Review: Bose QuietComfort Ultra

If a fleet of cars buzz past but you can’t hear them, are they really there? Yes, barring some sort of Matrix scenario. That doesn’t make it any less surreal when Bose’s new QuietComfort Ultra headphones all but disintegrate the audible world around you with their incredible noise canceling.

Over the past decade, increasingly impressive cancellation is what we’ve come to expect from brands like Bose and Sony, each new model aimed at surpassing its predecessors for the ultimate crown of silence. It might feel like more of the same, but nonetheless it's impressive to hear Bose continually one-up itself, planting its flag once again atop Mute Mountain with the QuietComfort Ultra.

There’s more to the Ultra than just killer noise canceling, including a posh new design, delicate yet powerful sound, and Bose’s much-hyped new spatial audio system, which is likely to draw both detractors and defenders like most competing systems.

Unfortunately, also like the competition, the Ultra follow a trend of premium headphone cost creep started by Apple's AirPods Max (8/10, WIRED Recommends). They distinguish themselves as the priciest QuietComfort headphones ever. For those after the ultimate in quietude, the QC Ultra deliver the goods in a suitably premium package.

From the moment you open the case, the QuietComfort Ultra present a premium aesthetic that seems worthy of a high price tag. Cuts of speckled aluminum along the headband and ear cup feel both posh and robust, blending with matte plastic for a relatively light weight of 254 grams. The “protein” leather is creamy to the touch with plenty of padding, similar to what you’ll get in Sony’s WH-1000XM4 (9/10, WIRED Recommends) and pricier XM5 (9/10, WIRED Recommends). As top competitors, I’ll be referencing both Sony pairs often in this review.

The Ultra’s ear cups are on the small side and might be a tight fit for bigger ears, but they fit me comfortably for a full workday. Like Sony’s XM4, they fold flat and collapse for travel into a nearly identical case. This makes it easier to pack than the larger (though slightly flatter) case you’ll get with the less malleable XM5, let alone the chunky AirPods Max (8/10, WIRED Recommends).

It took a while to get used to the Ultra’s minimalist onboard control system, but I prefer it to the oddly basic controls utilized in Bose’s QuietComfort 45 (7/10, WIRED Review), which got a slight update for 2023, and most other headphones I’ve tried, save Sony’s brilliant swipe-and-tap sensors.

The coolest feature is the volume touchpad, which lets you slide volume up and down in a relatively natural motion for granular control. Bose has taken care with the sensor’s design so you’ll never blow out your ears, though it’s not always precise. You can also hold down on the pad for assignable shortcuts like battery life or summoning your voice assistant.

The only other controls are a multibutton key for play/pause, song skip, and cycling through ambient sound modes; and the power/pairing key. It can feel compacted, and I wished for a separate ANC key, but it’s a minor quibble in the grander scheme. The controls are generally responsive, though I occasionally had trouble with a command when connected to both my PC and phone simultaneously via multipoint pairing.

The physical controls are supplemented by a loaded Bose Music app, which lets you customize performance significantly, from adjusting the timing of the automatic power-down to tuning the various sound modes and disabling the oddly arduous Bose voice prompts.

There’s plenty more to tinker with, all of which is pretty neatly organized within the homepage and settings, but I recommend walking through the tutorial, as you could otherwise miss some significant convenience features. For example, the headphones offer a neat feature that can reduce loud noises, a la Apple’s AirPods Pro (8/10, WIRED Recommends), when you’re using the Aware mode to hear the world around you. You just have to activate it in the Aware mode settings.

Likewise, features like adjusting noise canceling or activating wind buffering to keep gusts from blowing your ears out are apparently only available when you create a custom ambient audio mode. The default modes are Quiet (aka noise canceling), Aware, and Immersion, which activates both noise canceling and Bose’s new spatial audio mode (more on that below).

Another key feature is the three-band EQ, which isn’t as comprehensive as the multi-band EQ you’ll get from Sony’s app, but it does the trick. In fact, I’d call it a vital inclusion for sensitive ears as, like most new headphones, the Ultra’s bass response is fairly hefty by default.

Looking at the QuietComfort Ultra’s homepage, you’d think spatialized audio was the most important feature in the package. It can be fun, but its use cases are limited in my experience. Unlike the latest AirPods and AirPods Pro, which can decode Dolby Atmos mixes from sources like Netflix and Apple Music, Bose’s system aims to simply “spatialize” any stereo feed.

It works well with some music, especially acoustic tracks, virtually stacking instruments around you into a multitiered soundstage. But I found it less enjoyable for more complex stereo mixes and especially limited for video content. Trying it with Netflix’s Our Planet (which features an impressive Dolby Atmos mix) adds some immersion, but Attenborough’s signature dialog feels diminished, awash in metallic reverb.

Additionally, the optional head-tracking feature designed to keep the sound centered as you turn your head isn’t fixed to your playback device. So, if you turn your head for too long, the sound oddly realigns to your head’s new position. The Ultra’s 24-hour battery life, already middling for its class, also falls to 18 hours with Immersive mode on.

The good news is that regardless of spatial audio, the QuietComfort Ultra serve up perhaps the best sound I’ve heard from a pair of Bose headphones. It’s sensitive and precise where it needs to be, provides fabulous instrumental separation, and spreads the sound across a wide and spacious soundstage.

As mentioned, bass is boomy by default, but lowering it a few notches in the EQ balances things nicely. When the bass does get appropriately punchy, it does so with clarity, musicality, and authority that brings an exciting weight to hip-hop and electronic tunes.

Higher frequencies can occasionally sound a little forward and edgy, and I generally prefer the warmer sound profiles you’ll find in Sony’s XM5 and Sennheiser's Momentum 4. But these headphones hold their own with precision and poise worthy of their premium status.

They’re also fantastic when it comes to calling. Not only do they do well blocking environmental sounds around you, but voices on the other end are particularly clear and articulate.

The Ultra’s pièce de résistance is noise canceling that’s simply the best I’ve heard in a pair of headphones. In a field that improves with each new model, the Ultra are scary good. Not only will your significant other sneak up on you with ANC on, but you’ll also be startlingly detached in any number of scenarios—especially with some music in the mix.

Taking my dog on our daily stroll was almost eerie; every step, every rustle, and every car drifting by was removed, with just a podcast playing. Walking into the garage with music on, I was completely unaware the washer was blasting water into our concrete drainage sink. Pausing music revealed a tiny bit of drainage noise, but it was still barely audible.

Noises like lawnmowers, weed trimmers, and dog barks still easily slip through the pleasant muffle, almost audaciously interrupting your space walks. Bose’s latest have once again raised the bar. On the flip side, their transparency mode feels superbly natural and clear, letting you carry on conversations with ease.

Taking things into the “lab” (my treated studio space with professional monitors), my initial impressions held up. Using my go-to Airplane drone and crowd noise videos, Bose’s pair bested everything at my disposal—including Sony’s WH-1000XM4 over-ears. I wasn’t able to test them directly against their top rival, Sony’s WH-1000XM5 (or Bose’s new Ultra earbuds for that matter), but having tested the XM5 last year, I can say with confidence that they’re close at best, with a personal nod to Bose’s pair.

The QuietComfort Ultra are expensive, and I’m not crazy about their spatial audio tricks. If your budget won’t support a $430 purchase, Sony’s XM5 are a great alternative that hold up well across the board. But the Ultra’s impressive sound, premium design, and spread of features match with their top-tier ANC for an impressive package. If you must have the very best noise canceling, the Ultra are the headphones to get. For now, anyway.