Bose QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen) Review: Smaller, Comfortable, and Still Quiet Without the Ultra Price

On a New York subway, the rumble of the train came through the Bose QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen) only faintly. That is where Gizmodo's reviewer began testing the non-Ultra model, which costs $359, $90 less than the $449 QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen).

The noise cancellation is the main event. The reviewer found it not quite as formidable as the Ultra's, but better than many pairs used over the past year, including the cheaper $299 Nothing Headphone 1. Some rumble leaked through when playing quiet audio such as a podcast, though it wasn't distracting. On the sidewalk, glimmers of cars and construction still came through. The ANC level can be adjusted in Bose's app for anyone who finds it too isolating.

Bose says this generation's QuietControl ANC does a better job compensating for gaps between earcup and ear, the kind caused by hair, glasses, or hats breaking the seal. The reviewer wore sunglasses for long stretches and concluded that the "seal-gap compensation" works, with ANC staying at a high level. There is surely a limit, the reviewer notes, and a thicker hat or lots of hair might show a bigger difference.

A new feature called ActiveSense is meant to protect hearing in Aware mode, Bose's term for transparency, by bringing in ANC during suddenly loud moments. On the subway it seemed to help duck some train screeching while still letting surroundings through, though the reviewer admits that's hard to say for sure. Aware mode overall beats lots of cheaper pairs but falls short of the AirPods Max 2, the reviewer's favorite for transparency. Calls were the weak spot: the person on the other end rated a several-minute conversation 4 out of 10, hearing footsteps and street noise, while the reviewer found the ANC strangely ducking in and out. The verdict is not to take calls on these.

Sound holds up. On Steely Dan's "Any Major Dude Will Tell You," the reviewer could pick out guitar, keys, and vocals, with bass present but not muddy. Daft Punk's "Da Funk" sounded well-balanced but less rich, with the low end drowning the mix at lower volumes. The Ultra keeps a slight edge in nuance, though perhaps by less than expected.

This generation adds Bose's Immersive Audio spatial sound. It is better than most spatial audio the reviewer has tried, and the difference is perceptible, but the reviewer isn't a big fan and expects most people to gloss over it, with possible appeal for live-recorded music. Lossless USB-C audio is the addition more likely to matter, and the reviewer calls it very convenient.

Fit is where the reviewer is most enthusiastic. These are more compact than the Ultra models, with a tighter seal, and the headband and earcups are cushy. Resizing takes some force, so they won't shift when tossed in a bag. Limited-edition colors include Eucalyptus Green, Rosewood Mauve, and the reviewed Dewdrop Mint, the only two-tone option. Physical controls include volume buttons flanking a multifunction button on the right earcup (double-press to skip, triple-press to go back), and on the left a power/pairing toggle and a button cycling Immersion, Aware, and Quiet.

Bose lists 27 hours of battery with ANC on. The app reports in 10% increments, so testing was imprecise; after an hour at 50% volume with ANC on, it showed 90%. The reviewer's conclusion: these get you most of the way to the Ultra, but anyone wanting the best Bose ANC and sound should still buy the Ultra.