Bose QuietComfort Headphones vs QuietComfort Ultra: Which should you buy?
Bose's cheaper option might not have the sleeker design of the more premium option, but they still pack in excellent noise canceling and good sound. They're very comfortable, and fold up nicely for travel. Is the saving worth buying them over Bose's more expensive model?
Both of Bose's over-ear headphone options have now been available to buy for about two years. In that time, they've seen a whole range of competition released looking to unseat them from the best noise-canceling headphones throne, but nothing has yet come close. But which of the two headphones should you buy?
Should you choose the QuietComfort Ultra Headphones? After all, they've got a whole spate of flagship features to tempt you. A comfortable fit, a smart design, and the best noise canceling in the business come at a $449 price tag.
What about the QuietComfort Headphones then? They're $100 cheaper than the Ultra Headphones, but feature comparable sound and noise canceling. You might miss out on some of the fun extras, like Immersive Sound, but that's all sacrificed at the altar of affordability.
To find out whether you should save or splurge, I've put the two head-to-head to see which headphones you should be buying in 2025.
Bose QuietComfort Headphones
Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones
Price
$349/£299/AU$479
$429 / £449 / AU$645
Colors
Black; White Smoke; Blue Dusk; Chilled Lilac; Sandstone; Petal Pink; Twilight Blue
Lunar Blue; Deep Plum; White Smoke; Black
Size
Not specified
Not specified
Weight
8.4 ounces
8.8 ounces
Battery life (rated)
Up to 24 hours
Up to 24 hours
Connectivity
Bluetooth 5.1 with SBC, AAC support
Bluetooth 5.3 with SBC, AAC and LDAC, aptX HD support support
Special features
Adaptive ANC, Ambient Sound Mode, Bluetooth multipoint, customizable sound, quick charge, passive mode
ANC, Immersive Audio, Bluetooth multipoint, customizable EQ, quick charge, Immersive sound
The QuietComfort Ultra Headphones cost $449, a whole $100 more than the $349 QuietComfort Headphones. In a vacuum, without considering any of the specs and the perceived performance differences, the price alone makes the cheaper pair worth picking up.
But things aren't in a vacuum, so the battle continues. They've both received hefty discounts during deals events, so it's worth waiting for the likes of Prime Day and Black Friday if you really want to save some money.
There's no denying that the QuietComfort Ultra Headphones are the more attractive pair of headphones. They're a more modern affair, with more visual interest thanks to metallic accents and pearlescent finishes in some of the color options.
That's not to say that the QuietComfort Headphones are an unattractive option. They're simply less 'up to date' than the Ultra, with a look that echoes that of the QC45 and some of the older QuietComfort headphone line.
Bose sets these headphones apart with a superior range of colors, however. Just look how lovely the 'chilled lilac' color we've got here is.
Build quality is similar between the two, with similar materials in use. The Ultra have more metal in their build, and the QuietComfort are lighter as a result. Both are supremely comfortable — you won't be disappointed with either.
This is an easy win for the cheaper option.
The QuietComfort Headphones feature proper physical controls, my preferred way of controlling playback and noise canceling. They're simple to use — the volume buttons turn the volume up and down, and the play/pause button doubles as a skip key. They're clicky and responsive, and well laid out to make sure you can find them without looking.
The QuietComfort Ultra Headphones have one button for play/pause and skip, and then a funny touch slider for the volume. In theory, it sounds great, but in use it's much more of a pain. It's inaccurate and tricky to activate.
I'd usually spend loads of words talking about the sound quality of headphones and how they differ. The QuietComfort Ultra and the QuietComfort Headphones sound so similar that there's really not all that much point in dwelling on things. They're both warm-sounding headphones with solid audio performance at their core.
The Ultra sound slightly better, with more detail and a more rounded overall signature. They also support more Hi-res codecs you can listen to with the best music streaming services. They win here — but it is surprisingly close.
When you look at the specs sheets, the QuietComfort Headphones have fewer features than the QuietComfort Ultra Headphones. In reality, things are closer than they appear.
There's better codec support for the QuietComfort Ultra, and the Immersive Sound feature that is divisive at best. It makes music sound more spacious and wider, but it thins out the sound to do it.
Those are both lacking from the QuietComfort Headphones, although I'd argue that one feature is actually more useful than both of them combined. When the battery dies (and it will — the battery life isn't fantastic), you can connect a 3.5mm headphone cable and continue to use them. That's a relative rarity now, and it's super helpful.
There are more features on the QuietComfort Ultra which means they take the win — but the QuietComfort Headphones' features are more usable.
As you'd expect from Bose headphones, both models feature excellent ANC. The QuietComfort Ultra take the win because they edge out the QuietComfort Headphones when it comes to higher range sounds, but you'll get excellent performance no matter the headphones you choose.
Transparency modes are the same for both, which is a nice bonus.
Both have lackluster battery life, unfortunately. Because you can't turn off the ANC or transparency mode, there's no way to extend the staying power beyond their 24 hour specs. That's not quite up their with the competition no matter how much you pay for your headphones.
Quick charge is present in both models as well — as a result, this round is a draw.
Overall the QuietComfort Ultra Headphones come out on top. You get more features, slightly better sound and a bit better noise canceling. But that doesn't mean it's the right option for you.
Despite their fewer features and slightly less impressive sound, I'd spend my own money on the QuietComfort Headphones. The $100 saving is well worth it, and they tend to get even cheaper when deals events roll around.
If you need to have the very best of the best, the QuietComfort Ultra will serve you very well, but QuietComfort buyers can rest easy they're not missing out on all that much if they buy the less expensive model.
Bose QuietComfort Headphones
Bose QuietComfort Ultra headphones
Price and value (5)
4
3
Design (15)
13
14
Controls (10)
7
5
Sound quality (25)
20
22
Active noise cancelation (20)
19
20
Call quality (10)
9
9
Connectivity (5)
4
5
Battery life (10)
5
5
Total Score (100)
81
82
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The interoperability between Apple devices is very much a winner for Apple users, as the headphones instantly switch from iPhone to MacBook to iPad without any problems at all. There's no app, per se, but Apple users can control the AirPods Max through the settings menu of their iOS, iPadOS or macOS device. It's well integrated, but Android and Windows users are left out in the cold. With no sandwich. For this section, it's another draw – both have comparable features, but Nothing's don't work as well and the AirPods don't mesh with non-Apple devices. Nothing has done a stellar job with the Nothing Headphone (1) — their noise canceling is very good. It silences offices with no problem at all, and public transport becomes instantly more tolerable. It's remarkable just how good it is, considering the price, and if you can put up with their sub-par audio performance, it makes them well worth picking up for the price. But the AirPods Max are just better. They block out more noise, and the transparency mode is more natural-sounding. Bose still does a better job overall, but the AirPods Max are no ANC slouch. They take the win here handily. This is another quick and dirty section, although it's not going to Apple's way this time. The AirPods Max battery is... bad. 20 hours of battery life is almost to be pitied when compared to pretty much any pair of ANC headphones you can buy in 2025, and woeful when stacked up to the Nothing Headphone (1). Turn the ANC off, and you get 80 hours of battery out of the Nothing Headphone (1). That's excellent — although turn the ANC on and you'll find 35 hours of staying power. That's still better than the AirPods Max, so they take the win in this section. The Nothing Headphone (1) are not a bad pair of headphones, but they are (as you could probably expect) completely outclassed by the Airpods Max. That's not to say things didn't get close along the way — there where more draws here than Apple might have liked, especially when you take into consideration that $250 price difference. Unfortunately for Nothing, the Headphone (1) just can't compete where it matters – sound, comfort, and ANC. It does make me very excited for the next version of the Nothing Headphone however. The valiant fight the first model put up certainly makes for a more interesting battle should those issues be ironed out — AirPods Max 2, it's all on you now. If we ever see you. Nothing Headphone (1) AirPods Max Price and value (5) 4 2 Design (15) 14 14 Controls (10) 8 9 Sound quality (25) 15 24 Active noise cancelation (20) 17 19 Call quality (10) 6 9 Connectivity (5) 5 5 Battery life (10) 9 4 Total Score (100) 78 82 Follow Tom's Guide on Google News to get our up-to-date news, how-tos, and reviews in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button.
