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:
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