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Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (1st Gen)
Keep your 1st Gen QuietComfort Ultra Headphones, or buy a refurbished pair at a real discount; the 2nd Gen adds six hours, Cinema Mode and USB-C lossless.
Product images
Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (1st Gen), from its Amazon listing.
Credit: Amazon.com (Associates Program). Amazon listing
Product image from the Amazon listing.
In short
Keep your 1st Gen QuietComfort Ultra Headphones, or buy a refurbished pair at a real discount; the 2nd Gen adds six hours, Cinema Mode and USB-C lossless. Bose rates this 2023 pair for 24 hours, or 18 with Immersive Audio on, and it still has CustomTune, aptX Adaptive and two-device multipoint. It launched at $429, and Bose's US store now sells it as certified refurbished.
Who it is for
- Current owners who rarely run the battery flat. Bose rates the 2023 Ultra for 24 hours a charge, and the 2nd Gen's main gains are six more hours, Cinema Mode and USB-C lossless.
- Refurbished and used shoppers who want CustomTune, Immersive Audio and aptX Adaptive for less than a new 2nd Gen costs.
- Snapdragon Sound phone owners: aptX Adaptive was one of the features Bose reserved for its Ultra models in 2023.
Who should skip it
- Anyone paying close to new-model money. The 2nd Gen runs 30 hours to this pair's 24 and adds Cinema Mode, Bluetooth 5.4 and lossless audio over USB-C.
- Runners and gym-goers. Bose publishes no IP rating for this model, so it belongs on a plane or a sofa, not a treadmill.
What sets it apart
- CustomTune and Immersive Audio: this is the model that brought both to Bose's over-ear QuietComfort line.
- aptX Adaptive with Snapdragon Sound over Bluetooth 5.3, plus two-device multipoint and Google Fast Pair.
- A 24-hour battery, or 18 hours with Immersive Audio, and a 15-minute top-up that adds up to 2.5 hours (2 with Immersive Audio).
- Folds into its carrying case, with an audio cable in the box for wired listening.
Caveats
- Spatial audio shortens a charge: Bose's 24-hour figure falls to 18 with Immersive Audio on.
- Listings mix up the generations. A pair sold with 30 hours, Cinema Mode or Bluetooth 5.4 is the 2nd Gen (QCUH2-HEADPHONEARN), not this one.
Key specs
In the same order on every headphones page, so you can compare pairs.
| Spec | Value | Source and notes |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Around-ear (circumaural); adjustable headband; removable protein-leather cushions | Bose UK product page |
| Noise cancelling | Active, adjustable noise cancelling; echo reduction also listed | Bose UK product page |
| Ambient sound | Aware Mode; Bose's 24-hour battery figure covers Quiet and Aware modes | Bose product pages |
| Bluetooth codecs | aptX Adaptive with Snapdragon Sound; SBC and AAC as Bose's baseline codecs | Bose announcement on PR Newswire, 14 September 2023Bose gives no full codec list for this generation. |
| Bluetooth | Bluetooth 5.3; A2DP, HFP, AVRCP, Bluetooth Low Energy and Snapdragon Sound; 9 m range (UK) | Bose UK product page; Bose 2023 announcement |
| Multipoint | Yes, two devices at once | Bose product pages |
| Battery life | Up to 24 hours (Immersive Audio off); up to 18 hours (Immersive Audio on) | Bose 2023 announcement; owner documentation |
| Charging | USB-C; full charge in up to 3 hours; 15 minutes gives up to 2.5 hours (2 with Immersive Audio on) | Bose owner documentation |
| Wired listening | Audio cable included; lossless listening over USB-C is a 2nd Gen addition | Bose UK product page |
| Weight | Headphones 0.560 lb (UK); 0.25 kg (Australia) | Bose UK, Australian and US refurbished pagesBose's US refurbished listing gives 0.56 lb. |
| Folding and case | Folds into the carrying case | Bose product pages and 2023 announcement |
| App | Bose app (called the Bose Music app on some regional pages) | Bose UK product page |
| Microphones and calls | Built-in microphone; count not published | Bose UK product page |
| Voice assistant | No dedicated assistant control listed | Bose UK product page |
| Colors | Black, White Smoke at launch | Bose announcement on PR Newswire, 14 September 2023 |
| Compatibility | Bluetooth devices; Google Fast Pair on Android | Bose announcement on PR Newswire, 14 September 2023 |
| US launch price | $429 (announced 14 September 2023; shipped early October 2023) | Bose announcement on PR Newswire, 14 September 2023 |
| Price band | Flagship at launch ($429); now sold refurbished or used | Based on the $429 launch price |
| Announced | 14 September 2023 | Bose announcement on PR Newswire |
| Availability | US shipping from early October 2023; used or refurbished as of 19 September 2026, after the 2nd Gen arrived in October 2025 | Bose announcement on PR Newswire, 14 September 2023; Bose US store |
Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (1st Gen) extras
Specs only this model has.
| Spec | Value | Source and notes |
|---|---|---|
| CustomTune | Calibrates playback to your ears; this model introduced it on Bose's over-ear headphones | Bose 2023 announcement |
| Immersive Audio | Bose's spatial audio mode; the battery rating drops to 18 hours with it on | Bose 2023 announcement |
| Snapdragon Sound | Yes; in its 2023 three-model announcement Bose kept it for the Ultra models, not the $349 QuietComfort Headphones | Bose announcement on PR Newswire, 14 September 2023 |
| Dimensions | 7.7 × 5.5 × 2.0 in (UK) | Bose UK product page |
| Model code | QCUH-HEADPHONEARN (1st Gen); the 2nd Gen is QCUH2-HEADPHONEARN | Bose product pages |
Keep it, buy refurbished, or move to the 2nd Gen
The first QuietComfort Ultra Headphones arrived on 14 September 2023 at $429, announced alongside the Ultra Earbuds and the $349 QuietComfort Headphones, and shipped in early October 2023. They took over from the Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 as Bose’s flagship. The 2nd Gen arrived in October 2025, and Bose’s US store now sells this first model as certified refurbished.
| Spec | Ultra (1st Gen) | Ultra (2nd Gen) |
|---|---|---|
| Battery | Up to 24 hours; 18 with Immersive Audio | 30, 23 or 45 hours, by mode |
| Bluetooth | 5.3 | 5.4 |
| Cinema Mode | No | Yes |
| Lossless audio over USB-C | No | Yes |
- Keep it if a charge still gets you through the day and you don’t miss Cinema Mode or a digital cable connection.
- Buy one refurbished or used if the price sits well below a new 2nd Gen. You still get CustomTune, Immersive Audio, aptX Adaptive and multipoint.
- Move to the 2nd Gen for six more hours of battery, Cinema Mode, Bluetooth 5.4 and lossless listening over USB-C. Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen) vs 1st Gen puts the two side by side.
Shopping used, you’ll probably also come across Sony’s XM5; its guide has Sony’s figures.
Noise cancelling, Aware Mode and CustomTune
Noise cancelling is active and adjustable, and Bose’s UK page also lists echo reduction. Aware Mode lets outside sound back in, and Bose’s 24-hour battery figure applies in either Quiet or Aware mode.
CustomTune calibrates the sound to your ears and Immersive Audio spreads it around you; this was the model that brought both to Bose’s over-ear headphones.
Battery and charging
| Mode | Ultra (1st Gen) |
|---|---|
| Immersive Audio off | Up to 24 hours |
| Immersive Audio on | Up to 18 hours |
| Full charge | Up to 3 hours |
| 15-minute charge | Up to 2.5 hours (2 with Immersive Audio) |
A full charge covers a long day plus a flight home. Lean on Immersive Audio and plan around 18 hours instead; even then, 15 minutes on the charger buys back up to 2 hours. The charging port is USB-C.
Phones, codecs and the app
With a Snapdragon Sound phone you get aptX Adaptive over Bluetooth 5.3; other phones fall back on SBC and AAC, Bose’s baseline codecs. In its 2023 announcement, Bose kept Snapdragon Sound for the Ultra models and left it off the QuietComfort Headphones launched the same day. Multipoint holds two devices at once, Google Fast Pair speeds up setup on Android, and the profiles are A2DP, HFP, AVRCP and Bluetooth Low Energy, with a 9-meter range on Bose’s UK page.
Settings live in the Bose app, which some regional Bose pages still call the Bose Music app.
Design and the case
It’s an around-ear design with an adjustable headband and removable protein-leather cushions, and it folds into a carrying case. Bose offered it in Black and White Smoke.
Price
The 1st Gen launched at $429 in the US. Bose now sells it as certified refurbished, so compare that price, or any used offer, with a new 2nd Gen before you buy.
Sources
- Amazon product listing — accessed 2026-09-20
- PR Newswire — Bose announces QuietComfort Ultra Headphones, Ultra Earbuds and QuietComfort Headphones, 14 September 2023 — accessed 2026-09-19
- Bose US — Certified Refurbished QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (1st Gen) — accessed 2026-09-19
- Bose UK — QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (1st Gen) product page — accessed 2026-09-19
Frequently asked questions
How is it different from the 2nd Gen?
The 2nd Gen has more battery, Cinema Mode, Bluetooth 5.4 and lossless audio over USB-C. Bose rates it at 30, 23 and 45 hours depending on the mode, against 24 and 18 for this pair. This one launched at $429 in 2023 and runs Bluetooth 5.3.
Can I still buy it new?
Not from Bose in the US. Its US page now leads to the 2nd Gen, and Bose sells this model there as certified refurbished.
What did it replace?
Bose's Noise Cancelling Headphones 700. The Ultra took over as the flagship in 2023 and brought Immersive Audio and CustomTune to Bose's over-ear range.
How much does it weigh?
Just over half a pound. Bose's UK page gives 0.560 lb, its US refurbished listing 0.56 lb and its Australian page 0.25 kg.
Does it fold?
Yes, into its carrying case. Bose's UK page lists the headphones at 7.7 × 5.5 × 2.0 inches.
Official product page: Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (1st Gen). Tech specs: Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (1st Gen) specs.