QuietComfort Ultra Headphones - Sandstone

To start out, I must say I am very fussy about audio. I have a small recording studio, which I spend at least eight hours a day in. I have three different sets of headphones, which all have a personality of their own when it comes to sound and mixing, I have a couple of Bose speakers which are excellent and have always been impressed with their products. I did not buy these with the intent of mixing, just for listening out of the studio. Most headphones don’t reflect what a good pair of studio monitors produce. These headphones , do an excellent job of reproducing accurate recordings, good and bad. The features of these headphones was really more than I needed, but I was presently surprised how good they sounded. As I have found over the years with Bose, there was always a little problem in the mids, but the clarity was so clear it was a no-brainer. Ever since I’ve started using these I can’t get them off my ears. I started using them in place of my flat response headphones because they give me a good reflection of my monitors. they are extremely comfortable to wear for long periods of time and the features are top-notch in the noise cancellation is about as good as it gets in a set of headphones. The volume control can be a little bit hard to get used to, but the more I use them the easier it gets, as usual. The one thing I don’t really care for and it’s being kind of picky is, I normally will use these with a wired connection in the studio to avoid any latency by using Bluetooth. But you have to have the headphones powered on even when wire direct. My other headphones don’t use any battery power when plugged in direct. Now, if you’re into high-tech, you’re going to love the immersive settings on these cans. I have no idea how they pull this off and it wasn’t the reason that I bought them in the first place, but these things are awesome. I guess there’s no way I can really explain how they work and what it sounds like so I guess you’ll have to buy a pair for yourself. The problem with that is that they are a little pricey as always with Bose, but I think in this case they’re worth it. I was prepared to send these back if they didn’t sound good, simply based on how much they cost , so I was pleasantly surprised and how good they were. If you can get by the price, you will be happy with these headphones. Nothing is perfect, that’s for sure, but in the audio department these things come pretty close….Nice job Bose !

I was looking for a comfortable pair of over-the-ear headphones to wear when traveling on a plane or relaxing at home. I knew I wanted three things: 1. They had to be noise-cancelling. 2. They had to come with an optional AUX cord for plugging into a seat-back screen on an airplane. 3. They had to have a protective carrying case. I read many reviews online, and while I understand that the noise-cancelling feature on the Bose doesn't rate as highly as the other two top competitors in this price category, it is a very marginal difference. The sound quality with these headphones is top-notch. The noise cancelling is almost scary how good it is (seriously, don't use it if you ever need to pay attention to your surroundings)! The headphones are very comfortable. They easily toggle between bluetooth and AUX-cord use. The app is simple, easy to use, and has never dropped a connection. I bought the cream colored headphones and, after 5 months, they have yet to show any dirt or stains. They charge quickly, and the battery lasts...well, it probably last for many hours but seeing as how I only use them for 3-4 hours at a time, the charge seems to last for many days. The travel case completely encloses the headphones (unlike another top competitor's travel case). The only drawback is that getting the headphones into the carrying case is a bit like playing Tetris. After 5 months I still haven't quite gotten the hang of it, but I'm sure I will. All in all, these are well worth the money and I have no regrets purchasing them.

I waited to review these as I wanted to take a couple of flights to test them out. They look great, love the slim case they come in, are marked R & L so you know which goes on which ear. A little bit confusing to get to operate as there are only 2 buttons to control several functions. You need to take the Bose tutorial online to get the best experience. There are 3 levels of quieting that you can easily switch to. I had another brand in the past, I could never tell how much charge was left, the Bose tells you when you first put them on and connect them. (Put them on, then connect them so you can hear the headphones tell you the charge % remaining). Now as to how good they sound, they are outstanding! On the quietest setting I could just faintly hear the PA announcements on the plane, the middle setting was also excellent and you could barely hear the PA. On any setting you need to make sure they seal around your ears because that is where outside sound can leak into your ear. Once fitted, they are comfortable for hours, (your experience may differ), they easily paired with my old IPad so I could watch some movies while flying to vacation. As to background air noise from outside the plane, I sat just behind the wing on one trip and in the middle of the rear on another. They were very quiet, you will still hear a little air noise, (white noise?), but not objectionable and after a little bit it was just that, background noise I did not conscientiously hear. The initial charge can go for over 20 hours I believe to you don't need to worry if they will last your whole trip or not. These are worth the price in my opinion.

So just to preface my friend is a bit of an audio file and has shown me a lot of medium to high end consumer headphones and systems. I've been super cheap myself and only just recently started to try higher and higher end products granted the highest I currently have is a pair of JBL ead buds that I think were around 40-50 dollar mark. (got them on sale might retail higher) So these Bose headphones are quite the step up in price but honestly comparing the two... A DOWNGRADE in sound quality. I don't think the ear buds I'm comparing it to are even that great! I literally just went back and forth between the two with the same connection, audio file, everything, and they just aren't that good! I don't get it. Was extremely disappointed even when I first tried them it was extremely noticeable. Don't get me wrong they are a good set of headphones for around the 50-100 buck mark but that's the problem they are 3x + that budget point! I've been very impressed with speakers from Bose and was just utterly disappointed with these. Idk if the sound cancelling really costs that much because that's really the only outstanding feature that these have. Main gripes: -Price for what they deliver. -They seem to be really proud of their "immersive experience" but they sound like they inject white noise put the audio threw a high and low filter (as much clarity loss than a security camera loosing connection)and then play that audio in an ecco room and they push it to you like the best thing since sliced bread and you know it might be if the music or whatever didn't sound like crap now. Like it could be really cool for immersive binural experiences like that tech has potential to make vr 360 video super immersive but they really do modify the audio too much. -Audio quality: as in the crispness and high tones are worse than what I have and the punchiness of the bass is worse than my ear buds that are like 1/8th the price. The bass itself is also very not present by default and has to be boosted a bit to sound normal and maxed to have it sound good. It can shake or rumble to its credit, and reproduce really low frequencies it's just not as punchy if that makes sense. -Loudness: typicaly I like the 75% volume mark to be a good loud workout/hype type volume(and typically it is) for these that's about 90%. It's max volume is (in most cases/with typical balanced audio) one click too loud. When listening to quiet audio I literally can't turn it up enough which is so annoying. It's like just barely loud enough to be ok for 80% of the time but it's literally just on the line and that sucks. I want to say 90% of the cheaper ear buds can be too loud and give me the controll over how loud I want my music. And like it was very similar with the bass, when boosted it just barely hits that ok level but can't go past just ok. -They don't like to stay on my head. I do have a really small head and I know that less clamp force generaly means more comfort but if you do get these you probably want to because of their insane noise cancellation and if you can only wear them at home not moving much in a chair where it's probably fairly quiet already that's doesn't really seem ideal. Anywho some good points -Very comfortable -Noise cancelation literally sounds like you teleport into outer space - They do sound good and have a warm unique sound to them ($100 dollar good not 300) -Loudness and bass are just so barely satisfactory (for me it's a negative but for you, maybe that's all you need) -Can rumble and shake even if it's just a little bit. (Definitely feels like it's tuned for mid tones the most) -Battery life is good but again it doesn't stand out For the price, the brand name, and the sound quality I am really disappointed. I was very excited to have finally splurged on a really nice pair of headphones to get a taste of some better sound quality but was left with a bad taste instead. It's not impossible that I didn't do something that would have made them so much better or that I was doing something wrong because I only had them for a day or maybe I even got a lemon somehow but they did work so I don't think so.

I own the Bose QC45 and have recently tried comparable headphones in this class including the B&W PX7 S2 and Sennheiser Momentum 4. The Bose QC Ultra are probably the best among this group when it comes to my top three priorities - sound quality, comfort, and ANC. Here are my relative rankings in these categories: SOUND QUALITY I was a bit skeptical at first that Bose's new Immersion Mode would amount to a mere marketing gimmick, but it's really unlike anything that I've ever heard. It's hard to describe (you have to listen for yourself!). Immersion Mode somehow gives the sense that the audio source is in front of you (almost like speakers), which ultimately creates a more expansive, 3D-ish effect that makes the music "come alive." I now listen exclusively in Immersion Mode and don't know that I can go back to the more traditional, "closed-off" sound of other headphones. The QC Ultra is a definite step-up from the QC45. I was also impressed with the B&W PX7 S2's balanced and clean sound signature; however, I had to return my pair because the left ear cup suddenly and inexplicably went dead after only a week of gentle use. I contemplated repurchasing because of how good they sound but don't want to take the chance on receiving another dud. While the M4 has a loyal following, I was personally disappointed by the Sennheiser sound signature. The M4 was too bass-heavy for my taste; moreover, the clarity/separation for vocals and instruments was muddy and often overpowered by the bass. Rankings: QC Ultra >= PX7 S2 > QC45 > M4 COMFORT Both the QC45 and QC Ultra live up to the "comfort" in their names. Their light weight and plush padding are second to none, with perhaps a slight edge to the QC45. The PX7 S2 is also quite pleasant to wear but a little heavier compared to Bose. I was not a fan of the M4, which felt a bit cheap to me; the material used for the ear pads was not breathable (think hot ears), and the clamping force was tighter than Bose and B&W. Rankings: QC45 >= QC Ultra > PX7 S2 > M4 ANC Bose has earned a reputation as the "King of ANC", a title that is well-deserved IMO. Both the QC45 and QC Ultra are noticeably more effective at drowning out ambient noise than the PX7 S2 and M4. Rankings: QC Ultra = QC45 > PX7 S2 = M4 Hope that my observations help you if you're trying to decide between these headphone options. I plan to keep the QC Ultra as Bose has made substantial improvements to the QC45, namely the Immersion Mode, that justify the price differential for me. I do wish that the battery life were longer, but its other distinguishing features make up for it. Overall, I'd give the QC Ultra 4.5 (rounding up to 5) stars!

Noise cancellation functionality is simply supreme, as is the immersion mode. I forget that I'm wearing headphones when in Immersion mode and just get lost in the high-caliber and clarity of the sound that is the hallmark of the Bose Corporation. They are relatively easy to use if you read the instructions, so, admittedly, not the most intuitive controls. I wish they still had the power switch that the QC 45s have. They have great functionality, and Immersion mode is particularly notable. I haven't had them long enough to speak to durability to a substantial extent, but they seem to be well-built. I gave 4 stars instead of 5 because the on-head detection can get glitchy. However, this is relatively easily remedied by recalibrating the headphones. I just turned the feature off because it was constantly pausing and unpausing the music when I was moving around. As to value for the money, I wouldn't waste the money on this version and would instead get the second generation (honestly, I'm annoyed about my purchase timing and the announcement of gen 2 a week later. Gen 2 is supposed to address some of the issues that I have noted). I suggest holding off until the price drops as a result of Gen 2's official release, as it is expected to be released at the same price point as the Gen 1 headphones ($429.99). If the price point doesn't change with the gen 2 release, then I recommend getting gen 2 in lieu of this one. If they do, then it's still worth it.

I read sooo many reviews before buying these. The sound of course is Bose great, they're comfortable (I have an average-sized male head), noise-cancelling is noticeably better than my Soundcore Q45s (which already have great sound cancelling) the controls are easy to operate once you get the hang of it- really, no problem. and now to the color... I knew from Bose I'd get a great product but was concerned about the "Deep Plum" It's not a deep color and I'd say they're magenta. It is a classy wine color and I'm already used to them and like the color. I definitely recommend these headphones.

I have been waiting for quite awhile to purchase these headphones. Jumped on the Diamond edition 60th anniversary pair on sale. I had been a consumer of a competing brand and had a couple of issues that I wasn't satisfied with. So, I decided to try Bose for the first time. Cons: 1. The app isn't very good. I like to tinker with the equalizer. And there is one - but it's not very tinkerable. 2. Battery life. It hasn't been a problem yet, but it's much than the last two headphones I've purchased. it has a trick to save battery life. And my primary usage should make it fine. But, if I traveled more, I'm sure it might be an issue at some point. Pros: 1. They are light and comfortable. These are more comfortable than the brand I used to own on the top of the head. My ears don't get uncomfortable (so far) with extended use. 2. The multipoint hookup is flawless so far. Hooks to my computer and phone quickly. Headphones go into sleep mode as soon as you take them off, which pretty much negates the battery problem. As soon as you put them back on, everything hooks back up. 3. Noise canceling is the best ever. The brand I used to own had it. It was great. Outstanding. This is AS good if not better. My wife has been talking noise to me all day. Haven't heard any of it. Win! 4. The big one for me - immersive audio. I thought it was a gimmick. Not something I even considered in weighing my choice. But, the "still" immersive audio is my favorite thing I think. It sounds like I'm not wearing headphones. The sound fills like I'm listening on speakers full blast. When I turn my head, the sound doesn't move with my head. It stays stationary. So it's like sitting 4th row of a concert. The guitarist is over on the left side of the stage and if I move, he doesn't. Basically, I was told all this by reviewers but really didn't understand just how cool it is. I'm happy. Merry Christmas to me.