Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones Gen 2 Review: Major Fun

Speaking of battery, there’s a slight increase in noise canceling (24 with immersive audio) from the original’s 24 hours of playback to 30 hours. You can now listen while they charge and access lossless audio tracks via USB-C from supported sources, unlike the original Ultra or Sony’s XM6 offering.

Bose has made it easier to control noise cancellation and clarity modes, letting you turn off ambient audio entirely in the app or customize how much sound is blocked or piped from the microphone under Noise Control. Previously, this required creating a custom sound mode.

Otherwise, you’re getting the same solid feature set, with options like multipoint audio connection (still for just two devices), adaptive sound that adapts performance to your ears, and settings like the ability to adjust your own voice for calls. Onboard controls include power and multi-function keys and a touch sensor volume slider, which is still a bit less responsive than I’d like.

There are still a few standout features on my wishlist, like a multi-band EQ instead of the more basic three-band setup, which makes the booming default bass more hatchet than scalpel. Auracast Audio Sharing Would have been nice, even if it was more futuristic.

Crowd control

Photo: Ryan Waniata

Testing the latest Ultra against the Gen 1 and Sony XM6 over a few days mostly reminded me how incredible they all are at suppressing noise. All three pairs sit at the top of the market, outperforming everything we’ve tested, and most people are unlikely to notice any major differences in performance in most situations.