I bought these from someone who sold these for a pittance (He was upgrading to the Ultra). The cushions were well worn and I did not replace them as soon as I got them. I finally bit the bullet and ordered a pair from Bose and let me tell you that the performance of these headphones is incredible.

I would suggest people to replace theirs if needed because you lose performance when they are worn down. And since it occurs slowly you might not realize the impact on your listening experience. Buy OEM and rediscover your headphones.

Saw this on official hp website Bought it. Can anyone comment if this is original or not as the price is tempting.

https://www.bose.ca/en/p/headphones/quietcomfort-acoustic-noise-cancelling-headphones/QC-HEADPHONEARN.html?dwvar_QC-HEADPHONEARN_color=CHILLED%20LILAC&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=BOSE_BR_PLA_CA_Catch%20All&utm_id=20535803220&utm_term=NA&utm_content=154991310122&gad_source=4&gbraid=0AAAAAD3l1X2jY6LKi17PeHrqVqAMs1YjB&gclid=Cj0KCQiArby5BhCDARIsAIJvjITDf-FQROiwo2NEA32JZ_NZcdkMGrV5rdsYzMKhgTXrGKRQgzUm5fUaAubnEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

Imagine stepping into 2025 with a soundtrack that knows you better than your best friend—earbuds that don’t just play your music but adapt, protect, and know you. The Bose Ultra Open Earbuds are redefining what it means to be connected, from hearing every sweet, subtle note to feeling safe and aware, even in the busiest of streets. This is more than just a pair of earbuds; it’s your new life soundtrack, meticulously crafted to match your every move and mood. Welcome to the future of audio. Are you ready to listen?

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I am so sad to say that my Bose QC from 2018 are dying, and I am interested in upgrading this month while the sales are going on. I am trying to decide between QC headphones and QC Ultra. My biggest priority is physical comfort. I love my old QCs, but would love to upgrade to Ultra for ANC if the physical comfort is same/better.

I recently tried a friend’s Sony X4s and HATED the way they felt. The smallest setting wasn’t small enough for my head, the clamp power wasn’t strong enough so they fell down whenever I bent over, and their cushions were too thin which meant my ears touched the cups. I also hated the auto stop/start when I bent down, and the sensitivity of the touch controls.

I feel like the Bose Ultras kind of look like the X4s, so I’m worried they would be similarly uncomfortable. I’ve been seeing very mixed reviews online. Sadly I have not been able to find anywhere to try them in person.

I’m particularly interested in hearing from former QC wearers who have upgraded to Ultra. What has been your experience with the physical comfort? Do you miss your QCs?

Could anyone please help identify these speakers? There are no discernible part numbers on it, and looking to find some matching ones for replacement

How, like, holly f… Today I went to the mall with my dad, the main reason why I buyed the QC Ultras was for ANC, i already have a Momentum 4 with a great sound quality.

When driving to the mall I tried them to test how much they cancelled the wind and engine, and damn, both were totally cancelled, or atleast 90-95% of it, it was litterally almost pure silence.

At the mall, just walking around I once again pulled them off the case and tried them, passive noice cancelling is already at the same level or even better than Momentum 4 ANC, but when I activated the real ANC on the QC Ultras, holly… I knew they were good, but at that level? I could only understand my dads voice that was just in front of me, everything besides that completely disappeared, yes, I still could hear the dog barking or the screaming kid but at a pretty low volume, like, pretty low. It was like magic tbh, never experienced something like this before…

Totally happy with my buy, ANC was above my expectations, even my dad who have a XM4 was shocked of how they blocked out all.

The NC on my 700s is not working properly anymore (creates random static noises), and I'm torn between getting another pair and getting the QC Ultras.

I love most aspects of the NC700s, only its choice on which device to prioritize when connected to multiple devices can be very annoying.

One thing I'm worried about is Bose's support which over the paar few years has been pretty much non-existent and overall the worst I've had to deal with in a long long time.

Recently had my QC45s foam start to peel off. Any suggestions?

how do full reset for bose qc ultra wireless

I've got a Bose Lifestyle 38 DVD Home Entertainment System with a failed hard drive. Can I use a Lifestyle 18 unit with the 38's speakers?G'day, fellow audio enthusiasts! I'm in a bit of a pickle with my Bose Lifestyle 38 DVD Home Entertainment System. The hard drive's gone and packed it in, leaving me with a rather expensive paperweight. I've been mulling over a solution and thought I might purchase a Bose Lifestyle 18 unit to use with the speakers from my 38 system. The speakers and subwoofer are still in top-notch condition, and it seems a shame to chuck them in the bin. I initially tried to sort out the issue by importing a new hard drive from the States to here in Australia, but that didn't do the trick. It seems the problem might be a bit more complex than just a faulty drive. So, here's what I'm wondering: Would it be possible to use the Lifestyle 18 unit with the speakers from my 38 system? Has anyone attempted this before? I'd hate to see these perfectly good speakers go to waste. I also wish there were some sort of hack that would allow me to bypass the need for the hard drive altogether, as I don't store anything on it. If only I could get the system working without that pesky drive! I've already tried the usual fixes, like unplugging the unit for an hour and then plugging it back in while holding the power button. Any advice or experiences you could share would be greatly appreciated. Cheers!

I can make up my mind. Bose qc is super comfortable with glasses on and noise canceling is top tier. Beats has a better sound profile in my opinion, spatial audio is nice to have on songs that support dolby atmospheres and apple care is a nice add on. My biggest problem with beats is that I cant wear glasses with it because it hurts after 10 minutes. I cant make up my mind. What do you guys think?

Hi, So I have been using both the headphones for a while. I think black Friday sale is going to start soon. So I want to share my thoughts.

https://preview.redd.it/hp2gqdgdyvzd1.jpg?width=1600&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7c4f98e1ea0b0af30607267a9dfc007ea80f1fce

Portability:

• Bose QC Ultra: They fold and have a smaller case compared to sony.
• Sony XM5: They don't fold and the case is big. When in bag, They occupy more space compared to Bose. But I do think all the reviewers are exaggerating the size of the case.
• Winner: Bose QC Ultra

Comfort:

• Bose QC Ultra: Bose QC Ultra takes the clear win here. The earpads are soft, breathable, deep. I can wear them all day.
• Sony XM5: XM5 has shallow ear cushions. It is comfortable for a short while. If you have large ears, your ears will be touching the drivers mesh which makes them very uncomfortable for long listening sessions as pressure builds up. Also heat builds up a lot more compared to Bose. I don't know why most reviewers on youtube don't talk about comfort issue on these XM5s.
• Winner: Bose QC Ultra

Build Quality:

• Bose QC Ultra: Build quality feels premium and durable compared to Sony.
• Sony XM5: XM5 feels cheap. There are lot of reports of broken hinges and are not covered under warranty. Fortunately, I have not been a victim of this doom of hinge * yet *.
• Winner: Bose QC Ultra

ANC:

• Bose QC Ultra: QC Ultra cancels out more noise in day to day use. The low frequency sounds are completely canceled out like road noise etc. But some high frequency noises are let in. There is no option to turn of ANC but I don't mind that. There is a wind block mode that adds a static noise but I found it to be gimmicky.
• Sony XM5: Sony cancels out more high frequency noises (but they are not completely gone). It also has auto/Adaptive ANC which adjusts the amount of ANC based on the surrounding noise. So, when it is quiet like if only ac/fan is running, the Sony decides that the surrounding noise is "low" and reduces the ANC and I can hear even the fan sound. This is such a bad implementation. Sony also has atmospheric pressure sensors, so on the plane (high altitudes) These gets activated and cancels out even more noise compared to Bose.
• Winner: Tie

Ambient Sound/Aware mode:

• Bose QC Ultra: The aware mode is so good on Bose. It feels like there is nothing on my head. The outside sounds feels natural.
• Sony XM5: Sony has weird white noise when Ambient sound mode is on and the voices sound a bit robotic.
• Winner: Bose QC Ultra

Sound Quality:

Bose QC Ultra: The sound through Bose has a warm tone. It is very subjective and I personally like it. But the bass is a lot more and it lasts longer so other frequencies sound a bit muffled.

• Supported Bluetooth codecs: SBC, AAC, APTX ADAPTIVE (Need an Android with greater then Snapdragon 8+ gen 1 chip inside for aptx lossless, also Samsung/Mediatek/Google phones do not support this codec)
• Bits per audio sample: 24bits
• Sample frequency rate: 48khz
• Bitrate: 479kbps (max)
• Imaging: The instrument separation is very good.
• Sound stage (stereo mode): Wide in general but not as wide as XM5
• Detail retrieval: Bass lasts longer and as a result, other frequencies sound muffled.

Sony XM5: The sound with default eq sounds so muddy and feels like using cheap headphones. But with proper EQ, they sound balanced and detailed compared to Bose QC ultra.

• Supported Bluetooth codecs: SBC, AAC, LDAC (lossless)
• Bits per audio sample: 32bits
• Sample frequency rate: 96khz
• Bitrate: 990kbps (max)
• Imaging: It is perfect. The instrument separation is excellent.
• Soundstage: Wider than bose qc ultra
• Detail Retrieval: With proper EQ, the clarity you can achieve through these headphones is amazing considering these are not wired headphones.

Winner: Sony XM5

Mic Quality:

• Bose QC Ultra: The Mic quality on these is awful. It is good in quiet environments but if there is some noise around you, the other person on the call cannot hear anything you say. These pick up everything around you. The noise isolation is non-existent.
• Sony XM5: These are complete opposite to Bose. They are perfect in quiet environments but even in high traffic, the mics on this do miracles, the traffic sounds will be completely isolated. A lot of times, people on calls with me asked me whether I'm in office because its so quiet around me, but I was actually struck in traffic on a bus with huge crowd. I'm completely blown away.
• Winner: Sony XM5

Battery Life:

• Bose QC Ultra: It is good, After a typical 10AM to 7PM workday, I end up with around 60%.
• Sony XM5: It is little better compared to bose. After a typical workday, I end up with 70%.
• Winner: Sony XM5

Controls:

• Bose QC Ultra: The volume slider on these is wonky. Also to quickly switch to aware mode, have to hold the multi-functional button, then cycle through all the modes to reach aware mode or need to take off headphones when someone comes to you to have a quick convo. This cycling through modes takes time and this creates an awkward moment or the person will become visibly annoyed. There is actually a shortcut option that can be used by holding on to volume slider in the app but we cannot add the aware mode to that option which is a shame.
• Sony XM5: Controls on Sony are a more reliable compared to Bose. They are also customizable. There is a dedicated button to switch noise cancelling modes. This is useful to switch to ambient sound mode. Also you can switch to Ambient sound mode by holding the right earcup.
• Winner: Sony XM5

Immersive/360 Audio:

• Bose QC Ultra: Bose has its own spatial audio implementation. I feel that spatial audio is a gimmicky overprocessed shit, but the implementation of Bose is as good as it gets. Don't get me wrong, It's still overprocessed, takes a hit on details, but its better than Sony's native head tracking.
• Sony XM5: These support Android's native head tracking spatial audio. It is not good. Also it is not supported on all the androids.
• Winner: Bose QC Ultra

App Support and Additional Features:

• Bose QC Ultra: The app UI feels more polished compared to sony. But it has connection issues. Sometimes even though the Ultras are connected, the app shows them as not connected. There is a 3 band eq which is more straightforward but we cannot save custom EQ.
• Sony XM5: The UI of the Sound Connect app feels like it is designed in 2014. But it has a lot of features, both useful and useless. But the good thing is it has 5 band eq and we can save custom EQs.
• Winner: Sony XM5

Issues:

To sum up the issues,

Bose QC Ultra:

• Thud noise - When there are vibrations around your head, they make this noise (can be noticeable while travelling by the bus or walking barefoot). I think this is because of ANC mics placement. It becomes unusable for me because of this on bus as my ears hurts.
• Sidetone not working in calls: This is a known issue and a big deal for me. Basically, you cannot hear your own voice properly when you are on call. This made me shout multiple times in cafes because the bad mic quality and sidetone issue is like a combo, if I talk slow in the cafe, due to noise, the other person cannot hear me.
• Mic quality is bad.
• Volume slider is a hit or miss.
• You cannot use them wired without powering them on. This makes them useless when their battery is dead.
• Not able to switch to aware mode quickly

I have spoken to Bose rep recently regarding these issues and they said they will improve in these areas but I don't think the thud noise can be fixed as it seems to be a hardware limitation due to ANC mics placement. But when the headphones are turned off the sound disappears so hope Bose provides update to turn off ANC. I don't bet on it. But I have the transcript of the chat and I will continue to bug them every couple of months on these as long as I have these with me.

Sony WH-1000XM5:

• Comfort, If you have large ears. Please try them on in your local store before ordering.
• The build quality feels delicate. There are a lot of posts online related to broken hinges after an year or so. If you have a big head, then it could be an issue as the earcups will be stretching far. (Sony doesn't cover it in warranty btw)
• Auto ANC
• Ambient sound / Aware mode is not as good as Bose
• Technicalities are better in Sony but ldac codec drains more battery from your phone compared to aptx adaptive.
• Sony's support staff is clueless. They don't even know their own product features and functionality.
• P. S: If you do end up getting Sony, while wearing them or taking them off, do not pull the earcups as that is an instance when hinges break. Pull above the earcups hinge at the end of the headband.

Bottom Line:

• If you want better comfort, better build quality, better transparency mode, better after sales support, prefer warmer sound, don't use these for calls, get the Bose QC Ultras.
• If you want better controls, better mic quality, better battery, more features, prefer balanced and detailed sound (with EQ), don't have a big head (hinge doom), get the Sony WH-1000XM5

I bought Bose first and then when I tried them on the mic was very bad, so I got Sony thinking I will return Bose, But the comfort on Sony is somewhat less compared to Bose. But the mics on the Sony blew me away so I kept both of them - Bose for comfort, Sonys for mic quality.

I use Bose when I'm at home and use Sony when I'm travelling or in office or for calls. And if the mic and sidetone issues are fixed in Bose, I will probably not use Sony. But considering Bose's history, I don't see that happening :(

When connecting its asking for pin

but no pin was ever set up

Why is it doing that

steps to reset pairings on bose qc ultra? how? thanks

Ordered some quiet comforts over a week ago. They’ve been stuck at ups since 2nd Nov with no tracking updates. I have contacted Bose daily and all they say is ‘come back in 24-72 hours’

I’ve asked for my money back, asked for the order to be cancelled asked for a replacement item sent express as I need it and a free return to send the other back should it ever arrive (it won’t it’s clear lost or stolen), I’ve explained that we can all see on the tracking I don’t have the item.

Any other company would send a replacement out by now express.

This is awful service. They won’t refund me and won’t provide the item.

Avoid this company like the plague. Absolutely disgusting

Ok so I’m at my wits end here with these headphones, I’m hoping someone can help me.

A couple weeks ago I was using my headphones & all of a sudden there was this staticy sound in the left ear. I tried to ignore it but it kept getting louder & louder until eventually they were just unusable.

I looked it, found an old thread here that suggested blowing into the speakers or using compressed air. Blowing into them didn’t work at all, but compressed air fixed the issue. Temporarily.

It came back the other day even worse than before - the static was super loud & it started making this horrible very loud screeching noise. The compressed air didn’t work right away this time.

Ever since then, it’s been coming over & over with the amount of time it works getting shorter & shorter & it keeps getting harder to get rid of. It’s now at the point where when I fix it it’ll come back in about an hour. I’ve tried resetting them but that didn’t seem to help anything.

I am very frustrated. I use headphones a lot for school so having them be functional is kind of a necessity. But I can’t really afford to buy new ones right now… I got these about 2 years ago I think, so I don’t think they’d still be under warranty. I hesitate to contact Bose because in my experience once an electronic product is out of warranty the company usually doesn’t even bother trying to help with any issues.

If anyone has any advice that could help me fix this issue, I’d very much appreciate it.

My headphones Bose sports earbuds (2021 model) refuse to connect to my phone (iPhone 14 pro max).

I delete the device from my Bluetooth devices in phone setting and from the Bose app. After 15 minutes of doing this each time I want to use my earbuds … it works for a single use. The next time I want to use them - I need to spend a good 5-10 minutes deleting/re configuring/re connecting the things.

This a relatively recent issue. Issues started roughly once I updated to iOS 18. Not sure if iOS is cause - all my other Bluetooth devices are functional. The headphones go through the bose headphone pairing (the app recognizes the device, the app requests to put case into pairing mode, the app recognizes the case went into pairing mode, the ear buds will ring as though they succeeded in connecting, but then an error message occurs).

Anyone have any tips? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Today I spent 20 minutes in the gym locker room trying to get these things to work - I gave up. Kinda wanna use my 250$ ok headphones and not have to ditch out mulla for something which should be functional.

Why does the Bose App always ask me to finish setup for my QC2 whenever I open it?

Any suggestions to obviate this?

I heard that the wired latency on these is pretty bad due to Bose adding EQ even when wired. Let's say I don't add an EQ(leave default), will the latency still be 35ms? Is it possible to turn off their "custom sound technology" completely? Thank you.

I think they are broken, i've only had them for a few months. They connect to my phone fine but there is no sound coming out, even though the volume is up. If I connect to my laptop they play audio fine for a second then the audio become low quality and either really quiet or really loud. I can't afford a new pair and I want to know if they are broken and need fixing. Sometimes the work normally and then go back to being broken.

Just wanted to give Bose users a heads up. I've been a loyal customer for a long time now. I always had a great customer service experience with them. A few months ago I purchased a Sound Bar Ultra with a 700 series Subwoofer. At its best the combination was fantastic. I can't deny that. The problem was the subwoofer had connection and frequency issues where it would rattle and make distorted sounds at low frequencies. It was intolerable and a known problem. I returned both products on the 17th of October. Both UPS and Bose customer service confirmed the soundbar and subwoofer were received on the 23rd of October. To this day the Bose website hasn't acknowledged the product was received and I have not been refunded. I have gotten told by Bose customer service agents several times now to keep patient but something is obviously wrong. If there's a way to attach my chat logs please let me know. I don't post on Reddit often.

Just wanted to add a Bose agent today told me to wait 3-4 more days and to not worry. Today was the last day of the refund window. So please, someone let me know how to attach chat logs. I'm now being told to wait beyond the policy window to receive a refund. Bose hasn't even acknowledged they received the product. Only UPS and the agents have.

Hi guys,

My QuietComfort 45s I've had for a few years stopped working in the left ear a while back, and I've been recently wanting to find a fix for them. I can't get any output out of them, including noise cancelling.

Is there any way I can fix them, or should I just move on? Any advice would be appreciated.

Hello! I have a Soundbar 600, and a Soundlink Revolve II. I’m trying to connect them to play music in different rooms using the Bose App and getting a really choppy, staticy connection in the Revolve II. What could be causing this?

Also, I would love to add an older Color Soundlink II to the group. Am I correct that it isn’t possible to do so or is there a way?

My QC Ultras arrived on Thursday, after I buyed them as a self birthday gift when I got an offer of -$200 dollars on amazon, here are my first thoughts about them, comparing them to my Momentum 4, which I own since May

Comfort : QC Ultra weight something near 250g, while Momentum 4 weight something like 300g, I haven’t been tired of wearing any of them because their comfort or weight, I find them very pleasing to wear both of them, I would say QC Ultras feel lighter, but M4s pads feel more comfy. when it comes to comfort I would say its a slightly win to Bose, due its lightweight slight difference.

Winner : QC Ultra (Best comfort)

Design : They both are clean and premium looking headphones, here its all about taste, I would stay with Sennheiser here, I love the leather headband design, with it shiny logo at the sides and the clean design, Bose feels less premium due their plastic headband and headphones itself. Im staying with M4s design here, but this is subjective!

Winner : Momentum 4 (Best design for me)

Battery : Momentum 4 claims to have a 60h battery life, but it depends of how much you use it, at what volume and at what ANC / Transparency mode you use them. They last me about a little bit more than 30h while using 85% ANC and 100% level volume. QC Ultras claim to have a 24h battery and a 18h battery with Immersive audio. Ive used them for 4h with immersive audio, at max ANC and max volume, that would make a 20h battery life aprox. Its a clear win for Sennheiser here.

Winner : Momentum 4 (Best Battery)

Sound Quality : Sound quality is subjective, everyone have a different pair of ears and different music taste and feeling. Heres what I could find here… Momentum 4 is probably the best sounding headphones in the ANC headphones market. They have insane instrument separation and clarity, and not just that, you have also the best bass around when it comes to quality / quantity, but if you find it too much, or to little. You can adjust them on the EQ QC Ultras sound also very good, when it comes to clarity and instrument separation they’re also pretty good and spacious, but I find they kinda lack of bass, coming from M4s, I found immersive audio on Bose better than when its off, but its not that much difference. Here I would stay with Sennheiser, they have clarity and a powerful and good bass, Bose sound is also good! But it doesnt fit with me at 100%.

Winner : Momentum 4 (Best Sound)

ANC : ANC on Momentum 4 is decent, it isnt bad, but it isnt Bose or Sony, I have used them on a restaurant, a road trip but mostly on my room, and I find them good enough. But then theres Bose… There much better, probably ANC kings at this moment, they cancelled EVERYTHING, I mean EVERYONE and EVERYTHING, theyre unbelievable good, my dad have a XM4, at the first moment they seem at their level, but after a few seconds when Adaptative NC does it thing, they improve even more, unbelievable. Clear win for Bose here.

Winner : QC Ultra (Best ANC)

Issues : Ive had only one minor issue on the M4, that they would connect to the app for a couple of hours a month ago (aprox), after that day it was fixed so np. On the QC Ultras sometimes when I press the pause / plauy / skip button, or when I make a strong head movement while walking or just sitting a little “pop” you could say, sounds out of nowhere, I think its because their air pressure, but this havent ocurred on my Sennheiser, is it normal? Or whats the problem here?

Winner : Momentum 4 (Less issues)

Conclussion : I loved them, theyre so comfy, sound is good, clean and spacious, but more with a flat sound, ANC is just god level, thats the main readon why I bought them, they didnt disappoint at all, its just that small issue of the “pop” sound, besides that, these are so good,I definitely would recommend them. But if I would keep only one I would stay with Sennheiser Momentum 4 for their sound signature, its just perfect to me.