After a month testing Bose's new premium headphones, I would recommend them but I'd recommend waiting more

Date:
Sat, 19 Sep 2026 09:00:00 +0000

Description:
The Bose QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen) sound fantastic and feel comfortable to wear, but after testing them thoroughly I'm still not sure
they justify their asking price.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Bose QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen): Two-minute review Bose often seems to pay more attention to its Ultra-suffix devices, which absolutely make up some of the best noise-cancelling headphones we've tested. And that is perhaps why
the second-generation Bose QuietComfort Headphones that is to say, those launched in the post- QC 35 II era took three years to come to market, following the launch of the older QC Headphones in 2023 .

These are basically the QuietComfort Ultra Headphones Gen 2 for people who dont want to pay an arm and a leg for their sound, and given how I only ever see the non-Ultra cans when Im out and about in the UK (a fact my editor also confirms), Id wager that this new release is the model people have been waiting for. Meet the QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen), so named because theyre quiet, thanks to Boses sought-after Active Noise Cancellation, and comfortable (thanks to the use of soft protein leather for pads and bands). Latest Videos From TechRadar Watch full video here:

Having used them for several weeks, I can say that the latter is definitely true: these are incredibly easy to use for hours on end, without your ears aching or the top of your head feeling sore. You can basically use them until the battery runs down, although thats partly because the 24-hour battery life is rather poor in 2026.

Im not convinced on the ANC sell though. Bose has a reputation for industry-leading noise cancellation, and the Headphones Gen 2 are supposed to match the Ultra Headphones Gen 2 in this department. However, after testing the cans on multiple flights, train rides and around several cities, Im not fully sold on the claim. Theyre great at removing background sound, but not flawless; other brands have caught up, and those similarly-priced competitors surpass them in a few ways.

Thats not to say ANC is an actual problem with the QC Headphones Gen 2, but there are several departments which will raise eyebrows. The cans feel quite cheap, rattling in the hand and offering some odd gaps in the body which shouldnt be there. Theyre also quite light in the feature department, more so than youd expect for the price.

So why have I given the Bose a four-star review? Well, despite a seemingly-unchanged driver set-up from the older models, and an EQ which barely offers you any control over your music, these cans sound fantastic . They offer detailed and precise treble and energetic and punchy bass. Because of this, listening to tune after tune on them never gets old. The spatial audio is great too, adding an immersive slant to the already-great sound. Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

Despite quirks, I really enjoyed using the Bose QuietComfort Headphones Gen
2; you will too if you can find them for a price that makes sense. Im not
sure they justify the premium price tag right now, but if you find them discounted, theyre a must-buy. Bose QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen) (Black Download) at Amazon for 299.95 Bose QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen) review: Price and release date (Image credit: Future) Launched in August 2026 Sells for $359 / 299 / AU$549.99 Comes with carry case and two cables The Bose QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen) were announced on August 6, 2026. Thats three years after the first-gen model came out, and a year after the Ultra
Gen 2.

Despite not being the Ultra member of the family, the standard QuietComforts arent cheap. You can pick up the cans for $359 / 299 / AU$549.99, which is cheaper in the UK but more expensive in the US than the last-gen models (and the same cost in Australia). It is, of course, cheaper than the Ultra Gen 2 model, which launched for $449 / 449 / AU$699 and havent seen a massive price cut since.

So theyre premium headphones, if not ultra-premium ones. They undercut the likes of the Bowers & Wilkins PX7 S3 and Sony WH-1000XM6 (though the newer WH-1000XM4C are cheaper in most regions).

You can pick the cans up in five color options: black, white, mauve, mint and green you see depicted. In the box you get a protective carry case, USB-C to USB-C wire and a USB-C to 3.5mm cable. Bose QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen) review: Specs Swipe to scroll horizontally

Drivers

Not specified

Active noise cancellation

Yes

Battery life

24

Weight

241g

Connectivity

Bluetooth 5.4, USB-C

Frequency response

Not specified

Waterproofing

None Bose QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen) review: Features (Image credit: Future) ANC great, but not best Poor 24h battery life App doesn't offer that much At 24 hours, the Bose QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen) dont have a very long battery life. Ive tested other options this year which last for
literally 100 extra hours; dont buy these if you need something for a long-haul flight. That listening time is with ANC turned on; youll get a few hours more if you turn it off, but less if you use some of the other
listening features.

You charge the cans via their USB-C port, which takes 3 hours according to Bose. A new feature for the Gen 2 model is that you can also enjoy wired
audio from this port, which is a real get for people who like high-quality audio. It almost makes up for the lack of a 3.5mm jack!

I suppose we should discuss that ANC. As mentioned in the introduction, it
was good but not great, and certainly not the best Ive ever used in over-ear headphones. The difference was small but noticeable: on a flight, I could
hear the hum of the engines more than in some other cans Ive tested, and surrounding sounds would creep into my music more often than Id like.

Theyre not bad by any means, and theyre still some of the better ANC headphones Ive tested. But theyre not the best, and thats a surprise given
the name and the price point.

The headphones offer a range of listening modes beyond standard ANC (which it calls Quiet mode), but I was surprised by how much most of these also
affected audio quality. Id recommend only sticking to Quiet or Aware, which lets in some surrounding sound. (Image credit: Future) You can toggle between these modes in Boses app, which has a few other tools. You can set up multi-point connection, change what that shortcut button does, check the battery life, set up immersive audio and play with the equalizer.

If your ears perked up at the mention of EQ, dont get too excited. The custom mode only offers 3-band control, and there are four presets which change
these three bands for bass or treble reduction or boost. Its a surprisingly lightweight amount of customization for premium headphones, and people who like to tweak their audio sound will be greatly disappointed.

To be honest, thats my general takeaway from the Bose app: it offers only a fraction of the tools, features and customization that youd get from cans costing a third of the price.

One stand-out is Immersive Audio though. In the past, I've found similar offerings from rival brands a tad gimmicky, but Boses works very well. You
can choose between Still or Motion (depending if youre still or in motion), and itll deliver an encompassing sound that spreads the sound of your music
or movie around you. Its not so overt as to be distracting, and makes music a little more immersive though I much preferred Still mode, which had a more audible spread which changed as I moved my head. Features score: 3/5 Bose QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen) review: Design (Image credit: Future) Comfortable to wear for long periods Smartly-placed and designed buttons A
few cheap-feeling elements The second-gen Bose QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen) look pretty similar to the original pair, but with some refinements in the looks department. Hinges and the retractable arm are better hidden, and the headbands padding looks better integrated. The cans make the older model look like a prototype.

Oddly, though, the headphones feel pretty cheap. The cups rattle, theres a noticeable seam between the headband and pad, and parts of the headphones
flop around unsupported when you hold the gadget by its headband. There are a few other similar traits which make the buds feel loose, most noticeably that theres a worrying amount of flex in the band. After several weeks of testing, Ive yet to have these traits manifest in any actual problem, but Im
constantly surprised by how the build quality flags behind half-priced
rivals.

I do appreciate that they're based on a design many users have loved, for
many years and this is likely the key reason they've largely been kept as-is (or was). But still, in the intervening years competing design teams have worked hard on other, newer headphones, and the Bose QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen) feel a little flimsy and clunky in direct comparison today.

At least the QuietComfort are supremely comfortable to wear. The padding
which rests across the top of your head, and the soft cups, both go a long
way in ensuring you can listen for long periods of time without getting any aches or strains. It gives the impression of them being light, even though at 241g, they weigh about the same as many other pairs. (Image credit: Future) When youre wearing the cans, the right cup has the volume and pause/play buttons; their prominence is different so you can easily tell what button
your finger is on. The right edge has the shortcut button, and power slider;
I love this latter, as its easy to flick to instantly turn the cans on, without needing to press and hold like you do on most rivals. Bose has really nailed the buttons here, which I admit is a small detail, but that is where the devil is according to the idiom.

Theres a decent amount of malleability here: you can rotate the cups a fair way left and right, and the band is quite extendable (though its fairly
stiff, so youll have to give it a hearty tug). The cups dont move much up and down, but they still fit my head well.

You can fold down the QCs to make them more portable, or put them in the travel case. My aforementioned issues with the loose feel of the cans returns here; you cant stack them on a flat surface without them falling over. Design score: 4/5 Bose QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen) review: Sound quality
(Image credit: Future) V-shaped audio with energetic bass, treble Spatial audio sounds great Unspecified drivers inside If youve read the design and features sections of this review, youll know Ive had compliments and criticisms in each department. Not so for audio quality.

Bose hasnt detailed the driver in the QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen), but the previous-gen model had a 40mm unit, and the brand hasnt boasted any audio improvements beyond generations. It doesnt need to; the previous models sounded fantastic and the new ones do too.

Out of the box, youre getting V-shaped sound from the QuietComfort
Headphones. Treble is crisp, sharp and detailed, letting you hear tremolo and tones that many other cans miss. Bass is hefty and punchy, but with a precision and control which avoids lower frequencies drowning out the rest of your song. (Image credit: Future) As is generally the case with headphones offering V-profile audio, the mids lack just a little bit. Id often notice guitars playing harmonies, piano accompaniments or high alto/low tenor
backing vocals thatd be missing the oomph Id like them to have. But youre not buying the Bose for a neutral sound: this is for fun and energetic music.

The sound set-up of the QuietComforts is best shown in songs like Fitz and
the Tantrums Man on the Moon , which has hard-hitting vocals and bass but loses its rhythm guitar and strings a little, or The Hoosiers' Automatic Glow , which sees its harmonic synth line dropped to the back of the mix, in favor of the energetic sung word, and rising hook.

To return to the Bose app, you can use the EQ to try and add some emphasis on mids, but I found this only a limited solution which didnt have much of an effect on the music. Sound quality: 5/5 Bose QuietComfort Headphones (2nd
Gen) review: Value (Image credit: Future) Should be top-value earbuds Unfortunately, longevity isn't guaranteed If your headphone equation is
simply Ill spend more money for better audio, the Bose QuietComfort
Headphones Gen 2 will be a good option. They sound great and theyre comfortable, so you can enjoy music for a long time (at a fairly high cost).

But to me, a few aspects of these headphones make the premium price seem a little too high. The loose-feeling build quality, lack of app features and poor battery life all point to the cost being higher than it should be. If
you see the Bose discounted by about $100 / 100 / AU$200, then these will be good-value cans. Alternatively, the previous-gen models should be enjoying a decent price cut due to being a bit older.

As it stands, the Gen 2 are still good buys, but Id personally save money and buy cheaper headphones. Which in particular? Well, thankfully there's a competition section below Value: 3.5/5 Should I buy the Bose QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen)? Swipe to scroll horizontally Bose QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen) score card

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Features

The noise cancellation is great, but the lack of other tools and poor battery life let the Bose down.

3/5

Design

The QuietComfort is certainly comfortable, with some smart elements but a cheap-feeling design.

4/5

Sound quality

Most people will find these perfect for music.

5/5

Value

They're great, but you'd be right to expect a little more for the price.

3.5/5 Buy them if

You find other headphones uncomfortable Many people struggle with headphones because they don't want their head in a musical vice. Try the QCs, they're your best bet.

You want great noise cancellation It may not be the best in the biz, but
it's still very good: if you need solid ANC, you won't be disappointed.

You love immersive audio features Always listen to your music with spatial enabled? You'll really like how Bose handles the function. Dont buy them if

You need something long-lasting Many people will find the 24-hour battery life insufficient. Luckily, it's one of the shortest figures I've seen on earbuds; you can do better.

You like tweaking your audio profile The QC Headphones' equalizer doesn't offer you much control over your music, nor any kind of listening test. Bose QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen) review: Also consider Looking for alternative over-ears? Here are a few we've tested and would recommend. Swipe to scroll horizontally Header Cell - Column 0

Bose QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen)

Soundcore Space 2

Sony WH-1000XM6

Drivers

Not specified

40mm

30mm

Active noise cancellation

Yes

Yes

Yes

Battery life (ANC on)

24 hours

50 hours

30 hours

Weight

241g

264g

254g

Connectivity

Bluetooth 5.4, USB-C

Unspecified Bluetooth, 3.5mm

Bluetooth 5.3, 3.5mm

Waterproofing

Not specified

Not specified

IPX4

Soundcore Space 2 This affordable pair of cans costs half the amount of the QC Headphones, and its comfort and ANC match Bose. The audio quality isn't quite on par, however, and nor is the spatial audio. Read our full Soundcore Space 2 review

Sony WH-1000XM6 Bose's closest rival is from Sony; this set costs a little more and also offers fantastic noise cancellation, an incredible sound and useful button controls. Read our full Sony WH-1000XM6 review How I tested the Bose QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen) Tested for roughly four weeks Paired with Android phone for Bluetooth, Android tablet for audio Used on walks around neighborhood, at work, on flights and on trains To write this full review, I used the Bose QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen) for just over four weeks, which gave me time to fully put them through their paces.

For the majority of the testing time, the buds were paired with my Fairphone
6 Plus smartphone, though I plugged them into a Xiaomi tablet using the cable for some wired audio. Over the course of the review I tested them on multiple flights, countless train and bus journeys, while working at home and on various walks around my city.

I listened on Spotify, to my own digital library, for movies on Now TV and videos on YouTube , and various games.

I've been testing gadgets for TechRadar since early 2019, and in that time have used countless pairs of over-ears. First reviewed in September 2026 Read TechRadar's reviews guarantee Bose QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen): Price Comparison 299.95 View voucher gift 299.95 View 299.95 View 299.95 View
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