Bose QuietComfort Ultra Gen 2 Review: Back on Top for Noise Cancelling

THE SCORECARD

How the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Gen 2 scored

• Comfort

  8.5/10

  The moderately deep fit, oval tips and three tip and wing sizes were comfortable for me.

• Security of the fit

  8.5/10

  The wing tips add reassurance for exercise, and the buds stayed locked in place for weight training and running.

• Case and battery life

  7.5/10

  Battery life remains six hours in the buds and 24 hours total with ANC on, but the case now supports wireless charging.

• Controls

  8.5/10

  Swipe volume control is useful, although customization is limited and squeeze-and-swipe controls remain my preference.

• Connectivity

  8.5/10

  You get multipoint, mono use, Google Fast Pair and Microsoft Swift Pair, though gaming latency is not great for fast-reaction games.

• Core quality

  9/10

  Call performance is a huge improvement, particularly in my windy city test.

• App customization and extra features

  6.5/10

  The app works fine, but its three-band EQ is too limited.

• Noise cancelling

  10/10

  ANC is among the strongest you can get and sits very close to the AirPods Pro 3 in my testing.

• A transparency mode

  9/10

  Transparency is natural with minimal occlusion, although ActiveSense does not react as well as Apple’s equivalent mode.

• Sound quality

  8/10

  I like the rich, balanced Bose tuning, but the lower mids and upper treble are a little lacking.

The Pros and Cons

What has changed from the first Bose QC Ultra?

The fit, controls, connectivity, sound and most app features are basically the same as Gen 1. The meaningful changes are much better call quality, improved ear tips with a cover to reduce wax reaching the drivers, and wireless charging for the case.

The previous model’s noise cancelling was already exceptionally strong, but I had obvious static in my left earbud with ANC enabled, especially at low volume or without music. On Gen 2, I only noticed it randomly and very subtly, even in a quiet environment. It should not be there at all, but it is no longer a huge issue.

Bose QuietComfort Ultra Gen 2 details mentioned in my review

Are the Bose QC Ultra Gen 2 comfortable and secure?

I gave comfort 8.5 out of 10. The fit is moderately deep, with three ear-tip sizes and three wing sizes. Those oval-shaped tips were quite comfortable for me, and I think they should work well for both large and small ears.

Security of the fit also earns 8.5 out of 10. The wing tip gives extra peace of mind while exercising, although the buds still stayed in place well for me during weight training and running without the wings. Only two earbuds on my spreadsheet score higher, and those are exercise-focused models with more stable wings.

Case, controls and connectivity

I scored case and battery life 7.5 out of 10. The case is not especially compact, but it is thin enough to put in a pocket. The important new feature is wireless charging, which really should have arrived before the Ultra did.

Controls score 8.5. I prioritize swipe volume controls, and with one earbud you can handle play, pause, tracks, volume and noise cancelling. Long-press actions have some customization, including spatial audio, Bluetooth device switching, voice assistant and Spotify access. There is still no skin detection and no way to mute your mic on a phone call.

Connectivity also scores 8.5. Multipoint lets two devices stay connected, but you need to pause one before audio from the other kicks in. Either bud can be used on its own in mono mode. Casual gaming should be fine, but latency was not great for quick-reaction games on my iPhone 15 Pro and Nothing Phone 3a Pro.

Bose call quality is finally good

I scored core quality 9 out of 10, a three-point increase over Gen 1. This is an immense upgrade, taking Bose from some of the worst call quality to some of the best.

The difference is especially noticeable in my windy city test with construction noise. That call upgrade was needed, and it is the main reason the Gen 2 score rises by four points overall.

Noise cancelling and transparency performance

Noise cancelling gets a full 10 out of 10. Bose reclaims first spot with some of the strongest ANC you can get. I went back and forth between these and the AirPods Pro 3 for about an hour, and they are basically neck and neck.

What impresses me is that the Bose achieves this without foam ear tips. You could fit foam tips if you wanted even stronger isolation. ANC is only slightly stronger than Gen 1, but wind pickup with ANC enabled is very low, there is barely any EQ shift, and you can use one earbud with ANC while the other stays in the case.

Transparency scores 9 out of 10. It is clear and natural rather than overly amplified, with little blocked-ear effect and a natural-sounding own voice. ActiveSense combines transparency and noise cancelling, but it does not react to household sounds such as a running tap as well as Apple’s implementation.

How do the Bose QC Ultra Gen 2 sound?

I scored sound quality 8 out of 10. These are loud earbuds, measuring just over 119 dB in my max-volume test, and Bose also boosts bass and treble at lower volume to keep the sound richer. I think the bass boost is slightly too strong at low volume, and I would like the option to turn it off.

The tuning is rich but fairly balanced, with sub-bass emphasis that is not excessive. Mid-bass is clean, though bass lines, drums and distorted guitars can sometimes lack the richness I want. The mids are a standout: vocals are forward without becoming too much, while keys, snares, percussion and distorted guitars separate well.

My main tuning complaint is that lower-range vocals can lack warmth and richness. Upper treble is also a little restrained, so cymbals, high vocals and other high-frequency details sit slightly back and the presentation can feel a bit closed in. A better EQ could help, but Bose only gives you three bands in its app.

Spatial audio includes head tracking and does a good job of making sound seem as though it is coming from speakers in front of you. It also adds noticeable reverb and makes everything sound a little strange, so I am not using it.