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What you need to know
- Bose is making improvements to ANC across the board. First announced with the earbuds, now the headphones will see those improved algorithms as well.
- The second-generation Bose QuietComfort Ultra headphones will be available for $449.
- The headphones will see a new Cinema Mode and two new colorways.
Bose has been on a tear in the summer of 2025, announcing an update to their QuietComfort Ultra earbuds and SoundLink Micro portable speaker. In addition, it's released a new portable speaker, the SoundLink Plus, which we found to be one of the best in its price point in our full review. And now we have the second-gen Bose QuietComfort Ultra to look forward to.
Announced today (Sept. 5) for preorder and available on October 2, 2025, for $449, the second-generation QuietComforts see a $20 jump from 2023's launch, likely due to the inclusion of USB-C audio. They'll be available in Black, White Smoke, and in two new limited-edition colors, Midnight Violet and Driftwood Sand, with what Bose is calling "a new premium design with polished metal materials and colorways."
In a press release, Bose states that the most impactful upgrade to the new headphones is their improved on-head detection, which will automatically start up when connected to paired devices after being placed on your head. They'll go into a low-power standby mode that Bose says will last for months when you take them off and lay them flat or place them back into their carrying case.
However, given the ANC battle for supremacy between Bose and Sony, it may be that the most impactful update is the improved AI-powered ActiveSense adaptive noise-cancelling algorithms, which could place Bose as the market leader in active noise-cancelling.
Among the new updates and features, Bose claims to have improved battery life by six hours, now reaching 30 hours with ANC on, and 23 hours with Immersive Audio activated. That's up from 24 and 18 hours, respectively, on the first-generation headphones. When the QuietComfort Ultra (2nd Gen) are drained, 15 minutes of quick charge will get you three hours of playback.
Like much of the competition, Bose has added USB-C audio support this year, which accommodates 16-bit, 44.1kHz, or 48kHz lossless audio files. And while we're talking about more robust audio options, the new Cinema Mode purportedly gives you a wider sound stage while giving greater clarity to dialogue.
There's going to be a lot to talk about once both the earbuds and headphones are available, and of course, we'll have reviews for you, so that you can decide if the Bose QuietComfort Ultra headphones or earbuds will be among your next audio purchases.
