Bose - QuietComfort Ultra Headphones

NC700 are pretty light headphones (around 254 grams) so this surprises me a bit. The XM6 weight about the same, the QC a bit less and the really good ones I have (Bathys/Px8) and the Px7s3 a lot more. Would look at the XM6 which has a phenomenal microphone and ANC solid (if a bit bass forward) sound (EQ helps) and pretty comfortable although I don't like the shallow earpads. The Bose QC Ultra and QC are also right around the XM6 and NC700 in weight but may feel more comfortable for you as they don't use the same headband.

NC700 are pretty light headphones (around 254 grams) so this surprises me a bit. The XM6 weight about the same, the QC a bit less and the really good ones I have (Bathys/Px8) and the Px7s3 a lot more. Would look at the XM6 which has a phenomenal microphone and ANC solid (if a bit bass forward) sound (EQ helps) and pretty comfortable although I don't like the shallow earpads. The Bose QC Ultra and QC are also right around the XM6 and NC700 in weight but may feel more comfortable for you as they don't use the same headband.

You need to be a bit more specific. Do you need/want ANC? Do you need/want microphones for calls? If not I'd get the Drop 6xx which is just a mass produced Sennheiser HD650. They are comfortable, light (a little too plasticky for me but that allows them to be cheaper and lighter) with very good resolution in the mid-range. Add a subbass low shelf filter by EQ and they are perfect. For ANC, I lean toward the Bose QC Ultra 1 or the B7W Px7s3 for comfort and decent but not great sound.

I have three of these and will give my opinions. Best for music is clearly the Focal Bathys with the onboard DAC. This rivals my DCA Noire and LCD-3 headphones for separation and clarity. Not as detailed as the LCD-3 but still clearly the best sound profile of the three. The ANC is the worst of the 3 especially for low dB noises. Microphone also worst of the 3. Comfort is ok but not phenomenal. Most comfortable with the best ANC for me is the Bose QC Ultra with the Sony right behind. Bose and Sony both need EQ and I don't see much of a difference between them for that. Sony has more bells and whistles with the APP with a better environment for adaptive sound control if that is of interest to you. And out of the box Sony sound better but for me still needs a lot of EQ to even out the low and high frequencies. Also I'm not a huge fan of the lack of deep cups for the WH1000X6 but that is just my preference for comfort. But agree just test all three by going to big box store or ordering and returning them. I also agree that the #2 for sound is the Sennheiser Momentum 4 which is the best deal of the four.

I'm going to say no based on the following selection of headphones that I own: Dynamic: Verite Open, Focal Elegia, Beyerdynamic T5/3rd generation and HD650, Planar: DCA E3, DCA Noire, Hifiman HE1000 Stealth, Audeze LCD-2f. IEMs: FiiO FH7s, Westone Mach 40; earbuds: Galaxy Buds Pro 2, Galaxy Buds Pro 3, Jabra Elite Active 8, Sennheiser True Momentum 4, Bose QC II, Bose QC Ultra and ANC headphones Bose NC700, Bose QC Ultra, Sony XM5 and B&W Px8.

To be clear no "wired" headphone has ANC capabilities but almost all bluetooth headphones have wired abilities. Your pick for best in show ANC should come down to XM6 (stay away from the hinge issue with the XM5 unless you get the three year warranty), or the Bose QC Ultra. Step in price would be the Airpod MAX. And I think that studies have shown that for blocking out upper range noise (like crying) the XM6 is the best headphone although the differences are quite modest between it the Bose and the Apple.

I just got the 1st get at Costco for only $160. It's 60% cheaper than the new 2nd gen. IDK if it's worth the $450 price

I just bought the Bose Quiet Comfort (2024) and they do a great job. Ear buds with stems will never do as good a job as the nub style on ANC in my opinion. The fit and seal is a big part of noise cancellation. My wife has the Airpods Pro and they don't come close to the Bose. My primary use case is phone and teams calls, in and out of the office as I have better ear buds for music and the tests showed the Bose also had excellent mic quality - better than the XM5 ear buds. Music is not bad at all but certainly not reference quality.

I have both as well, and I wonder, u/henders7 do you also notice more noise in transparency mode? It's like there's a constant blowing sound like a laptop fan when I switch on transparency that wasn't there, or at least barely there, in the first gen's transparency

You can turn of ANC in the GEN 1 also. You just need to add a new profile in the app under "Modes". The new profile will allow you to adjust the 10 stops of ANC. Biggest differences you will find between the two: Slightly improved battery life Better on / off head detection New Cinema mode And the Mic now uses AI based noise suppression to help with clearer calls.

I have this headphones but the first gen, and the hinges have a big design defect because are plastic. That cause some cracking noise when you move your head of talking is very awful. I send my headphones to warranty and they send my back a new ones.

I wonder if it is because of the technology they had to put into that cord which eliminates the need for DAC? I spent a couple of hours on the phone with a Bose technician asking all kinds of questions before I actually bought the Bose quiet comfort Ulta Gen 2 because I already had Ultra Gen one and I wanted to make sure I was not wasting my money. I asked him if I would hear a difference in sound between Ultra generation one and ultra generation two if I were connected via Bluetooth and he said no. He said the difference would come between Ultra Gen 1 and Ultra Gen 2 when you listen with the USC direct cord. He said the technology in Ulta Gen 2 will yield a more definitive lossless audio sound but only through the cord.

Excellent review. I agree with you about the “cocoon experience.” I have these in midnight violet and I love them. My Bose quiet comfort Ultra Gen 2 headphones turn my every day household chores into a joyful time. I now look forward to doing chores because I am isolating myself in a beautiful world of sound. In regard to the issue of how comfortable they are – – I never even think about the fact that they are on my head or how long I’ve had them on. I just have to position them not to fall off around my ponytail or my bun lol. Have you tinkered with the EQ? I have been playing with my EQ settings through the Bose app. Have you tried listening to Lossless Audio using the USC direct cord to iPhone? That was one of the reasons I bought Ultra Gen QC 2 (eliminates the need for DAC). I also have the Gen 1 in Sandstone - the difference between GEN 1 and GEN 2, for me, is that GEN 2 has the USC for direct connection to iPhone, for example, eliminating the need for DAC, and then also Gen 2 has a more stable connection and doesn’t drop like my GEN ones occasionally did. Also the Gen 2 did not come with a USB cable - just what you see below in the photo. https://preview.redd.it/05gox0v0mvyf1.jpeg?width=4073&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5b5ce85e524f67e2aed4545281bddff7c7837e1a

I have the version 1 and they’re really amazing. I didn’t spent any time exploring the differences. I hope the ear pads are better now. Mine with less then a year and the sponge on ear pads is visible.

I think the hiss is sample variable. My first pair was Bose refurbished and they hissed. Bose sent me a brand new pair and it’s barely there at all

I literally just got my pair of the first gen yesterday. I might have to cop that purple