Bose - QuietComfort Headphones

Paid $329 for them about 2/3 weeks ago and they’re easily the best headphones I’ve ever had. I’ve had a few different headphones/earbuds over the years. Started with first gen AirPod Pro’s in 2021, had to warranty them out I swear every 2 months (Apple replaced them 5 times under warranty), once they finally broke and Apple would not replace them for free, I fell victim to Beats and got Beats Studio Pro’s (I did not like them the second I pulled them out of the box). Ended up getting AirPod Pro 2nd generations (love those and they are serving backup duty to my Bose QC Ultra headphones. I also briefly got a pair of Bose QC’s 2023, but ended up giving those to my dad since I was honestly very content with my AirPod Pro’s. That was until I got the sudden urge to buy headphones again. Living in Iowa, I use my headphones as earmuffs when I walk around when the weather starts getting cold 🤣. Was between the Sony XM6 and the Bowers and Wilkins PX7 S3. The second I tried out the Sony in the store I immediately ruled them out. They look cheap, felt meh, no headband cushioning, and while the sound was decent and the tech features were nice, I just did not love them like I did the Bose when I tried them in store. The Bowers and Wilkins however would have gotten the sale if it wasn’t for their meh adaptive and noise canceling. Loved the sound signature over the Bose (not by much though, the Bose still sounded amazing in comparison) but as someone who uses transparency mode about 97% of the time, mic quality was very important to me and it just felt artificial on the B&W. I also liked that the Bose had the ActiveSense feature where in Aware mode it still filters loud sounds, similarly to my AirPods Pro. The only thing I wish the Bose did have from my AirPods is conversation awareness but honestly it’s easy just to swipe the volume control down when I start talking so I’ve gotten used to it. They get to join my growing Bose family. I’ve got a 10 year old Bose Wave in my room, a SoundLink Flex 2nd Gen, SoundLink Max, and now these!

I unfortunately don’t remember the sound of the QC 2023’s much anymore, I’d say the Ultras are maybe a bit more clearer and the noise cancellation is definitely stronger. However I did recently compare wearing my Dad’s QC’s to my Ultras and the comfort is better on the QC 2023’s (not that the Ultras are uncomfortable but there’s more clamping force and they are heavier)

Good? Meh. Acceptable? Sure. Costco has the Bose Quietcomfort SC for $220 right now and they're .... fine. Beats Studio Wireless are also ... fine, and you can snag them for like $170 at Best Buy now. Neither are great, but both will get the job done.

I've been demoing the Bose Quietcomfort SC ($220 at Costco right now) and I'm ... reasonably impressed? They're not best in class at anything but they're better than the competition.

except the gen1 ultra doesn't work through the mini jack cable while turned off (unlike the QC 2023) so im not even sure if you can do this! definitely a welcome improvement for the gen2 either way

I have the Bose QuietComfort SC and I recommend them 100%. Very comfortable.

Bose QuietComfort SC seems like a great deal at it's current price if you can afford the difference from the previous ones. It's extremely comfortable and the sounds is also great.

Check out the basic model of Bose QuietComfort Headphones (ex QC45). They're cheaper, no fancy extras, super comfy and with good noise cancellation.

My quiet comfort 2023s are great so far on my and I just got them today they’re so clean lol

Bose QC SE. Thank me later.

If your in the apple ecosystem I can get why you would want to try the apple max headphones. I've now tried the Sennheiser Momentum 4's which have a good ear cup size but the comfort wasn't good for my head. I've had the Sony xm4s and their Ear cups are awful as your ears sit against the ear cup all the time, I found they werent good for extended periods as they can get sweaty like most headphones. The xm5s had the same ear depth issue. The sony xm6 has fixed it finally. Bose QuietComfort SC (SC stands for softcase and can save you like $100) also had a good ear cup size and had good active noise cancelling. The Bose QuietComfort Ultra also has the best active noise cancelling but same materials on the ear so wont help with sweat in a hot environment. I've just got the Marshell Monitor 3 headphones and they are the most comfortable I've tried out of all of them. Great earcups and pads. But not great Active noise cancelling. Havent worn them in a hot environment yet though.

I have a secondhand Bose QuietComfort Wireless (the confusingly named, 2023 successor of the QuietComfort 45) and they're pretty good. The Sony XM4s are also a similar option with better battery life ([rtings comparison](https://www.rtings.com/headphones/tools/compare/sony-wh-1000xm4-wireless-vs-bose-quietcomfort-headphones-wireless/16490/44666) puts the Boses at 24hrs and Sonys at 36) and LDAC support among other things but I got scared off by a few anecdotes about their ANC malfunctioning and going into a really loud feedback loop.