Bose QuietComfort 45 vs Ultra: 2025 Comparison

In this article, I’m going to share my HONEST experience with the Bose QuietComfort 45 vs QC Ultra and tell you which is better, after personally owning both products. I have thoroughly tested each of these headphones for hundreds of hours, and aim to offer a critical opinion from the perspective of an audiophile and professional music producer.

I’ll be comparing these two head to head on categories like price, comfort, features, battery life, noise cancelling performance, and sound quality.

Then at the end, I’ll share which is the best overall value for the money, and my overall recommendation on which you should buy.

I’ve also conducted a separate in-depth Bose QuietComfort 45 Review and Bose QuietComfort Ultra Review, for those who are interested in reading more detailed thoughts about each headphone after. (Links open in a new tab.)

Key Takeaways

Holding Bose QuietComfort 45 (QC45) vs QC Ultra headphones side by side in hand

Bose QuietComfort Ultra has slightly better comfort and much superior audiophile sound quality than the Bose QC45.

The older Bose QC45 is still competitive when it comes to comfort, noise cancelling performance, and build quality.

The QC Ultra is typically around $20 to $100 more expensive than the Bose QC45, depending on sales.

Bose QuietComfort 45 (QC45) vs Bose QuietComfort Ultra Price Compared

Overall, the Bose QuietComfort 45 is anywhere from $20 to 100 cheaper than the QC Ultra at current market prices for brand new. They can be much closer in price depending on current sales, and whether you’re buying new, renewed, or used.

Want to save up to an additional $150?

Bose QuietComfort 45 – Renewed (Amazon)

Bose QuietComfort Ultra (Amazon)

Want to save up to an additional $100?

Bose QuietComfort Ultra RENEWED (Amazon)

Disclosure: These affiliate links may provide a discount and in return, give us a commission in order to keep this website 100% independent to ensure honest unfiltered reviews 🙂

Comfort

On my scale, the Bose QuietComfort 45 is 19 grams lighter than the QC Ultra:

Bose QC45 weight: 235.4 grams
Bose QuietComfort Ultra weight: 254.4 grams

True to the “QuietComfort” name, these are two of the most comfortable headphones I have tested to date.

Despite the QC45 being a bit lighter, I actually find the QC Ultra to be the more comfortable headphone overall due to being more plush in the headband and earpad cushioning.

I feel just the slightest bit of top-of-head pressure from the QC45’s slightly tougher headband cushion.

Both headphones have great interior space inside the earcups for ears to feel free and not pressing against anything.

Still, I could wear either headphone pretty much all day without issues.

Bose QuietComfort 45 (QC45) Comfort: 4.5 out of 5

Bose QuietComfort Ultra Comfort: 5 out of 5

Winner: Ultra

Features / Build Quality / Battery Life / Noise Cancelling

Bose QC45 vs QC Ultra hardshell cases compared side by side

Features

These are both modern headphones with roughly the same features such as built-in microphones for calls, Active Noise Cancelling, and Transparency Mode.

The new features that the newer and more premium QC Ultra bring are Spatial Audio and “Wind Block”.

I’d say Bose’s version of Spatial Audio called “Immersive Audio” is nifty, but not a must-have or dealbreaker feature for me. It’s not as good as true Dolby Atmos support like the AirPods Max or Sonos Ace.

Both the QC45 and Bose QC Ultra include nice compact hardshell cases, as both headphones do fold and collapse neatly, especially great for frequent fliers and travel.

Build Quality

Both Bose headphones have pretty decent build quality, but the QC Ultra could use a little more premium materials for its $400+ pricetag.

It’s mostly plastic aside from some much-appreciated metal in the headband and hinges.

The QC45 has the classic QuietComfort design which has stood the test of time thus far, and has no real weaknesses with its metal headband and solid hinges.

Either way, I don’t see any long-term issues with either headphone.

Looks

I actually might prefer the more classic look of the QC45, especially with a single color used throughout the design. It’s simple but rather timeless.

The two-tone QC Ultra looks decent, but is a bit bland/generic compared to some other $400+ headphones like AirPods Max and Sonos Ace.

Bose QuietComfort 45 (QC45) vs Bose QuietComfort Ultra Battery Life Compared

Both headphones are rated at the same battery life on a single charge.

Bose QuietComfort 45 (QC45) Battery Life: Up to 24 hours
Bose QuietComfort Ultra Battery Life: Up to 24 hours

In my testing, I found both of these manufacturer’s battery ratings to be accurate.

Some users have commented on my YouTube videos stating that their QC Ultra can get closer to 30 hours on a single charge.

Either way, both of these battery life ratings are average for this class, being overshadowed by the Sennheiser Momentum 4 at 60 hours.

Bose QuietComfort 45 (QC45) vs Ultra Noise Cancelling: Which is better?

Bose’s bread-and-butter is noise cancelling, and both of these headphones are impressive in this category.

I have regularly touted the QC Ultra and Sony XM5 as the best ANC performance to date, but to my surprise, the older QC45 actually holds up quite well today.

The QC Ultra has a slight advantage in its ANC with the new “Wind Block” feature that filters out external wind noise, along with a very good Transparency mode.

But they both use the same Bose companion app, with a customizable 11 levels between full ANC and Transparency mode.

This is partly why the older QC45 seems to be nearly the same ANC experience, despite being older.

Either way, I find both of these to be excellent and either can be effective for flights and travel without issue.

Bose QuietComfort 45 (QC45) Features / Battery Life / Noise Cancelling: 5 out of 5

Bose QuietComfort Ultra Features / Battery Life / Noise Cancelling: 5 out of 5

Winner: Tie

Bose QuietComfort 45 (QC45) vs Bose QuietComfort Ultra Sound Quality Comparison

Bose QuietComfort 45 vs Ultra headphones side by side on desk

On the Stock Sound…

Comparing the sound quality of these two headphones completely stock, I prefer the QC Ultra, although I’m not a fan of the QC Ultra’s stock sound profile which has overpowering bass.

The QC45 has a more impressive bass slam, but has a sharp treble with sibilance.

Fortunately for both of these, custom EQ makes a massive difference in unleashing their full sound quality potential.

So I’ll share the custom EQ settings that I’ve created and will be using for this sound quality comparison below…

Best Equalizer Settings for Bose QuietComfort 45 (QC45)

Bass: -1
Mid: +2
Treble: -6

Result: As you can see from the extreme Treble rolloff, my main focus was reducing the sibilance. It’s not entirely gone, but it’s much improved versus stock. Unfortunately this comes at the expense of less detail and airiness, but the overall sound is now much more balanced and way smoother.

Best Equalizer Settings for Bose QuietComfort Ultra

Bass: -6
Mid: +4
Treble: +2

Result: Much more balanced, hyper-detailed, “neutral bright” sound. Bass is much more controlled yet still present and impactful. Treble is intentionally pushed forward to bring out all the micro-detail.

Comparing Sound Quality AFTER Custom EQ Applied…

Here’s where the QC Ultra truly separates itself from the older QC45.

Hidden underneath a fairly underwhelming and unbalanced stock sound profile, it turns out that the QC Ultra was hiding an audiophile-worthy headphone waiting to be unlocked by EQ.

Simply put, the QC Ultra is on another level when it comes to audiophile technicalities like soundstage, detail, resolution, separation, layering, and imaging.

Now, the QC45 does have one advantage to its sound, which is a very impressive bass response and more bass slam.

The newer “QuietComfort” (2023) shares this advantage, and it can make it a more consumer-friendly headphone in a certain way.

But unfortunately for the QC45, there is a major flaw…

That flaw being a sharp sibilance in the treble, creating some harshness on more modern songs.

The EQ attempts to tune this sibilance out, at the cost of detail and airiness up top.

Despite the effort, the harshness still remains, which really prevents the QC45 from achieving higher sound quality as a whole.

Bose QuietComfort 45 (QC45) Sound Quality: 8.0 out of 10

Bose QuietComfort Ultra Sound Quality: 8.9 out of 10 (after EQ)

Winner: Ultra

Value

Bose QC45 vs Bose QC Ultra side by side laid flat on desk

With the QC45 being a generation older, and lower on the totem pole compared to the flagship QC Ultra, one would assume it presents a better value for today’s money.

However, the QC45 is now discontinued and in a strange place price-wise, due to new pairs being harder and harder to find.

So on Amazon, you may see brand new pairs of QC45 sell for $300+, while many available Renewed pairs are a much better value at around $163 USD.

Meanwhile, the QC Ultra is the current flagship at $429 retail, and down to $349 brand new.

I’d say if you’re specifically looking for Renewed pairs of the QC45, it is a pretty tasty value. But no way would I spend over $200+ when the newer (and better) QuietComfort 2023 can be found for $249.

In my opinion, the QC Ultra’s superior sound quality is easily worth its premium over the QC45.

Bose QuietComfort 45 (QC45) Value: 4.0 out of 5

Bose QuietComfort Ultra Value: 4.0 out of 5

Winner: Tie

Bose QuietComfort 45 (QC45) Overall Rating

Bose QuietComfort 45 QC45 laid flat on desk

8.6

Editor’s Choice

Bose QuietComfort 45 (QC45) Headphones

Check lowest prices

PROS

Fun sound quality (after EQ)
Great noise cancelling performance
Insanely comfortable and lightweight
Good value due to being older model

CONS

Piercing treble without EQ
QuietComfort 2023 is simply better overall

Bose QuietComfort Ultra Overall Rating

Bose QuietComfort Ultra noise cancelling headphones laid flat

9.2

Editor’s Choice

Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones

Check lowest prices

PROS

Audiophile-level sound quality (after EQ)
Unrivaled noise cancelling performance
Amazingly comfortable and lightweight

CONS

Expensive
Sound signature without EQ is disappointing
Materials feel mediocre for price

Overall Winner: Bose QuietComfort Ultra

Holding Bose QuietComfort Ultra noise cancelling headphones in hand with original box

The Bose QuietComfort Ultra beats the older QC45 in today’s head-to-head comparison, due to having slightly better comfort and vastly superior sound quality.

Surprisingly, the previous-generation QC45 still holds up and is competitive when it comes to comfort, build quality, and noise cancelling performance.

The QC45 has a very impressive and arguably better bass response and slam, which some consumers may prefer, but its harsh treble limits its ceiling for sound quality.

If you want the QC45’s bass without the treble issue, the newer QuietComfort 2023 mostly resolves this and is worth checking out.

For me, I’ll gladly pay the premium for the Ultra and know it’s worth every penny.

Some very Strong Alternatives in this class of noise cancelling headphones are:

Some Relevant Comparisons in this class of noise cancelling headphones are:

I highly recommend you check those out next!

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Order Here for the LOWEST PRICE AVAILABLE (Do NOT pay retail):

Bose QuietComfort 45 Headphones (Amazon)

Want to save up to an additional $150?

Bose QuietComfort 45 – Renewed (Amazon)

Bose QuietComfort Ultra (Amazon)

Want to save up to an additional $100?

Bose QuietComfort Ultra RENEWED (Amazon)

Disclosure: These affiliate links may provide a discount and in return, give us a commission in order to keep this website 100% independent to ensure honest unfiltered reviews 🙂

How We Tested and Our Methodology

RecordingNOW.com is a 100% independent publisher with over 10 years of experience testing and reviewing consumer electronics and headphones.

We currently purchase all of the products we test with our own money, and are not paid by any company or manufacturer to influence our opinions or decisions.

After purchasing the product, we conduct up to hundreds of hours of detailed hands-on testing in a controlled, acoustically-treated environment. Noise cancelling performance is tested in the real-world, primarily on airplane flights, coffee shops, and walking around large metropolitan city environments.

ODi Productions is our resident expert and author of this article, with 10 years of experience as a professional music producer, audio engineer, musician, tech journalist, and audiophile.