Bluetooth: SBC, AAC, aptX Adaptive
Battery life: 24hrs
Finishes: x 3 (Black, White Smoke, Lunar Blue)
Weight: 250g
The original QC Ultras are still compelling two years after launching. Their sound remains competitive, and the ANC – while a bit vacuum-y for some – is still up there with the best. They are outclassed in all respects by their successors, but their price has dropped, making them better value than ever.
Pros
- Folding design
- Rich, full-bodied sound
- Punchy, dynamic delivery
- Exceptional noise cancelling
Cons
- Immersive Audio is unconvincing
- Can’t be used via USB-C
- Only three finishes
Bluetooth: SBC, AAC, aptX Adaptive
Battery life: 30 hours
Finishes: x 5 (Black, White Smoke, Midnight Violet, Driftwood Sand, Desert Gold)
Weight: 250g
For the 2nd Gen model, Bose has improved almost every aspect of the originals: they look classier, sound better and have even more effective noise cancellation. The Immersive Audio mode also gains a new Cinema mode, which makes better use of the tech. They are expensive – though deals are already emerging – but worth it if ANC is your priority.
Pros
- Even better noise cancellation
- Clearer, more detailed and more spacious sound
- New Cinema Mode for spatial audio
- Lossless audio via USB-C
Cons
- Pricey, even on a deal
- Wired listening requires battery life
Bose has a new flagship pair of noise-cancelling wireless headphones. The QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen) build on the five-star 1st Gen model in subtle but significant ways, much like the way QC Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) did recently over their predecessors.
You can see how they perform in our Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen) review. But if you want to know what improvements they make, and how they compare to the original QC Ultra Headphones (especially given the latter have dropped in price), you're in the right place.
Let's pit the two pairs head to head.
Bose QC Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen) vs Bose QC Ultra Headphones (1st Gen): price
The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen) launched at £449 / $449 / AU$699. That's the same price as their predecessors in the UK, but $20 / AU$50 more expensive in the US and Australia respectively.
Of course, the real difference is rather greater. The original QC Ultra Headphones have dropped to £299 recently, but we've also seen the 2nd Gen model get an early discount to £399 – so there's £100 between them.
These discounts were for Black Friday, so there's no guarantee they will be permanent. But it certainly paves the way for the same or even bigger discounts going forward.
**Winner: Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (1st Gen)**
Bose QC Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen) vs Bose QC Ultra Headphones (1st Gen): build & comfort
Bose's headphones are some of the most comfortable around, and that's certainly true of the first-gen QC Ultra Headphones. Their earcups provide just the right amount of grip to stay put without squeezing your noggin, and the headband has plenty of cushioning, too.
But not only are they comfy, they fold flat and hinge into a ball, which makes them smaller than most over-ear rivals to carry around when not in use.
They look nice and premium (though not quite as plush as the rival B&W Px7 S3), and come in four finishes: Black, White Smoke, Lunar Blue and Deep Plum.
The right earcup houses a button for power and Bluetooth pairing, a capacitive touch strip for volume and shortcuts, and a multi-functional button whose purpose you can customise.
The second-gen model might look very similar to the first-gen, but there are some changes. They feature shinier metal adornments for a sleeker, more modern aesthetic. They also come in some different colours: Midnight Violet and Driftwood Sand, alongside the same Black and White Smoke as their predecessors.
They still fold flat and hinge just like their predecessors, so Bose has improved the design without losing any of the benefits.
**Winner: Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen)**
Bose QC Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen) vs Bose QC Ultra Headphones (1st Gen): features
The new model has some advantages over the original in terms of features. The battery life has been extended, for one thing, from 24 hours to 30 (and up to 45 hours with ANC turned off). The older pair drop from 24 hours to 18 with Bose Immersive Audio activated, and the 2nd Gen take a similar hit – they go from 30 hours to 23 with the feature enabled.
Speaking of Immersive Audio, it has a new Cinema Mode for the 2nd Gen model, which promises "a movie-like experience" by widening the soundstage, balancing background effects and making dialogue clearer for a more immersive experience.
We found this to be the best use of Immersive Audio, as it brings dialogue and mid/upper sound effects into sharper relief. It does compress the dynamics though, so isn't ideal for music.
The new model also allows for wired USB-C listening for lossless audio up to 16-bit/48kHz (this was missing from the original pair). This feature also enables low-latency audio for gamers.
For wired listening of any kind, the headphones will need some battery, so it's not a fallback if they've died on the go.
You can also turn the noise-cancelling off completely in the second-gen pair. This is another first for Bose's flagship headphones.
The second-gen pair have all the same features as the older model, including the Still and Motion modes of Immersive Audio (Bose's take on spatial audio), aptX Adaptive support, multipoint Bluetooth and CustomTune calibration (which automatically optimises the sound and ANC to match your ear shape).
ActiveSense also returns, to automatically adjust the ANC to your surroundings, so your music isn't drowned out by sudden loud noises. And you can customise the ANC presets and adjust the amount of outside sound that you let in, depending on what you're doing.
**Winner: Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen)**
Bose QC Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen) vs Bose QC Ultra Headphones (1st Gen): noise cancellation
ANC is the feather in Bose's cap – its wireless headphones and earbuds have long been among the best noise-cancelling ones around. And for the QC Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen), Bose has gone the extra mile.
Bose has refined the digital signal processing to improve the ANC. It has also updated its algorithm for a more natural experience when compensating for sudden loud noises like sirens in the Aware mode – something we found worked wonders when we were vacuuming.
Overall, we found the Ultra 2nd Gen's ANC to be ruthlessly effective.
"Whether you’re riding public transport or walking past roadworks or construction, they provide a blanket of silence so that your music (or podcasts) can bask in the spotlight, eliminating the deepest rumbles and the majority of mid-band hubbub we encounter on our daily travels," we wrote in our review.
"On a plane, only the shrill, high-frequency sound of a baby’s cry penetrates that formidable shield."
The original QC Ultra cans are still world-silencing, "dramatically reducing background rumbles while out walking, and the sound of the London Underground during our daily commute," we wrote in our review.
Still, Bose has made some gains in this area, which is impressive given how well it was already performing.
**Winner: Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen)**
Bose QC Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen) vs Bose QC Ultra Headphones (1st Gen): sound
The QC Ultra Headphones (1st Gen) are a five-star pair, so obviously they sound pretty great for the price.
At first, we found them a little uptight. But given time to run in, they loosen up nicely, and provide a thoroughly entertaining listen. Theirs is a precise, punchy delivery that crosses all genres.
Play Joy Division’s Disorder and the Bose are quick out of the blocks, defining the notes sharply and giving them plenty of texture. Highs and lows come with a sense of richness and refinement, and the timing is spot on.
The second-gen Ultras have the same drivers as their predecessors, and so deliver the same sonic profile. But there are some improvements. They are marginally better in terms of clarity and detail, and sound that bit more solid and musically tighter. Instruments have that bit more space to breathe too, all of which makes an already entertaining pair of headphones even more so.
"Play Charli xcx’s Von dutch, and the Bose rev their engines," we wrote of the 2nd Gen model, "launching themselves into the upbeat track with their best foot forward. The synths surge with low-end texture and impetus, the beat pulsates with snap and crispness. It’s the same pleasingly smooth, bass-rich character Bose has long favoured, simply more insightful and precise than ever before."
True, we "only" gave the 2nd Gen QC Ultras four stars in our review, but that was more a symptom of the intense newer competition from the likes of Sony, Sennheiser and Bowers & Wilkins. You can find better-sounding headphones for a similar price, but if it's a choice between these two Bose models, the 2nd Gen headphones definitely sound superior.
**Winner: Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen)**
Bose QC Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen) vs Bose QC Ultra Headphones (1st Gen): verdict
The new QC Ultra Headphones aren't a massive jump from the first-gen model, but as Bose's latest QC Ultra Earbuds proved, they don't have to be in order to be compelling.
The 2nd Gen QC Ultra Headphones deliver longer battery life, wired listening over USB-C, and a fun new use for Bose's Immersive Audio tech. More importantly, the sound quality is a step on, making for an airier, more immersive soundscape with increased clarity and detail.
But with the original Ultra Headphones dropping to under £300, they do still have a place. They give you a taste of the 'proper' Ultra models for less money, and with that price set to drop more the older they get, they could prove a great buy if cash is strapped. But if it isn't, the new flagship QC Ultra Headphones 2nd Gen are the better pair.
**Overall winner: Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen)**
MORE:
Read our Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen) review
And our Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (1st Gen) review
Bose QC Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) vs 1st Gen: which are better?
The best noise-cancelling headphones around
