.

Epson is leveraging an AI-backed picture-processing engine, and Google TV is on board, providing a wide range of streaming apps, including Netflix and Disney Plus.

Epson is even touting a handful of quality-of-life features, including “whisper-quiet operation” with a claimed fan noise of just 29 dB, or 18 dB in the projector's quiet mode. Gamers are also well catered for, with ALLM support and a reported input lag of under 20ms.

This all comes packed into a stylish chassis that aligns with the other lifestyle-leaning Lifestudio projectors in Epson's range.

It features a claimed throw ratio of 0.16–0.4:1, meaning you can achieve the full 150-inch picture by placing the EH-LS970 merely centimetres away from the wall (Epson has, unfortunately, not specified just how many centimetres so, again, we shall have to wait for a test sample to come in to confirm precise numbers).

Pricing for Epson's new UST projector is yet to be revealed; it is, though, expected to hit shop shelves in April of this year.

MORE:

Read our full Epson EF-72 review

As well as our Hisense PX3-Pro review

And check out our list of the best projectors

Update 09/01/26: This story has been edited to remove the claim that Bose offered customers no compensation at the time of the original announcement. In fact, Bose did offer SoundTouch customers a 25 per cent discount code, and affected customers can use Bose's standard trade-in program. Bose failed to communicate these points to us when we contacted it for comment on the original story.

Bose's SoundTouch speakers aren't going to be quite as bricked as originally planned.

In October, Bose announced it would end cloud support for the SoundTouch range, and shut down the mobile app. This prompted outrage from customers, who would see their speakers lose all smart functionality, and only work over Bluetooth, or plugged in via AUX or HDMI.

But now the US firm has listened to its customers and managed to keep some smart features working.

In a letter to customers, it announced that it will keep the SoundTouch app running with most of its features still available just without the cloud. Cloud support will now end on 6th May, rather than the original date of 18th February.

Bose is also releasing its SoundTouch API documentation so anyone with the right knowhow can create their own features.

On 6th May, the SoundTouch app will update "to a version that supports key functions without relying on the cloud," Bose wrote. Just open the app and it will update itself automatically.

After this date, the app will still allow you to set up and configure your system, control playback and group multiple speakers together. But you will lose access to presets, and the ability to browse and play music streaming services directly from the SoundTouch app.

You also won't receive security updates. Bose recommends you only use your SoundTouch speakers on a secure, private network.

To keep streaming to your SoundTouch speaker after 6th May, stream direct from the music app in question and send the audio from your device to your speaker via AirPlay, Bluetooth or AUX. You can still stream direct to the speaker via Spotify Connect through the Spotify app.

Bose says it will release more information in the coming months. In the meantime, you can read more on the dedicated support page.

So there you have it, good news of a sort. Or slightly less bad news, maybe.

SoundTouch devices are quite old now, having launched in 2013, but it was still an outrage that Bose would remove most of the features. One reader contacted us up in arms that they had spent £2000 on SoundTouch speakers shortly before the original announcement. Hopefully today's news leaves them slightly less cheesed off than before.

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And multi-room audio: everything you need to know

As one of What Hi-Fi?’s resident wireless headphones aficionados, I will regularly be found pinching the latest pairs from our stockroom to take for a test drive. And, over the past 12 months, I’ve spent a lot of time swapping between new pairs while also revisiting older models to get a good feel for how the market has (or hasn’t) evolved.

The more I’ve heard, the more it’s given me time to take stock of different brands, what they offer and where there might be a little room for improvement. After all, even with all the five-star models we have reviewed, there really isn’t such a thing as a perfect pair of wireless headphones.

I have cherry-picked four of the biggest brands in the business and made a note or two on what I think they need to bring to the table with any future models they might be thinking of launching in 2026.

Here’s what I’m wishing for and why…

Apple

I can’t be the only person who was disappointed by the September 2024 update for the AirPods Max. I’m still surprised this premium pair of cans was given barely more than a lick of fresh paint. I’m of the opinion that these impressively engineered over-ears are still competitive in the current market, but I think it’s time for Apple to consider a bigger revamp.

To me, they need a bit of an update in terms of design – and I’m not just talking about that travel case. They do now feel quite bulky and hefty compared with many of their rivals. Multiple pairs have passed through my hands this year and although build quality is excellent on the AirPods I think the time is right for a revamp.

I also think that sound quality could be improved, especially given that key, cheaper rivals from the likes of Sony and Sennheiser have now caught up. The AirPods Max showed there was mileage in premium-priced headphones back in 2020; now it’s time to move things on.

Bose

I have always been a fan of Bose’s premium wireless headphones, especially when it comes to noise-cancelling, but I can’t help but feel that the brand might have taken one eye off the ball when it comes to sound quality with its latest top of the range over-ears.

We rate the QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen) as four stars – they’re solid performers, but we do think they have fallen behind the current class-leaders when it comes to clarity, detail and dynamics.

For me, there’s now a clear gap between Bose and the top performers from Sony and Sennheiser. That’s mainly down to sound quality, but I also think build quality could be improved given their asking price.

Bowers & Wilkins

I have been impressed with the consistent level of sound quality from B&W’s recent premium over-ear and in-ear headphones. Anyone looking for an entertaining sound that majors in insight should start their search with what this brand has to offer.

But moving forward, and being very picky, I’d like to see more from the noise-cancelling technology used in its headphones. This is especially the case when it comes to its over-ears such as the Px8 S2, which, based on our recent experience, do struggle to block out external noise as effectively as some rivals, especially in the upper midrange and treble.

Bose and Sony’s implementations of ANC in its premium headphones are quite different from each other, but both are hugely effective and leading the way in this department.

Sony

It’s fair to say that Sony’s recent highlight reel for its wireless headphones is nothing short of astounding. Its most recent premium over-ears, the WH-1000XM6, arrived on the scene in May 2025 and basically swept all before them, winning our Product of The Year gong in the wireless headphones category at the What Hi-Fi? Awards 2025.

One launch I’m crossing my fingers for in 2026, though, is a potential replacement for the existing WF-1000XM5 in-ears. They are still great performers for the money, but having used them on and off for some time now and having had the chance to compare them with a lot of rival models, I do believe they’re in need of an update.

The main thing I want any successor to address is comfort. I struggle to gel with the eartips on offer from these particular Sony buds, and I’m not the only member of the What Hi-Fi? review team to feel this way. A new, softer, more pliable yet acoustically isolating material would be very much appreciated.

MORE:

Our pick of the best wireless headphones for every budget

Sony WH-1000XM6 vs Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen): which flagship wireless over-ears are best?

Sony WF-1000XM6: release date and price predictions, plus 6 features on our wishlist

Apple AirPods Max vs AirPods Max 2024: what are the differences?

The Sony WH-1000XM6 are the Japanese audio manufacturer’s current flagship pair of wireless over-ears. With their incredibly detailed sound, excellent noise cancellation and wide range of features, they took home a 2025 What Hi-Fi? Award for the Best wireless headphones £250-£500.

We have compared them in the past with the first generation of Bose QC Ultra Headphones, but Bose now has a new pair of flagship over-ears to compete with the XM6.

The Bose headphones certainly have their work cut out to knock the Sonys off their perch. So how do the new Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen) stack up? We've tested both to find out.

Sony WH-1000XM6 vs Bose QC Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen): Price

• Both launched at similar premium prices
• The QC Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen) are more expensive, being newer
• The XM6 are currently discounted at several retailers

At the time of writing, the Award-winning Sony WH-1000XM6 are currently priced at £349 in the UK, $429 in the US and AU$579 in Australia. When they were launched back in May 2025, their price was £400 / $449 / AU$699.

The second generation of Bose’s QuietComfort Ultra Headphones came out in September, with a similar launch price of £450 / $429 / AU$699. They are currently retailing for the same price in the UK, while in the US and Australia, they have been reduced to $399 and AU$649 respectively.

The Bose are a few months newer than the Sony WH-1000XM6, which perhaps justifies the slightly higher launch price. We have seen a few discounts on the Sonys already this year, however, which seals the deal on price.

**Winner: Sony WH-1000XM6**

Sony WH-1000XM6 vs Bose QC Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen): Build & Design

• The Bose Ultra 2 have a slimmer, more compact folding design
• Both are very comfortable, but the Sony feel more secure on our heads
• The XM6 have a more premium build quality

Bose and Sony both offer minimalist designs with their premium flagship wireless headphones, although the use of shinier metal in the Ultra Headphones 2 does give them a more distinctive look than the WH-1000XM6’s relatively blocky design.

Both are built using a fair amount of plastic. This may seem a little counterintuitive when you are paying such a premium, but the lightweight plastic means the headphones aren’t too heavy on the head and can be worn for long hours without fatigue. Overall, though, we feel that the Sony XM6’s build quality and the materials used feel more premium than the Bose.

Sony has made the XM6’s headband wider and flatter than the predecessor to improve comfort. Combined with their noiseless, stepless sliders and the angle of the earcups, we find them a very comfortable fit. While we have some concerns that they could twist out of position when trying to get the earcups in place (and we have occasionally caught our fingers in the hinges), the XM6 offer a secure fit with ample cushioning for our ears.

The Bose are some of the comfiest wireless over-ears we have used over long periods, too. They have less clamping force than the Sony XM6 and so might not feel quite as secure on the head, but the earpads and headband are well-cushioned, ensuring a comfortable fit and good seal.

The Ultra Headphones 2 are the more streamlined storage option. They feature inward-folding earcups, which allow them to be folded up into a ball to fit into a large coat pocket, say, or their compact hard-shell carry case.

Sony’s XM6 headphones have stainless steel hinges at the end of each sliding arm – a feature which allows the XM6 to be folded up for the first time, too. This makes it easier to carry them around or throw into a bag; they do, however, need to be stored flat in order to fit into their hard carry case.

In terms of controls, the slightly recessed, circular power button on the Sony XM6 makes turning them on and off pretty straightforward. Both sets of headphones feature responsive touch controls on the right earcup, while the QC Ultra Headphones 2 also have a multifunctional power/Bluetooth pairing button for controlling playback and calls, and switching between listening modes.

This will come down to personal preference, so we recommend trying on both pairs before buying. For us, though, for their more premium build and greater security on our heads, our preference is the Sony.

**Winner: Sony WH-1000XM6**

Sony WH-1000XM6 vs Bose QC Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen): Features

• Both headphones have a 30-hour battery life with ANC on
• Bose supports aptX Adaptive codec while Sony supports LDAC
• Both have a USB-C connection, but only Bose supports wired listening through it

Both the XM6 and QC Ultra Headphones 2 feature a USB-C connection for charging. But it’s the Bose that offers wired listening – up to ‘lossless’ CD-quality audio – through this port. However, Bose and Sony also support listening through an analogue connection, with both models offering a 3.5mm audio cable included in the box.

In terms of battery life, both pairs of headphones offer about 30 hours with ANC activated, so there is plenty of juice available for long listening periods.

For anyone who owns a USB-PD charger, one of the Sony’s niftiest features is that a three-minute charge with one of these will get you three hours of playback. You can also listen to them while they charge.

Thanks to Sony’s Speak-To-Chat feature, the volume drops automatically when you start talking, making it easier to hear any conversations you enter into. Standard Ambient Sound mode actively lets outside noise in, while Quick Attention Mode allows you to hear ambient sounds, which is useful if you’re expecting announcements at an airport terminal, for example.

The Bose have an ‘Aware’ mode that allows external noise in and comes with a feature called ActiveSense, which automatically adjusts the level of transparency based on your surroundings. ActiveSense can be toggled on or off via the Bose Music app, where transparency levels can be manually adjusted too.

Both the Bose and XM6 have Bluetooth multipoint functionality, so you can connect to multiple audio sources at once, but the Bose comes with the newer Bluetooth 5.4 standard as opposed to Sony’s Bluetooth 5.3.

Both pairs of headphones support the standard SBC and AAC codecs, but for high-resolution playback up to 24-bit/96kHz, Bose headphones support the aptX Adaptive codec, while Sony supports its proprietary LDAC codec for the XM6. If this feature is important to you, check which codec your smartphone or hi-res music player is compatible with before deciding which set of headphones is the right option for you.

Spatial audio technology is available on both models, but in very different forms. Sony supports its own 360 Reality Audio tracks specifically, although the availability of these streams is limited to Amazon Music and Deezer. Additionally, the 360 Reality Audio Upmix for Cinema feature can add Sony’s spatial audio processing to any content you’re watching in stereo, too.

Bose calls its version Immersive Audio, with ‘Still’ and ‘Motion’ modes available for any music played through the headphones. We remain unconvinced about the overall effect, however, with the opening up of the soundstage and greater dimension countered with the usual pitfalls of less focus and dynamism. A new ‘Cinema’ mode is available in the 2nd Gen Ultra Headphones, which boosts dialogue and is more suited to video content than it is for music.

While the features are fairly neck and neck here, we’ll give it to the Bose for its additional wired listening ability.

**Winner: Bose QC Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen)**

Sony WH-1000XM6 vs Bose QC Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen): Noise Cancelling

• Bose are superior in terms of purely blocking out noise intensity
• Their ANC can also be customised
• Many will prefer the more natural, subtle effect of XM6’s ANC quality

The WH-1000XM6 have excellent noise-cancellation capabilities, thanks to four microphones spaced around the outside edge of each earcup and two placed inside, beneath the removable ear pads. A mesh covers the outer microphones to further reduce wind noise, while an NC optimiser constantly adapts to changes in the environment as you move around, to optimise ANC.

During our review, we tested them out on London’s underground network and found that low-end and midrange noise were exceptionally contained, and they gave us a rumble-free background when standing in the garden and listening for passing traffic.

But unlike the Bose, the WH-1000XM6’s ANC levels can’t be manually customised, which will be an issue for those who like to fine-tune their listening.

The QC Ultra 2 Headphones’ ‘Immersion’ mode allows you to reduce ANC intensity, while the ‘Aware’ mode lets external noise in. Bose has also updated the proprietary algorithm so ANC automatically kicks in to prevent sharp spikes of noise from drowning out your music. During our review period, we tested them out using a hoover and every time we increased its intensity, the Ultra 2 reacted quickly to prevent it from interfering with music playback.

In terms of purely blocking out the most sound, the Ultra Headphone 2’s ‘Quiet’ mode makes them superior to the WH-1000XM6. When on an aircraft, we found that the high-frequency cry of a baby was the only thing that could penetrate their formidable sound shield.

It’s worth noting that Bose’s strong ANC effect comes with a rather heavy-handed ‘vacuum’ effect that not everyone finds comfortable, while the Sony offer a more natural, sophisticated and subtle effect that will make the XM6 a better option for many. This one comes down to personal preference.

**Winner: Draw**

Sony WH-1000XM6 vs Bose QC Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen): Sound

• Bose’s sound quality has improved from the previous generation
• Bose’s bass-rich character has also been retained
• Sony XM6 pull ahead in every sonic area, with greater dynamics, subtlety, precision and clarity overall

Inside each earcup, the Sony XM6 feature a 30mm ‘soft edge’ dome driver made from a carbon-fibre composite. When combined with the headphones’ QN3 processor, this is designed to improve audio quality and ANC performance, according to the Japanese audio manufacturer.

During our review, we found the WH-1000XM6 “deliver the most detailed, dynamic, precise and open sound we’ve heard from a wireless Sony flagship”. They simply seem capable of diving into any track and extracting an unbelievable amount of information.

We played Billie Eilish’s No Time To Die through them and her vocal “oozes texture and emotion and you can picture just how close she is to the microphone when recording the track.”

You also “get to enjoy every element individually, but it all gels together cohesively. The undercurrent of piano, the rumble of the drums, the strings and the texture of the subtly bellowing bass notes in the sound field all combine to draw you in.”

Bose doesn’t give specific driver information. However, the US manufacturer said it has made adjustments to the overall sound quality from the first generation of QC Ultra Headphones, which we found punchy, entertaining and defined.

And indeed, the latest iteration make meaningful gains in all these areas. Clarity and detail have improved, while they sound more solid and musically tighter. They also have slightly less excess richness. The result is a highly enjoyable listen, characterised by the smooth, bass-rich character that Bose favours, but with more insight and precision.

When playing Charli xcx’s Von dutch, for instance, the Bose “rev their engines, launching themselves into the upbeat track with their best foot forward. The synths surge with low-end texture and impetus, the beat pulsates with snap and crispness.”

Despite the improvements from the first-gen Ultra, however, they aren’t able to surpass the WH-1000XM6, which offer simply class-leading sound at this price point.

In a direct comparison, we find the Sony’s deliver “not only more natural, even-handed tonality than the Ultra 2 but also greater clarity, texture, drive and dynamic subtlety. Musically, they are what we can confidently call ‘next level’.”

The Bose are an entertaining listen, but seeing as the Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3 and Sennheiser HDB 630 can match the quality of the XM6, the Ultra 2 feel a little left behind in this increasingly competitive and progressive market.

**Winner: Sony WH-1000XM6**

Sony WH-1000XM6 vs Bose QC Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen): Verdict

• The XM6 are the better-sounding option, with great comfort and ANC quality
• Bose remains a solid option for frequent flyers with superb noise-blocking
• Both have a great, yet slightly different, range of features

Sony and Bose continue to refine their flagship wireless headphones, but while the Bose QC Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen) hold their own in terms of feature and design, the Sony WH-1000XM6 are clear winners when it comes to sound quality.

The Bose are an enjoyable listen, but the XM6 sound more natural and clear, while offering greater texture, drive and dynamic subtlety – so the Ultra 2 have some catching up to do here.

Both models are comfortable and offer the same battery life, but there are small differences (hi-res codec support, spatial audio tech, and wired listening) that might make a difference depending on your listening priorities. Bose remains excellent when it comes to ANC; Sony has caught up now, however, and we find it just as effective at damping down noise as Bose’s.

If you’re in the market for a pair of premium wireless over-ear headphones, you can’t go wrong with either pair. There is plenty to like about them both, but in a straight head-to-head, the Sony WH-1000XM6’s overall talents and superb sound quality make them the preferred option.

**Overall winner: Sony WH-1000XM6**

Black Friday is over for another year, and it's time for Cyber Monday to take over the reins as people try to pick up a last-minute bargain before prices start creeping back up.

I've been keeping an eye on two pairs of flagship wireless headphones from Bose and Sony, both of which are new this year and both of which have dipped in price over the past few days.

Historically, the top pairs of ANC over-ears from both of these brands have been pretty close in terms of both performance and price, but this year, I think your choice is a bit more straightforward.

This year, it’s between the Sony WH-1000XM6, which I use daily and have been using ever since their launch back in May this year and the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen), which launched in October.

Both are flagship pairs of wireless headphones, but I can only recommend one of these deals.

The Sonys normally cost £399, but I’m pleased to report they are currently sitting at their lowest price ever of £299 at Amazon.

The Bose come in at £450, and they are currently available for £399 at Amazon. Not a bad price, but the Sonys are cheaper, so they win this particular battle, and that’s before we’ve even touched upon the way these two pairs of ANC over-ears perform.

In terms of design, it’s a close-run thing. Both pairs feel comfortable on your head and are suited to long periods of use – perfect for long commutes or the occasional long-haul flight. Both pairs fold away completely, so you can store them in a bag easily.

When you want to cut out external noise, the Bose just about edge it, but I am talking by the finest of margins. The Sonys still remove background grumbles effortlessly and do so with less of a heavy hand than the Bose.

The way the Bose go about their ANC business is a bit more brutal, which not everyone enjoys. And I think Sony’s call quality is the best in the business, capable of virtually erasing all wind noise from your conversations.

But it’s in the sound quality stakes where the gap is biggest. The Bose just can’t match the detail, clarity and dynamics of the WH-1000XM6. I think the difference is obvious and one you can't ignore, especially when you consider the price difference.

We couldn’t make it any clearer than our Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen) review, which says, “Musically, they’re (Sony XM6) what we can confidently call ‘next level’”.

Even though it’s great to see both flagship pairs discounted, my money would go straight to the Sony WH-1000XM6. With £100 off at Amazon, and still £100 cheaper than the Bose, to me, this decision is the biggest Cyber Monday no-brainer I’ve seen so far.

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Read our Sony WH-1000XM6 review

Sony WH-1000XM6 vs WH-1000XM5: should you upgrade?

I spent 10 hours on trains listening to the Sony WH-1000XM6 – and it convinced me to upgrade my beloved XM4 headphones

Black Friday quick links

• Amazon: browse all of today's best deals
• B&W speakers: save £200
• Bluetooth speaker: 48% off five-star JBL
• Bose QC Ultra Earbuds: save £100
• Bravia 8 TV: save 34% on 55in Sony TV
• Denon AV receiver: save £500
• Dolby Atmos soundbar: down to £299
• ELAC Debut 2: five-star speakers now £199
• Headphones: Sennheiser Momentum 4 now £169
• John Lewis: £500 off LG and Sony OLED TVs
• Richer Sounds: browse Black Friday deals
• Sevenoaks: £150 off Award-winning speakers
• TVs, movies, home cinema: browse the best deals

We like to consider our product reviews helpful not only for readers looking to make their next consumer electronics purchase, but also for the manufacturers of the products themselves; identifying a flaw, for example, gives them something to work on so that they can make an even better product next time around, and that’s a win-win outcome for everyone.

In our five-star review of the original Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones, we highlighted a few imperfections in their design. You couldn’t listen to them wired over USB-C, their battery life fell short of that delivered by their closest rival, and their spatial audio was unconvincing. Well, guess what? Bose has addressed all three with its Ultra sequel.

The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen) are, as a result, among the world’s most comprehensively featured noise-cancelling headphones. Recognising that performance cannot stand still for a moment in this cut-throat market, Bose has also dutifully elevated the Ultra’s already strong audio and ANC quality too. So has it done enough to keep its flagships in the conversation?

Price

The original Ultra Headphones launched in October 2023 for £450 / $429 / AU$649, so it wasn’t surprising that the sequels appeared exactly two years later, priced the same in the UK, albeit slightly higher in the US ($449) and Australia (AU$700).

Those figures put them in the ballpark of their closest noise-cancelling headphone rivals, the Sony WH-1000XM6 (£400 / $450 / AU$699), Sennheiser HDB 630 (£399 / $499 / AU$999) and Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3 (£399 / $449 / AU$699).

While an even pricier tier of wireless headphones has emerged in recent years, the Ultra 2 represent Bose’s peak efforts and sit above the brand’s QuietComfort over-ears (£249 / $199 / AU$330), which forego some of the Ultra’s flagship features (such as spatial audio) and their performance heights.

Design & build

Where Bose could have gotten away with standing still in the evolution from its first-gen to second-gen Ultra Headphones is the design, and indeed the brand has more or less kept its feet planted here.

The QC Ultra 2 look pretty much identical to their predecessors, with their slimline frame and nicely chamfered, logo-brandishing ovular earcups. Their metal yokes are simply now a more striking polished mirror (rather than matte) finish, and the five available finishes now include a bold Midnight Violet (purple) and Desert Gold (black with gold accents).

No, they don’t have the Apple AirPods Max’s metal-heavy luxuriousness or the B&W Px7 S3’s attention to detail, but their sleek minimalism qualifies as ‘business smart’. And while that doesn’t necessarily score highly on the perceived value spectrum for a pair this pricey, their style does offer an alternative to the largely indistinct, blocky look adopted by the Sony XM6 and Sennheiser HDB 630.

Once again, the Ultra fit extremely well, the all-round pleather cushioning on the earpads and headband offering a good seal and level of isolation while easily managing the headphones’ unburdensome 250g weight. Add to that a well-judged grip that survives the head-shake test, and you have one of the most comfortable wireless over-ear pairs for longer periods of wear that we’ve come across.

We wouldn’t be surprised if the words ‘long haul travel’ featured on the Bose’s designers mood board when creating the Ultra Headphones – bolded, underlined and capitalised. The earcups still fold inwards, allowing them to scrunch up in a generous-sized coat pocket or in the compact hard-shell carry case. And despite looking flimsier than some of their rivals, their build quality appears to stand the test of time; our sample of the original Ultra still look relatively new despite having been frequently used by our reviews team for two years.

The controls haven’t changed, either. The right earcup simply sports a power/Bluetooth pairing button; a multifunctional button that can be used to control playback and calls and switch between listening modes; and a nicely responsive capacitive touch strip on the ridge for adjusting volume and accessing shortcuts (assignable in the Bose companion app).

The left earcup, meanwhile, houses 2.5mm and USB-C ports, and this time you can use the latter for wired listening as well as charging, meaning you only need to carry one cable. The USB-C connection supports ‘lossless’ CD-quality audio, too, which isn’t possible over the aptX Adaptive Bluetooth codec supported by the Bose, despite it being one of the most proficient codecs out there. Just be aware that both cabled listening methods require the headphones to have battery life.

Spatial audio

Speaking of which, battery life receives a much needed boost here, from 24 hours to 30 hours with ANC activated, or 45 hours with it off. Those figures hold up in testing and more or less match the Sony XM6, though the juicepack does take a hit when the power-hungry Immersive Audio mode is used, dropping to 23 hours.

Immersive Audio is Bose vernacular for spatial audio technology, which the brand introduced with the original Ultra. We weren’t hugely convinced by the ‘spatial’ effect with all types of music, and in the QC Ultra 2’s ‘Motion’ mode (which tracks the sound to your head movements), being able to sense the processing at play still proves a little distracting. But ‘Still’ is more satisfying, opening up the soundstage and delivering a more dimensional (if a little less focused) presentation that some will undoubtedly enjoy – particularly if they use ANC headphones while watching movies.

Bose has now bundled its ‘Still’ Immersive Audio and most intense noise-cancelling settings into a new ‘Cinema’ mode, designed for – you guessed it – TV and movie watching, and this is where the technology proves most valuable. Dialogue and mid/upper sound effects are pulled into greater focus within the wider soundfield, though dynamics are quashed as a result, limiting its appeal with music.

Noise cancelling

Whether you’re listening to music or movie soundtracks, you can do so in peace. Bose has consistently set the benchmark for noise cancellation efficacy in wireless over-ears, and despite Sony having boldly closed the gap here with its WH-1000XM6, the Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen) still just about prevail for outright sound-blocking intensity in their ‘Quiet’ mode.

Whether you’re riding public transport or walking past roadworks or construction, they provide a blanket of silence so that your music (or podcasts) can bask in the spotlight, eliminating the deepest rumbles and the majority of mid-band hubbub we encounter on our daily travels. On a plane, only the shrill, high-frequency sound of a baby’s cry penetrates that formidable shield.

If you don’t like the QC Ultra 2’s somewhat heavy-handed approach to sound blocking, you can select the ‘Immersion’ mode and dial down the effect more specifically to your liking in the app. Alternatively, consider the Sony rival, which blocks sound pretty much as effectively, albeit in a subtler manner that doesn’t feel as though they’re trying as hard.

As before, the ‘Aware’ mode effectively lets external sounds in so that you can remain aware of your surroundings without having to remove the headphones. Bose has tinkered away to upgrade the proprietary algorithm that impacts how the Ultra 2 respond to sudden loud noises when in this mode, allowing ANC to automatically kick in so that sharp spikes of noise don’t drown out your music. It seems to work; I turn on the hoover and each time I up the intensity settings (and decibels!), the headphones react quickly to soften the impact on playback.

Sound

While we have previously encountered Bose noise-cancellers that haven’t moved sound quality on from one generation to the next, the QC Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen) aren’t one of them. Compared to the originals, the newcomers make small but meaningful gains when it comes to clarity and detail, while sounding that bit more solid and musically tighter and shedding a layer of excess richness. There’s a sliver more space between instruments, too. Considering we peppered our original Ultra review with words like ‘punchy’, ‘entertaining’ and ‘defined’, those improvements make an already entertaining pair of headphones even more so.

Play Charli xcx’s Von dutch, and the Bose rev their engines, launching themselves into the upbeat track with their best foot forward. The synths surge with low-end texture and impetus, the beat pulsates with snap and crispness. It’s the same pleasingly smooth, bass-rich character Bose has long favoured, simply more insightful and precise than ever before. So far, so good.

However, a conversation around whether these sequels are worth upgrading to for owners of the first-gen model should encompass the wider competition. When we tested the original Ultra, their natural rivals were the Sony WH-1000XM5, which sounded different to the Bose – leaner, more natural and capable of slightly greater insight, albeit not as rich or full. Ultimately, for many, personal preference will play a large role in deciding between the two.

The problem for the QC Ultra 2 is that they come up against Sony’s Award-winning WH-1000XM6, which aren’t just different sounding but categorically better sounding, and by a fair margin. Indeed, Sony’s latest generational sonic evolution has convincingly out-leapt Bose’s, the XM6’s delivering not only more natural, even-handed tonality than the Ultra 2 but also greater clarity, texture, drive and dynamic subtlety. Musically, they’re what we can confidently call ‘next level’.

Considering the similarly priced Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3 and Sennheiser HDB 630 are at least of the Sony XM6’s quality, the Bose, while entertaining in their own right, now feel a little left behind in this increasingly competitive, progressive market.

Verdict

Bose has arguably approached the QC Ultra Headphones 2 as it should have, by plugging feature gaps and incrementally improving on the original’s strengths. Reasonable across-the-board refinements were expected and have indeed been delivered, making for a complete pair of headphones that justify ‘2nd Gen’ status.

But the barrier to that fifth star somewhat lies outside of Bose’s camp. Quite simply, the competition has progressed further sonically than Bose has in the past two years, so the pressure for the noise-cancelling kings to make more significant gains next time around is on.

Review published: 26th November 2025

SCORES

• Sound 4
• Build 4
• Features 5

MORE:

Read our review of the Sony WH-1000XM6

Also consider the Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3

Bose QC Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen) vs Bose QC Ultra Headphones (1st Gen): which headphones are better?

Best noise-cancelling headphones tested by our in-house review experts

Let's be clear from the start: we like the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) very much. We think they're terrifically talented, especially if you like class-leading noise cancelling and comfort, all boosted by notable improvements on their five-star predecessors.

Now that they're properly discounted for the first time, we like them even more. The QC Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) are down from £299 to £270 at Argos, a saving of around £30. That's a tempting deal on a very well-rounded pair of flagship wireless earbuds that only made their debut earlier this year.

The thing is, if sound and value are your priorities, we think there's an alternative that you might want to consider...

Bose's QC Ultra (2nd Gen) get a first-time discount

The Bose QuietComfort Ultra (2nd Gen) are, unequivocally, better than their outgoing predecessors. The differences aren't start, but subtle tweaks to practically all areas of performance have all added up to a pair of flagship earbuds that we admire hugely. In truth, they may be some of the best buds that Bose has ever made.

They fit beautifully thanks to the buds' clever in-ear ridges which nestle under the ear and provide stability and support no matter what you're doing or where you're headed. Their feature set is ample, with 6 hours of battery life from the earbuds and 24 hours in total, as well as aptX Adaptive codec support, wireless charging and Bose's 'Immersive Audio' spatial tech.

Noise cancelling, naturally, is their forte, and we still can't think of another pair of earbuds that match the second-gen QC Ultra for their ability to completely shield you from the outside world. Add to that a sound that comes across as punchy, full-bodied and more detailed than their predecessors, and you have a really fine pair of performers.

Just be aware that there is a cheaper alternative out there. The Technics EAH-AZ100 are also on sale for £210, and they're our current Award-winners for premium wireless earbuds.

With the Technics, you'll get up to 10 hours (with ANC on) of battery life and 28 hours of life with the charging case, as well as very solid ANC, a comfortable design, plus ample customisable features supported by a deep, nicely laid-out control app.

Where the EAH-AZ100 really earn our backing is with regard to how they sound. Technics buds have always tended to sound spacious, sparkling and detailed, but the boundary-pushing AZ100 add in so much more musicality, rhythmic drive and dynamic prowess that they stand tall as possibly Technics' greatest-ever buds.

If you care about sound, they'd be the ones we'd pick at Amazon. If all-round comfort and ANC are for you, head over to Argos and go with Team Bose.

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Black Friday 2025 hi-fi deals live: our audio experts picks of the top savings on speakers, headphones, vinyl and more

Black Friday quick links

• Amazon: browse all of today's best deals
• B&W speakers: save £200
• Bluetooth speaker: 48% off five-star JBL
• Bose QC Ultra Earbuds: save £100
• Bravia 8 TV: save 34% on 55in Sony TV
• Denon AV receiver: save £500
• Dolby Atmos soundbar: down to £299
• ELAC Debut 2: five-star speakers now £199
• Headphones: Sennheiser Momentum 4 now £169
• John Lewis: £500 off LG and Sony OLED TVs
• Richer Sounds: browse Black Friday deals
• Sevenoaks: £150 off Award-winning speakers
• TVs, movies, home cinema: browse the best deals

If you want some decent wireless headphones, you’ve never been so spoiled for choice. I won’t go through every single pair available to you right now, mainly because I don’t think there’s sufficient room on the page – suffice to say, from top to bottom, you’re (generally) very well catered for.

You’ve got cheap options at the bottom, such as the Sony WH-C520 (£34 / $50 / AU$79 or the slightly costlier Austrian Audio Hi-X25BT (£129 / $179 / AU$269), then you’ve got premium options in the shape of the Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3 (£379 / AU$699 / $449) and Sony WH-1000XM6 (£379 / $450 / AU$699), or you could go the whole hog and blow a stack of cash on the luxurious Focal Bathys MG (£999 / $1299 / AU$2300). Something for everyone, then.

Well, sort of. The current wireless headphone market is a bit like a convertible with the roof down, or Darth Maul's two-handed lightsabre – a lot going on at the top and the bottom, but not much happening in the middle. If your budget is set at around £100-£250 / $125-$300, you’re not exactly spoiled for choice.

Look at how Sony structures its pricing. You can start at around £35 / $40 / AU$70 with the WH-CH520 and then £79 / $100 / AU$200 for the noise cancelling CH720N, before you jump all the way up to around £400 / $450 / AU$699 for the Sony WH-1000XM6, leaving a big old gap in the middle. Some brands, like Bose, don't even bother making cheap options, while many affordability-focused companies are the inverse: lots of cheap stuff, but very little in the premium market.

I’ve complained about this absence before, mainly with regard to the trials of finding a decent Christmas gift for someone looking to get themselves a pair of wireless cans at Christmas.

Spending £50 seems a bit miserly for a present, whereas £379 will have me living in penury until the next festive season rolls around, by which time I’ll have scraped enough cash together to dish out a handful of paperclips and a half-used bottle of shampoo.

The options that do occupy this strange market void remain, but as I’ve bemoaned before, they're disappointingly mediocre. We've never been fans of the rather bland Sennheiser Accentum Wireless (£160 / $180 / AU$300) or the Cambridge Audio Melomania P100 (£229 / $279 / AU$479), and what's worse, there aren’t many alternatives available around to take over the reins.

By and large, most releases tend to be super-affordable or aimed at the premium end of the scale. This year has seen the launch of the Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3 and Px8 S2 (£629 / $799 / AU$1299), the Focal Bathys Mg, the Loewe Leo (£1299 / €1299), the Sony WH-1000XM6 and the second-gen Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (review coming soon).

If you want wireless earbuds, it’s been a similar story in 2025 – just look at the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) (£299 / $299 / AU$450) or the luxurious Bang & Olufsen Beo Grace (£1000 / €1200 / $1500). Okay, we had the launch of the AirPods 4 with ANC (£179 / $179 / AU$299) in 2024 and latterly the AirPods Pro 3 (£219 / $249 / AU$329) in 2025, but if you’re not an Apple fan, it’s rather slim pickings on the in-ear front.

Why does such a gap exist? My hypothesis remains the same, in that it’s the middle market that tends to get hollowed out whenever times are comparatively tough.

Manufacturers tend to produce super-cheap fare to monopolise the buyers who want to keep costs down, while the high rollers of this world can still be targeted with shinier products, safe in the knowledge that those big-spenders aren’t tethered by financial constraints.

It’s still frustrating to be writing about the same problem almost two years after I first noticed it, but perhaps that’s more of a reflection on the state of the market, and the wider economy, than any wilful negligence on the part of manufacturers.

Let’s be honest, economic factors are the main driving force for any business decision, and it isn’t in most companies’ best interests to be plugging gaps that won’t yield the highest returns.

Still, it would be nice to have a golden middle point whereby buyers can spend a reasonable amount of cash and get the performance to match their budget, especially as not every consumer wants to be forced to pick between a 30-day matured sirloin or a tin of cheap mince.

The solution, it seems, is to eschew newer products in favour of the timeless oldies. Okay, you won't get the same array of cutting-edge features, but the likes of the Sony WH-1000XM4 (£189 /$200) or the Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S2e (£210 / $200) can be picked up for around half of what they originally cost at launch, and you're still getting excellent quality with our stamp of approval. Quite of few of those products are set to be even further discounted in the early Black Friday sales, by the way...

Until brands decide to target the mid-range market, the classic adage might well be true: old really is gold.

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We have tested the wireless headphones and turntable in the John Lewis Christmas ad – and they're both five-star stunners

Check out the 8 spectacular tracks lighting up our test rooms this month

These are the best wireless headphones you can buy

If you own a Bose SoundTouch speaker, we have some bad news. The US firm will discontinue support for its SoundTouch wireless tech from February 2026, effectively turning models in the range into very expensive Bluetooth speakers.

SoundTouch enables certain Bose speakers to work in multi-room setups and to stream music from streaming services – a bit like Sonos. Models include the SoundTouch 10 and 20, the 300 soundbar, and the Series III devices.

Once the big switch-off has happened on 18th February, the speakers will lose all multi-room support as well as the ability to stream music from the likes of Spotify and TuneIn.

But they won't be completely bricked.

"[I]f your SoundTouch product supports Bluetooth, Aux, or HDMI, you’ll still be able to enjoy high-quality audio playback from connected devices," Bose writes on its support page.

The devices will also no longer receive security updates. Bose has no plans to support SoundTouch products through any other app.

SoundTouch launched in 2013. Bose says it's "no longer able to sustain the development and support of the cloud infrastructure that powers this older generation of products."

It adds: "We remain committed to creating new listening experiences for our customers built on modern technologies."

That's all well and good, but with no mention of a trade-in scheme or compensation of any kind, customers could be excused for feeling more than a little bit cheesed off at the move.

In fact, we have been contacted by a reader who is exceptionally upset, having spent around £2000 on SoundTouch products specifically for their multi-room abilities. He is now looking at having to replace his entire system.

This has echoes of what Sonos did in 2020, when it decided to leave some legacy products behind when it moved to its newer 'S2' platform.

However, those products continue to work as they always did via the older Sonos S1 app. They were left behind, but not hobbled, which is what Bose has essentially announced it's doing to its SoundTouch devices.

Sonos also offered a trade-in scheme.

Nevertheless, there was a huge furore around the Sonos decision in 2020, and what Bose is doing seems significantly more egregious.

We've contacted Bose for comment.

MORE:

The best multi-room systems around

The best Sonos alternatives

And multi-room audio: everything you need to know

While some What Hi-Fi? Awards categories can become as static and unmoving as a professional human statue, others chop and change more frequently than a fresh-faced K-Pop ensemble.

That, as you’ll probably already be aware, is the case when it comes to the ever-fluctuating world of wireless headphones and earbuds.

There might not be another category that we cover – be it Bluetooth speakers, turntables or stereo amplifiers – that sees quite as much competition, with so many brands vying for wire-free supremacy that it can be hard to keep track.

In fact, the list of challengers trying to cut out a slice of the industry’s most competitive cake seems to grow every year.

Apple, Bose, B&W, Sony, Denon, Beats, Technics, Audio-Technica, Focal, JBL, Earfun, Noble, Dali, LG, Sennheiser – it just never ends. That might make it tricky to know where to buy from, but it does mean that fierce competition has created a red-hot crucible in which only the best of the best are worthy of praise.

Sony leads the way for entry-level excellence

If you have made it into 2025’s pantheon of greats, you’ve done something right. If you happen to be the cheap and cheerful Sony WF-C510, you have actually done far more right than we could possibly have hoped for.

Succeeding their C500 predecessors in real style, the WF-C510 prioritise performance and usability over aesthetics, making them our pick as the best buds for entry-level listening. By nailing the musical basics with purpose and power, they’re in a league of one at the entry-point to this year’s wireless Awards rundown.

That said, if you seek noise cancelling and that Sony sonic prowess but you’re still keen on keeping costs low, the Sony WF-C710N are the logical next step.

We are heartily impressed by how much the C710N can do. While many affordable buds talk a big game features-wise, only to let you down with compromised performance across the board, the C710N just get everything right. From noise cancelling to their punchy, full delivery, they are outstandingly good value.

We’re conscious that some users will want a step up in noise-cancelling and sonic performance from the WF-C710N but don’t want to go straight to the flagship models; which is why we have decided that the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds are also worthy of applause.

They have dropped dramatically in price since they arrived last year, making them the ideal candidates to fill the £150-£250 gap on our 2025 Awards rundown. Their solid, musical sound makes them a pleasure to listen to, while Bose’s outstanding ANC is the star of the show, making the QC Earbuds a great choice for users who don’t want to stretch to their more premium QC Ultra Earbuds (2nd gen) (£299 / $299 / AU$450) counterparts.

Technics’ premium performers shine

The new entries don’t stop coming. We have singled out the Technics EAH-AZ100 as our favourite premium wireless earbuds of 2025; while Technics had always been knocking on the door of sonic excellence, we always felt that the Japanese brand just needed to infuse its buds with a bit more punch and dynamism to go with all those lovely helpings of sparkle and clarity.

That’s exactly what the EAH-AZ100 manage. These are the buds we had always been hoping Technics would produce, blending superb detail and clarity with the sort of expressive, engaging sound that we could enjoy for hours.

Plus, their noise cancelling is great and their design is comfortable, meaning they are easy to get along with on a day-to-day basis.

Wireless over-ears just keep getting better

Right, that’s enough about buds, how about wireless over-ear headphones?

It seems as though every pair of wireless headphones has to sport noise cancelling as a matter of priority, but that’s a trend that Austrian Audio has bucked with its aggressively priced (around £129 / $179 / AU$269) Hi-X25BT Bluetooth cans.

Instead, all the effort has been put into making the snazzy over-ears sound as good as they possible can for this price, with Austrian Audio – a brand we more readily associate with pristine-sounding wired sets – bringing their considerable know-how to the wireless space. That clean, crisp signature remains, as do heaps of detail and vivacity, making it hard to care that you're not getting the luxury of ANC.

Of course, lots of users do crave noise cancelling, and quite a lot else besides. If that sounds like you, the Sony WH-1000XM6 are our pick as the best wireless headphones between £250-£500. While they’re not super-cheap, we predict they will be the best cans for most people most of the time.

Across almost any metric – sound, comfort, reliability, usability, features – they are simply outstanding, showcasing very few blind spots and excelling in every area that matters. We didn’t think the WH-1000XM5 could be improved that much, but the XM6, with their better sound, nicer fit and complete foldability, have proved us dead wrong.

Focal pushes the boundaries of wireless sound

For properly boundary-pushing performance, the Focal Bathys Mg are our “money no object” pick. £999 / $1299 / AU$2300 is by no means cheap for a set of wireless cans, but we are confident in saying that the Bathys Mg really are some of the finest Bluetooth headphones we have heard, well, ever.

To steal from our original review, the fancy Focals “take wireless noise-cancelling headphones performance to a whole new level”. They are stunningly detailed operators, but what sees the Bathys Mg pull away from the pack (apart from their price) is their peerless sense of musicality and sonic engagement.

Get hold of a pair if you want a pair of headphones that make you feel truly spoiled.

What a year it has been for wireless earbuds and headphones. Once again, our list of winners is stacked with new entries at both ends of the cost spectrum, reinforcing this as arguably the most dynamic and fast-evolving area in all of audio.

Yes, wires are still king for audio fidelity; but wireless performance? Clearly, it’s never been better. Just as Messi and Ronaldo pushed each other to higher footballing heights, the multitudes of manufacturers trying to make a name in the wireless space has only led to finer and finer offerings. Long may it continue.

MORE:

Our pick of the best wireless earbuds

We've put together a terrific-sounding and thoroughly modern hi-fi system for streaming and vinyl

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Digital equipment with a range of tweaking options may seem like a good idea, but I'm not convinced

In case you missed it, Amazon launched a sort of 'Prime Day 2.0' with its Big Deal Days earlier this week. From 7th-8th October, Amazon was making some seriously tempting price cuts, with rival retailers matching, or even bettering, the best that Bezos could offer.

Some of the those deals are still going, whereas others have bungeed back up to full price. Naturally, we discovered some stellar bargains while the big event was going on, as well as some crackers that emerged outside of those Big Deal Days.

Provenance doesn't really matter. What matters is getting great deals on great gear, and that's exactly what you're getting with our expertly curated rundown below.

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These are the 7 scarily good tunes we've been using for testing this month

Amazon's Big Deal Days is still going, but not for much longer. We're a good deal of the way through what is essentially Prime Day by a different name, and while we've seen some spicy deals that are enough to have your typing fingers tingling, the big sales event won't last forever. Nothing good in life ever does...

That means that you need to get a move on if you're looking for a pair of wireless earbuds and you want to bag yourself a bargain. Maybe you've got a friend with an upcoming birthday, or you've got one eye on Christmas. Or, naturally, you just want some great gear for yourself.

Whatever your motivation, these are four very tasty deals that we don't want you to miss out on before Big Deal Days ends tonight.

• Browse all the Amazon Prime Big Deal Days deals

Best for noise cancelling

Best value

Best for Apple fans

Best battery life

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I man the Big Deal Days hub – here's why today is the best day to grab a deal

Amazon Big Deal Days hi-fi deals: all the top headphone, vinyl and speaker savings picked by our experts

And check out Amazon Prime Big Deal Days: the best deals on headphones, TVs, speakers, home cinema and more

Wireless headphones are great. In fact, they’re better than they have ever been – just look at the legion of premium and high-end candidates vying for the attention of would-be buyers who want to combine their love of wire-free convenience with a desire to see just how far Bluetooth tech has come.

Whether it’s the pack-leading Sony WH-1000XM6 (£400 / $450 / AU$699) or the big-money Focal Bathys MG (£999 / $1299 / AU$2300), you really don’t need to look far for great wireless sound.

It can be easy, then, to become convinced that wireless is the only way to go. I think, though, that it’s time for a gentle reminder that wires remain king – and that, despite frequent attempts for their relevance to be consigned to history as some sort of strange anachronism, there’s a reason the humble cable still reigns supreme.

Wireless headphones are better than ever, but they’ve got a long way to go before they catch up with their wired counterparts.

I was reminded of this fact after spending a great deal of time with the rather lovely Beyerdynamic DT 990 Pro X over-ears. At £219, they are cheaper than the aforementioned XM6 – and a lot cheaper than the Focals. But switch from the class-leading Sonys to the DT 990 Pro X and the differences in pure performance are laid out starkly before you.

A different sonic class

Bear with me with on this. Sonically, the WH-1000XM6 are like Celtic: they’re great in their given division, but put them up against any respectable Champions League outfit and the score-line ends up rather one-sided. In this tortured analogy, of course, the Sonys are Celtic, and we’re talking purely about sound.

The way wired headphones handle detail is what you’ll notice first. It's something that I’m always reminded of when I return to tethered shores. “Oh, wow”, I tend to think. “This is what it's supposed to sound like”.

Even the best wireless cans can feel as though they are giving only something of a musical outline, a sort of approximation of the information that, like graphics from a decent PlayStation 2 game, gets the right colours, shades and textures in the correct order to give the right impression.

Decent wired headphones, by contrast, are the full-fat, widescreen, 1080p PS5 experience via HDMI. Everything is filled in, and those admirable approximations become nuanced, texturally rich layers of sonic loveliness. That’s how it feels switching to the DT 990 Pro X from almost any premium Bluetooth pair – it's just a different level.

As we write in our review, “Their stellar detail levels are a real trump card. Whether it’s the sorrowful piano on Nick Cave’s Bright Horses or the delicate, bluesy guitar on Jeff Buckley’s So Real, there’s so much texture that we feel as though we can reach out and touch the instruments being played.”

The wonder of wires

Wires simply communicate and carry more sonic information, and that means a far more impressive feeling of musicality. Subtle dynamic shifts that are often subdued on wireless cans (the Sony do a comparatively decent job of teasing them out, in fairness) are brought to the fore with the DT 990 Pro X, while the attack and decay of instruments are far easier to track.

That’s something you will also find with the Grado SR325x (£249 / $295 / AU$419). And while they’re more expensive than the Beyerdynamic cans, they are still far cheaper than the WH-1000XM6.

Whether it’s the walloping punch as full-scale dynamics land, or the way that they dig out rhythmic patterns, the sound the Grados produce is so much more three-dimensional than pretty much anything you’ll find via Bluetooth.

Check out our ‘wired vs wireless’ explainer page and you’ll discover the same conclusion. While wireless performance has improved massively due to increasingly efficient Bluetooth codecs, it's still unable to offer the purity of the good old fashioned wire.

As we say, “Analogue transmission through a cable can carry a song's full audio data, whereas audio transmitted wirelessly is compressed and crucial information is lost”. Even the best codec can't prevent those losses from occurring.

A timely reminder

The problem with wired headphones is that they make going back to premium wireless so difficult. The latter have their advantages, of course. They are often more portable, have noise cancelling and spatial audio, and there’s no trailing cable to tuck under your shirt; but, sonically, it's hard to hear a pair that can match a capable wired set.

The Focal Bathys Mg or T+A Solitaire T (£1200 / $1600 / AU$2160) have done well to close the gap, but again, look at those price tags. They’re enormous!

Please do forgive me if you’ve heard this all before, but it bears repeating once in a while. I undoubtedly needed the reminder of just how good wired headphones can be, especially when their wireless counterparts are so commonplace and spend so much time vying for our attention.

How many wired cans were released this year compared to the swathes of wire-free alternatives? Sony released the WH-1000XM6, while Bose recently unveiled its similarly priced QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen).

Beyerdynamic announced the Aventho 200 and a host of wireless earbuds, while Cambridge Audio gave us the Melomania P100 SE. Nothing got in on the action with the Headphone (1), while JBL released the Tour One M3. Bringing the fight to its big-name rivals, Bowers & Wilkins' Px7 S3 made their bow to considerable acclaim. The list goes on… and on… and on.

I'm aware that there will be many readers (perhaps not regular What Hi-Fi? devotees, admittedly), who are unaware of the gulf between wired and wireless transmission.

When you have been brought up or conditioned to think that Bluetooth cans are the only option, it often doesn't even occur that this isn't the most efficient means of data transmission. Wires seem like an anachronism from the past, and while wire-free has its benefits, the old ways remain the best when it comes to sound.

Let this act, then, both as a reminder to those in the know and a plea to the uninitiated. Wireless cans are better than ever, but, pound for pound, they're not the best way of getting your music to shine. If you care about sound over style, the cable is still the way to go.

MORE:

Also read our Beyerdynamic DT 700 Pro X review

Spotify Lossless still trails behind its hi-res streaming rivals – but that won’t matter for most people

Best over-ear headphones: wired and wireless pairs tested by our in-house experts

As someone who has to wear glasses every waking moment in order to have the foggiest idea what’s going on, it can be quite the task to find a pair of headphones or wireless earbuds that don't interfere with my specs or my listening experience.

Even though my preferred type is usually over-ear headphones, it’s always a little uncomfortable to balance the arm of the glasses under the cups without them digging in.

That’s why one of Beyerdynamic’s latest headphone offerings at this year’s IFA in Berlin especially caught my eye.

Enter the Amiron Zero, the German brand’s open true wireless clip-on earbuds, which it claims provide “serious sound and outstanding wearing comfort".

With a petite C-shaped design, they wrap around the side of the ear to deliver “impressive sound quality". Each earbud only weighs six grams in an attempt to limit the amount of strain on the ear canal, so they hopefully you'll barely even remember you're wearing them after a time.

They will also set you back £129 (around $176 / AU$265), which isn't a ridiculous outlay for a pair of wireless buds. The sports-oriented, in-ear Sony LinkBuds Fit, for instance, clock in at around the same price of around £149 / $179, although cost a bit more in Australia (AU$348).

This is far from the first time we have seen this type of design on the market, of course.

One of the most notable models to stand out in recent testing are the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds, which we gave a four-star rating for their entertaining sound performance and comfortable, forward-looking fit.

You wear them slightly differently to the Amiron Zero, as you hook the earbud in the bottom of your concha (the bowl-like section of your outer ear), then wrap the band around the back of your ear and allow the battery cylinder to help clamp the earbud in place. Still, the specs-friendly design is very much present.

Huawei also gave the 'clip-on' configuration a go with its FreeClip buds from early 2024, and while they left a lot to be desired on the sound front, we were impressed by how well implemented their innovative design proved to be.

Even though these aforementioned earbuds offer a much-needed alternative for the glasses wearers among us, there is often a fair amount of compromise made with such designs.

Clip on earbuds don’t usually deliver as good sound quality as ones that fit more securely into your ear. That’s because the lack of a seal means they don’t tend to sound as punchy or dynamic, especially when they are suppose to allow the user to be more aware of their surroundings. More traditional designs tend to offer you more bass weight, too, thanks to the presence of a proper in-ear seal.

That said, we've tested 'open' buds which have impressed us in our test rooms. The Sony LinkBuds Open and Apple's AirPods 4 impressed with their decent sound balance, and both earned respective four-star reviews, even if price-comparable in-ear alternatives still tend to offer a bit more in the sound department.

We haven't heard the Amiron Zero in action yet, so we're not certain whether this will be the case for these latest buds, but I'm excited to see what the future holds for these type of designs as someone who struggles with traditional earbuds.

The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Open certainly demonstrated that open, clip-on designs could blend performance and comfort, so I'm hoping Beyerdynamic picks up the mantle at a more affordable price point.

It's a tough balance to strike between a secure yet unobstructive fit and good sound quality, so I'm curious how the category will develop. If the Amiron Zero can really nail their sonic performance while making good on their promise of better usability and comfort for glasses wearers and non-glasses wearers alike, I could be certainly tempted to try a pair for myself.

MORE:

Read our review of the five-star Beyerdynamic DT 990 Pro X over-ears

And our full review of the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds

Check out the best wireless earbuds you can buy

Bose has a new flagship pair of noise-cancelling wireless headphones. The QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen) build on the five-star 1st Gen model in subtle but significant ways, much like the way QC Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) did recently over their predecessors.

You can see how they perform in our Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen) review. But if you want to know what improvements they make, and how they compare to the original QC Ultra Headphones (especially given the latter have dropped in price), you're in the right place.

Let's pit the two pairs head to head.

Bose QC Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen) vs Bose QC Ultra Headphones (1st Gen): price

The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen) launched at £449 / $449 / AU$699. That's the same price as their predecessors in the UK, but $20 / AU$50 more expensive in the US and Australia respectively.

Of course, the real difference is rather greater. The original QC Ultra Headphones have dropped to £299 recently, but we've also seen the 2nd Gen model get an early discount to £399 – so there's £100 between them.

These discounts were for Black Friday, so there's no guarantee they will be permanent. But it certainly paves the way for the same or even bigger discounts going forward.

**Winner: Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (1st Gen)**

Bose QC Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen) vs Bose QC Ultra Headphones (1st Gen): build & comfort

Bose's headphones are some of the most comfortable around, and that's certainly true of the first-gen QC Ultra Headphones. Their earcups provide just the right amount of grip to stay put without squeezing your noggin, and the headband has plenty of cushioning, too.

But not only are they comfy, they fold flat and hinge into a ball, which makes them smaller than most over-ear rivals to carry around when not in use.

They look nice and premium (though not quite as plush as the rival B&W Px7 S3), and come in four finishes: Black, White Smoke, Lunar Blue and Deep Plum.

The right earcup houses a button for power and Bluetooth pairing, a capacitive touch strip for volume and shortcuts, and a multi-functional button whose purpose you can customise.

The second-gen model might look very similar to the first-gen, but there are some changes. They feature shinier metal adornments for a sleeker, more modern aesthetic. They also come in some different colours: Midnight Violet and Driftwood Sand, alongside the same Black and White Smoke as their predecessors.

They still fold flat and hinge just like their predecessors, so Bose has improved the design without losing any of the benefits.

**Winner: Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen)**

Bose QC Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen) vs Bose QC Ultra Headphones (1st Gen): features

The new model has some advantages over the original in terms of features. The battery life has been extended, for one thing, from 24 hours to 30 (and up to 45 hours with ANC turned off). The older pair drop from 24 hours to 18 with Bose Immersive Audio activated, and the 2nd Gen take a similar hit – they go from 30 hours to 23 with the feature enabled.

Speaking of Immersive Audio, it has a new Cinema Mode for the 2nd Gen model, which promises "a movie-like experience" by widening the soundstage, balancing background effects and making dialogue clearer for a more immersive experience.

We found this to be the best use of Immersive Audio, as it brings dialogue and mid/upper sound effects into sharper relief. It does compress the dynamics though, so isn't ideal for music.

The new model also allows for wired USB-C listening for lossless audio up to 16-bit/48kHz (this was missing from the original pair). This feature also enables low-latency audio for gamers.

For wired listening of any kind, the headphones will need some battery, so it's not a fallback if they've died on the go.

You can also turn the noise-cancelling off completely in the second-gen pair. This is another first for Bose's flagship headphones.

The second-gen pair have all the same features as the older model, including the Still and Motion modes of Immersive Audio (Bose's take on spatial audio), aptX Adaptive support, multipoint Bluetooth and CustomTune calibration (which automatically optimises the sound and ANC to match your ear shape).

ActiveSense also returns, to automatically adjust the ANC to your surroundings, so your music isn't drowned out by sudden loud noises. And you can customise the ANC presets and adjust the amount of outside sound that you let in, depending on what you're doing.

**Winner: Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen)**

Bose QC Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen) vs Bose QC Ultra Headphones (1st Gen): noise cancellation

ANC is the feather in Bose's cap – its wireless headphones and earbuds have long been among the best noise-cancelling ones around. And for the QC Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen), Bose has gone the extra mile.

Bose has refined the digital signal processing to improve the ANC. It has also updated its algorithm for a more natural experience when compensating for sudden loud noises like sirens in the Aware mode – something we found worked wonders when we were vacuuming.

Overall, we found the Ultra 2nd Gen's ANC to be ruthlessly effective.

"Whether you’re riding public transport or walking past roadworks or construction, they provide a blanket of silence so that your music (or podcasts) can bask in the spotlight, eliminating the deepest rumbles and the majority of mid-band hubbub we encounter on our daily travels," we wrote in our review.

"On a plane, only the shrill, high-frequency sound of a baby’s cry penetrates that formidable shield."

The original QC Ultra cans are still world-silencing, "dramatically reducing background rumbles while out walking, and the sound of the London Underground during our daily commute," we wrote in our review.

Still, Bose has made some gains in this area, which is impressive given how well it was already performing.

**Winner: Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen)**

Bose QC Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen) vs Bose QC Ultra Headphones (1st Gen): sound

The QC Ultra Headphones (1st Gen) are a five-star pair, so obviously they sound pretty great for the price.

At first, we found them a little uptight. But given time to run in, they loosen up nicely, and provide a thoroughly entertaining listen. Theirs is a precise, punchy delivery that crosses all genres.

Play Joy Division’s Disorder and the Bose are quick out of the blocks, defining the notes sharply and giving them plenty of texture. Highs and lows come with a sense of richness and refinement, and the timing is spot on.

The second-gen Ultras have the same drivers as their predecessors, and so deliver the same sonic profile. But there are some improvements. They are marginally better in terms of clarity and detail, and sound that bit more solid and musically tighter. Instruments have that bit more space to breathe too, all of which makes an already entertaining pair of headphones even more so.

"Play Charli xcx’s Von dutch, and the Bose rev their engines," we wrote of the 2nd Gen model, "launching themselves into the upbeat track with their best foot forward. The synths surge with low-end texture and impetus, the beat pulsates with snap and crispness. It’s the same pleasingly smooth, bass-rich character Bose has long favoured, simply more insightful and precise than ever before."

True, we "only" gave the 2nd Gen QC Ultras four stars in our review, but that was more a symptom of the intense newer competition from the likes of Sony, Sennheiser and Bowers & Wilkins. You can find better-sounding headphones for a similar price, but if it's a choice between these two Bose models, the 2nd Gen headphones definitely sound superior.

**Winner: Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen)**

Bose QC Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen) vs Bose QC Ultra Headphones (1st Gen): verdict

The new QC Ultra Headphones aren't a massive jump from the first-gen model, but as Bose's latest QC Ultra Earbuds proved, they don't have to be in order to be compelling.

The 2nd Gen QC Ultra Headphones deliver longer battery life, wired listening over USB-C, and a fun new use for Bose's Immersive Audio tech. More importantly, the sound quality is a step on, making for an airier, more immersive soundscape with increased clarity and detail.

But with the original Ultra Headphones dropping to under £300, they do still have a place. They give you a taste of the 'proper' Ultra models for less money, and with that price set to drop more the older they get, they could prove a great buy if cash is strapped. But if it isn't, the new flagship QC Ultra Headphones 2nd Gen are the better pair.

**Overall winner: Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen)**

MORE:

Read our Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen) review

And our Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (1st Gen) review

Bose QC Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) vs 1st Gen: which are better?

The best noise-cancelling headphones around

The Apple AirPods Pro 3 were a long time coming – three years, in fact – but they were worth the wait.

Our AirPods Pro 3 review praised their advances in sound quality and active noise cancellation (ANC), tweaked design and upgraded roster of features.

But the world of wireless earbuds is a tough place to be. Bose's flagship QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) stand tall as some of the best noise-cancelling earbuds we've heard, and they too offer plenty for the discerning music listener thanks to their detailed, entertaining sound and excellent fit.

So how do these two pairs square up against each other? And which should you buy? Let's find out.

Apple AirPods Pro 3 vs Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen): price

Both of these are flagship pairs, so neither comes cheap.

The QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) cost £299 / $299 / AU$450. That's a lot of coin, but the same price as their predecessors cost when they launched two years prior, so it's not too unreasonable. We have seen some discounts of around £30 too, though only occasionally.

The AirPods Pro 3 are cheaper, with a launch price of £219 / $249 / AU$429. That's actually £30 cheaper than their predecessors, and still £10 cheaper than when Apple cut the price and switched from a Lightning port to USB-C in 2023. Reason to celebrate if you're in the UK, then.

We have also recently seen a discount on the AirPods Pro 3, dropping £30 to £199. Even more reason to celebrate.

** Winner: Apple AirPods Pro 3 **

Apple AirPods Pro 3 vs Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen): build & comfort

Bose's earbuds tend to be some of the most comfortable around, and that's certainly the case with the brand's cannily designed QC Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen).

Their unconventional design fits perfectly in the ear, aided by the stability bands and flatter eartip designs that offer a nice, secure experience. They stay put whether you're crunching out a 5K or head banging to Motörhead, an impressive feat considering these aren't specifically conceived as workout buds. The Bose buds fit everyone on our review team comfortably and with no issue.

Their touch controls are responsive and intuitive, and you can customise them to your liking. You do only get three sizes of ear tips though, which seems a bit stingy – the AirPods Pro 3 come with five, including a new XXS size – but the second-gen QC Ultra Earbuds' stability bands keep them from tumbling out of your ears.

The Bose are much more colourful than the AirPods, coming in four finishes, including the rather fetching Deep Plum. As you'll know with Apple, any AirPods that aren't the over-ear Max only come in one colour: pristine, iconic white.

The Pro 3 are every inch a pair of AirPods, but Apple says their fit has been optimised using more than 10,000 3D ear scans, boasting a slightly smaller size than their predecessors and a design shaped to match the geometry of the ear.

Apple claims these are the "most stable and best fitting AirPods ever", but our testing was not without issues. Only certain members of our reviews team achieved a snug, secure fit – and that was those who couldn't get the same from the AirPods Pro 2. Those who did get on well with the Pro 2 found that the Pro 3's new shape protruded a little too far out.

We did, however, find more leeway with the ear tips. We got on just fine with both M and L sizes, with no noticeable variation in sound quality or ANC from either. The AirPods Pro 3's touch controls are a breeze to use, and we particularly like the touch-capacitative control on the stems that let us change volume on the fly.

Fit is such a personal thing that we would recommend you try any pair of wireless earbuds for yourself before buying. But for the more universal fit (despite being heavier), the Bose take this round.

** Winner: Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) **

Apple AirPods Pro 3 vs Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen): features

The Bose buds give you six hours of use, or 24 hours total when using the charging case. That's less from the buds than the AirPods Pro 3, which last for eight hours, but the same total battery life, so the AirPods edge this one.

The Bose support aptX Adaptive for streaming in 24-bit hi-res lossless with low latency via compatible sources, along with the standard AAC and SBC codecs, while the AirPods lack aptX or any kind of hi-res support. As was the case with the AirPods Pro 2, Apple is sticking with the AAC codec and considers the buds' intrinsic qualities to be sufficient to negate the need for any particularly fancy codecs.

Both support spatial audio with dynamic head tracking – Bose Immersive Audio and Apple Spatial Audio respectively – though we're less keen on Bose's take on this format than Apple's. Apple also includes a more personalised spatial audio feature for iPhone users.

The Bose buds support Bluetooth Multipoint connectivity for easier switching between two connected devices. Apple has its own take on this tech, but it only works with iOS devices – but it is very seamless in use.

The new AirPods now support Live Translation, which can translate live speech in real time. They lower the volume of the speaker and boost the audio translation so you can focus on what's being said without distraction, and can provide on-screen transcripts directly to your iPhone. Increíble!

This feature has also come to the AirPods 4 with ANC and AirPods Pro 2, but note that you'll need to pair them with an Apple Intelligence-enabled iOS device running iOS 26 to get it to work.

Apple has added health and fitness skills to the AirPods Pro 3. Heart rate tracking is now possible thanks to a small photoplethysmography (PPG) sensor that measures light absorption in blood flow within your ear.

Using your iPhone, you can set the AirPods Pro 3 to track 50 different types of workout, and there's a new Workout Buddy to give you personalised insights while you're huffing and puffing. There are also hearing tests and hearing health-related features in the AirPods Pro 3 that are useful.

The AirPods Pro 3 are more weather-resistant than the Bose, offering an IP57 rating to the QC Earbuds' IPX4. That means they're more dust- and water-resistant – ideal for exercising in the great outdoors.

Overall, the AirPods have more features and the better battery life, not to mention the superior spatial audio feature. But the Bose buds work just as well with Android devices as iOS, and support the higher-quality aptX Adaptive codec.

The AirPods edge this one, but if you use an Android device you'll be better served by the feature set of the Bose QC Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen).

**Winner: Apple AirPods Pro 3**

Apple AirPods Pro 3 vs Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen): noise cancelling

ANC is the feather in Bose's cap. The firm invented the tech, and it continues to excel in its implementation for both its in-ear and over-ear headphones.

Bose's latest flagship earbuds offer smoother changes in levels of noise cancellation to deal with sudden spikes like sirens or car horns than their predecessors. They're quick to adapt to whatever we throw at them during our review, proving effective at softening harsher sounds while also dispatching lower-level rumbles.

You can choose from three levels of ANC: Quiet, Aware and Immersion (which involves Bose's spatial audio tech), plus you can add your own custom presets with the amount of noise cancelling dialled in to your liking.

In their Quiet mode, the buds suck all of the sound away, cocooning you in an eerie vacuum of silence. It might be a bit unnatural for some people, but if it's pure silence you crave, there's none better out there at this level.

"Noises across the sonic spectrum, be they clacking keyboards, chattering colleagues or cars beeping their horns on the street, simply dissolve into near-insignificance, with harsher and more intrusive sounds shut out even more effectively than before," we wrote in our Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) review.

So Apple has its work cut out, but it's coming out swinging, claiming that the AirPods Pro 3 offer the “world's best active noise cancellation of any in-ear wireless headphones". Fighting talk.

Apple claims that the Pro 3's ANC is up to twice as effective as the Pro 2's, and four times as effective as the original AirPods Pro. This is thanks to ultra-low noise mics and advanced computational audio, plus new foam-infused ear tips for greater passive noise isolation (i.e. better blocking of your ear canal).

In our review, we found the ANC a step up from the AirPods Pro 2's, and that was true across the frequency range, and it deals with sudden loud 'spikes' of noise just as well too. The Adaptive and Transparency modes blend the outside world and your music in a natural, non-mechanical manner, too.

The effect was also pleasingly consistent with that of their predecessors. "As we found with the Pro 2, we really like the natural, airy way that the Pro 3 employs its noise-cancelling. We are a little more aware of the more powerful ANC effect being employed in the Pro 3, but it never feels overbearing."

It's certainly a more natural effect than the Bose, but not quite as effective. Bose Ultra 2 are simply able to cut out even more noise across the frequencies compared with the AirPods Pro 3, which are good enough for daily use.

If it's complete silence you crave, however, you can't top the Bose. But if you find the 'vacuum' effect a bit much, the Pro 3's airier feel will suit you better.

**Winner: Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen)**

Apple AirPods Pro 3 vs Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen): sound

Sound quality makes or breaks a pair of earbuds, so we were a little surprised that the latest Bose buds don't have a new driver. Rather, Bose fine-tuned the audio to improve the bass response and smooth out higher frequencies, something that sounded like it might not be enough to keep up with more 'ambitious' rivals.

However, it worked out well, offering a noticeable boost in sound quality over the first-gen models.

The 2nd Gen Ultra Earbuds reach "impressive new depths while retaining the requisite tautness and agility of their lower-end reproduction," we wrote in our review.

"Mournful strings plunge deeper than before, but across all frequencies there's satisfying body and texture to notes that goes beyond what the original QC Ultra Earbuds could muster.

"It’s a clearer performance, too, and improved levels of crispness help to delineate where each note starts and finishes with a sharper, keener focus."

The newer buds sound richer and whatever we throw at them, we're impressed with how composed, full-bodied and punchy the second-gen buds sound.

Given that the original QC Ultra Earbuds were five-star performers, it seems a little tweaking was all that was needed.

For the AirPods Pro 3, Apple is sticking with the same H2 chip as their predecessors, but has looked at other ways of tweaking the sound quality.

Apple is touting a new multiport acoustic architecture that controls the airflow that carries sound into the ear. Along with next-gen Adaptive EQ, we are promised deeper bass and a widening of the soundstage so you can hear every instrument in a track. Apple also claims to bring "vivid vocal clarity to higher frequencies".

In our AirPods Pro 3 review, we found them to be "clearer and more detailed... more spacious-sounding and more dynamic" than their predecessors. They're well-judged tonally, and their neutral sonic balance works well across a range of genres, as our eclectic listening proved:

"There is bite and attack to the crunchy, brash highs of Fontaines D.C.’s Starburster, while the basslines in Forgot About Dre are taut, agile and tuneful, and punch with quite a good deal of depth and power in Billie Eilish’s Blue," we noted.

In comparison, we rank the AirPods Pro 3 above the Bose in terms of sound quality. They're more balanced across the frequencies, more rhythmically cohesive, and even more precise and detailed. Voices especially sound far more detailed, natural and focussed than with the Bose.

The Bose are punchy and entertaining, with a rich and full-bodied bass, but the AirPods are clearer, more precise and more agile. You'll certainly get a lot of entertainment value from the Bose, but the AirPods take this round.

** Winner: Apple AirPods Pro 3 **

Apple AirPods Pro 3 vs Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen): verdict

Two five-star pairs of earbuds, but which is best? It really depends on your priorities.

The Bose have the better fit for most people, and the more effective noise cancellation (though note that not everyone likes the extreme feeling of having the sound sucked out of their ears). The AirPods are cheaper, have a longer battery life and have the more natural-feeling ANC. Though of course, if you have an Android device, a lot of the AirPods features won't work and you would be better off with the Bose.

Neither pair is light-years ahead of their predecessor, but Apple has made the bigger step up in the most important area: sound quality.

**Winner: Apple AirPods Pro 3**

MORE:

Read our Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) review

And our Apple AirPods Pro 3 review

AirPods Pro 3 vs Sony WF-1000XM5: which are better?

If you've been keeping your eye out for a fresh pair of mid-range wireless headphones, you may well have spotted that German brand Beyerdynamic launched its latest addition to the Aventho series last week.

The Aventho 200 follow in the footsteps of their older siblings, the flagship Beyerdynamic Aventho 300, but with a considerably lower price tag. That sounds like an attractive proposition, and one that I couldn't pass up when I visited IFA 2025 last week to get some hands on time with Beyerdynamic's latest cans.

Check out these specs

At a price of £219 (about $295 /AU$450), the Aventho 200 are packing some impressive features. The over-ear headphones have a battery life that clocks in at 63 hours without active noise cancellation (ANC), providing three more hours than the Aventho 300 can muster.

Both offer up to 40 hours of playtime with ANC on, and you can also get up to 16 hours of playtime with a quick 15-minute charging boost.

On the Aventho 200's right ear cup, there's a touch-gesture control pad which lets you use a range of shortcuts, whereby you can turn up the volume or pause your tunes, for example.

You also get a choice of two colour options – white or black – both featuring a stylish silver yoke on either side. In fact, from the outside, the Aventho 200 look very similar to their older siblings, and that's no bad thing – we found the Aventho 300 to be a smart, well-made set of over-ears that were refreshingly easy to get along with.

Under the hood, the Aventho 200 house a set of 45mm dynamic drivers which, according to Beyerdynamic, deliver "powerful sound" with "defined highs and rich bass".

We rated their older sibling highly during our review, which bodes well for the newer model’s performance. They first launched at a price of £359 / $400 / AU$640.

While we find the ANC wasn’t the best we've heard at this level, we found the established headphones provided a balanced, even-handed sound with an impressive midrange and a knack for clarity and organisation.

What's the sound like?

That all sounds promising, but how do the Aventho 200 actually perform?

We're always excited to hear what new treats Beyerdynamic has in store, and it's interesting to see how the brand, famed for its wired headphones quality, is attempting to forge a reputation in the ever-competitive wireless space.

While I had the chance to hear the Aventho 200 first-hand on a very busy trade show floor, we'll need more testing time to really put the new cans through their paces. That said, I did get a flavour of what the new over-ears have to offer at this mid-range level, an area of the market we've often felt has been neglected by the major brands.

Listening to Taylor Swift’s August with ANC off, I found that the Aventho 200 showcase an enjoyable handling of dynamics and good detail. The soft guitar introduced at the beginning of the song sounds appropriately delicate, and seamlessly shifts into the louder chorus as more instruments are added. There's control and poise hinted at here, something we praised the Aventho 300 for during our tests earlier this year.

The dream-like vocals are clear, but I heard a slightly artificial, slightly tinny reproduction, although this may soften as the Beyerdynamics are run in over time. Again, further testing time will confirm or disprove these suspicions.

I didn’t get to compare the performance with the ANC switched on, which could well make a difference to the sound quality, but it's something we will find out when we get a review sample in for testing.

In terms of design, the memory foam headband provides a comfortable listening experience and the headphones themselves felt impressively light in my short time with them.

A tough market

The Aventho 200 are up against some stiff competition in this market, although their attractive price tag does make them stand out from the crowd. There aren't many great wireless headphones at this level, and certainly not many rivals that are fresh to the market.

Beyerdynamic's main competitor comes from the established Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless which, although they initially launched at £300 / $350 / AU$550, can now be found for a much lower price. In the UK, for example, some retailers are offering them for just under £188 (around $255 / AU$385).

During testing, the Sennheiser cans impressed with their clean and musical sound, as well as their effective ANC. As we said in our review: "They sound sharp and sprightly, and that added leanness hasn’t come at the expense of substance across the frequencies."

This resulted in a five-star rating, so there's certainly a lot for the Aventho 200 to live up to if they're going to challenge the Momentum 4 Wireless for mid-range supremacy.

Still, their competitive pricing keeps them away from having to compete with more expensive models from brands such as Sony and Bose. The Sony WH-1000XM6 will still set you back £400 / $450 / AU$699 at the time of writing, while the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen) just landed at £449 / $449.

The Aventho 200 could have the makings of a solid set of wireless headphones with a hefty battery life all at a reasonable outlay, but they'll need to back up their attractive price with an up-to-par sonic performance. Stay tuned for our full review to see how they perform.

MORE:

Read our Beyerdynamic Aventho 300 review

These are the best wireless headphones you can buy

And check out the best over-ear headphones right now

Apple isn’t messing about with the AirPods Pro 3.

The tech giant’s new flagship wireless earbuds were first out of the blocks at its recent launch event, with Apple making some impressive claims about the AirPods Pro 3, which must have pricked up the ears of some of its key rivals. Bose, I’m looking at you.

Apple claims that its new buds offer ANC that’s twice as effective as that found in the AirPods Pro 2 and four times more effective than the noise-cancelling in the original AirPods Pro.

The exact phrase Apple used to describe the prowess of its new flagship in-ears was the “world’s best active noise cancellation of any in-ear wireless headphones”.

A bold claim indeed. Now, if you scroll down the press release, you’ll see that particular claim is qualified by this small print:

“Testing conducted by Apple in July 2025 using AirPods Pro 3 paired with iPhone 16 with prerelease AirPods firmware and iOS 26. Noise reduction was tested in accordance with IEC 60268-24. Comparison made against the best-selling wireless in-ear headphones commercially available at the time of testing.”

Now, we don’t know which rival earbuds Apple was comparing them to, but if they happened to be a pair of Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) (or the original model, for that matter), then this could make for some interesting comparisons when we get a sample in for review.

Bose is the brand to beat when it comes to pure ANC performance from its wireless earbuds, but its tech can sometimes lack a little subtlety – although it doesn’t really bother me, I know not everyone enjoys the vacuum-like effect of it sucking out outside noise.

Apple claims this improved ANC is achieved via a combination of the buds’ ultra-low noise microphones, “advanced computational audio”, combined with new foam-infused eartips, which Apple claims give the wearer improved passive noise-cancellation.

Looking at the press images and video on Apple’s website, the eartips look particularly intriguing and certainly thicker and more plump than the tips you get with the AirPods Pro 2. I’m intrigued to take the fit test and see just how much extra isolation they might (or might not) give.

We were seriously impressed by the AirPods Pro 2 during testing, which still are, in our opinion, Apple’s best wireless earbuds to date and by quite some margin.

If Apple has moved things forward with the AirPods Pro 3, both in terms of ANC and sound quality, they could be something truly special that will really give the established class leaders something to think about.

MORE:

Read our full AirPods Pro 2 review

AirPods Pro 3 launch with "breakthrough audio performance", improved ANC and longer battery life

I've never owned a pair of AirPods – but the AirPods Pro 3 could be about to change all that

Bose's flagship ANC wireless headphones are getting an upgrade.

The new QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen) are the follow-ups to Bose's five-star first-generation QC Ultra Headphones, which gave us class-leading ANC and hugely entertaining sound.

The brand is hoping to deliver "a suite of meaningful enhancements" across the board, especially as these new flagships have strong competition to deal with from the current crop of five-star rivals from Sony WH-1000XM6, Dali IO-8 and Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3.

The new Bose flagship ANC headphones promise upgrades to audio and noise cancelling thanks to refinements to their digital signal processing. Bose has also made subtle adjustments to overall audio performance, claiming to deliver deeper bass, more natural highs and greater clarity at high volumes.

The drivers are the same as before, but that needn't be a disaster – the latest QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) didn't upgrade their drivers either, but that didn't stop some canny tuning refinements from earning five stars when we reviewed them recently.

Noise-cancelling is naturally a priority for Bose. The new QC Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen) have been engineered for "world-class noise cancellation", with an updated algorithm aiming for a more natural experience when adjusting to sudden spikes of noise in the Aware Mode.

Again, that's something Bose focused on for its second-gen QC Ultra Earbuds, and the results were, to quote from our review, "deeply impressive".

For the first time, the noise-cancelling can also be turned completely off.

New to the second-gen headphones is wired USB-C listening for lossless audio up to 16-bit/48kHz, a feature which also enables low-latency audio for gamers.

Bose's own take on spatial audio, Immersive Audio, also gains a new Cinema Mode. The new mode promises to "deliver a movie-like experience" by widening the soundstage and placing it in front of the listener, making dialogue clearer and balancing background effects for a more immersive, cinematic listen.

Battery life figures have also been improved. The second-gen headphones boast up to 30 hours of playback with ANC switched on (45 with ANC switched off), beating the 24 hours offered by the outgoing model.

Additional features include support for the higher-quality aptX Adaptive Bluetooth 5.4 codec, Bluetooth Multipoint for connecting to two devices simultaneously, as well as Google Fast Pair for Android users.

Even the design has been updated. The QC Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen) feature metal adornments for a sleeker, more modern aesthetic, while soft ear cushions promise a "lightweight fit and secure seal" for longer listening sessions. Like their predecessors, they fold completely flat, which is always useful for portable use and long-haul journeys.

The new Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen) are available in Black, White Smoke, Driftwood Sand or Midnight Violet finishes, and are priced at £449 / $449.

That's pretty much the same price their predecessors landed at, but more expensive than the current Sony WH-1000XM6 (£400 / $450) and B&W Px7 S3 (£399 / $449) for UK customers. Pre-orders start today and global release is set for 10th September.

We're expecting our review sample any day now, and can't wait to put it through the full review process.

MORE:

Beyerdynamic's latest trio of wireless headphones includes "powerful" ANC over-ears and weather-ready sports buds

Sony WH-1000XM6 vs Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones: which are better?

These are the best noise-cancelling headphones you can buy

It’s official. Apple is having an event. September is the month when the Apple hype hits fever-pitch and the Cupertino giant tends to drop a new batch of iPhones.

But this year I’m hoping Apple’s “Awe dropping” launch event (which has been confirmed for Tuesday, the 9th September) brings not just the iPhone 17, but a new pair of flagship wireless earbuds too.

You see, it has been three years since Apple launched the AirPods Pro 2, the first pair of Apple buds to get five stars from our team of expert reviewers.

After a steady stream of four-star reviews, Apple finally got over the line with a pair of wireless earbuds that really set a new standard in audio performance for the company’s in-ears.

So you can understand my excitement for an AirPods Pro 3 model being, potentially, just around the corner. But I also have to be realistic. After all, Apple’s last headphones launch, the AirPods Max 2 arrived with a bit of a whimper.

New colours and a USB-C socket were the extent of the changes made to the company's flagship over-ear headphones, and although wired lossless listening was added six months after launch, Apple didn't really make huge strides with them.

The three key things I’m hoping for from a new flagship Apple pair are quite simple: even better sound quality; improved noise-cancelling; and boosted battery life.

With the 3rd Gen pair, I’m really hoping that Apple approaches it from an “if it’s not broke, don’t fix it” angle. And I fully expect Apple to stick with its tried and trusted formula.

Which is not a bad thing. Sure, the stem design has been around a while – but it works. Comfort levels are excellent, and you can listen for hours without discomfort.

When it comes to sound quality, we have seen a few models launch that have pushed the envelope in this department, none more so than the Sony WF-1000XM5, which deliver a superbly detailed, dynamic and musical sound.

Despite their age, the AirPods Pro 2 aren’t out of their depth, and I wouldn’t expect Apple all of a sudden to change the balance and flavour of their earbuds – they are five-star performers, after all. Could Apple tweak its driver design? Quite possibly, although it could also alter the sound using the DSP (Digital Signal Processing) in the earbuds.

The six-hour battery life was solid when the AirPods Pro 2 launched, but that will hopefully be given a boost by a new model. The Sony WF-1000XM5, for example, boast eight hours with ANC enabled, and I’d like to think any new AirPods Pro should get close to or be able to match that.

Of course, if the earbuds come with a more advanced processor and a more advanced noise-cancelling algorithm that requires more power, then that longer battery life might have to be sacrificed.

Speaking of noise-cancelling, Apple will need to be at the top of its game to trouble the current class-leading Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen). The AirPods Pro 2 aren’t a slouch in this department by any stretch, but I expect some refinement here.

Perhaps more advanced real-time monitoring of external noise, or a focus on more specific frequencies, could be the order of the day here.

Of course, the final big question relates to price. I expect it to stay the same, at £249 / $249 / AU$399. That's in the ballpark for all the key models competing for the top spot of best noise-cancelling earbuds.

Bose and Sony have positioned themselves as slightly more premium (Bose’s recently launched QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) cost £299 / $299 / AU$450), so while it would be disappointing for the price to be hiked to this level, it wouldn’t come as a huge surprise.

However, I’m not sure Apple could justify pushing the price that high unless it added significant value or changed the design to use more premium materials.

Of course, there’s also the question of how the global financial landscape might impact pricing. Hopefully, the answer is that it won’t; but I will be tuned in on the 9th of September to find out.

MORE:

Apple confirms “Awe dropping” September launch event: iPhone 17 and (potentially) AirPods Pro 3 expected

Sony WF-1000XM5 vs Apple AirPods Pro 2: which premium earbuds are better?

AirPods Pro 3: everything we know so far and 5 features we want from Apple's next flagship wireless earbuds

Bose has a brand new Bluetooth speaker, the SoundLink Home, due to arrive in September. Designed to excel sonically no matter the environment, the new portable speaker has been made to fit seamlessly into any room while providing “premium sound in a sleek, minimalist design”.

Bose promises “crisp, clear audio with enough bass to fill any room” from its newest SoundLink portable speaker. The SoundLink Home teases up to nine hours of battery life alongside Bluetooth 5.3 connectivity, as well as a USB-C audio input if you want to connect to physical sources such as smartphones and laptops.

The Home is equipped with a built-in microphone for taking voice calls or accessing your phone’s voice assistant, while Stereo Mode lets you connect two SoundLink Home speakers via left and right channel audio.

The new speaker uses anodised aluminium as part of its main body alongside a large fabric grille, with top-mounted buttons controlling functions such as power, volume up/down and Bluetooth pairing. While it is portable enough to take anywhere, the SoundLink Home is clearly designed more for domestic use.

The new Bose SoundLink Home, will be available for pre-order for UK customers from 3rd September. It will be available in Light Silver, Cool Grey or Warm Wood finishes and cost £219.95 / $229 when it is globally available from 11th September.

Bose has also revealed additional information and an upgrade on its latest products released this year.

The recently announced SoundLink Micro (2nd Gen) now has an official UK release date: it will be available in the Black finish on 26th August, while the Blue Dusk finish will be available from 23rd September.

This smaller portable speaker costs £119.95 / $129, and features an IP67 water and dustproof rating, Bluetooth 5.4, stereo pairing, up to 12 hours of playback and Bluetooth Multipoint.

Finally, the five-star QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) have received a major upgrade to voice call quality thanks to Bose’s ‘SpeechClarity’ tech, which uses proprietary AI tech to deliver “Bose’s best call quality yet”.

We thought the QC Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) handled voice calls ably, but we will test them again with the new SpeechClarity upgrade – which is available now – to see whether things have improved.

MORE:

Read our review of the five-star Bose SoundLink Max

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The current cycle of premium wireless headphones has thrown up some wonderful options. We had the Dali IO-8 (currently £499 / $900 / AU$999) arrive at the end of last year, and while they remain an expensive pair of over-ears, we thought the Dali would be extremely tough to beat for any set of cans operating within the premium realm.

2025, however, has seen the bar nudged ever-skywards. Beyerydynamic looked to stake its claim in the wireless arena with the talented Aventho 300 (£359 / $400 / AU$640), while the Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3 were a treat for the eyes and ears when they arrived in the summer for roughly £399 / $449 / AU$699.

Then, of course, there are the established models that are still staking their respective claims. The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (currently £349 / $449 / AU$449) remain a great pick if noise cancelling is your top priority, whereas the older but still ongoing Apple AirPods Max (£499 / $480 / AU$899) remain a top choice for dedicated Apple fans.

Each of the aforementioned candidates has its own respective strengths and weaknesses. The Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3, for instance, sound superb and look the business, but their noise cancelling leaves rather a lot to be desired given the price you’ll pay, while their lack of foldability hinders their portable credentials.

The AirPods Max continue to deliver a luxurious experience befitting the high price tag, but their talents work best for iOS users and newer rivals offer greater clarity and precision. While the Bose flagships are superb for noise cancelling, their sound isn’t quite class-leading anymore.

The talented Dali IO-8, meanwhile, will rightly have many fans, but their reliance on on-button controls, some of which can be fiddly to use, will frustrate users who prefer proper app support. Plus, like the Px7 S3, they don’t fold away.

Yes, you can get even better sounding wireless headphones, but as the new Focal Bathys Mg have demonstrated, you’re going to have to spend more for the privilege. For the Bathys Mg, that privilege will set you back £999 / $1299 / AU$2300.

The best of a brilliant bunch

So, what we’re looking for is a pair of wireless over-ears that sound great, are comfortable to wear, easy to use, offer a great feature set and, even if they’re not super cheap, make you feel like you’re getting proper value for money. I know just the pair...

If true all-rounders are what you seek, the Sony WH-1000XM6 (£400 / $450 / AU$699) are my top pick. The idea of ‘all-rounders’ can make you think of compromise, or of a product hedging its bets to try and please all users, but that’s never something you could accuse the sixth-gen Sony over-ears of.

They’re excellent across the board, nullifying most potential weaknesses while showcasing their exceptional strengths.

The Sony WH-1000XM6 are brilliant in all of the areas in which their WH-1000XM5 antecedents excelled, albeit to a greater extent. They sound better, their feature set is expanded, they’re nicer to use and they’re even more comfortable than before.

Better yet, they’ve rectified the minor issues that we and many customers had with the fifth-generation cans. They collapse completely away with the earcups folding neatly upwards, which is a massive bonus for everyday use, while their reinforced hinges should rectify the structural weakness issues which many users had with the outgoing, Award-winning WH-1000XM5.

They're supremely comfortable, too, with our test ream finding their snug fit, improved clamping force and resistance to making our ears overheat only adding to our affections.

Heading off the competition

Against their competitors, the WH-1000XM6 can take on all comers in all departments. Sonically, they outstrip the Bose over-ears, as our review explains: “We try Time from the Inception soundtrack and the WH-1000XM6 are a step above the XM5 in terms of detail, dynamics and openness. Play the same track through the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones, and it isn’t a fair fight – the Bose sound out of their depth”.

They’re up for the fight against the Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3 and the Dali IO-8 too. As we wrote at the time, the B&W cans might just win the race in terms of precision and fine detail, but the Sony have bringing a greater sense of expressiveness and musicality to their delivery.

The Dali are spacious and refined, if a little flavoured, but the Sony's exceptional helping of fun and dynamism, not to mention their overall experience, are tough to top.

Plus, unlike the Px7 S3, the Sony are now foldable and offer spatial audio support, all while dealing with noise cancelling more effectively.

In fact, in almost any area, the Sony WH-1000XM6 can hold their own, such is their impressive lack of any discernible blind spots. The Bose cans are the ANC kings, but the XM6s’ noise cancelling is so excellent that not once will you use them and feel as though you’d rather have a better alternative. They do the job brilliantly, and that’s more than enough for the vast majority of users.

Feature-wise, they’re exceptional. 30 hours of battery is enough to keep you happy at this level, as are hi-res LDAC Bluetooth codec support, Bluetooth LE Audio and Auracast (for opening up connectivity to a variety of compatible sources and streams).

Sony’s 360 Reality Audio works well, while other Sony features, such as Speak to Chat and Quick Attention Mode – which allows you to hear ambient sounds by touching the right earcup – round out the spec list nicely. At this price, very few headphones can boast so many features or, more crucially, so many features that perform so well.

Maybe we'd have liked USB-C wired listening, as found with the rival Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3, but considering how good the XM6 sound without wires, it's hardly a huge issue.

It wouldn’t been nice to see the high quality aptX codecs on the menu, but Sony counters all that with LDAC support, provided you have a compatible source player.

Headphones for everybody

If you’re going to spend this kind of money on a pair of wireless headphones, you want excellent performance across the board and no discernible weaknesses leaving you frustrated over time.

These are cans you have to live with, and while average ANC, say, might not bother you on day one, over time it can become a real issue. That’s the same with poor levels of comfort, tricky usability, an anaemic feature set or, of course, middling sound quality.

Perish such concerns with the WH-1000XM6. At this level, they truly are the jacks of all trades and masters of quite a few, leading the pack sonically and levelling up the flagship line’s usability credentials to new heights.

To quote from our review: "The WH-1000XM6 deliver the most detailed, dynamic, precise and open sound we’ve heard from a wireless Sony flagship". When you consider how high those standards were already, that's some seriously high praise.

I was a big fan of the WH-1000XM5, but as all the wireless headphone a person could need, the WH-1000XM6 are masterful all-rounders.

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Read our Focal Bathys Mg review

These are the best noise-cancelling headphones you can buy

Bose makes some of the best noise-cancelling headphones around, and its earbuds set new standards of active noise cancellation (ANC). But not all Bose earbuds are created equal.

The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds (2024) are its latest entry-level model and the sequel to the 2020 model of the same name. However, despite being more affordable, they still offer an impressive array of features for your money.

Then there are the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen), its flagship wireless earbuds. These offer a couple of extra features, and more sophisticated audio quality and noise cancellation, but of course, they cost more too.

If you're wondering which pair would suit you better, you're in the right place. We'll compare them in all areas (price, design and comfort, features, ANC/call quality and sound) to show you how they stack up.

Bose QuietComfort Earbuds (2024) vs QC Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen): price

These pairs are pitched at different areas of the market. Hence there's quite a price disparity between them.

The QuietComfort Earbuds (2024) launched at £180 / $179 / AU$289 last year, but there have been a few discounts since then. The most common deal is around £130, but they have dropped as low as £117. Bargain.

The QC Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) only launched in July 2025, so there hasn't been much movement on their launch price of £299 / $299 / AU$450. Bose 'buds often feature in big sales events like Black Friday though, so if you can wait, your patience might be rewarded with a deal.

** Winner: Bose QuietComfort Earbuds (2024) **

Bose QuietComfort Earbuds (2024) vs QC Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen): design & comfort

The two pairs of earbuds might have a lot in common, but not in looks. The QuietComfort Earbuds (2024) have a more rounded shape that makes them less conspicuous than the stem design of the QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen).

Both come with a range of ear tips and stability bands that help with a secure and stable fit. Both pairs would work well as a companion to running or other exercise, helped by their IPX4 water- and sweat-resistance.

Finally, finishes. The QuietComfort Earbuds (2024) come in five colours (Black, White Smoke, Chilled Lilac, Petal Pink and Twilight Blue) while the QC Ultra Earbuds (Gen 2) come in three (Black, White Smoke and Deep Plum).

Which look you prefer is a matter of personal preference. If we were being really picky, we would say the QC Earbuds (2024) are a bit bulkier and might not suit people with smaller ears, so the pricier pair just edges this round.

** Winner: Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) **

Bose QuietComfort Earbuds (2024) vs QC Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen): features

Seeing as the QC Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) cost more, you would expect them to have more features. And you would be right.

They add wireless charging to the original QC Ultra Earbuds (1st Gen), though this is a feature that the QC Earbuds (2024) already have. But the QC Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) also come with improvements to Bose's world-beating active noise cancelling (ANC) tech and improved sound quality over the originals.

They still use Bose's CustomTune sound calibration tech to adapt the ANC to your ears and surroundings, but now they have an updated algorithm working in tandem to improve ActiveSense in Aware mode. In other words, changes to the ANC should be smoother, especially when subduing sudden noises that would otherwise distract you from your music.

There's a new AI-powered noise suppression system to make calls clearer, and the sound quality has been fine-tuned for better bass and a smoother high end.

Other than that, the feature set includes Immersive Audio, Bluetooth Multipoint for seamless switching between paired devices and 24-hour total battery life (six from the buds, plus 18 from the case).

The QC Earbuds (2024) win in terms of battery life, boasting a total of 29.5 hours (8.5 from the buds, 21 from the case). You get Bluetooth Multipoint and most of the same codec support as the QC Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen), but they lack aptX.

Interestingly, they also work with a different Bose companion app. Bose QCE only works with them due to their specific hardware, but it still gives you a wealth of customisation options.

The QC Earbuds (2024) lack their pricier siblings' CustomTune tech, and Immersive Audio is still listed as "coming soon" (which it has been since launch).

You can also use the QC Earbuds (2024) to activate the shutter on your phone camera – just assign that function to a button using the app. It works, but it's a bit of a gimmick.

** Winner: Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) **

• Bose’s spatial audio tech is a nice idea for headphones but it’s too hit-and-miss
• aptX HD Bluetooth: what is it? How do you get it?
• What is Bluetooth Multipoint? What devices support it?

Bose QuietComfort Earbuds (2024) vs QC Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen): noise cancellation & call quality

How do these technologies work in practice?

In the case of the QC Earbuds (2024), very well indeed. Typically Bose, "they do a very good job of eliminating mid- and low-frequency drones and rumbles," we wrote in our review.

But without Bose's CustomTune tech, they can't adjust the ANC to your ear profile or surroundings. Instead, you get just two modes: Quiet (ANC on) and Aware (which lets in outside noise so you can stay more aware of your surroundings).

"Rumbles of a train carriage are dumbed down relatively successfully, and in a busy environment, the chatter is nicely subdued," we wrote in our review.

But the QC Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) are even more adept at adapting to sudden noises like sirens and car horns. And they still do a very good job of dialling down constant rumbles like engine noise and lower-level sounds.

You get three levels of ANC – Quiet, Aware and Immersion – but you can also add your own custom preset. Quiet is quite simply the most effective ANC out there. Some might find it a bit too vacuum-y, like the sound is being sucked out of your ears, leaving you in an eerie cocoon of silence. But if it's quiet you want, this is the mode for you.

"Noises across the sonic spectrum, be they clacking keyboards, chattering colleagues or cars beeping their horns on the street, simply dissolve into near-insignificance, with harsher and more intrusive sounds shut out even more effectively than before," we wrote in our review.

The 2nd Gen's ANC skills also come into play with voice calls, reducing traffic, chit-chat and wind noise to near nothingness.

"Whether indoors or outside, we find that the buds render voices as clear and weighty during our calls, as well as making good on that promise of preventing environmental sounds from intruding on your conversations. They’re just a tad synthetic sounding at times, but overall, it’s a very strong showing," we wrote.

The QC Earbuds (2024) fare fine in terms of call quality, but not as clear or expressive as their pricier stablemates.

** Winner: Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) **

Bose QuietComfort Earbuds (2024) vs QC Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen): sound

Now this is what we all came here for. You would expect the pricier pair to sound better. But do they sound good enough to justify the higher price?

In a word: yes.

Processing tweaks have improved the bass response while making for a smoother high end, just as Bose promised. The 2nd Gen are capable of "sinking to impressive new depths while retaining the requisite tautness and agility of their lower-end reproduction," we noted in our review.

There's noticeably more body and texture to notes across all frequencies, and overall, it's a clearer, sharper performance.

The QC Earbuds (2024) still sound very good for the money, offering musicality and drive in abundance. Or, as we put it in our review: "They're powerful and punchy performers that build an entertaining sound on the foundations of robust low frequencies, an expressive midrange and controlled highs."

Bass is rich and weighty, and full of detail. But they're trumped across the board by the QC Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen), which also offer a greater sense of spaciousness and dynamic differentiation between notes. You can see – or rather, hear – where your extra money goes.

** Winner: Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) **

Bose QuietComfort Earbuds (2024) vs QC Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen): verdict

A clear winner? Not quite.

Yes, as the more premium pair, the QC Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) do have more features, and more advanced sound quality and noise cancellation. But design and comfort levels aren't a million miles away, and the QC Earbuds (2024) are quite a bit cheaper and have the longer battery life.

If you can afford them, the QC Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) will give you a superior experience. But if you can't or don't want to spend that much, and/or you prize battery life over the bump in sound and ANC, the QC Earbuds (2024) will certainly put a smile on your face.

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And the best cheap wireless earbuds you can buy

The headline news for the Focal Bathys Mg is quite straightforward.

Focal has taken the only wireless headphones in its stable, revised some design elements, and made one major change: it’s switched from a 40mm aluminium/magnesium driver to one made from pure magnesium, hence the ‘MG’ suffix.

This isn’t the first time we’ve experienced a pair of headphones with that ‘Mg’ tag – the company’s Clear Mg wired headphones passed through our test rooms back in 2022 and walked away with a five-star rating. Is this story going to have a similar ending?

If you’ve already seen the star rating, you’ll know the answer, but humour us and work your way down to the end of this review and soak up everything these sensational wireless headphones have to offer…

Price

We tested the original Focal Bathys back in 2022 when they launched for £699 / $799 / AU$1199. Unsurprisingly, the new Bathys Mg retail for a little more – £999 / $1299 / AU$2300 to be precise.

There aren’t huge numbers of wireless headphones on sale at this end of the market. Two models we’ve tested in recent years are the five-star T+A Solitaire T (£1200 / $1600 / AU$2160) and Mark Levinson No. 5909 (£999 / $999 / AU$1599), although looking around online, the Levinson pair appears to have reached the end of its shelf life.

The next price point down from the Bathys Mg is where a lot of the action is, and this includes models like the Bowers & Wilkins Px8 (£599 / $699 / AU$1150) and Dali IO-8 (£599 / $900 / AU$999). The Focals will need to outperform both of these pairs to stand a chance of achieving five-star status.

Design & build

If you’re familiar with Focal’s styling and design language when it comes to headphones, the Bathys Mg won’t look too out of the ordinary.

However, anyone used to the more sedate, dare we say slightly duller, styling of wireless headphones from the likes of Bose and Sony might take a bit more persuading that the Focals are for them.

The Bathys Mg look and feel like a pair of premium headphones, wireless or not. The leather used to cover the top of the headband and the memory foam earpads seem high quality and nice to the touch. The aluminium and magnesium yoke design feels built to last, too.

Focal claims that the Bathys Mg use more premium materials than the originals, including new foam for the headband and earpads, and they do feel slightly more supple when given a gentle squeeze. That leather also feels slightly higher quality.

The intricate detailing on the outer surface of each earcup goes above and beyond anything we’ve seen at cheaper price points, and while it might be a little showy for some tastes, you can’t argue that they don’t make a serious impression, especially when you add the backlit Focal logo in the centre of each earcup (don’t worry, it can be turned off).

The Bathys Mg have a chunky and dare we say rather bulky design – they weigh in at 350g, which is almost 100g more than the Sony WH-1000XM6, and you can tell the difference in-hand.

But the Focals don’t feel particularly uncomfortable to wear, and they carry out daily commutes pretty effortlessly, although one member of the review team found their ears did get quite warm while in use.

As seems to be the trend now for wireless ANC headphones, they only fold flat (instead of into a ball) and they come with a substantial carry case, which you’re probably going to want to carry around with you to protect your premium purchase.

The headphones are only available in one finish, which Focal describes as chestnut, although the carry case doesn’t seem to match and appears much more brown in colour, to our eyes at least.

Features

The Bathys Mg include support for AAC and SBC codecs and can handle higher quality aptX and aptX Adaptive streams from compatible sources.

They use the Focal & Naim companion app, which gives you some control over the headphones, but it isn’t quite as in-depth as some apps from rival brands. This is mainly because the Focals forego some of the features you find further down the pricing scale in favour of concentrating on performance and getting the basics right.

For example, there are no touch controls, so there’s no assigning to be done in the app – it’s all physical buttons, which some might feel is no bad thing. Also, there’s no wear detection, so if you want to pause your music, you need to hit the playback button before (or after) you remove them from your head.

In the app, there’s a five-band EQ for adjusting the sound and a choice of three preset EQ modes: Home, Loudness and Dynamic.

You also have three different Noise Cancellation modes: Transparent, Soft and Silent and the ability to alter the LED lighting around the Focal logos on the outside of each earcup – although to us, a light show like this feels a little unnecessary on a pair of expensive wireless headphones.

The most interesting thing in the app, we find, is the Sound Personalisation mode, where the headphones feed you test signals designed to help create a sound profile more befitting your current hearing ability. It’s a thorough process that we found well worth experimenting with during testing.

The headphones come with a 1.2m headphone cable with a 3.5mm jack and a USB-C cable of the same length for wired listening.

For home listening, you can go from wired to wireless, either using the 3.5mm jack or by using Focal’s own built-in DAC, which supports sample rates all the way up to 24-bit/192kHz. All you need to do is switch the headphones into DAC mode using the small slider under the edge of the right earcup and connect them using the USB-C cable.

The right earcup hosts all sockets, and buttons for volume up/down, play/pause, Bluetooth pairing and waking a virtual assistant.

Battery life is claimed at 30 hours with Bluetooth and ANC engaged, 35 hours when using noise-cancelling and either the 3.5mm or USB-C jack and 42 hours in USB-DAC mode.

Fast charging should give you five hours of playback time in 15 minutes.

Noise-cancelling & call quality

Focal has added new digital mics to the Bathys MG (the headphones use eight in total, four per earcup) in an attempt to improve noise-cancelling, and during testing, we found them to be highly competitive and up there with some of the best pairs we’ve tested.

Upper bass and lower midrange rumbles are handled well and traffic noise is subdued nicely too. The Focals are more accomplished here than the Mark Levinson No. 5909 and the Bowers & Wilkins Px8.

You have three modes to play with. 'Silent' is noise-cancelling at its most intense but it doesn’t feel as intrusive as the noise-cancelling employed by the likes of Bose in its flagship QuietComfort Ultra Headphones. 'Soft' lowers the intensity a little, while transparent allows outside noise to peek through.

Call quality is good, although not quite as noise-free as it is when speaking through the Sony WH-1000XM6, which are the current class leaders in this regard. The way the Sonys subdue wind noise is particularly impressive. Background wind and high-pitched noise permeate through the Focals a little more easily, but our voice remains clear and natural, and less processed, when holding a conversation.

Sound

With the original Bathys on hand for comparison, the Focal Bathys Mg immediately sound like a cut above. They offer more across the board: a greater sense of refinement, expression and more precise deployment of notes throughout the frequency range.

The Bathys Mg have greater control over lows and highs, which makes the original sound a tad unwieldy.

Like an excellent pair of stereo speakers, you just aren’t aware of the Focals adding or taking anything away from the music. They give you a natural, balanced account of any genre of music you care to play through them.

We start with a spot of indie rock courtesy of Geronimo by Stereophonics. And the Focals dispatch it with relative ease.

Each stompy drum thwacks hits with weight, precision and texture, and there’s dynamic differentiation between the quick one-two hits that add thrust to the track. It’s not the most complicated ensemble, but the swagger of the track is communicated without any confusion.

The percussion at the start of the song cuts through the meaty drums like a raspberry sorbet cuts through a rich triple chocolate brownie.

There’s a cutting crispness and a sharpness, but the actual level of the treble is sky-high, and could quite easily sound wince-inducing on poorer-performing headphones.

One thing the Focals do really well is sound beautifully balanced and neutral. Some wireless ANC headphones can sound a little artificially boosted at the top or bottom end, but the Bathys Mg don’t play these games and deliver music with a completely straight bat.

We switch over to Adele’s Skyfall and are captivated by the Focals’ delivery. As the keys of the piano strike at the start of the track, the Bathys Mg handle them delicately, but don’t shortchange you with the dynamics or weight of each key press.

When the rest of the orchestra kicks in, the Focals reveal layer upon layer of texture and detail. It’s a spectacular level of insight and a clear cut above what is served up by any of the cheaper, yet flagship, rivals from the likes of Bowers & Wilkins, Dali and Sony.

There’s plenty of sparkle and texture to the percussion, while strings sway sweetly and with sharply defined edges.

The expression in Adele's vocal as she shifts through the gears at the track’s climax shows the Focals have plenty of stretch in their dynamic range.

Finally, we switch to playing Duel Of The Fates from the Star Wars: The Phantom Menace soundtrack as a 24-bit/192kHz stream from Amazon Music using the Focals in USB DAC mode – and we are treated to a sophisticated, refined and pristine performance.

The headphones allow the choir and each section of the orchestra room to breathe, despite the track’s frantic and fevered delivery. It’s a real rollercoaster of a track and the Focals just savour every one of the four minutes it plays for.

They deliver a masterclass in balance, poise and refinement, which draws you in and entertains as though you were watching the action unfold on the big screen.

Not only do the headphones have to keep up with the speed of the track, but they also have low and high-level dynamic shifts to contend with as they jostle for position in a congested sound field.

Verdict

We completely understand that not everyone can go out and spend this kind of money on a pair of wireless headphones.

Indeed, some might be asking why you would need to, given the five-star headphones available for half the money from some of the biggest, most experienced players in the market.

But, we would implore you to take the time to listen to the Focal Bathys Mg. The original Bathys showed Focal could make the jump from wired to wireless successfully, and the changes made for this version push the envelope even further. They’re exceptional performers.

Review published: 7th August 2025

SCORES

• Sound 5
• Features 5
• Build 5

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Best wireless headphones reviewed and rated by our in-house expert

If you're looking for a pair of wireless earbuds, you're spoiled for choice. Both the Sony WF-1000XM5 and Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) are among the best wireless earbuds around; but which would be right for you?

At two years old, the Sony XM5s are the grandaddy of the wireless earbud world, while Bose's new flagships went on sale only recently. Both scored a top five out of five in our reviews, thanks to excellent sound quality and noise cancellation.

Here's how they compare.

Bose QC Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) vs Sony WF-1000XM5: price

Both of these pairs are the brands' respective flagship wireless earbuds, so neither comes cheap. But there is quite a difference between them in terms of price.

The Sonys launched at £259 / $299 / AU$419, but that was in 2023. They are now around £200 / $200 / AU$350, but have fallen as low as £149 during flash sales.

The Bose are brand new, so are clinging to their launch price of £299 / $299 / AU$450. They might be discounted, but not by much any time soon.

**Winner: Sony WF-1000XM5**

Bose QC Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) vs Sony WF-1000XM5: design

Design-wise, they are apples and oranges. The XM5 are slimmer and lighter than their XM4 predecessors, and are made of a glossy, smooth plastic with a matte control panel.

It's a rounder design than the QC Ultra (2nd Gen), which feature an outer stem fitted to a central body that feeds into a slender nozzle.

Both are rated IPX4 water resistant, both offer touch controls, and both are designed to minimise the effects of wind noise. The Sonys fit in our ears well, but the Bose are just that bit more secure thanks to their slender wings that keep them in place. The Sonys rely on their polyurethane tips that you squeeze down and let expand once inside your ear cavity.

You do get more sizes of ear tips with the Sony though (four to the Bose's three). But the Bose come with three sizes of stability bands too, which really help with the fit.

The QC Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) feel fittingly premium and for their greater sense of security and comfort, we'll have to give them the win here.

**Winner: Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen)**

Bose QC Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) vs Sony WF-1000XM5: features

Sony's XM5 are some of the most feature-rich wireless earbuds money can buy.

Their 8.4mm Dynamic Driver X is a full 2mm larger than the XM4's. Because it doesn't have to move as much as the XM4's, it reduces mechanical noise.

Sony's DSEE Extreme processing is once again on board to upscale lower-quality music files, and the buds support hi-res audio and 360 Reality Audio files (with dynamic head tracking, for the first time). Sony's hi-res LDAC codec is also supported.

Bluetooth Multipoint lets you connect to two wireless devices at the same time and switch between them seamlessly, while Sony staples Adaptive Sound Control and Speak-to-Chat also return.

Adaptive Sound Control adjusts the amount of ambient noise allowed in depending on where you are and what you're doing. Speak-to-Chat detects when you are speaking and then pauses playback while allowing in ambient sound so you can hear the other half of the conversation.

And battery life? Eight hours from the buds, plus another 16 from the case, making 24 hours total.

That outdoes the Bose QC Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen), which manage only six hours from the buds. But then the Bose case adds another 18 hours, making for the same 24-hour total.

These figures are both with Bluetooth and active noise cancellation (ANC) activated. But if you use Bose's Immersive Audio feature, the buds' battery life drops from six hours to four.

Opinion is split on Immersive Audio. While it's meant to make tracks sound as though they are being played on a pair of stereo speakers instead of headphones, the effect really depends on the track. Some tracks benefit from the wider, more spacious feel, but others can seem disorganised as a result.

The QC Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) support aptX Adaptive instead of Sony's LDAC, but again this brings 24-bit hi-res lossless streaming into play. And you get Bluetooth Multipoint and wireless charging, just like on the Sonys.

But for the extra modes, and the better on-bud battery life, the Sonys take this round.

**Winner: Sony WF-1000XM5**

• Bluetooth Multipoint: what is it? How do you get it?
• What is Sony's LDAC?
• Hi-res audio: everything you need to know

Bose QC Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) vs Sony WF-1000XM5: ANC and call quality

Bose has long dominated in terms of noise cancellation, and the QC Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) are another impressive showing.

Like their first-gen predecessors, they provide a cocooning effect that shuts you off from the outside world. The vast majority of low and midrange frequencies are silenced, and while some high frequencies do come through, they are nicely rounded to dampen their effect.

Theirs is a great spread of world-silencing, from general chatter to train rumbles and traffic noise.

By contrast, the Sonys put in a decent performance by in-ear standards, but they are noticeably less effective at blocking such a wide range of ambient sounds.

However, some will find Bose's 'vacuum' effect too much, and so might prefer Sony's more natural noise-cancelling feel. It's more subtle and less intrusive, while undeniably less effective.

As for call quality, the Sonys do a great job of minimising wind noise thanks to a streamlined design. Voices are prioritised well, and sound clear and crisp. The Bose also minimise background sounds effectively, while making voices weighty and prominent. They can sound a tad synthetic at times, but it's a minor bugbear.

**Winner: Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen)**

Bose QC Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) vs Sony WF-1000XM5: sound

Now the all important round. Which wireless earbuds sound better?

The Sonys have long been our pick for best overall in our list of best wireless earbuds, and that's largely down to their sound quality.

It's a little more analytical than previous Sony earbuds, but that's no bad thing. On the contrary, their organisational skills make sense of even the most complex tracks, while they have a compelling sense of rhythmic drive. Bass is deep but wonderfully controlled, and there's a great sense of spaciousness and openness that most buds lack.

The Bose buds have the same driver as their predecessors, but they have been tuned to improve the bass response and smooth out the high-end frequencies.

It's a job well done. The new buds are capable of “sinking to impressive new depths while retaining the requisite tautness and agility of their lower-end reproduction,” we wrote in our review.

The new buds have more body and texture than their predecessors, with added richness and authenticity.

Overall, the Sonys have it. They are more open, agile and articulate than the Bose, with a more extended treble. They communicate rhythms with more precision and drive, while the bass has more texture and subtlety.

Dynamically, the Sonys are more expressive, while they reveal more detail than the Bose.

But the Bose do win out in some areas. They have greater smoothness and refinement, sound more full bodied and have the more powerful bass. It's just not enough compared with the more musically interesting and entertaining Sonys.

**Winner: Sony WF-1000XM5**

Bose QC Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) vs Sony WF-1000XM5: verdict

It's a close one. Bose's new flagship buds are undoubtedly an excellent offering, with great sound, greater comfort and fit, and class-leading noise cancellation.

But sonically, the older Sony WH-1000XM5 still pull ahead, while offering the broader spread of features and costing less to boot. For pure sonic delight, our money would go on the Sonys.

MORE:

Read our Bose QC Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) review

And our Sony WF-1000XM5 review

Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) vs QC Ultra Earbuds (1st Gen): should you upgrade?

Another Monday, another schlep to the office (or home office, if you’re lucky) and another entry into our weekly Rewind news digest.

In it our team of experts once again summarise all the top hi-fi and home cinema developments to break over the past seven days.

Once again, it was a busy week with top products including new Bose wireless earbuds and Marshall’s first soundbar passing through our review rooms, plus more than a few announcements from some hi-fi heavyweights. Here’s everything you need to know.

Marshall’s first Dolby Atmos soundbar needs some work

Last week our AV team finished testing the Marshall Heston 120, the guitar amplification heavyweight's first Dolby Atmos soundbar.

Its pricing also puts it in direct competition with the main recommendation sitting at the top of our best Dolby Atmos soundbars buying guide, the Sonos Arc Ultra.

All credit to Marshall for coming out guns blazing and making a big swing with its opening attempt – and there are some undeniable positives based on our testing.

Running through our comparative checks the unit offers solid amounts of low-end heft and handles dialogue well.

But, it’s got some issues with its precision, especially when trying to create the famous Dolby Atmos “dome of sound” effect. Add to this a slightly sibilant high-end and it becomes hard to recommend.

Our verdict: “While it clearly sounds better than any TV we’ve tested, the Marshall Heston 120 falls a long way short of the quality of the best Dolby Atmos soundbars at this level, which sound more exciting and fill a room more effectively.”

Read our full Marshall Heston 120 review

The latest Bose wireless earbuds are excellent

The wireless earbuds market is already pretty full, with every company and its dog trying to break into the market.

So, with all this competition, a five-star pair of earbuds is a pretty big deal. And that’s exactly what we have with the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen).

Despite Bose downplaying any serious engineering upgrades to the earbuds' drivers, we found a wealth of positives when we tested them against key rivals, including the Sony WF-1000XM5.

Across every genre we threw at the buds they delivered a punchy, full bodied sound that paired excellently with industry leading active noise cancellation.

Hence their five-star rating and our verdict: “Their outstanding noise-cancelling capabilities, excellent design and a punchy, entertaining sound make for a powerful combination – these Bose 2nd Gen earbuds are pleasing all-rounders."

Read our full Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) review

We bid farewell to the father of metal

As hi-fi fanatics, it should come as no surprise that the What Hi-Fi? team are all pretty big music fans. And if you’ve checked out any of our guides to the best tracks to test your hi-fi, you will know plenty of us are also rock and metal fans.

Which is why this week we were sad to hear Ozzy Osbourne, founding member of Black Sabbath and father of metal music, had passed away, just weeks after playing his farewell concert.

Our editor-in-chief felt moved to pen a feature bidding farewell and thanking him for his music.

Read the full story: Ozzy Osbourne and Black Sabbath helped cement my love of vinyl – RIP the Prince of Darkness

Musical Fidelity’s long awaited integrated amp is finally available

We first saw Musical Fidelity’s B1xi stereo amplifier all the way back at the Bristol Hi-Fi Show in February, where it piqued the interest of our hi-fi and audio editor, Kashfia Kabir. But, it was only last week the firm finally launched the amp.

Available now, the B1xi will set you back £699 / $879 / €799 – putting it in direct competition with the five-star Arcam A5 (£749) and Rega Brio Mk7 (£799). We’re yet to test the unit, but it does come with some decent specifications, despite its very reasonable price.

Highlights include a fully discrete Class A/B design capable of delivering 60 watts per channel into 8 ohms as well as toroidal transformers with large power reserves designed to help it deliver the "purest sound quality" possible.

Read the full story: Musical Fidelity's highly-anticipated integrated amplifier promises to deliver "great sound at an affordable price"

Monitor Audio revealed entry level hi-fi speakers

Following our review of the four-star Q Acoustics 5010 standmounts earlier this month, our experts are still ardently searching for a stellar pair of affordable speakers worthy of our hallowed five star rating – and last week Monitor Audio launched a new series that may just fit that bill.

Specifically, the audio powerhouse unveiled its new Bronze Series 7G series of speakers, promising they will "set a new benchmark" for entry-level performance.

The new range consists of five models centred around Bronze 300 7G floorstanders and Bronze 50 70 standmounts. For home cinema fans looking to build a surround sound system there’s a Bronze Centre 7G central channel, Bronze On-Wall 7G speakers and Bronze AMS 7G Dolby Atmos-enabled speakers.

Pricing for the Bronze 50 70 standmounts starts at £500 / €600 / $700 per pair. The Bronze 300 7G floorstanders will set you back a punchier £1000 / €1250 / $1400​ per pair.

We’ve reached out to Monitor Audio for review samples, which we’ll hopefully get into our listening rooms in the not too distant future.

Read the full story: Monitor Audio's new speaker range vows to "set a new benchmark" for entry-level performance

MORE:

These are the best bookshelf speakers we’ve tested

We rate the best floorstanding speakers

Our picks of the best soundbars

When the Bose SoundLink Max burst onto the Bluetooth speaker scene last year, it was one of the clearest indications that Bose could compete with the all-consuming dominance of JBL.

The Max might not have pipped the JBL Xtreme 4 to a What Hi-Fi? Award that year, but its powerful, entertaining sound more than hinted at a brand ready to make its mark in an arena that was in danger of becoming a one-horse race.

Now it’s the turn of the Bose SoundLink Plus, essentially a scaled-down version of the Max, which strives for the same bold, punchy sound that made its bigger brother such a likeable performer.

With other established brands in danger of dropping out of contention, is Bose slyly becoming a serious contender in this portable wireless speaker race?

Price

The SoundLink Plus is something of a middle child for Bose’s Bluetooth speaker range.

Sitting beneath the SoundLink Max, the SoundLink Plus will set you back £249 / £269 / AU$429 at full price, a figure that sees it just edging into the territory occupied by the Bang & Olufsen Beosound A1 (3rd Gen) at £299 / $249 / AU$639.

The rather lovely five-star Dali Katch G2 is still available, and thanks to its advancing years, you can generally pick one up for £299 in the UK, AU$600 in Australia, and a startling $570-$600 in the US when available.

Our favourite at this price level, the burly JBL Xtreme 4, has seen its price fall to around £249 / $250 / AU$429, also bringing it into direct competition with the Bose.

Build and design

If you’re struggling to get a handle on how the SoundLink Plus looks and how much space it takes up, just imagine a very nicely made brick and you’re pretty much there.

OK, it looks like a brick with a silicone wrap at the top and a metallic grille at the front, all with slightly more rounded off corners, but a nice brick nonetheless.

If you are going to be carrying the SoundLink Plus around, there’s a pleasingly thick and robust carry loop located at the unit’s side. It feels like a quality addition that will survive a good deal of punishment, though making the carry loop adjustable might have been a nice touch for users with, say, slightly larger fingers.

Just like its bigger brother, the SoundLink Plus’s top section houses all of your essential playback, pairing and volume control options embedded into a robust silicone surface. All buttons respond rather satisfyingly to the touch.

There’s also a shortcut button which you can customise via the Bose app, though you’re limited to two options: accessing Speaker Link for pairing two Bose Bluetooth speakers together, or assigning a Spotify shortcut button.

Customisable, then, but not that customisable.

Whichever way you slice it, the SoundLink Plus is the sort of speaker you’ll feel proud to own. There’s clearly a level of quality and care that has gone into its construction, evidenced by the premium tactility of the speaker’s front grille or the smooth silicone which makes up much of the unit’s main body.

It is understated, yes, but that doesn't mean we find the design boring or uninspiring – clean and simple would be more appropriate adjectives.

Better yet, the Bose has the ruggedness to go with that easygoing style. Poking, prodding and sometimes scratching any given surface demonstrates a reassuring robustness, while an IP67 water and dustproof rating will safeguard the SoundLink Plus from the elements.

Well, it has survived a dunk in the kitchen sink for the purpose of our tests, but the principle is the same.

Features

It’s hard not to look at the SoundLink Plus’s rather anaemic specification sheet and not feel underwhelmed. Bluetooth speakers can do so much these days – just look at the impressive skill sets of the JBL Charge 6 or Xtreme 4 – yet Bose’s portable middle child seems to have skipped a few key modules during its early education.

There’s no in-built microphone, for instance, and while that’s not a dealbreaker, it’s always nice to have speakerphone abilities for group calls. The increasingly popular Auracast audio-sharing tech, which allows source devices to broadcast multiple audio streams to an unlimited number of receivers, isn’t on the menu.

That said, the SoundLink Plus can be connected in a Stereo Pair to other compatible Bose speakers if you want to make a proper party of it.

If you desire wired listening, as found on JBL’s recent Flip 7 and Charge 6 class-leaders, which are capable of playback up to 24-bit/96kHz via a USB-C connection, you are once again going to be left disappointed.

It's Bluetooth or nothing here, though the availability of the hi-res aptX Adaptive codec does soften that blow just a tad to achieve better than standard SBC/AAC quality.

The battery life is at least reasonably solid, clocking in at around 20 hours, although it lags a little behind the 24 hours of the impressive Xtreme 4.

If you do run out of juice, the SoundLink Plus also takes an eternity (metaphorically speaking) to get back to full battery, with Bose quoting a five-hour charge time and not providing any quick-charging facilities.

Sound

Rather limited feature set aside, it doesn’t take long for us to enjoy Bose’s latest portable Bluetooth speaker.

It’s an easy presentation to listen to, and while that might have you envisioning us sitting by a fireside in smoking jackets enjoying some smooth jazz through the SoundLink Plus, it’s more the case that this is an effortlessly entertaining performer.

If this were a person meeting you for the first time, it wouldn’t be avoiding eye contact and giving you a rather limp handshake – straight in for a bear hug is the more likely approach.

Fun is the word we’re after. The SoundLink Plus is fun, and that makes it easy to enjoy.

The sound we receive is rich and full-bodied, and while the price-comparable Dali Katch G2 sounds more open, detailed and, dare we say, sophisticated, the SoundLink Plus’s blending of punch and solidity makes for an invigorating combination.

What's more, this is a speaker that we would actually feel comfortable taking out and about with us on our travels, and that’s not something we can wholeheartedly say about the somewhat niche Dali portable – it’s just not as rugged or robust as the Bose.

The SoundLink Plus isn’t a particularly whopping unit – if you want a bigger, punchier and more muscular sound, the Award-winning JBL Xtreme 4 is our recommendation for roughly the same price – but we are impressed with how loud the Bose is capable of going.

Whether whispering away at low volumes or belting out ABBA with pride, that inherently solid, entertaining character is retained no matter how far you push the dial.

Playing at higher volumes does play to the Bose’s strengths. Muse’s Hysteria sounds appropriately crunchy and meaty as the SoundLink Plus gives it the beans, whereas the rhythmic snap on the opening to Michael Jackson's Billie Jean comes across with force and vigour.

While the SoundLink Plus could be better at differentiating loud and soft notes more effectively – the low-level dynamics on, say, Nick Cave’s Into My Arms are better through the JBL and the Dali rivals – it’s never quite enough to mar our affections for Bose’s ever-personable Bluetooth brick.

And yes, the Xtreme 4 will go louder – it’s a bigger unit after all – and offers a more nuanced and cohesive presentation, especially when the spotlight shines on its tight, snappy bass. But given the Bose’s smaller size and greater portability, its powerful performance is nothing short of admirable.

From Claire de Lune to Chop Suey!, our time with the SoundLink Plus is very rarely boring.

Verdict

If you’re buying a Bluetooth speaker based on what it can do rather than how it sounds, the SoundLink Plus may not be for you. The essentials expected of a portable Bluetooth speaker are there, but if you crave all the bells and whistles, its feature set may be a little too bare bones for customers who have become increasingly accustomed to Bluetooth speakers boasting big bags of tricks, especially from much cheaper models.

At this price level, there are also rival Bluetooth speakers which are capable of beating it for sonic nuance and just pure volume, be they the refined Dali Katch G2 or the hefty, Award-winning JBL Xtreme 4.

That said, we think the SoundLink Plus’s likeable combination of portability, ruggedness and powerful sound will find plenty of fans. Bold, punchy and entertaining, it’s a tough speaker to ignore and, happily, an even tougher one to dislike.

Review published: 25th July 2025

SCORES:

• Sound 4
• Build 5
• Features 3

MORE:

Read our review of the JBL Xtreme 4

Also consider the Dali Katch G2

Our pick of the best Bluetooth speakers you can buy

Over the last couple of weeks, I’ve been spending time with two pairs of what I would describe as premium, yet mainstream, wireless headphones: the Sony WH-1000XM6 over-ears, which launched back in May, and the more recently announced Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) buds.

We’ve tested both pairs and given each a glowing five-star review. But having seen the evolution of these models as they’ve passed through our test rooms, I’m beginning to wonder if we might have reached peak wireless headphones.

I’m using Sony and Bose as my two key examples, but it really applies to any headphone manufacturer who has been in the game a while. New headphones are increasingly becoming tweaked versions of what has come before.

Now that’s not a bad thing, especially if the tweaks add up to improvements in performance, which is exactly what we’ve seen with the Sony and Bose models mentioned above.

In Sony’s case, yes, there was a decent-sized design change, but to all intents and purposes, they simply repackaged a previous design and blended it with a slightly more modern aesthetic, while also tweaking audio performance.

Bose has done even less for its new QC model. The design is virtually identical, the driver used is identical, as are all the features.

To its credit, Bose has made tweaks, presumably to the DSP, to improve sound quality while it has also improved their ANC prowess and call quality.

But I don’t blame them. This isn’t a criticism. But has this market now gone as far as it can?

How are manufacturers going to continue to get people to upgrade from their two-year-old wireless headphones to a brand new pair if all they’re doing is a tweak here and there between iterations?

So, my question is, where does the category go from here?

Does it need a new manufacturer to arrive on the scene and shake things up a bit? I caught a glimpse of our review sample of the Nothing Headphone (1) at What Hi-Fi? Towers and their transparent design had me raising an eyebrow.

Interestingly, for its first pair of over-ear headphones' sound tuning, Nothing has teamed up with KEF, a hi-fi manufacturer that has dabbled in the world of wireless headphones before but never set it alight. Could this kind of brand partnership be the next big thing?

It’s not exactly a new concept, and, historically, results have been a bit mixed, so I’m not sure this is the route to go down. It does make sense for a brand like Nothing, though, whose experience in this field is quite limited.

Will it be a new feature that turns our heads? Sonos never did release that rumoured pair of Wi-Fi headphones.

Instead, we had to settle for the average-sounding Sonos Ace over-ears, although they do boast two neat features: being able to switch from your Sonos soundbar to the headphones seamlessly and their TrueCinema calibration, which claims to give you a more immersive experience through the headphones by taking into account your room’s own acoustics.

Let’s revisit Wi-Fi headphones. Well, this could certainly open up the door to better sound quality, but to keep things convenient, what wireless headphones really need, in my opinion, is a new technology to replace Bluetooth that can be integrated across source components and headphones so everyone can take advantage.

You might not know, but there’s already a pair of Wi-Fi-enabled wireless to the market in the shape of the Xiaomi Buds 5 Pro.

They come in a version that uses Qualcomm's Expanded Personal Area Network (XPAN) to deliver 24-bit/96kHz lossless audio at a bandwidth of up to 4.2Mbps. That's more than double the bandwidth of Bluetooth 5, but there is a catch: they only work with the Xiaomi 15 and 15 Ultra smartphones.

I don’t really want to go down the old route of needing to use the same brand for smartphone and headphones so hopefully a new codec could lead the way. Something scalable like the SCL6 codec which was developed by the minds behind MQA could be the best way of giving wireless audio in general a real shot in the arm.

That technology is now owned by Lenbrook, parent company of NAD Electronics, PSB Speakers, Bluesound and the BluOS multiroom platform. It has been rebranded as rebranded Airia, and to me, it feels more likely that this tech, if/when it’s deployed, will stay amongst those brands, for now at least.

So what do I want to see in the wireless headphones market?

For me, all roads lead back to a transmission technology that’s higher quality than Bluetooth. Ideally, something that supports full-fat hi-res at the required data rates.

The audio quality delivered by today’s best wireless headphones is spectacular – imagine how they would sound with proper hi-res audio flowing through their veins?

Tied in to this is the fact that we are seeing an increasing number of even more premium wireless headphones hit the market.

If you’re willing to spend the best part of £1000/$1000 on a pair like the Focal Bathys MG we currently have in for testing, you should be able to feed them higher quality wireless audio than aptX Adaptive, which you still need a compatible source to take advantage of.

It feels like we are doing them a disservice by limiting the quality of what you can enjoy through them.

MORE:

Nothing's first over-ear headphones are tuned by KEF and tease stunning battery life

Our pick of the best wireless headphones for every budget

My dream pair of wireless earbuds combines the best bits of Apple, Bose, Bowers & Wilkins and Sony

What is SCL6? All the facts on the future of wireless audio

It's not easy deciding on the right premium wireless earbuds for you, especially when the contenders come from companies with the weighty reputations carried by Bose and Bowers & Wilkins. With so many factors at play, how do you decide which are the right buds for you?

Do you go with Bose's QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen), the latest pair from the resident noise-cancelling kings, or should you take a punt on the audio pedigree of the Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 wireless earbuds?

To that end, we've tested both earbuds against each other and assessed the strengths and weaknesses of these two excellent five-star pairs to help guide you towards the right decision.

Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) vs Bowers & Wilkins Pi8: price

The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) landed with an official price of £299 / $299 / AU$450, undercutting the pricier Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 – which launched at £349 / $399 / AU$599 – by a reasonable distance.

We have seen the Pi8 occasionally drop in price since their release late last year – you can pick them up for £299 in the UK at the time of writing, for instance. We wouldn't expect the Bose to offer discounts any time soon, however.

*Winner: Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen)*

Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) vs Bowers & Wilkins Pi8: design and comfort

What we have is two very nice pairs of wireless earbuds. We'll get into how they perform and sound below, but suffice to say that neither going to let you down in terms of comfort and build.

Let's start with the more costly B&W Pi8. The IP54-rated buds have been completely redesigned from the inside out, with a new shape, internals and drivers compared with their older-gen progenitors. In any of their boujee colourways, they look and feel like the premium buds they are.

You get four different sizes of silicone ear tips provided in the box –extra small, small, medium and large – and while we'd have liked an extra large tip and an accompanying ear fit test on the app, they're generally a pleasant and secure fit, even if we find it can take a bit too much manoeuvring to get the seal just right.

That's not a problem we've experienced with the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen). Thanks to the return of their supporting stability ear bands, wherein a ridge of material fits within your inner ear, they're a stable and comfortable fit no matter what you do or where you go. Running, jogging, power-walking for a train; they remain rock-steady regardless of the task at hand.

We regarded the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds as some of the best running headphones for that very reason, and it's the same story with the second-gen follow-up.

It's a little frustrating that only three ear tip sizes are included with the Bose, but we're reasonably confident that those stability bands will prevent you from having too many issues. Still, an extra small option at the very least would have been nice.

The QC Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) are a well-made pair of wireless earbuds, too. From the shiny exterior of the outer stems to the quality plastics used in constructing the main body, you'll hear no complaints from us on the quality front.

Tough to pick a winner here, but for their more secure, comfortable and sport-ready fit, it's the Bose buds for us.

*Winner: Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen)*

Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) vs Bowers & Wilkins Pi8: features

The new Bose buds offer six hours of battery life on a single charge, with three additional charges from the charging case resulting in a healthy 24-hour total battery life. Those are decent figures which roughly match up with the 6.5 hours (buds) and 20 hours respectively offered by the Pi8, with ANC switched on.

In terms of Bluetooth codecs, AAC and SBC codecs are supported by the Bose, as well as aptX Adaptive for streaming in 24-bit hi-res lossless and low latency via compatible sources.

B&W goes even further, with the Pi8 offering support for aptX Adaptive up to 24-bit/96kHz alongside aptX Lossless for greater hi-res support.

The Bose earbuds' party piece is Immersive Audio, the brand's take on spatial audio, which aims to deliver a more three-dimensional effect on any music you play. This is available in Still (fixed) and Motion (dynamic head-tracking) versions. It's a bit of a Marmite feature among our test team, as some find the effect 'pulls apart' music, and you have to find the right kind of track that plays to this 'immersive' effect's strengths.

However, it is available if you are a fan of spatial audio, and it's something that the B&W buds don't support in any shape or form

That doesn't mean the Pi8 don't have a party piece of their own. The buds' charging case doubles up as a wireless audio re-transmitter, meaning you can connect it via USB-C to 3.5mm or USB-C to a source that doesn’t support Bluetooth streaming, such as an in-flight entertainment system or older analogue devices, and it will play audio through the wireless buds. Handy.

What else? Both sets of wireless earbuds support Bluetooth Multipoint, as well as responsive and well-implemented touch controls. Both offer app support via their respective platforms, with Bose and B&W each offering comprehensive, easily navigable and pleasingly intuitive services.

Pretty much neck and neck, here, with Immersive Audio cancelled out by the Pi8's clever wireless transmitter charging case.

*Winner: Draw*

Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) vs Bowers & Wilkins Pi8: noise cancelling and call quality

At this level, the QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) are still the ones to beat. Thanks to subtle tweaks to the buds' noise-cancelling algorithm and the continued use of Bose's CustomTune sound calibration tech, which adapts your noise-cancelling experience depending on your surroundings, the new buds are once again exceptional at keeping the outside world at bay.

Bose's claim that this new system would be more adept at filtering out sudden spikes of noise is something we found worked well during our tests. Across all noise modes and with most environmental noises, the Bose buds are in a class of one – they are more highly effective at cancelling noise compared with their rivals. Of course, the strength of their ANC does mean it comes with a 'vacuum' effect – which not everyone gets along with, but it's perfectly fine to live with if strong ANC is a priority.

B&W's noise-cancelling effort is a long way from being poor, and even when put up against the might of their class-leading rivals, the Pi8 do an admirable job. They're not quite as good at suppressing higher frequencies as the QC Ultra Earbuds, but they still do a fine job with the low-frequency rumbles generated by roadworks, trains or passing traffic.

In terms of voice calls, it's a much smaller gap. The Pi8 make voices come through naturally, clearly and expressively, whereas the Bose, while occasionally just a smidge artificial-sounding, are clear and articulate with voices. They're better at blocking out the outside world from coming through on calls, too, as you'd expect from the noise-cancelling kings.

For their outstanding ANC talents, the Bose buds take the crown here.

*Winner: Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen)*

Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) vs Bowers & Wilkins Pi8: sound quality

Let's find out how the Bose and B&W earbuds stack up sonically.

To be frank, the Pi8 are some of the best-sounding wireless buds we've heard at their premium level. They scooped up a What Hi-Fi? Award win last year, and for good reason. The Pi8 delve into your music with forensic thoroughness, unearthing heaps of textural detail to put you fully in the picture.

There's a tangible feeling of maturity and refinement to how they sound. The Pi8 reach levels of sonic sophistication which lesser buds can only dream of, leading to a consummate performance that excels across the frequencies.

To quote from our review: "They shine a light on any music streamed their way with a beautifully balanced approach – you can savour every frequency from the lowest of lows to the highest highs".

There's weight to be found to keep us engaged with more energetic and demanding tunes as the flagship earbuds offer hearty helpings of authority behind instruments, be they pounding drums or speedy electronic beats. If we are being picky, there are rivals (such as the Sony WF-1000XM5) that deliver a tad more rhythmic drive and a greater sense of fun, but we can't imagine anyone not enjoying these refined Pi8 buds.

Bose's QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen), meanwhile, don't completely overhaul the work of their five-star predecessors, favouring small tweaks to their sound tuning.

Thankfully, these apparently small changes have made a big difference. Bose's tweaked audio tuning in the second-gen buds teasessubtle improvements aimed at better bass response and smoother high-end frequencies, qualities we can happily report have evidently been improved with this newer iteration.

As our review states: "The newer buds sink to impressive new depths while retaining the requisite tautness and agility of their lower-end reproduction. Strings plunge deeper than before, but no matter the frequencies, there’s satisfying body and texture to notes that goes beyond anything the original QC Ultra Earbuds could muster".

They're brilliantly judged buds, striking a lovely balance between authoritative punch and compositional smarts. Rough edges are smoothed over with impressive control, while the buds' fluidity and control make them easy yet rewarding, entertaining listen.

The Pi8 are more detailed and refined, setting a benchmark for the amount of information they're able to dig out at this level, while the subtle nuances of performances are brought through so insightfully that very few rivals are able to match them.

Still, Bose's second-gen earbuds aren't a million miles behind, with key improvements making them a clearer, punchier and more entertaining prospect than their predecessors.

Both sets are five-star models, but for their greater refinement and sonic sophistication, the Pi8 are the winners for outright sound quality.

*Winner: Bowers & Wilkins Pi8*

Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) vs Bowers & Wilkins Pi8: verdict

In some ways, this is a pretty easy call. Both are five-star wireless earbuds that are well-made, offer a similar set of advanced features and perform admirably for the premium billing.

But they do play to their strengths. If you want class-leading noise-cancelling, opt for the Bose QC Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen). If sound quality is your priority, the B&W Pi8 are the ones to pick.

Pretty simple, right?

There are plenty of other elements to consider, however. There is still a price difference between the two (if discounts don't equalise them), and some may prefer B&W's more premium design and colour options, while others might prefer Bose's stable fit. Equally, the B&W's re-transmitter charging case will be appealing for frequent flyers, while the lack of any spatial audio features will see many reaching for Bose's 'immersive' version.

Whichever model you choose, however, you can be assured that you'll be getting an excellent performer when it comes to comfort, features and sound quality.

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If you’ve been following the fortunes of Bose for a while and/or you’re a regular What Hi-Fi? reader, you might have been aware of the brand’s take on spatial audio, which first emerged alongside the release of the QuietComfort Ultra line of headphones and earbuds over two years ago.

Dubbed ‘Immersive Audio’, the system works with two-channel stereo sound and uses onboard processing to essentially lift the sound out of your head and simulate the feeling of listening to a pair of stereo speakers, albeit stereo speakers that are, to all intents and purposes, now attached to your bonce.

For Bose, any track can be ‘spatialised’ regardless of the format, meaning that, in theory, you can use Immersive Audio on any song and on any platform.

Any headphones or earbuds drawn from the brand’s QuietComfort Ultra range, such as the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) we’ve recently been testing and I've been listening to, will do the job.

They've improved on their predecessors across the board, but has Immersive Audio taken any leaps forward since we first sampled it back in 2023?

The problem with Immersive Audio

Now, when we delivered our verdict of Immersive Audio in late 2023, we harboured a number of reservations. Firstly, it’s an absolute killer for your battery life: if you’re using it with a pair of QuietComfort Ultra Headphones, battery figures are cut from 24 hours to just 18. That’s a 25 per cent drop!

Secondly, the effect is… hit and miss. As we said during our review of the original QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds, “It works well for some tracks but can also sound off with others. Robyn’s Dancing On My Own is presented with a wonderfully spacious and immersive sound field, but Kanye West’s Bound 2 sounds overly processed and hard to gel with."

Some members of our team have never clicked with the tech at all, while I have a slightly softer spot for a feature which clearly isn't going anywhere anytime soon. It's a bit of a divisive topic in the What Hi-Fi? offices, however.

Is it any better?

Have things changed with our experience of Bose’s latest QC Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen)? Well, certainly not on the battery front. Clearly, using Immersive Audio takes a lot of processing power, and that saps the life from your buds to a worrying extent.

To borrow from our recent review, “Immersive Audio drains your battery life considerably, slashing it from six hours on a single charge to a rather meagre four when switched on”.

With the wireless over-ears you can take the hit, but with these smaller numbers boasted by their in-ear counterparts, that’s a huge chunk to lose.

How about the sound? Well, it’s worth noting that getting your in-house tech to essentially ‘spatialise’ any music, no matter its original recording format, is pretty impressive.

Better still, it does sound better on a more impressive pair of wireless earbuds – there’s more weight and authority with the second-gen Ultra buds than with the first, and that helps provide a better spatial experience as a result.

Horses for courses

It still, however, depends greatly on the track you’re listening to and your general disposition to spatial audio in general. Some music works beautifully – Ramin Djawadi’s Across The Oceans Of Time is little else except layered orchestral vocals and swooning strings, and with something like that, Bose’s spatial tech really excels.

Everything is lifted up and around you as voices arc and soar with far more range and scope than before – turning Immersive Audio off, it all feels small-scale and a bit closed off. It's the only way I listen to that particular track if I have the choice.

That was a Tidal tester, but when switching over to Qobuz, I've found more music that could potentially benefit from a bit of clever immersion.

Coldplay’s Yes really excels with the tech, with instruments and voices genuinely sounding as though they could be coming from speakers positioned above, below and to the side of our head. This is it, I'm tempted to think. This is the way to listen.

Except, as you may have guessed, there are more than a few caveats. As before, Immersive Audio can best be described as hit and miss, working well on some tracks but failing to cut the mustard on others. Part of that is due to the nature of spatial audio itself, and part, I suspect, is due to the failings of Bose’s particular take.

With given tracks, it still works, just not to the music’s benefit. Something like Alice in Chains’ Man In The Box sounds oddly hollow and pulled apart when we give it the spatial treatment, losing much of the meaty punch which usually makes it such a head-banging delight.

It’s a similar story with Lady Gaga’s Abracadabra. Yes, there’s a reasonable job done of getting the music to sound more open and spacious, but it comes at the expense not only of cohesion but musical richness and tone.

The QC Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) are punchier and more entertaining than their predecessors, but even those qualities can't rescue Abracadabra once it's been Immersive-ified.

There’s an oddly processed feeling to the song when Immersive Audio is switched on, exacerbated by the fact that the music just doesn't hang together in the way that it does when we switch it back off.

Vocals tend to struggle, too. It's nice to appreciate the operatic falsettos on Across the Oceans

Again, some of this is just the risk you run when using any spatial audio – not all songs are designed to be as open and expansive as possible. Sometimes music is supposed to be punchy and direct, and sometimes it’s supposed to be close and intimate in the manner of, say, Elliott Smith.

When that's the case, pulling it apart can rob you of the very qualities the music is trying to convey.

Put in the effort

With Bose’s Immersive Audio, then, it’s a case of experimentation, of finding what works through what is essentially trial and error. Some songs aren’t going to gel with it, while others can be elevated if they click with the system and the music itself is conducive to the effect created.

It also depends on the product you're using. The second-gen Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds sound markedly better than their five-star antecedents, and that in itself elevates how they cope with Immersive Audio.

The over-ear QC Ultra Headphones, meanwhile, are able to conjure a broader, wider soundscape thanks to their inherent form factor and larger drivers, and that leads to a more satisfying experience overall.

I may be a reluctant admirer, but our collective verdict remains somewhat ambivalent, even divided.

We can see the direction in which Bose is attempting to move, and while we’ve had past reservations about algorithms and effects which pull you out of the musical experience rather than, somewhat ironically, ‘immersing’ you, we’re at least able to see the appeal in some given circumstances.

It’s still going to require effort on the part of the listener to elicit the best results. Maybe earmarking tracks that benefit from a bit of spatialisation, along with those that should be avoided, is the way to go. Immersive Audio has its place, but if you’re expecting it to be a musical magic bullet, you may end up disappointed.

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Amazon Prime Day may now be firmly in the rearview mirror – and we’re already looking ahead to the second one likely to land in October – but that doesn’t mean the deals have to end. Far from it and, as an audio obsessive, I make it my mission to track down the very best deals across speakers and headphones even when there’s no major sale on the horizon. Lo and behold, five of my favourite products are still on discount.

Admittedly, prices aren’t quite as good as Prime Day, but that’s to be expected. If you missed out during the popular sale, the good news is you can still pick up some truly wonderful gear for some great prices.

You can find my recommendations below, but be sure to check out all the latest Amazon deals for anything that might appeal more to you, or that I might have missed.

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Following their arrival on the scene in late 2023, the original Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds were capable of mixing with the best of them. While we didn’t deem them to be the last word in outright sound quality at their given price – that accolade went to the Sony WF-1000XM5 – their admirable all-round performance and industry-leading noise cancelling made them a roaring success.

However, the times, to quote Bob Dylan, are a-changin’. Since the first generation QC Ultra Earbuds landed, we’ve seen the emergence of stellar premium wireless earbuds candidates from the likes of Technics and Bowers & Wilkins, while the aforementioned XM5 buds continue to offer a deeply attractive proposition.

For its new generation flagship buds, Bose has promised better ANC, a broadened feature-set and improvements to the sound tuning of the QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen). The question is, will subtle tweaks be enough for Bose in a market that remains ultra-competitive?

Price

The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) are priced at £299 / $299 / AU$450, marking them out as a decidedly premium pair of wireless earbuds. They are, however, the very same price as the first-gen Ultra Earbuds were two years ago, and we welcome the fact that there has been no price rise here.

At this level, their key five-star competitors are the more expensive Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 (£349 / $399 / AU$599) and, for slightly less money, the Technics EAH-AZ100 (£259 / $299 / AU$499).

The Award-winning Sony WF-1000XM5 are still around, and as they are also two years old, prices have started to drop to around £219 / $299 / AU$350.

Build & comfort

If there was one area in which we weren’t particularly keen for Bose to deviate too much from one generation of its flagship buds to the next, it was build and comfort. The first QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds were comfortable and secure, qualities they were able to lord over their slightly more finicky Sony WF-1000XM5 rivals.

Thankfully, Bose hasn’t tinkered too much with a winning formula this time around.

The QuietComfort line has always gone for slightly unconventional designs, with the established configuration of having an outer stem fitted to a more rounded central body feeding into a slender nozzle returning once again.

Unconventional it may be, but it’s a formula we find just works perfectly. The new earbuds are well-made and replicate the premium feel of their predecessors. We’re particularly pleased to see the return of Bose’s stability bands, the small ridges which tuck into the top part of your inner ear to aid with a more secure fit.

In our experience, they work wonders. Soft enough to be comfortable yet firm enough to act as an anchor, they’re a great concept that adds to the QC Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen)’s commuting and sporting credentials. We took them out for a few short runs and, to our delight, found that their locked-in fit made them a viable pair of sporting companions.

Touch controls return, and once again it’s a responsive and well-implemented system. You can customise the Bose buds to your liking via the app – whichever tasks we assign to the QC Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen), they’re adept enough to react with sufficient sharpness to prevent us from becoming frustrated by the kind of lag which can mire the touch experience of less talented alternatives.

Downsides? The choice of three ear tip sizes is a bit miserly for a pair of premium wireless earbuds. Those stability bands will probably negate too many issues with fit, but even so, for the money you’re paying, it’s not unreasonable to expect four or five size options in pursuit of that perfect user experience.

Features

The new Bose buds offer six hours of battery life on a single charge, with three additional charges from the case resulting in a healthy 24-hour total battery life. Rather disappointingly, that’s the same numbers as the last-gen model, and we had rather hoped that this was an area the 2nd-gen models would improve upon.

The newer Technics EAH-AZ100 rival, for instance, boasts a more impressive lifespan with 28 hours in total. However, B&W’s Pi8 offers 20 hours, while the Apple AirPods Pro 2 and Sony XM5 also offer 24 hours – so the Bose aren’t lagging behind in any way.

In terms of Bluetooth, the standard AAC and SBC codecs are supported, as well as aptX Adaptive for streaming in 24-bit hi-res lossless with low latency via compatible sources. Other features from the established QC Ultra Earbuds model return, including Immersive Audio (more on this below) and Bluetooth Multipoint connectivity for easier switching between two connected devices.

Yes, Bose’s slightly divisive take on spatial audio, dubbed Immersive Audio, is back, in Still and Motion (dynamic head tracking) modes. As before, the idea is to take the traditional headphone sound from ‘inside’ your head and make it seem as though the soundscape is being listened to on a pair of traditional stereo speakers.

Performance-wise, it’s a similar story as before – some tracks benefit from the wide, spacious feel this Immersive mode provides, while others can seem disorganised or overly pulled apart as a result.

Our review team remain split on this Immersive Audio effect, although we have found tracks (such as Ramin Djawadi's Across The Oceans Of Time) where its benefits are shown off in full. We’d suggest you give it a go and try a few tracks to see if the effect works for you.

Note, also, that Immersive Audio drains your battery life considerably, slashing it from six hours on a single charge to a rather meagre four when switched on. If you want your buds to last longer, it might be best to use the somewhat divisive feature sparingly.

Noise cancelling and call quality

If you’re a regular Bose customer and are eyeing the QC Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) as your latest shiny pair of go-to travel companions, this may be the part of the review to which you head first. After all, this is what the US brand is all about: class-leading noise-cancelling.

We found the first-gen buds’ handling of ANC to be deeply impressive. Bose aims to up the ante in these sequel buds, claiming smoother changes in noise cancellation levels for filtering out sudden spikes of noise, meaning the likes of sirens or screeching trains are set to be handled more effectively this time around.

Those promises ring true when we put the buds through their paces. The second-generation in-ears are excellent at adapting to whatever we throw at them, softening those harder, harsher sounds as they intrude while keeping lower-level rumbles and chatter at bay.

There are three pre-set noise-cancelling modes to choose from: Quiet, Aware and Immersion, the latter of which is for accessing Bose’s take on spatial audio. You can also add your own custom pre-set in which you're able to set the power of your ANC experience via a sliding scale. Quiet is the buds’ most powerful ANC setting, and it lives up to the Bose standard of completely isolating you in that enveloping, almost eerily silent cocoon.

Some users aren’t so keen on this effect, finding it to be an almost unnaturally silent vacuum, but if that’s what you look for in a pair of noise-cancelling earbuds, Bose has once again nailed it.

Noises across the sonic spectrum, be they clacking keyboards, chattering colleagues or cars beeping their horns on the street, simply dissolve into near-insignificance, with harsher and more intrusive sounds shut out even more effectively than before.

Rivals have their own ways of doing things, and while some users may prefer the more natural performances of the Technics EAH-AZ100 or the B&W Pi8, for simply shutting you off from as much environmental noise as possible, Bose’s flagbearers remain in a class of one.

Elsewhere, Aware mode is effectively the transparency mode, and it contrasts starkly with our Quiet listening experience, by allowing the likes of human speech and low-level train rumbles to filter into our lugs.

How about voice calls? This is another area in which Bose has teased significant strides for the second-gen buds, particularly relating to the reduction of background noises such as wind or office chatter.

Whether indoors or outside, we find that the buds render voices as clear and weighty during our calls, as well as making good on that promise of preventing environmental sounds from intruding on your conversations. They’re just a tad synthetic sounding at times, but overall, it’s a very strong showing.

It certainly sees the Bose buds keep up with price-comparable rivals. The Technics EAH-AZ100 and B&W Pi8 may sound just a tad warmer and more natural with voices, but the Bose do an outstanding job of blocking out the intrusions of the outside world to near-insignificance when taking calls next to a busy road.

Sound

Bose hasn’t teased wholesale sonic changes for its second-gen QC Ultra Earbuds. The company confirmed that the driver is the same between the new and old iterations. Instead, the audio tuning in the second-gen buds teases subtle changes aimed at improving bass response and smoother high-end frequencies.

This isn’t the most gushing marketing spiel, but given the fact that the original Ultra Earbuds were five-star performers when we reviewed them, maybe a few tweaks were all that was needed. The QC Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) are building on a solid foundation, and sometimes all you need are a few minor adjustments rather than a wholesale teardown job to elicit great results.

This appears to be one of those instances. Loading up a Tidal rendition of Nick Cave and Warren Ellis’ Song For Bob reveals marked improvements in the areas mentioned above, with the second-gen buds sinking to impressive new depths while retaining the requisite tautness and agility of their lower-end reproduction.

Mournful strings plunge deeper than before, but across all frequencies there’s satisfying body and texture to notes that goes beyond what the original QC Ultra Earbuds could muster. It’s a clearer performance, too, and improved levels of crispness help to delineate where each note starts and finishes with a sharper, keener focus.

That improved clarity is complemented by a newfound richness and authenticity to the newer buds’ presentation, something we detect during Radiohead’s Decks Dark. The track feels a little more natural sounding through the second-gen buds, allowing us to sit back and let the music envelop us in a more rewarding manner.

That clarity is wedded to an admirable knack for organisation and control. Listen to Claude Debussy’s Clair de Lune through the QuietComfort Ultra (2nd Gen), and you’ll be treated to an expressive, finely poised rendition in which each piano keystroke is solid and precise.

The more we listen, the more we grow to like and admire Bose’s latest flagship buds. Rivals abound at this level, from the sparklingly refined Technics EAH-AZ100 to the impressive Bowers & Wilkins Pi8, but the Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen)’s craftily balanced sound, replete with ample detail and impressive cohesion, doesn’t lag too far behind.

The Technics are undeniably more detailed than the Bose, especially through their deeply impressive midrange, and certainly a more refined pair of performers in how they handle low-level dynamics. However, the QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) have enough of their own charms to keep us from discarding the Bose buds in favour of their mighty rivals.

Verdict

Bose’s second-gen flagship earbuds are a pleasing improvement on their predecessors. They’re better sounding than the first iteration of the QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds, and while outstanding rivals swim in similar circles, those minor sonic tweaks for the new model have ensured that Bose remains a five-star performer at this level.

The QC Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) are an entertaining, eminently likeable pair of wireless earbuds. What’s more, not only are they well-made and comfortable, the new Bose earbuds also boast some of the most powerful noise cancelling you’ll find within the true wireless market.

If you were waiting for the second-gen buds to take Bose’s coveted ANC to the next level, all while showcasing ample talents elsewhere, it’s very much 'mission accomplished' for these talented all-rounders.

Review published: 22nd July 2025

SCORES

• Sound 5
• Features 5
• Comfort 5

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If you're the sort of person who struggles with traditional 'in-ear' wireless earbuds, you might be thinking that the Amazon Prime Day sales aren't for you. There's nothing there for me, you may think as you close your laptop and stare mournfully out of the window, envying a world full of people enjoying the best wireless earbuds in town. Everybody hurts...

Don't be so sure. The Bose Ultra Open Earbuds are designed for users who find traditional designs too uncomfortable or unruly, and what's more, their price has dropped from £299 to just £190 at Amazon, a stunning saving of £109!

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So, what's this design all about then? As hinted at above, the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds aim to bypass the issues of user discomfort and isolation associated with traditional in-ear buds, instead opting for a design wherein the earpieces sit outside the ear to fire music towards your ear canal.

It's a sort of clip on and play arrangement, with the Open Earbuds comprising a pill-shaped bud, the battery cylinder, and a silicone band or cuff that connects the two sections.

It works, too. If you can get the right angle, they're so comfy and unobtrusive that it can be easy to forget you're wearing them if your music is switched off.

If it's on, the sound is impressively well-realised, and while it won't reach the levels set by the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds, the musical, punchy and entertaining sound produced is some of the best we've ever heard from an open design.

You don't get shafted for features, either. aptX Adaptive codec support is on board, as well as around 26 hours of battery life with the charging case. Noise cancelling is naturally off the table, but you do get access to Bose's spatialised 'Immersive Audio', not to mention Bluetooth Multipoint.

Don't want to follow the herd? Check out the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds at Amazon.

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