Bose’s new QuietComfort headphones get spatial audio and USB-C lossless for $359
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If travel becomes a series of detours and distractions, Bose is the name we trust to make the noise go away when we can’t get away. We called the $299 QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) that “kind of better you don’t see, but you definitely notice,” and the current QuietComfort Headphones are the studying pick in our recent back-to-school essentials guide.
For the past year, though, Sound By Bose has been showing up more on other audio companies’ products than the brand’s own. Sure, there was Lifestyle Ultra, a multi-room speaker, soundbar and subwoofer system. But when it came to personal audio, Bose tuned Baseus’s budget Inspire line that launched at IFA last September, and in July it handed Skullcandy QuietControl noise cancellation and TrueSpatial audio for the $279.99 Crusher 1080, the first non-Bose headphone to run either one. That focus switches back in-house today, however, with the QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen). Icon, meet upgrades.
Bose QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen) $359
The QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen) arrive at $359, matching the first-generation model’s MSRP, with preorders opening August 8 on Bose.com, plus through select resellers, and shipping starting August 13. Here’s what’s new:
Immersive audio that works with any source
The Crusher 1080 got the latest TrueSpatial, so you didn’t think the QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen) wouldn’t, did you? TrueSpatial virtualizes a stereo signal so the music sounds like it’s coming from a pair of speakers in front of you rather than from somewhere inside your skull. Bose describes it as dropping you into the “sweet spot” of a classic two-channel system. And it works from any audio source, so you don’t need to watch for the Dolby Atmos or 360 Reality Audio flag, etc.
Three modes split the work: Still (which pins the perceived source) and Motion (which lets the source track your movements) debuted on the original QuietComfort Ultra Headphones in September 2023. While dialogue-centering, soundtrack-widening Cinema, which is great for video and podcasts, joined the Ultra line in 2025.
And there’s now a way to make sure that background music to your favorite bops has more detail: 24-bit/48kHz USB-C playback. That means CD-quality, so Apple Music and Spotify Lossless come through in full fidelity. And that USB-C port now runs in both directions, so the QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen) can serve as a wired headset on Zoom or Microsoft Teams. There’s a 3.5mm-to-USB cable in the box, too, for analog (and inflight) sources.
Wireless convenience hasn’t taken a backseat, however, with Multipoint Bluetooth 5.4 onboard.
Active noise cancellation and industrial design that can work with any head
To get the best active noise cancellation, you used to need total isolation. And glasses arms, a lot of hair, or hats are the enemy of an acoustic seal. Bose QuietControl steps in to help compensate. The six-microphone system now runs adaptive feedforward controls that the company says better compensate for those gaps.
Conversely, Aware Mode got reworked as well. Bose smoothed out the ActiveSense response that clamps down when a sudden noise spikes, so a train pulling into the platform gets softened instead of chopped off. And more intuitive placement of physical buttons helps you toggle modes.
Also helping smooth things out are adjusted sliders and more plush synthetic leather cushions on the oval earcups. So there’s a secure, slimmer fit without excessive clamping force. The headphones weigh 0.5 lbs. As for colorways, there are Black and White Smoke as core colors, and limited-edition Eucalyptus Green with yellow inside the earcups, Dewdrop Mint with teal, and Rosewood Mauve with fuchsia.
The final features that can work with any lifestyle
Bose rates the battery at up to 24 hours, or up to 18 with Immersive Audio switched on, and a dead pair takes three hours to fill. But a 15-minute charge provides up to 2.5 hours of playback. You can also listen while charging, so a battery warning halfway across the Atlantic means pulling out a USB-C charger rather than packing the headphones away. That alone puts them in the conversation for our travel headphone picks. And there’s a three-band EQ and other customizable modes, plus firmware updates for future features, in the app.
At $359, these list $90 below the QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen), which carry a $449 MSRP and are rated for up to 30 hours of battery. Along with that additional battery life, the Ultra gets you CustomTune ear-canal calibration, on-head detection, and more metal in the build. But the second-generation Bose QuietComfort Headphones narrow the gap.
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