TechAudioHeadphonesI tested Bose’s QuietComfort Ultra Headphones and these are the best featuresThe new spatial audio tech Bose has added to the QC Ultra Headphones is amazing, as are these other featuresWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
TechAudioHeadphonesI tested Bose’s QuietComfort Ultra Headphones and these are the best featuresThe new spatial audio tech Bose has added to the QC Ultra Headphones is amazing, as are these other featuresWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
The new spatial audio tech Bose has added to the QC Ultra Headphones is amazing, as are these other features
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: Future)
(Image credit: Future)
Bosehas finally replaced its four-year-old flagship over-ears, theNoise Cancelling Headphones 700, unveiling the all-newQuietComfort Ultra Headphones- a set of cans that promise to offer an entirely new type of sound thanks to an injection of spatial audio tech.
But priced at a whopping $429/£449 (yes, our American friends get them about £100 cheaper than the UK thanks to conversion rates), so the Ultra Headphones don’t come cheap. What’s more, their predecessor can be picked up for significantly less, as detailed in ourUltra versus 700 Headphones comparison.
So, are the updates in the Ultra Headphones really worth it asbest headphonescontenders? I took a closer look at Bose’s fresh cans at the firm’s launch event in New York to find out. Here are three features I love and one feature that doesn’t quite hit the mark which you’ll definitely want to know about…
1. Bose Immersion Audio is super
(Image credit: Future)
(Image credit: Future)
In what’s certainly a cunning move for Bose, the QC Ultra Headphones usher in a fresh sound technology known as Immersive Audio.
It also offers two modes to cater to different scenarios. ‘Still’ mode provides a fixed sound profile, where the soundstage remains stationary as you listen. This is ideal for moments of stillness. On the other hand, the ‘Motion’ mode dynamically adjusts with your movements, keeping the sound right in front of you as you turn your head from left to right. This is great for when you’re on the move.
Bose’s Immersive Audio is a breath of fresh air for anyone wanting something new from their next pair of headphones and could prove to be a game-changer in the world of headphones moving forward.
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2. Noise cancellation is as good as ever
(Image credit: Future)
(Image credit: Future)
While there are lots to be excited about in the QC Ultra Headphones - such as the new Immersive Audio tech - it’s good to know that Bose hasn’t forgotten its roots as the master of active noise cancellation (ANC), and has ensured the sound-blocking tech in the Ultra Headphones is top notch.
3. Physical controls are easier to use
(Image credit: Future)
(Image credit: Future)
The QC Ultra Headphones feature a host of new onboard controls, which I found to make the headphones simpler to use than their predecessor, which has mostly capacitive touch controls.
There is some capacitive touch on the Ultra Headphones, though, it’s in the form of a strip for volume control on the right earcup. Here you’ll also find a power/Bluetooth pairing button and a multifunction button for toggling between listening modes, answering or ending calls and controlling content playback. The left earcup is less busy, boasting an LED indicator, a 2.5mm jack and a USB-C charging port.
I found everything super easy to use and navigate around while trying out the headphones during my demo.
4. Design wow or woe?
(Image credit: Future)
(Image credit: Future)
While the Ultra cans’ build quality is as good as ever, feeling sturdy and well made with a minimal aesthetic, they are missing that high-end finish that I was expecting - especially in a pair of headphones that cost just short of £500.
They’re also a little chunkier in design than their predecessor, surprisingly. It might have been to appear more minimal, but the Ultra Headphones are lacking that sleek curved band shape of the 700s, which I think is a shame.
Today’s best Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones and Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 dealsBose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones$429$349ViewSee all pricesBose 700$599ViewSee all pricesWe check over 250 million products every day for the best prices
Today’s best Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones and Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 dealsBose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones$429$349ViewSee all pricesBose 700$599ViewSee all pricesWe check over 250 million products every day for the best prices
Today’s best Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones and Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 dealsBose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones$429$349ViewSee all pricesBose 700$599ViewSee all pricesWe check over 250 million products every day for the best prices
Today’s best Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones and Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 deals
Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones$429$349ViewSee all pricesBose 700$599ViewSee all prices
Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones$429$349ViewSee all prices
Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones$429$349ViewSee all prices
Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones
Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones
$429$349View
$429$349
$349
See all prices
Bose 700$599ViewSee all prices
Bose 700$599ViewSee all prices
Bose 700
Bose 700
$599View
$599
$599
See all prices
We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices
We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices
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