The second-generation Bose QuietComfort Headphones are good, but dont stand out

Bose QuietComfort headphones used to be innovative. Bose's noise-canceling research is the reason the technology is where it is today, and its headphones set the standard. They were the ubiquitous traveler's accessory. But over the past few years, it's felt like Bose has rested on that reputation, as other companies have caught up. Sony and Apple have both surpassed Bose in noise-canceling performance, and even midrange headphones like the $130 Soundcore Space 2 are close for much less money. That means the $359 Bose QuietComfort Headphones 2nd Gen need to stand out in other ways — and I don't think they do.

The second-generation Bose QuietComfort headphones look a lot like the QuietComfort Ultra Gen 2 that Bose launched last fall, but with more plastic instead of metal accents in the headband and joints. In addition to black and white, the QC Headphones come in mauve, a light avocado green, and a two-tone mint color, where the padding is darker than the rest of the headphones. The colors look nice, but headphones companies (including Bose) have been expanding on the reliable black and white options for years now, so colorful options are no longer novel.

The new QuietComfort Gen 2 are designed as a step-down model from the $449 Ultra Gen 2, but they're slightly better in a few ways.

I usually find Bose headphones, including the Ultra Gen 2, to be bassy with a peaky high end, which the limited 3-band EQ in the app could never quite compensate for. But the default listening mode on the QC Gen 2 headphones is the best I've heard from Bose, and I think most people would be more than happy with the sound (I still prefer the stock sound from any of the Sony XM series). I do find the midrange muted, causing vocals to sound buried or snare hits — like at the beginning of The Cranberries' “Zombie†— to lose their impact. But unlike on previous Bose headphones, I could fix the problem with the 3-band EQ in the app by boosting the mid to +4. It added more presence and settled in nicely between the bass and upper frequencies.

Bose built the QuietComfort line's long-standing reputation on active noise cancellation. The Gen 2's is solid, but not as strong as the flagship Ultra Headphones. I actually find that to be a good thing, though. I experience a phenomenon dubbed “eardrum suck†on the QC Ultra Headphones 2nd Gen because of their aggressive noise cancellation. It's a disconcerting feeling that can feel like a change of pressure in your ears (although there's no actual pressure change). I didn't feel it with the QuietComfort Headphones, and while their noise-canceling performance isn't quite as good as the Ultra's, and certainly not as good as either the Sony XM6 or Apple AirPods Max 2 (which don't cause eardrum suck for me, for some reason), it's more than enough to block out airplane noise or AC units, especially when music is playing.

While the headphone jack is now gone, the USB-C connection supports both charging and audio (lossless up to 24-bit/48kHz), like the Ultra Gen 2. Bose also includes both a USB-C-to-USB-C and USB-C-to-3.5mm cable (color-matched to the headphones), so it's still possible to connect to a 3.5mm source. But there's no AptX Lossless or LDAC wireless high-res codec support (the Ultra Gen 2 support AptX Lossless, and LDAC is supported on a variety of headphones from Sony and others).

The QC Gen 2's call quality is about the same as the Ultra Gen 2's, and better than previous Bose headphones, but that's a low bar. Bose still lags behind every major competitor and is light years behind the tech in Soundcore's Liberty 5 Pro earbuds (which will likely come to its over-ear headphones soon). They add extra sibilance to my speaking voice and in loud environments compress the sound, which can cause sentences to clip, making me hard to understand.

Call quality aside, the Bose sound really good (especially with the midrange tweak), they have solid ANC performance, they're light and relatively comfortable, and they have some nice color options. But the same can be said about the vast majority of headphones out there. There's nothing about the Bose QuietComfort Headphones Gen 2 that really stands out, especially for $359.

Part of the problem is the price, which puts them in a no-man's-land. Current-gen flagships like the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones 2nd Gen, Sony WH-1000XM6, and Apple AirPods Max 2 can be found on sale for $400 or a little more, while slightly older — but still competitive — headphones like the XM5 and Sennheiser Momentum 4 are often $250 or less.

That's not to say the second-gen Bose QC Headphones are bad. Far from it. They're a strong argument against spending the extra money on the Ultra Gen 2, but unless you want Bose headphones in particular, there's not a compelling reason to get them. The $400 Sony WH-1000XM6 have better noise canceling, great call quality, and LDAC support, and I slightly prefer their stock sound. They even support Auracast with some phones. Apple's AirPods Max 2 have a distinctive look and the same deep integration with Apple's ecosystem as the AirPods Pro, and they can be found for as low as $430.

Give me a redesigned look. Give me high-res wireless support. Hell, give me Auracast. Give me any reason to say “the QuietComfort Headphones are the headphones to get†instead of just another iterative update. They aren't bad headphones by any means, but Bose used to make the best ANC headphones. Now they're just another pair that are good enough.

Photography by John Higgins / The Verge