Way back in February, a leak indicated thatBose was planning a new pair of high-end ANC headphonesto replace its aging flagship Noise Cancelling Headphones 700, called the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones.
Today, Bose announced a trio of new products that we’ve been expecting for some time. On the heels of a series of leaks, the company confirmed its new flagship headphones meant to replace the aging Noise Cancelling Headphones 700, the Bose QuietComfort Headphones Ultra. Bose also took the wraps off the QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds, an update to last year’sQuietComfort Earbuds II, and the new sub-flagship (but still-pricey) Bose QuietComfort Headphones.
QuietComfort Ultra Headphones
The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones are the company’s new top-shelf ANC offering. They’re replacing the outgoing Bose Noise Cancelling 700 as the company’s flagship over-ears. The Ultra Headphones feature a more traditionallyBosedesign, borrowing more aesthetically from the QuietComfort 35 and 45 than the 700s. Unlike the Bose 700, the company’s new flagship can fold down to fit in a smaller carrying case, rectifying a fan-favorite peeve about the non-folding 700s.
Beyond the expected high-end ANC headphone features, the QuietComfort Ultra Headphones debut what Bose is calling Immersive Audio, a propietary spatial audio system that’s meant to make it sound like your media is coming from in front of you. The feature uses on-device processing, so it can work with any Bluetooth audio source, including ones that don’t natively support spatial audio.
I got to try the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones at a press event in New York, and in my short time with them, I was impressed. Immersive Audio has two settings. There’s Still, which is meant for use when you’re sitting in one spot, and Motion, for when you’re moving around.
The Still setting creates the illusion that your audio source is stationary, like stereo speakers on a desk in front of you. When you turn your head, it sounds like it would if you were to turn away from sound out in the real world: audio gets louder in one ear and quieter in the other. Switched to Motion, audio still sounds like it’s coming from in front of you rather than directly outside your ears, but it doesn’t change direction as you move around — it sounds like it follows you.
Immersive Sound seemed impressive in the few minutes I had with it, but I’ll reserve judgment until I have more time with the headphones outside a carefully crafted demo environment.
The QuietComfort Ultra Headphones are available for preorder from Bose starting today in black or white colorways, and come in at cool $429. General availability begins “early October.”
Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones
The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones are the company’s latest flagship over-ears, replacing the Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700. They sport a familiar folding design and feature Bose’s new Immersive Audio tech that enables spatial stereo audio on any device. These headphones also support Fast Pair for easy pairing on Android.
QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds
Bose’s previous high-end ANC earbuds, the QuietComfort Earbuds II, were only released last September, but we’re already getting a follow-up in the QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds. The new buds seem like a relatively light refresh — the most noteworthy change is that the buds support the same Immersive Audio effects as the over-ear QuietComfort Ultra Headphones. Bose is also talking up improvements to call quality, crediting “dynamic microphone mixing and adaptive filters” that should make your voice clearer on the other end of calls.
Compared to the QC Earbuds II, the QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds pick up Fast Pair support — but their case still doesn’t support wireless charging. Bose says it’ll be selling a $49 silicone case cover that enables wireless charging for both the QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds and the previous-generation QuietComfort Earbuds II beginning on October 20.
Like the QuietComfort Ultra Headphones, the Ultra Earbuds are available for preorder beginning today, in black or white, for the same $299 as the QC Earbuds II. Full availability is set for early October.
Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds
QuietComfort Headphones
Finally, Bose confirmed its new standard QuietComfort Headphones, meant to replace the recent QuietComfort Headphones 45 as the company’s middleweight premium headphones. The new QC Headphones are an even smaller update to the predecessor than the Ultra Earbuds — they don’t feature the fancy new Bose Immersive Audio feature. You can now personalize the level of ANC noise filtering, but that’s about it as far as noteworthy new additions go.
The new QuietComfort Headphones are also available for preorder beginning today, in black, white, or a limited-time dark green color, for $349 — a $20 price hike versus the outgoing model. General availability for the QuietComfort Headphones starts a week from today, on September 21.
My early impressions of Bose’s new Immersive Audio tech are positive — the effect seems convincing. But I only had a few minutes with the QuietComfort Ultra Headphones in a staging environment, listening to predetermined music, so I don’treallyhave enough to go on to make a judgment yet. If it’s as impressive in real life as it is in demonstrations, I could see myself using it often — but that’s a bigif.
The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones, QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds, and new QuietComfort Headphones are all available for preorder beginning today direct from Bose.
