It has been a while since we have seen a new pair of flagship noise-cancelling headphones launched by Bose, but rumours of a new QuietComfort Ultra could see that change in the near future.
There was an initial leak on MySmartPrice which showed off new design renders and some of the features that will be included. Then a second leak from The Verge came along, and we were treated to photos of the headphones in the flesh.
How will the QuietComfort Ultra differ from previous models? What can we expect to pay? And when might we expect to see them on shelves? Read on to find out everything we know so far, and everything we hope to find out soon.
QuietComfort Ultra: release date rumours
Bose hasn’t yet officially acknowledged these new QuietComfort Ultra headphones, so naturally we are still waiting for an official release date.
Bose’s Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 launched back in June of 2019 and remains the company’s most expensive and most recent premium pair. The company seems to be moving its next flagship pair of headphones to the QuietComfort range, meaning the Noise Cancelling Headphones range lasted only one model.
Despite the lack of any formal announcement, a look at the release dates of previous QuietComfort models gives us an idea of when we might expect to see the Ultra arrive.
The Bose QuietComfort 45 were released back in September 2021, while QuietComfort SE came out in September 2022. With a year between those previous releases, it seems reasonable to speculate that the QuietComfort Ultra might arrive in September 2023.
QuietComfort Ultra: price predictions
As the QuietComfort Ultra look set to be Bose’s new flagship premium model, replacing the Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 in the process, we expect the price of the Ultra to be higher than previous QuietComfort models.
The QuietComfort SE headphones launched for $330 / £320 / AU$500 and the QuietComfort 45s launched for roughly the same figure, for reference.
Sony’s WH-1000XM5 headphones look to be the closest rivals to Bose and retailed at launch for around £380 / $399 / AU$550, so we can probably expect to see the QuietComfort Ultras in a similar price range.
We will confirm this and more as soon as the official information comes through.
QuietComfort Ultra: design
The Verge leak provided us with in-person photos of the QuietComfort Ultra over-heads which give us a good idea of the physical shape, fit, and features included.
The Ultra appear to be foldable, unlike Bose’s Noise Cancelling Headphones 700, and generally present themselves as Bose’s attempt to unify all their best features in one pair of headphones.
The headphones have a dedicated capacitive volume slider on the ear cups – a new feature for Bose headphones. Previous models required you to swipe your finger up or down the right ear cup to adjust the volume. In our review of the Noise Cancelling 700 headphones, we found that it took a few days to learn the various controls and that any slight touch could accidentally trigger the headphones’ actions. The decision to include a dedicated raised strip for adjusting volume could mean fewer accidental gestures than before.
The QuietComfort Ultra come in a fabric, oval-shaped carrying case that’s around 6 inches / 15cm wide and tall. The case also includes a USB-C-to-USB-A charging cable and a 2.5 to 3.5mm headphone adapter for wired usage.
QuietComfort Ultra: features
We don’t know much at the moment, but we do already know that the QuietComfort Ultra will be Snapdragon Certified. This means higher-quality Bluetooth codec playback capabilities on Android devices and low-latency performance, which is ideal for gaming.
The QuietComfort Ultra are also expected to feature Bose’s usual Quiet (noise cancelling) and Aware (transparency) modes alongside an ‘Immersive Audio’ mode (Bose’s take on ‘Spatial Audio’). This is said to enhance and add depth to whatever you are listening to.
According to the latest leaks, this Immersive mode will have two options - ‘Still’ and ‘Motion’ – with the latter designed specifically to suit usage when you are moving around.
The headphones are also said to include the ‘ActiveSense’ feature which auto adjusts the effect of the active noise cancelling based on the noise levels in your current environment.
In terms of battery life, Sony’s WH-1000XM5 headphones offer around 30 hours of use between charges with ANC active. We would hope for a similar amount of life from the QuietComfort Ultra, although the Noise Cancelling 700 headphones offer only 20 hours of use between charges.
We'd also like to see multipoint Bluetooth connectivity with at least two devices, preventing the need for constant reconnecting. The Noise Cancelling 700 headphones also offer this, so we hope multipoint with two devices is possible at a minimum.
QuietComfort Ultra: early thoughts
Until we have received the confirmed specification and features, it’s tricky to say too much. Based on what we have heard and seen so far, the QuietComfort Ultra headphones look promising and it seems we will be getting a new premium look and finish, combined with interesting features such as spatial audio.
Questions remain, of course, regarding noise canceling performance, battery life, and overall sound quality; we won’t get those answers until they are in our hands for testing.
Feature-packed and likely to be very comfortable (in typical Bose style) the Quiet Comfort Ultra headphones will need to stand up against some stern competition – and we will be reviewing them as soon as we can get hold of a pair. So watch this space.
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