Bose QuietComfort Extremely headphones (2nd gen) assessment: Boring, however dependable

Desk of Contents

For the previous two years, recommending probably the most comfy pair of noise-cancelling headphones has been a straightforward activity: I pointed folks proper to the Bose QuietComfort Extremely headphones.

Although not a fully good pair of over-ear headphones, they did really feel nicely on their technique to that title, with glorious ANC, all-day put on, and a sound profile that might deal with most genres with ease. My wishlist for them? Even higher (and extra customizable) sound, improved battery life, extra dependable connection and on-ear controls, and the choice for passive playback.

With the second-generation Bose QuietComfort Extremely headphones, which formally hit the market in October 2025, Bose has checked the field in two of these classes.

Bose QuietComfort Extremely (2nd Gen) specs and pricing

The Bose QuietComfort Extremely (2nd Gen) headphones will value you $449, placing them on the similar worth because the first-gen QC Ultras previous to the discharge of the second-gen headphones. The primary-gen headphones did initially value $429, however earlier this 12 months, Bose raised costs throughout its lineup, bringing them to the $449 we have seen for a lot of this 12 months. Here is what you will get at that worth level:

• 30 hours of battery life (23 hours with Immersive Audio, 45 with ANC off)

• Conscious, Quiet, and Immersive listening modes

• New immersive audio Cinema Mode

• Adjustable ANC ranges through app

• Adjustable three-band equalizer in app

• Wired lossless playback with USB-C

• Passive playback assist with wired auxiliary cable

• SBC, AAC, and aptX Adaptive codec assist

• Bluetooth 5.4

• Google Quick Pair and Spotify Faucet

• Detachable ear cups

• 10 microphones for ANC and calls

• Lay flat for low energy mode

• 0.583 kilos

• 5 obtainable colorways: Black, desert gold, driftwood sand, midnight violet, white

This spec lineup is on par with different premium choices, as is the headphones’ pricing. The Sony WH-1000XM6 headphones, launched earlier this 12 months, can be found for $449.99, and the JBL Tour M3, which hit cabinets shortly earlier than the Sonys, are $449.95. After all, there are additionally dearer choices, like Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3 at $479 (and one other 2025 launch), whereas the ever-popular Apple AirPods Max are nonetheless $549 at full worth.

The consolation continues to be the star of the present

I wore these headphones for a pair hours, for total workdays, for walks across the block, with my glasses, with earrings on — there was merely not a state of affairs the place the match did not really feel glorious.

Granted, that wasn’t a lot of a shock. The primary-generation QC Extremely headphones had been deemed probably the most comfy headphones by three separate Mashable staffers. Contemplating how private a pair of headphones’ match will be, I contemplate {that a} fairly spectacular endorsement.

Between the primary gen and these headphones, I do not discover a large distinction in match, however the ear cushion feels barely firmer, whereas nonetheless remaining plush. I do not know the way Bose managed that contradiction, however it supplied the identical quantity of consolation whereas feeling extra future-proof, however in fact, solely time will inform.

Talking of future-proofing, very like the earlier gen, the Bose ear cushions are additionally detachable, which means you may change them as they begin to lose any plushness or begin to peel after years of use.

As for the remainder of the design, it is largely the identical because the first-generation headphones, with an influence/Bluetooth button, multifunction button, and quantity bar. The controls are nothing actually to jot down dwelling about, however they get the job executed. On a pure aesthetic be aware, the shiny metallic accent is a powerful design alternative (in my humble opinion) that helps these headphones stand out much more from their cheaper counterparts in Bose’s lineup.

The most effective noise cancellation from Bose, however…

Bose tends to be on the high of the pack relating to energetic noise cancellation, and whereas these headphones are not any exception, it is laborious to say that they are definitively providing a few of the finest noise cancellation obtainable proper now.

It definitely does not assist that the competitors is stiff lately — Mashable Tech Editor Timothy Beck Werth stated the ANC on Sony’s WH-1000XM6 headphones is “pretty much as good as or higher than any I’ve ever heard.”

Having examined the XM6s myself, I can agree with that evaluation, and whereas I feel their ANC ekes out a small win over Bose is offering only a little extra silence (and dealing with higher-pitched sounds higher), Bose has a notable one-up within the type of its adjustable ANC. With the companion app, you may change your ANC degree on a sliding scale, a function that is utterly absent from Sony headphones.

It really works nicely. Throughout days after I needed to focus whereas working however was dwelling alone, I used a decrease ANC degree to stability locking in with not feeling completely unaware of my environment. Nevertheless, on days when a leaf blower or the sound of some vacuuming fought to interrupt my focus, the very best ranges of noise cancelling did the trick, although higher-pitched sounds, just like the household canine barking, would break by way of. Regardless that that is to be anticipated, I do assume the Sony XM^ headphones had been more proficient at dealing with sudden spikes in noise.

The sound is nice, however may very well be even higher

Usually, I am proud of the way in which Bose headphones sound, and the second-gen QC Ultras are not any exception. Nevertheless, whereas these headphones are neck and neck with Sony when it comes to having the most effective noise cancellation, the Sony XM6s are a full step forward of the Bose headphones relating to sound high quality.

That is to not say these headphones do not sound actually, actually good. They decide up particulars nicely throughout the spectrum of lows to highs, with totally different genres sounding wealthy. Whether or not I used to be listening to Chappell Roan’s classic-rock sounding “The Subway,” Tomorrow x Collectively’s synth and bass-heavy “Hazard,” or the sweeping orchestral and rock preparations of the Demon Slayer soundtrack (I am nonetheless in my Infinity Citadel period), these headphones by no means sounded muddied.

Nonetheless, I am unable to shake the sense that they may (and will) sound even higher than they do. A part of the difficulty feels just like the moderately restricted three-band equalizer and 4 equalizer presets, which, at $449, really feel like they carry out under what I count on at this worth level (particularly in direct comparability to what Sony affords).

When taken along with the superb put on and ANC, the sound stands out much less egregiously, however by itself, that is one space the place I hope to see extra enchancment from Bose sooner or later.

As for the opposite methods you may customise the listening expertise, these headphones include a Quiet, Immersive, and Conscious mode. My most used mode by far was quiet, which was glorious. The conscious, or transparency, mode had much less of a noticeable hiss within the background than the first-gen headphones, however I nonetheless simply desire to take the headphones off after I want to listen to somebody speaking (one thing about speaking to somebody with over-ear headphones on merely feels fallacious to me!). Lastly, though I feel the spatial audio (or immersive audio, as Bose calls it) can also be improved over the primary gen, I am unable to assist however really feel prefer it sounds too echoey, dropping a few of the richness of Bose’s sound profile. Nevertheless, it is price noting that I have a tendency to not be an enormous fan of spatial audio.

Cinema mode

Bose additionally launched Cinema Mode with these headphones, which is a brand new immersive audio setting designed to reinforce your film listening expertise. I watched scenes from Jaws, Star Wars, and Interstellar, and whereas there was barely extra resonance, total I discovered myself underwhelmed — this mode primarily felt louder above all else.

Essentially the most noticeable adjustments

In my a number of years of testing and utilizing Bose headphones, I’ve had two main gripes: one particular to the QC Extremely line, and one a extra common remark with Bose headphones as a complete.

Wired playback

Particular to the QC Ultras, the primary gen of the headphones did not supply passive playback. When you might use the two.5mm aux cable to play music again, you needed to have the headphones turned on. Whereas I get that almost all of us (myself included) do not use wired playback frequently, this simply felt like a bizarre oversight I hadn’t actually encountered on different headphones, and one which I did not count on to pop up on headphones that value this a lot.

With the second-gen, Bose not solely fastened this concern but in addition added playback through the USB-C cable, which might additionally be used to cost the headphones whereas they’re in use. Now, you may plug them in on a flight, even when you’re completely out of juice, both with the aux cable or to cost them up with the USB-C cable. (Observe that you’ll want some battery life for the latter possibility – I had to ensure the headphones had been powered on to ensure that them to work).

Connection and put on detection

As a model, I discover that Bose’s pairing can usually be much less constant than that of different manufacturers. That always applies to its multipoint connection: when a couple of gadget is related, regardless of all of its headphones technically being multipoint-enabled, the audio stream can sound uneven, or in egregious instances, require reconnecting to the gadget so as to correctly play. With Bose units that function put on detection, their performance might endure on account of lag.

With these headphones, Bose addressed each of those points head-on, and nicely. I did not expertise a single occasion of uneven connection (regardless of leaving the multipoint connection toggled on all through your entire testing interval), which by itself had me floored. Not one to be impressed by a premium model lastly assembly the naked minimal requirements, I’ve to provide Bose its flowers relating to the wear and tear detection.

The headphones have two totally different varieties of damage detection: a normal on-head detection and a lay flat mode. The on-head detection will be toggled to mechanically play and pause music or reply calls. I did not expertise I single occasion the place I took the headphones off and my music did not pause shortly after. I used to be much more impressed with the lay flat mode, which mechanically disconnects the headphones from Bluetooth and places them in a low energy mode whenever you lay them flat. Clearly, this would not be a really purposeful mode if the headphones did not simply reconnect after being laid down, however fortunately, they reliably disconnected and reconnected each time I examined this function.

Higher battery life

Although not a lot a gripe of mine previously, Bose did improve the battery life from 24 hours on the first-gen QC Ultras to 30 hours on the second-gen mannequin. The additional six hours do assist for anybody who hasn’t but made plugging of their headphones a behavior, and is mainly the usual for premium headphones lately, so this was a welcome enchancment. You may as well stand up to a few hours of battery after quarter-hour of charging.

Are the Bose QuietComfort Extremely (2nd Gen) headphones price it?

Although these aren’t probably the most thrilling launch of the 12 months, they’re undeniably a well-rounded pair of headphones. I positively would not suggest an improve to any present QC Extremely headphones customers, however when you’re shopping for into the road for the primary time, the mix of consolation, noise cancellation, and sound is difficult to beat, particularly when you’re eager on all-day put on. Nevertheless, when you’re an audiophile at the beginning, I like to recommend testing different choices, just like the Sony WH-1000XM6.