Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen)

What the 2nd Gen adds

Bose kept what defined the first QuietComfort Ultra Headphones in 2023, CustomTune and Immersive Audio, and spent this generation on battery life, a new listening mode and better wired options.

Spec	Ultra (2nd Gen)	Ultra (2023)
Battery, Immersive Audio off	Up to 30 hours	Up to 24 hours
Battery, Immersive Audio on	Up to 23 hours	Up to 18 hours
Cinema Mode	Yes	No
Lossless audio over USB-C	Yes	No
CustomTune	Yes	Yes

For most people the six extra hours are the upgrade that counts. Cinema Mode and USB-C lossless matter if you watch a lot of video or do most of your listening at a computer. Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen) vs 1st Gen goes through both generations.

Noise cancelling, Aware Mode and Cinema Mode

Bose calls the noise cancelling adjustable and adaptive, with an updated algorithm this generation. You can set the level yourself or switch it off in the Bose app. In Aware Mode, which lets outside sound through, ActiveSense adjusts more smoothly when noise spikes suddenly, Bose says.

Immersive Audio is Bose’s spatial audio mode. Cinema Mode, new this generation, is the one to reach for with films and spoken word, since it widens the stage and pushes dialogue forward.

Bose doesn’t publish driver size, frequency response or impedance, so there’s nothing on paper to set against other flagships. You’re buying Bose’s tuning.

Battery and charging

Mode	Ultra (2nd Gen)
Noise cancelling on, Immersive Audio off	Up to 30 hours
Immersive Audio on	Up to 23 hours
Noise cancelling off	Up to 45 hours
Full charge	Up to 3 hours
15-minute charge	Up to 3 hours of playback (2 with Immersive Audio)

At 30 hours with noise cancelling on, they get you through a long-haul trip without reaching for the cable, and switching noise cancelling off stretches that to 45. Charging is over USB-C, and a 15-minute top-up before you leave covers a commute or two.

Phones, codecs and multipoint

Every Bluetooth phone gets SBC or AAC. Phones certified for Snapdragon Sound also get aptX Adaptive (Bose’s UK page lists Snapdragon Sound by name), and Google Fast Pair handles pairing on Android.

Bluetooth 5.4 multipoint keeps two source devices connected at once, such as a phone and a laptop. Bose quotes a range of 30 feet (9 meters) and lists the A2DP, HFP and AVRCP profiles plus Bluetooth Low Energy.

Listening over a cable

You have two wired options. The audio cable in the box covers analog sources, and USB-C carries lossless digital audio at 16-bit and 44.1 or 48 kHz from a compatible source. Bose also pitches the USB-C connection’s low latency for gaming on a computer or a phone.

Fit, weight and folding

The cups sit around your ears on an adjustable headband, with removable protein-leather cushions on a plastic and aluminum frame. Bose gives the weight in pounds: 0.583 lb for the headphones, which works out to about 265 grams, and 1.061 lb for the entire product system. The headphones measure 1.772 × 6.299 × 8.071 inches, and the boxed system 2.185 × 6.122 × 8.406 inches.

They fold into the carrying case, and laying them flat or folding them sends them into a low-power standby that Bose says lasts for months.

Which one to buy

• The 2023 Ultra has CustomTune and Immersive Audio with six fewer hours of battery. Buy it only at a clear discount.
• Bose QuietComfort Headphones are Bose’s non-Ultra over-ears and launched at $349. Bose QuietComfort Headphones vs QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen) shows what the extra money buys.
• AirPods Max 2 suit iPhone owners who want Apple’s spatial audio and a Digital Crown.
• Sony WH-1000XM6:Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen) vs Sony WH-1000XM6 lines the XM6 up against the Ultra, codecs and battery included.

Price and colors

Bose announced the 2nd Gen on 10 September 2025 at $449, took pre-orders the same day and started selling it on 2 October 2025. Launch colors were Black and White Smoke, with limited Driftwood Sand and Midnight Violet. Prices move, so check Bose before you buy.