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Bose headphones: which QuietComfort is which

Updated by Lucian Bergstrom. Bose QuietComfort headphones, Bose noise cancelling headphones and Bose earbuds: same names, different generations.

  1. The flagship

    Bose QC Ultra 2

    $350 to $450

    Check price

    Read why

  2. The earbuds

    Bose QC Ultra Earbuds 2

    $250 to $350

    Check price

    Read why

What to buy, briefly

Buy the QuietComfort Ultra Headphones 2nd Gen: What Hi-Fi? rates it as blocking marginally more than the Sony flagship, and SoundGuys found its padding better for long sessions. The trap is the name. Bose sells a 1st Gen and a 2nd Gen Ultra, in both over-ear and earbud form, under almost identical titles, so the generation on the listing is the thing to check.

What to settle first

Which headphones cancel the most noise?

On measurements, the Sony WH-1000XM6: RTINGS, who test isolation on an instrumented head, call them the best noise cancelling headphones they have tested. What Hi-Fi? gives the Bose QuietComfort Ultra 2nd Gen the edge for raw blocking and the Sony the edge for sound. Both are a tier above everything cheaper, and the gap between them is smaller than the gap between either and a $100 pair.

Sony XM6 leads RTINGSRTINGS; What Hi-Fi? 2026

Our pick: the Sony WH-1000XM6Go deeper: pick by where you sit instead

Which is comfortable for long wear, and what about glasses?

Bose, by most accounts. SoundGuys found the Ultra's thicker padding clearly better over long sessions than the Sony's firmer clamp, and a firmer clamp is also what pushes on glasses arms. If you wear glasses, the things to look for are deep pads, low clamp force, and a band that sits behind the head rather than on top of it.

Bose padding wins long sessionsSoundGuys

Our pick: the Bose QC Ultra 2nd GenGo deeper: the glasses and fit checklist

How do I avoid a counterfeit pair?

Buy the listing, not the photo. Check who it ships from and who it is sold by, prefer Amazon itself or the brand's own storefront, treat a flagship priced far below everyone else as a warning rather than a win, and register the serial number with the brand when it arrives. Headphones are one of the most counterfeited categories on any marketplace.

Check sold-by before you payRetail guidance and brand counterfeit notices

Our pick: our top pickGo deeper: the four-step seller check

The picks, in order

1

The one to buy

Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen)

$350 to $450on Amazon, Oct 25, 2026
Check price on Amazon

Check the Sold by line before paying. Why

Buy it if you want the most sound removed and the most comfortable pads, and you fly or sit in an open-plan office.
Skip it if you want the best battery and the best calls in one box. See the Sony XM6.
Two labs agree92/100On a planeIn an officeAt home with kids

Bose's strongest cancellation with the padding reviewers prefer over long wear.

Where each number comes from
SpecThe box saysTesting and sources say
Noise cancellingBose: CustomTune calibrates to your earWhat Hi-Fi? rates it as blocking marginally more intensely than the Sony; Tom's Guide, after six months with both, says the Bose blocks more
SoundImmersive Audio spatial modeWhat Hi-Fi? places it second to the Sony on sound quality
BatteryUp to 30 hoursSoundGuys measured 27 h 37 m on the previous Ultra, against 37 h 14 m for the Sony

Sources: What Hi-Fi?, best noise-cancelling headphones 2026; Tom's Guide, six months with both; SoundGuys comparison. Full write-up: on the main list.

$350 to $450on Amazon, Oct 25, 2026
See it on Amazon

Check the Sold by line before paying. Why

2

The earbuds

Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen)

$250 to $350on Amazon, Oct 25, 2026
Check price on Amazon

Check the Sold by line before paying. Why

Buy it if you want the most isolation available in something that fits in a pocket, on either phone platform.
Skip it if you need more than six hours between charges. See the Sony WF-1000XM6.
Hands-on tested73/100On a planeIn an officeOn a train or bus

CustomTune calibrates to your ear on every fit, which is why these beat their spec sheet.

Where each number comes from
SpecThe box saysTesting and sources say
Noise cancellingCustomTune calibrates to each earBose's reputation in this category is built on isolation, and reviewers consistently place its earbuds at or near the top for blocking
Generation2nd GenBose sells a 1st and 2nd Gen under nearly the same name; the ASIN is what tells them apart
BatteryAround six hoursImmersive Audio shortens it further, as it does on the over-ears

Sources: What Hi-Fi? and Tom's Guide on Bose ANC; Our listing data, 25 October 2026. Full write-up: on the main list.

$250 to $350on Amazon, Oct 25, 2026
See it on Amazon

Check the Sold by line before paying. Why

Telling the Bose generations apart

There are three families on sale at once: QuietComfort Headphones, QuietComfort Ultra Headphones and QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds. The Ultra pairs now each have a 1st and a 2nd Gen.

The product title is not reliable on its own, because sellers write it differently. Check the generation wording in the listing title, the ASIN against the brand's own storefront, and the box photo for the generation mark before you pay.

Immersive Audio is Bose's spatial mode and it costs battery: the 2nd Gen's claimed 30 hours drops to around 23 with it running.

Asked and answered

Which Bose headphones should I buy, and what is QuietComfort Ultra?

QuietComfort Ultra is the flagship line and it now exists in a 1st and a 2nd Gen with almost the same name, in both over-ear and earbud form. For most buyers the 2nd Gen over-ear is the one: What Hi-Fi? rates it as blocking marginally more than the Sony. Check the generation on the listing, because the names do not.

How do I know an Amazon listing is genuine?

Open the buy box and read who it ships from and who it is sold by. Amazon itself or the brand's own storefront is the safe pair. A flagship priced far below every other listing of the same model is the classic counterfeit signal, and so is a listing with a model name that does not exist on the brand's own site.

How do noise cancelling headphones actually work?

Microphones listen to the sound arriving at the earcup and the driver plays an inverted version of it, so the two largely cancel. It works best on steady low-frequency noise, which is why engine rumble disappears and the voice two rows back does not. Passive sealing from the pads or tips does the rest.

What about the warranty if I buy on Amazon?

Brand warranties generally require an authorised seller, which is one more reason the sold-by line matters. Keep the order confirmation, and register the serial number with the brand when the box arrives.

What is multipoint, and do I need it?

Multipoint keeps two devices connected at the same time, so a call on your phone interrupts music from your laptop. If you work at a desk with a phone next to you, it is the feature you will use every day. Every over-ear pick on this page has it.