Powerful sound, incredibly strong ANC, excellent wearing comfort. With the nine Bose QuietComfort Ultra (2nd gen), the manufacturer gives the competition a run for their money and jumps to the top of the list of the best in-ear headphones. Our test reveals more.
Technical data
| The product | QuietComfort Ultra (2nd Gen) |
| Bluetooth version | 5.3 |
| Bluetooth codecs | SBC, AAC, aptX Adaptive |
| Maximum operating range | 10m (without obstacle) |
| Battery life | Up to 6 hours, 18 hours in total with charging case; (varies depending on volume level and audio content) |
| Charging time | 3 hours (for charging case + headphones via USB-C) |
| Weight | 7.7 g per earbud; 61 g charging case |
| Most important functions | ANC; transparency mode; wear detection; 360-degree audio |
| Price | € 299.95 * |
Bose QuietComfort Ultra (2nd Gen) test: It doesn’t get more comfortable than this
- Elegant design, top workmanship
- Comparatively large and heavy
- outstanding wearing comfort
Bose has worked hard on the design of the QuietComfort Ultra (2nd gen) and although the second generation is even bigger and heavier, the earbuds are among the absolute spearheads in terms of wearing comfort.
One of the earbuds weighs 7.7 grams, with an additional 61 grams coming from the handy charging case. The earbuds themselves are also larger than many competitors: Measuring 12 mm x 20 mm x 24 mm, the QC Ultra 2 are quite wide and deep.
Surprisingly, however, the manufacturer has taken a masterful step towards wearing comfort. Thanks to additional silicone protectors for the ear cups, the Bose QuietComfort Ultra (2nd gen) sit very comfortably in the ear even after several hours without pressing or slipping.
I have tested numerous in-ear headphones over the past few years. From inexpensive models to the absolute premium class around the Huawei FreeBuds Pro 4, the Sennheiser Momentum TWS 4, AirPods Pro 2 or the top models from Sony: The Bose QC Ultra 2 are by far the most comfortable. Chapeau, Bose.
To ensure a perfect fit, not only are there various ear inserts, but also the aforementioned silicone protectors in different sizes included in the scope of delivery.
There are also some clever design improvements. For example, the silicone ear inserts that sit in the ear now have a grid that prevents earwax from getting inside. This not only makes the ear tips easier to clean, but also means that the sound is not impaired by penetrating dirt.
Modern features, long battery life
- Bluetooth 5.3, but no Auracast
- aptX Adaptive codec
- 360-degree audio, wearer detection, multipoint
The Bose QuietComfort Ultra (2nd gen) rely on modern features. The Bluetooth 5.3 standard is used for a reliable connection and efficient energy management. Multipoint is also included so that the earbuds can be connected to two audio sources simultaneously.
In addition to the two standard codecs SBC and AAC, the in-ears also support Qualcomm’s aptX Adaptive codec, which ensures lossless streaming without latency when used with compatible devices.
Android users also use Google Fast Pair, which reliably recognizes the earbuds with a pop-up when they are opened for the first time and pairs them particularly quickly. Apart from that, virtually everything is available. Wearer recognition, mono mode and IPX4 certification, which means the earbuds are also suitable for sports.
Bose has also given the QuietComfort Ultra (2nd gen) a 360-degree immersive audio mode, which delivers a three-dimensional surround sound including head tracking and is intended to improve the spatiality of the sound stage. A nice idea, but in practice the results are sometimes mixed.
While this works well with some songs, it sounds less detailed and rather muddy with others – so in most cases you’re better off without immersive audio.
Good battery life, wireless charging
- 6 hours runtime with ANC
- Additional 18 hours with case
- Wireless charging function
In terms of battery life, the Bose QuietComfort Ultra (2nd gen) are at a good level, with up to six hours with active ANC and an additional 18 hours with the charging case. Not a record level, but absolutely sufficient to get through 2-3 long days. However, if you switch on the 360-degree sound, the buds run out of breath after around 4 hours.
Thanks to the quick-charging function, the Buds in the case are also ready for two hours of music playback in 20 minutes, while the case and Buds are fully charged via cable in around three hours.
The case’s wireless charging function, on the other hand, is a successful and welcome innovation. A feature that the direct predecessor still lacked. Now you can charge the Bose QuietComfort Ultra (2nd gen) charging case wirelessly using the Qi standard.
Reliable operation, mixed app
- Precise and simple touch operation
- Practical shortcuts
- somewhat disappointing app
Nothing has changed in the operation of the Bose QuietComfort Ultra (2nd gen) compared to its predecessor. These in-ear models also rely on a very reliable and fast-responding touch control, which is implemented via both earbuds.
The operation is not only extremely reliable, but also pleasantly simple, so that no restrictions are necessary to carry out actions. Tap once to pause or resume playback, twice to skip to the next or previous song. Pressing and holding switches between sound modes or performs a quick action that can be configured in the app.
Top: Volume control is also possible via a swipe gesture on the outer sides. Not all top models in the in-ear segment can do this yet. However, the controls are not customizable. However, shortcuts can be created individually for both sides. These allow you to switch between Bluetooth sources, activate immersive audio or activate the voice assistant, for example.
The Bose app is used as a companion app, which is unfortunately not entirely convincing. The setting options are rather rudimentary, even though I didn’t really miss anything during the test. With one exception.
This is because it is not simply possible to adjust the intensity of the active noise suppression. Bose creates three profiles or modes. Quiet, Perceptible and Immersion. These have a fixed ANC intensity and activated features such as ActiveSense (a kind of adaptive ANC) and Immersive Audio.
If you want to regulate the ANC yourself, which is possible in 10 intensity levels, you have to create your own mode. But then you can’t add ActiveSense. A stupid solution, in my opinion.
Top-level sound and ANC
- Outstanding, warm sound
- strong bass response
- convincing mids and highs
So far, the Bose QuietComfort Ultra (2nd gen) have some highs and lows. Fortunately, the sound is quite different, because the earbuds sound absolutely gigantic.
The model impresses with an incredibly lively and detailed sound, which is impressively powerful bass, but without overlaying the mids or highs. Anyone who appreciates a lot of oomph in their music will be delighted. No other in-ear headphones currently offer such detailed, clear and powerful bass reproduction.
Fortunately, the mids are also on a wide, warm stage, which gives the sound a pleasantly lively and detailed characteristic. At the same time, the highs are pleasantly clear and airy, and the spatiality is – for in-ear headphones – really excellent.
Even at high volumes, the treble doesn’t tend to be over-exaggerated, as can be heard with many competitors. Very pleasant for those who like it louder. In a direct comparison, the Sennheiser Momentum 4 are a little more neutral in the mix, but the Bose have a warmer, bassier and more pleasant sound for most listeners.
Bose QuietComfort Ultra (2nd gen) are the ANC king
- impressive ANC at over-ear level
- very good suppression of medium and high frequencies
However, the Bose QuietComfort Ultra (2nd gen) secure the absolute top spot with their active noise suppression. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to test the predecessor myself, but after just a few minutes I was absolutely blown away by the 2nd generation.
The ANC here is so much better than the competition from Sony, Sennheiser and the like that you can really draw a comparison with large over-ear models – which normally suppress ambient noise even better due to their design.
At the highest intensity level, the QC Ultra 2 are not only able to completely block out low, sonorous noises, but also make medium and high frequencies such as voices, typing on the keyboard and much more disappear almost completely. I was blown away by the ANC performance. We’re talking the level of the best ANC over-ear headphones here, while the Bose QuietComfort Ultra (2nd Gen) outperform even some good over-ear models. Unbelievable.
Fortunately, the counterpart in the form of the transparency mode is in no way inferior to the ANC and comes along almost completely without the typical background noise. Voices in particular are amplified with a natural sound so that conversations with earbuds inserted are possible without any problems.
The “ActiveSense” function for transparency mode also proves to be practical. As soon as the earbuds pick up very loud noises, they automatically switch dynamically to ANC mode. In practice, this works perfectly quickly and very accurately. An extremely practical function.
Improved microphones
One of the biggest improvements of the second generation, at least according to the manufacturer, are the microphones, of which a total of four are now supposed to deliver better quality for phone calls or voice recordings.
And lo and behold: Bose has really stepped up its game here. The built-in microphones score points with a detailed and natural voice reproduction and suppress ambient noise excellently, which ensures high intelligibility even in noisy environments.
Microphone test recording Bose QuietComfort Ultra (2nd gen):
In fact, the Bose QuietComfort Ultra (2nd Gen) are on par with some of the best in-ear models, for example from Huawei or Apple.
Bose QuietComfort Ultra (2nd gen) Review: Conclusion
With the Bose QuietComfort Ultra (2nd Gen), the manufacturer delivers excellent in-ear headphones that even outperform the best competitors in some areas. The active noise suppression in particular is unrivaled in the in-ear segment. In terms of sound, the buds also offer a pleasantly detailed and powerful bass sound that is truly captivating. Thanks to the outstanding microphone quality, they are also excellent for phone calls, even in noisy environments.
In my opinion, the wearing comfort is also second to none and the wireless charging function of the case is a small but welcome improvement.
Does this make the Bose QuietComfort Ultra (2nd gen) the best in-ear headphones? No. Because the earbuds are not free of criticism. For example, the disappointing app and the inability to easily adjust the intensity of the ANC. This is much easier with almost all competitors. The codec selection is also not entirely convincing. Why are normal aptX and aptX HD codecs missing? Why is there no Auracast? Some competitors also offer more than “just” IPX4 in terms of water resistance.
If this doesn’t bother you and if you value the best possible ANC function and a rich sound, you will undoubtedly be delighted with the Bose QuietComfort Ultra (2nd gen).
VORTEILE
- Incredible ANC
- Great sound
- Very good microphones
- aptX Adaptive
NACHTEILE
- IPX4 only
- Mixed app
- No Auracase function
Fazit
The in-ear headphones score points with incredible ANC, outstanding sound and excellent wearing comfort and hardly have any weaknesses worth mentioning.
