Nina Raemont/ZDNET
As headphones become more and more capable and equipped with sophisticated features, it can be difficult to find the ones that suit you best. Choosing from different shapes, sizes and features, you find yourself faced with an ocean of options.
But Bose’s latest, the new QuietComfort Ultras, promise improved noise reduction (ANC), higher quality sound, all-day comfort and an interesting approach to spatial audio, and may well to be the ideal pair we were waiting for.
I spent a week with these QuietComfort Ultra headphones and tested its features. Are these the best wireless headphones you can buy? How do they compare to the competition? And are they worth their price of 350 euros? I answer all of these questions below.
A multitude of accessories for adjustment
The QuietComfort Ultra earbuds, which I’ll also refer to here as the QC Ultra earbuds, come with Bose’s Fit Kit which includes three pairs of ear tips, three pairs of grip bands, a charging case, and a USB cable- C of 30 cm.
The charging case is quite bulky; it is larger than that of my JBL Tour Pro 2 headphones and that of my AirPods 2 companions, but its finish is elegant and its weight reassuring. Scuffs and scratches are also very visible on the case in the “Cloud White” version, so I recommend that you choose the black colors if you want this accessory item to remain impeccable.
Top noise reduction and various audio modes
As for audio performance, the QC Ultra earbuds offer impeccable ANC, it’s the best I’ve tried so far, and the sound is robust. Thanks to the powerful ANC, I was able to immerse myself in my work by listening to my classic morning playlist and blocking out the office noises around me.
The tip adhered well to my ear and I never had a problem with it dropping when I moved around. I loved how incredibly responsive the touch controls on both ears are. Because other earbuds I’ve tried had difficulty mastering the capacitive touch controls as much.
One feature that I particularly appreciated when using these QC Ultra headphones was the choice of different sound modes accessible via the Bose Music companion app. These headphones not only have a silent mode and an attentive mode. In addition to these Quiet and Aware modes, there are Immersion, Commute, Run and Work.
I particularly like the Commute mode
In the app or by lightly pressing your left earbud, you can enjoy preset audio modes that turn specific settings on or off based on your daily activities, like commuting, running, or working.
Nina Raemont/ZDNET
Because I want to be aware of my surroundings during my metro trips, I particularly appreciated the app’s Commute mode. It offers ANC configured to properly enjoy my music while leaving me aware of the ambient sound environment.
Immersive audio is Bose’s way of designing spatial audio, and this new feature sets the QC Ultra apart from previous generations of QuietComfort earbuds. Immersive audio creates a super fun listening experience by adding airy, multi-dimensional sound to everything you listen to.
Immersive audio can also drain a lot of battery
You can choose between “Still”, for sitting or standing, and “Motion”, which allows correct operation when walking. This feature is great in adding an extra level of engagement to any workout or physical activity.
Listening Swan Song by Dua Lipa, I switched between Immersive Audio mode and Aware mode to hear the distinction between the different filters. Oddly enough, I found every aspect of the song to be more spacious and immersive (no pun intended) when Immersive Audio mode was enabled.
While immersive audio is a great feature, it can also drain a lot of battery. By design, headphones have a shorter battery life than larger headsets and speakers because the internal electrical components are limited by the little space they have. The QC Ultra earbuds’ six-hour battery life falls short of Sony’s latest flagship earbuds, the WF-1000XM5, which cost less at the time of writing this review.
Nina Raemont/ZDNET
No Bluetooth multipoint connectivity
With Immersive Audio enabled, the QC Ultra earbuds’ six-hour battery life quickly drops to four hours, which is barely enough to get me through a work day. Of course, this isn’t a big problem if you’re doing listening sessions of one to two hours at a time.
One of the issues I have with the QC Ultra headphones is, although they have Bluetooth 5.3, the lack of Bluetooth multipoint connectivity… even though they are a pair of high-end headphones. of range! Without multipoint, you can’t automatically switch between two devices, like your smartphone and laptop.
The Bose QC Ultra over-ear headphones come equipped with Bluetooth multipoint, and the company says this feature will be available for headphones soon. However, for this price of €350, I expected it to be available right out of the box.
ZDNET’s purchasing advice for the Bose QuietComfort Ultra
It’s clear to me that Bose has made noise reduction and sound quality priorities for these new headphones. For a pair of in-ears, the sound quality is excellent, and the noise reduction easily isolates me from the sound of car horns, trains, and the many other sounds of New York City.
If you’re looking for a pair of headphones that can satisfy your audio demands, the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Wireless Headphones are the way to go, especially if you’ve been on the fence about choosing the QuietComfort II headphones.
Source: “ZDNet.com”