I've used the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones for 6 months — here's what I like and don't like
With the Bose QuietComfort Ultra headphones, Bose created a pair of headphones that block out everything, without it being uncomfortable (like the AirPods Max) or compromised by gizmos (Sony WH-1000XM5). It just works.
The best noise-canceling headphones have since had a permanent place in my backpack whenever I leave the house to go and do like, anything. But then a different pair of headphones came along that usurped them as my primary travel cans — the new Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3.
Which got me thinking: Is there more to life than really really, ridiculously good noise canceling, and has my opinion of the QuietComfort Ultra Headphones changed since I started using them 6 months ago?
The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones are the best ANC headphones that you can buy — if you're interested in noise canceling. Sound is good, and comfort is exemplary. 24 hours of battery isn't quite good enough though, unfortunately.
The Bose QC Ultra allow for silence. Eerie, immersive, all-encompassing silence. With a simple orchestral swell, the ANC initiates and blocks out the noise of just about everything, giving you a permanently blank sonic canvas onto which your music can paint its very own watercolor.
It's as good as the day I first slipped the headphones onto my head — and every time it wows. I love it! It's great! But, since I first experienced it, I've found some… problems.
The ANC remains on, like a constant reminder that the battery life could be better, but Bose locked you into mediocre longevity.
It's great that it's there, but sometimes I'd like to turn it off. And I don't just mean transparency, or a lowered level with a name ('Immersive' in this case), I mean off. So that the algorithm isn't fiddling with the frequencies in my music, or playing havoc with the battery life. Off.
Yet, alas, there is no way for the ANC or its other modes to be turned off. It remains on, like a constant reminder that the battery life could be better, but Bose locked you into mediocre longevity.
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There's one thing I'll never lament for whenever I slip the QuietComfort Ultra headphones over my head — and that's their effortless, all-day fit. They are light, they are well cushioned, and feature a very well judged clamping force.
As a result I've been able to wear them for hours and hours at a time, only taking them off to go for what is supposed to be my half-hourly leg stretch. They're easily some of the most comfortable headphones I've ever worn, out-comforting the likes of the Sony WH-1000XM5 or the AirPods Max.
Speaking of battery life, it remains substandard. 24 hours wasn't enough when they were released in 2024, and it's certainly not enough now in 2025.
Now I am still of the opinion that you don't need days upon days of battery life. I think 30 hours reaches the perfect sweet spot for decent staying power, with plenty for most journeys. The QuietComfort Ultra Headphones, while better than the Apple AirPods Max, do not reach this milestone of battery life.
You can't even extend it because, as I said earlier, you can't turn the ANC off. Instead, you can only make it worse by activating other features. The QuietComfort Ultra Headphones are some of the very few that I've ever been caught short with battery life-wise — and that's annoying.
I am not a great lover of many spatial audio formats, and the QuietComfort Ultra Headphones are no different. Occasionally over my months of on-the-road testing, I've re-attempted the 'Immersive Audio' feature of the cans, and every time it's fallen flat.
As with so many spatial audio implementations that don't use the Dolby Atmos standard, it uses a custom algorithm to make your music sound 'bigger.' That means using only what was already in the mix, and I find that it only serves to make things sound thinner rather than more immersive.
The battery trade-off really isn't worth it — 18 hours instead of the 24 you usually have on tap. Spatial audio might be here to stay, but I am yet to find a version that actually makes sense to me.
I can't say that the QuietComfort Ultra headphones are built badly, because they're not. They feature some lovely metal accents in the hinges, and their plastic parts feel good.
But over my six months of fairly heavy use, I've found some build issues. When I put them in the case, for example, I've found that the left earcup cushion gets squeezed, and it's left a funny divot in the foam. Shake them and they rattle like a bag of bolts — something that can't be said of similarly priced headphones.
As other headphones are released that are built far better for a similar price, it feels a shame that I can't heap praise on the Bose.
I've not had any issues with the synthetic leather Bose has used to cover the foam on the earcups and the headband, but it does feel slightly thin. I am very careful with my headphones — they go straight into their case when I'm not using them — but the pleather feels thin enough that I'm slightly concerned with its longevity.
They're built about the same as the Sony WH-1000XM5; which is to say fine. But as other headphones are released that are built far better for a similar price, it feels a shame that I can't heap praise on the Bose.
Bose has never been known for class-leading sound, and while the QuietComfort Ultra Headphones marked a big step up for the brand, they're still not exemplary. Don't get me wrong, they sound pretty good in a vacuum, with solid frequency representation across the board, but there are better-sounding headphones for the same money.
The highs are detailed and crisp — the sharp cymbals of Opeth's §6 are clear, and there's plenty of plonk to piano notes in Menahem Pressler's Deux Arabesques recording. The mids are well defined for guitars and vocals, with loads of lovely acoustic body to enjoy in Allegaeon's Refraction.
But the bass is a bit too much. It's 'big' and fairly uncontrolled. It has a habit of running rampant, like a bull in a china shop. I call the presentation a 'wall of bass'. Loads of listeners will like it, although I'd wager a comparison with something that highlights the sonic shortcomings will quickly demonstrate the problem.
Touch controls: My mortal headphones nemesis. When I first used the QuietComfort Ultra Headphones, I found touch controls that I didn't think would annoy me — until they did.
The touch implementation on the cans is a kind of touch slider thing for the volume. In theory, it works well — swipe up for more volume, and down for less. Simple. Until it accidentally boosts the volume to ear-destroying levels, or quiet enough that it wouldn't wake a sleeping mouse.
All playback functions and ANC modes are controlled by one button.
Then there's the physical controls — all playback functions and ANC modes are controlled by one button. Multiple presses activate skip, play, and pause, while holding it down cycles the noise-canceling functions. Time has only hardened me to the control method of the QuietComfort Ultra Headphones controls. I don't like them.
It might seem like I don't actually like the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones — that's not true. I still really like them and their all-conquering ANC, but my extended time with them has revealed more and more chinks in their shiny, shiny armor.
While the ANC is excellent, I wish it could be turned off to extend the battery life. The battery life itself needs to be better, and the build isn't quite up to scratch. The spatial audio setting doesn't do it for me, and the controls are annoying.
The final nail in the 'into the pile you go' coffin is the sound quality. I just value sound too much for the 'wall of bass' not to create a bitter taste in my mouth whenever I come off the back of something that sounds better.
They're still a great pair of headphones — if you want the best ANC, there really is nothing better. But I've had an affair. A blue one. With Bowers and Wilkins written on the earcups.
They peek at me from within their textured carry case, their imminent style and presence tempting. A flash of physical controls, a glimpse of some thick, plush comfort foam.
The Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3 and I have been seeing each other for the last few weeks, and they've managed to slip into my heart like little else. Their ANC might not reach the same level as the QuietComfort Ultra headphones, but they're even more comfortable, and they sound so good.
At the moment, the Px7 S3's are only available in the UK — Bowers & Wilkins is waiting to see how the tariff situation plays out — but should be coming to the U.S. in a few weeks.
So now I have something new to accompany me on my travels. I'm sorry, QuietComfort Ultra Headphones, it's not you, it's me — and I am not immune to something newer and shinier. I'm sorry.
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Sony's latest cans are an iterative update — there's a new hinge, improved sound quality, and a brand new carrying case. Comfort has improved thanks to the thicker headband, and there's much better call quality. Its 30 hours of battery remains unchanged, however. They're less a leap up and more a lateral step. The XM5 have been around for a while now, but they're no less excellent years after their initial release. Great noise canceling, solid sound quality and a comfortable fit make for a pair of headphones that's been at the top of our best list for quite some time. They're still available, making them a cheaper alternative. The Sony WH-1000xM5 have had a tremendous three-year run as the best noise-cancelling headphones overall. They surpassed Bose's prime offerings to become the category's top option and set new standards for active noise cancellation, sound quality, and smart controls. I'm always using them for travel and work, especially when my AirPods Pro 2 need recharging. My wife is also a huge fan and jacks my pair when I'm not looking. Upgrading to another model never crossed my mind until the Sony WH-1000xM6 were announced. These next-gen cans launched back in May, and the company was gracious enough to provide me a sample in advance. I spent the past month testing them to see how they stack up against their predecessor, discovering few distinctions and numerous similarities in the process. So, are the WH-1000XM6 my new go-to headphones? Let's just say that I haven't passed the WH-1000XM5 to my wife just yet. Scroll down to read my expert opinion. I'm digging the WH-1000xM6's audio enhancements. Despite employing the same 30mm drivers and proprietary technologies as the WH-1000xM5, everything sounds amazing. Bass, balance, and definition are equally great. DSEE Extreme technology works wonders by increasing the fidelity on poorly engineered tracks for clearer presentation. The LDAC codec streams hi-res audio at CD-like quality on compatible devices when jamming to the best music streaming services. Bonus features like the custom five-band EQ with outstanding presets allow for plenty of sound personalization. Hi-Res Audio and spatial audio are fine-tuned on the WH-1000xM6, and it shows when listening to complex recordings. Depth and instrumental layering are emphasized. The content also sounds more immersive. 360 Reality Audio is OK on the WH-1000XM5. ANC is also superior on Sony's latest headphones. The new Adaptive NC Optimizer feature adjusts performance by thoroughly examining the external sounds in your environment. There are 12 mics beneath the hood that block out unwanted distractions across the frequency spectrum. Not all noises are silenced. High-pitched screams and sirens are audible, especially when listening to music at moderate volume or with the Safe Listening feature enabled. The WH-1000xM5 are still a noise-cancelling stunner. They use eight mics and dual processing (QN1 and V1 chipsets) to eliminate ambient noise at an elite level. Sony's Auto Optimizer feature is solid and automatically selects the best ANC setting for your current environment, though I prefer the Adaptive NC Optimizer for its accuracy. The WH-1000xM5's 20-level Ambient Sound mode is excellent at picking up every peep with precision from several feet away. This listening mode is just as effective on the WH-1000xM6. Sony's versatile control scheme of physical buttons, touch sensors, and voice assistance (Google Assistant/Siri) is kept intact. All inputs are highly responsive to presses, swipes, taps and voice commands. Special features like Quick Attention and Speak-to-Chat return and work well; the former lowers audio to about 10 percent when placing your hand over the right ear cup. A mute/unmute button was added to the WH-1000xM6. While a thoughtful inclusion, it's not something we see being used frequently. Listeners will find Ambient Sound, Quick Attention, and Sony's auto-mute features (Speak-to-Chat, wear detection) more convenient for boosting awareness. The point is that these two models operate 95% alike. They also come with identical battery life. You're getting up to 30 hours with ANC on, and 40 hours of continuous playback when the feature is disabled. That translates to about a week's worth of moderate listening time (5 hours daily), depending how you use either set of cans. High volume and select features (e.g., DSEE, spatial audio) drain battery life by about 3 to 6 hours. Quick charging went untouched; a 3-minute charge generates 3 hours of playtime when using a USB-PD (power delivery) compatible charger. I expected a little more playtime from the WH-1000XM6, or at least smarter battery life management, but Sony thought otherwise. Less-expensive alternatives like the $249 Cambridge Audio Melomania P100 and $349 Marshall Monitor III boast up to 100 hours of listening time. The WH-1000XM6's battery life looks lame in comparison. The WH-1000XM5 are, to my ears, the superior calling headset and one of the best headphones with a mic for voice and video calls. Clarity, noise reduction, voice capture, and wind resistance are all terrific. Apparently, the WH-1000XM6 use AI beaming mics and AI noise reduction for sharper call quality that extracts voices from rowdy backdrops. It's barely noticeable. That's not to say the WH-1000xM6's call quality isn't top tier. The WH-1000XM5 is just better for voice calls. Another controversial take is the WH-1000xM6's craftsmanship. Some critics think it's a noteworthy step up from the previous entry. I do not. The WH-1000xM6 and WH-1000xM5 are constructed from the same recycled materials and synthetic leather. They share the same minimalist appearance and colorways. Additions like the mic mute/unmute button, redesigned power button, and wider, asymmetrical headphone band for optimal comfort give the WH-1000xM6 minimal flair. The smaller carrying case with magnetic lock is what really makes them more appealing, at least from an aesthetic standpoint. Are Sony's new flagship headphones better? Yes, but by an incredibly small margin. Just how small? Here is how I rate them against their older sibling. Sony WH-1000xM6 Sony WH-1000xM5 Price and value (5) 3 5 Design (15) 12 11 Controls (10) 9 9 Sound quality (20) 19 18 Active noise cancelling performance (20) 19 18 Special features (15) 14 13 Call quality (5) 3 4 Battery life (10) 9 9 Total score (100) 88 87 A one-point victory isn't all that convincing. Furthermore, the WH-1000xM6 are just too expensive right now. I get that Sony felt pressured to increase the price by $50 in preparation for the tariff situation affecting the global economy. All the audio improvements are greatly appreciated as well. However, there is more value in the WH-1000xM5, which currently sell for $298 on Amazon as of this writing, and they are often on sale. Upgrade to the WH-1000XM6 if money is no object. Otherwise, be happy knowing you'll get remarkable noise-canceling and sound performance from the WH-1000xM5 for nearly $150 less.
