Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones 2 review: Sound almost perfect

One of the greatest joys of my job is testing the latest and greatest headphones. In my opinion, a pair of decent cans are something everyone should splash out on at least once in their lifetime. There is very little I haven't tried, including new models from Sony, Bowers & Wilkins, Apple, Cambridge Audio and Sonos, but one brand that I've not used in a very long while is Bose. Deputy Technology Editor, Henry Burrell, put the last pair of premium QuietComfort Ultra Headphones from this famous audio brand to the test, and there have been no flagship launches since that 2023 review.

So, I was really excited when the new QuietComfort Ultra 2 from Bose arrived on my desk.

These £449 headphones promise to offer improved Active Noise Cancellation, better audio and bonus extras such as the Cinema Mode. So, did they live up to the hype?

The answer is yes, and no.

To put them through their paces, I took the Ultra 2 cans on a 17-hour trek from London to Hawaii, and they certainly passed the majority of my tests with flying colours.

Let's start with one of the most important aspects of any headphone: the way they sound.

The QuietComfort Ultra Headphones 2 offers some seriously high-quality audio, and there's no question that when you start your playlists, they really do impress.

There's plenty of bass without things being overpowering; vocals sound crisp and clear, and you can enjoy an enhanced experience - thanks to Immersive Audio - which adds more depth to the music by turning any audio you are playing into spatial audio. It works really well on some genres of music and less well on others. It's a bit of trial and error.

There are also lots of controls to adapt things to suit your tastes via the Bose app. This includes an EQ which can be adjusted manually or switched automatically via presets such as Bass Boost and Treble Reducer. If you really want the best experience, you can also use Bose's CustomTune technology to personalise audio playback based on the unique shape of your ears. This automatically adjusts the headphones' sound to ensure a balanced, immersive experience every time they're put on.

It's not just music where the QuietComfort Ultra Headphones 2 excel, as they also feature a Cinema Mode, which is ideal for those movie binges - something that I definitely needed to pass the time as I travelled over the Pacific Ocean.

Once Cinema Mode is switched on, the audio is boosted to feel a little more immersive whilst also crisping dialogue for clarity. It actually works really well with voices boosted, so you hear what the actors are actually saying.

Of course, one vital upgrade, especially when flying, is the Active Noise Cancellation (ANC).

The QuietComfort Ultra Headphones 2 does a very good job of blocking out the roar of jet engines, and I've also been impressed when on the London Underground and working in busy cafes.

Would I say they beat the brilliant Sony WH-1000XM6? Probably not, but there's no doubt that the ANC works well and creates an environment where you only hear your music and not much else.

Other features that have impressed me include the design and tough carry case. These cans fold up neatly and don't take up much space in your backpack.

The battery life is excellent (you'll get around 30 hours), and I got nowhere close to running out of juice despite wearing them for almost the entire journey to Hawaii.

To help maintain power, the headphones auto switch off after 10 minutes of not being worn, and there's also wear detection, which stops and starts the music when you lift them on and off your head.

When things do run low, a full refill takes around three hours, but plug in the power and you'll get three hours of playback after just 15 minutes of charging.

As you'd expect, they connect to devices via Bluetooth and will even seamlessly switch between your phone and laptop without needing to dig into endless settings.

Those seeking the ultimate experience can also connect them directly to source devices via USB-C. This then offers lossless audio file playback that retains all the original data from the recording, so none of the audio information is lost during compression when li.

There's a lot to like, but I do have some niggles.

Firstly, my review unit was the White Smoke shade (they also come in Black, Midnight Violet, Driftwood Sand, Desert Gold and Midnight Violet). This white version features a shiny chrome edge on the arms, which I can't help but feel looks a bit cheap and tacky.

Although they are super light and very comfortable to wear, they do feel a little plasticky and not as premium as headphones such as the Sonos Ace or Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3, both of which cost around the same as the Bose.

You can't remove and replace the cushions either, which is something a number of other manufacturers - including Sony, Apple, and Sonos - now allow.

Then there are the buttons and touch controls, which I found a bit finicky to find and use. To be honest, no headphones I've tested have got the controls spot on and it seems to be a feature nobody can get quite right.

Finally, there's that price.

They cost a whopping £449.50. It's a vast amount of money, especially as the top-rated 2023 Ultras can now be grabbed for as little as £349.

This is also a very crowded market, and other than the much-loved Bose branding, I'm not sure there's one feature that really makes the Ultra Headphones 2 stand out from the crowd.

Have I loved wearing the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones 2? Definitely.. Are they great for travelling? 100 percent yes. Would I pack them on my next adventure? Once again, that's a yes from me as they are just a very easy pair of cans to use and offer some great audio.

If you love all things Bose and want the best of the best, then the Ultra Headphones 2 are hard not to recommend.

However, you will save some serious money if you buy the 2023 model (now £349), and there are lots of other headphones on the market that I have tested and can highly recommend.

These include the Bower & Wilkins Px7 S3 (£399), Sonos Ace (£399), Sony WH-1000XM6 (£399) and Apple AirPods Max (£499).