Bose New QuietComfort Ultra Wireless Noise Cancelling Headphones with Spatial Audio, Over-The-Ear Headphones with Mic, Up to 24 Hours of Battery Life, Sandstone - Limited Edition

QC Ultras are being quoted as Bose’s best ANC headphones to date. Got these an attractive price in Feb 2025.1. Sound: The quality of sound / clarity is impressive, balanced and clear across bass, mid and treble. The bass is a passive bass (rich in tone but no physical vibration as I understand it means). The default bass is a bit rich for me so I toned it down using the EQ in the Bose App. Other than that, the rest is crystal clear to my ears.2. Active Noise Cancellation: Not seen better ANC in this price range. QC Ultras take it up a couple of notches with intelligent ANC adjusting to ambience. You can customise as per needs using modes. The “ANC level” control is no more accessible as a button, but instead is now set in “modes”. You can add any number of custom modes and mark some modes as favourites and the favourites can be toggled through using the multifunction button, when in use.If you want to simply tune out of the world with nothing playing on the device/ headphones, that works too. Silence.3. Designed for comfort and fit: Lightweight with a cushioned headband and ear pads hinged to an articulated aluminium frame, QC Ultras are designed well for long listening sessions avoiding ear fatigue.4. Battery Life: Upto a day on music, with a quick charge feature when needed.5. Connectivity: The Bluetooth 5.3 is enabled, and it can toggle between two devices at the press of a button (say, phone and laptop).6. Functionality has changed from previous generations with the volume control enabled through a capacitive-touch rib at the back of the right ear pad.7.Spatial audio is an addition. The spatial audio effect is easily observable. But, some fixing is needed to make the sound as good as when using without spatial audio. Maybe a firmware/software update coming soon?Bose QC Ultra headphones are superior for ANC, comfortable wearing, and sound clarity.

Bose QC Ultra has excellent noise cancellation, very comfortable fit, and clear balanced sound. Battery lasts about 24 hours, or 18 with spatial audio. No water resistance and it’s expensive, but if you want the best ANC and comfort, it’s a top pick.

Very good. Earcups are comfortable. ANC is very good. Subtle bass. ( Not for Bass head) But for outdoor in humid weather it gets uncomfortable and sweating. Although it is not only for these headphones it is all over the ear headphones. Anyways very crispy clear sound and very compact. Not much option for tweaking. One thing that It don't get very loud. Happy with the purchase.

Earpads are extremely comfortable. Don’t know how long it will last though because Bose had a problem with that always. Charges fast and has an amazing sound quality. Background noise is very very faint making it perfect to be immersed into your music. Bose products seem to be durable. Mine was working perfectly even after a drop. One button to start and is very easy to use. Multiple devices can be connected together. Design is very classy and straightforward. Recommend for people who want to use a classy and expensive headphone.

I have been using the AirPods Pro 2 daily and the Shokz OpenRun for walks and the gym.I was considering getting a pair of headphones (1) for better sound quality and (2) for better noise cancellation.I went ahead with the purchase on October 19th at a price of approximately ₹22,000.Mistakes/assumptions:1. A higher price means better performance: The AirPods Max still uses Apple’s H1 chip. Despite its exorbitant price, it doesn’t compete with the AirPods Pro 2, which uses the Apple H2 chip. Mark Ellis Reviews has done a video on this, and I compared sound quality reviews against these as a benchmark.2. Being a class leader in ANC means their sound quality must also be somewhat on par.3. Not doing A/B testing for sound quality before buying.I was listening to music on my AirPods when I received the delivery. My first impression upon wearing the Bose QC Ultra was disappointment in how lackluster the sound quality was. I tried adjusting the EQ but didn’t notice much of an improvement.I tried out its unique selling point (USP), Active Noise Cancellation (ANC), but it was nothing remarkable.Immersive Audio: A gimmicky attempt at replicating Apple’s Spatial Audio. It sounds very processed and artificial, unlike Spatial Audio, which feels natural.Popping sound when walking: There is a noticeable popping sound when walking, which makes the headphones usable only while at your desk. There is a Reddit thread indicating that this is a known issue.Tips for achieving high-quality output:• On the Apple Music app, turn on Hi-Res Lossless.TL;DR:• Noise cancellation: 8/10• Sound quality: 2/10• Spatial Audio (Immersive Audio): 1/10In terms of sound quality, the AirPods Pro 2 and Shokz are in a different league compared to the Bose QC Ultra, which, even if sold for ₹5,000 to ₹8,000, is not worth the price.Note: There are no returns after purchase.Update : Bose is refusing to address the popping sound issue. Amazon will be checking with them and are expected to get back to me by 5th of November. Will update the progress here.