Odi Productions
In this article, I’m going to give my HONEST Bose QuietComfort Ultra (1st Gen) Headphones Review for those who are wondering whether they are WORTH IT in 2026. I’ll also be comparing the Bose QuietComfort Ultra 1st Gen vs QC Ultra 2nd Gen, QuietComfort (2023), Sony WH-1000XM6, XM5, Apple AirPods Max 2, Sennheiser Momentum 4, and more!
I’m going to do my best to share whether these headphones are worth it, and ideally who these headphones are for. I bought these headphones with my own money, and was NOT sponsored, paid, or received a free copy for review. All thoughts are my own.
I’ll be sharing my critical opinion with 10 years of experience as a professional music producer, audio engineer, and tech journalist. I also run the RecordingNow YouTube channel with over 24,000+ subscribers and over 5 million views.
Let’s dive right in!
Bose QuietComfort Ultra (1st Gen) Headphones review in short
Now dipping to sub-$300 on sale, the Bose QuietComfort Ultra (1st Gen) Headphones are an excellent value due to elite comfort, strong noise cancelling performance, compact portability, and decent sound quality after EQ. Competes against Bose QuietComfort Ultra 2, Bose QuietComfort (2023), Sony WH-1000XM6, Sony WH-1000XM5, Apple AirPods Max 2, AirPods Max, Sennheiser Momentum 4, and Sonos Ace.
Watch the Full Review on YouTube!
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Bose QuietComfort Ultra (1st Gen) Pros and Cons
- Great sound quality (after EQ)
- Elite noise cancelling performance
- Insanely comfortable and lightweight
- Excellent value now on sale
- Sound signature without EQ is disappointing
- 24-hour battery life is slightly below average
- Newer 2nd Gen is improved in every way
Order HERE for the LOWEST PRICE AVAILABLE (Do NOT pay retail):
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Sound Quality
Initial listening impressions…
When I first listened to these, I was sorely disappointed with the seemingly muddy, overly-boomy sound signature. It was so bad that I almost wrote them off from the initial impression alone.
But wanting to be fair, I researched and experimented with EQ’ing via their free Bose app, much like the drastic transformation of the Sony WH-1000XM5 after applying (extreme) EQ.
And what a dramatic night-and-day difference EQ made for these!
No joke, EQ took these headphones from borderline unlistenable (exaggeration) to audiophile-level quality.
So with that disclaimer out of the way, I’ll be reviewing the sound quality WITH the following EQ settings. I think this is fair considering EQ is using the official Bose app that is completely free.
Feel free to try this out yourself and hear the difference it makes. Personally, I believe this is how they should’ve been tuned from the factory.
Also, the Bose QuietComfort Ultra (1st Gen) supports the hi-res codec of aptX Lossless, leading to higher sound quality potential on paper.
To conduct this test, I used my Questyle QCC Dongle Pro to unlock aptX and LDAC support:
![Questyle QCC Dongle Pro [MFi Certified] USB-C Bluetooth Audio Adapter with LDAC,aptX Lossless&aptX-Adaptive,Low Latency Bluetooth 5.4 Dongle for PS5,Wireless Lossless Transmitter for PC/Headphones](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/21jT-Cm5ZVL._SL500_.jpg)
If you’re an iPhone user, or if your phone doesn’t support aptX codecs, then I highly recommend you pick up the dongle above which will cover both LDAC and aptX Adaptive high-res codecs. It’s the onl
Best Equalizer Settings for Bose QuietComfort Ultra
V1 – More Audiophile, Mainly for Pop, Vocal-forward, for Critical Listening
- Bass: -6
- Mid: +4
- Treble: +2
I experimented with EQ via the Bose App for many days and this setting is the most pleasing to me versus the stock sound signature. I wish they would add just a few more bands instead of this super basic EQ but it gets the job done.
Please note this setting is optimized generally for modern music, resulting in a more balanced, hyper-detailed sound.
V2 – More Fun, Consumer-Friendly, More Bass, Better for Rock / Metal
(Added April 30th, 2025)
- Bass: -4
- Mid: +5
- Treble: +3
Result: After receiving very positive feedback on V1, I realized that I over-optimized a bit towards Pop music and that there could be a more consumer-friendly sound that does better for Rock/Metal genres. Thus, “V2” is born and has more added bass, while still retaining that beautiful detail the QC Ultra is capable of displaying. This is a more fun and fuller sound than V1. I still prefer V1 for Pop and critical listening.
Bass
Out of the box, the QuietComfort Ultra has TOO MUCH bass.
It completely overpowers the entire frequency response.
To my ear, I think they designed these headphones primarily for listening to Classical music, and emulating a concert hall.
In that case, they do sound fairly convincing and the rumbling bass mimics reverberations in a concert hall.
BUT, if you listen to any music that is even remotely modern with any kind of bass, the stock sound signature is so unbalanced it drowns out and muffles the mids and the highs.
Thankfully I was able to remedy this with the Bose app EQ and turning Bass down -7.
Surprisingly, the bass impact and quantity is still quite full and impressive at this setting, but just much more tamed and balanced versus stock.
It reaches down to the lowest sub-bass frequencies as well as any of its competition, notably the Sennheiser Momentum 4 which is also excellent for bass.
Mids
Once I tamed the Bass with EQ, I also boosted the Mids so they can really shine.
Mids are the frequency range that Bose headphones typically thrive in historically, and I think they are solid here once again.
Vocals and instruments are extremely detailed and fairly dynamic.
Treble
The detail and resolution in these (after EQ) is simply incredible.
Bose did a great job of smoothening out the treble frequencies, so they never sound too strident or sibilant, while still retaining tons of resolution and micro-details.
These are so clear that I was “hearing things I never noticed before” in songs that I know very well and listen to all the time.
I’ve made that statement with audiophile headphones like the $2,000 Hifiman HE1000SE, but NEVER with a wireless noise cancelling headphone. This is new territory indeed.
Audiophile: Soundstage, Resolution, Separation, Imaging, Timbre
I’d say the Bose QuietComfort Ultra is one of the first in its category/price to be considered TRUE “Audiophile quality“.
Competitors like the Apple AirPods Max, Sennheiser Momentum 4, and Sony WH 1000XM5 are all decent and can be enjoyed by audiophiles, but I would actually place the QuietComfort Ultra in a tier slightly above them.
I’d say the Momentum 4 comes closest in terms of soundstage, separation, and resolution, but I find the EQ’d QuietComfort Ultra to be more enjoyable overall.
Head-to-head against the more expensive AirPods Max, the QuietComfort Ultra has more resolution, wider soundstage, and more effortless separation and layering. There is so much micro-detail in a singer’s breathing and throat noises (sorry), reminiscent of higher-end audiophile headphones.
Without EQ applied, the QuietComfort Ultra would be 3rd and Sony WH 1000XM5 would be last. I’d say it would be rather close between the Momentum 4 and AirPods Max for first, and only because the Momentum 4 is a bit too bass-heavy.
If I absolutely HAD to nitpick these on an audiophile level, vocals and certain instruments have an unnatural timbre, the bass is sluggish and not nearly as tight as planar bass, and soundstage is not as expansive as open-back (duh).
That said, these headphones were so good I’m practically splitting hairs for it to even be critiqued, else I would just be gushing about how good these sound. They aren’t just good “wireless noise cancelling” headphones, they’re good headphones period.
Sound Quality Comparisons
vs Bose QuietComfort Ultra 2nd Gen
The newer Bose QuietComfort Ultra 2nd Gen has noticeably improved sound quality over the 1st Gen, especially stock without EQ.
The stock sound profile of the 1st Gen is quite underwhelming and overly-bassy, while the 2nd Gen is clearer, more detailed, and more balanced.
The bass response is much improved in the QC Ultra 2nd Gen, which is much more controlled versus the boomy and bloated bass of the 1st Gen.
The 1st Gen does improve nicely with EQ, but that typically requires limiting the bass to open up the rest of the frequency response.
The 2nd Gen also improves with EQ, but doesn’t need to sacrifice the bass as much as the 1st Gen.
vs Bose QuietComfort (2023)
Out of the box, I actually prefer the stock sound profile of the regular Bose QuietComfort (2023) over the QC Ultra 1st Gen.
The QuietComfort (2023) has a more consumer-friendly sound with a more impressive bass response that needs less EQ to be enjoyed.
But after applying custom EQ and the hi-res codec of aptX Lossless (unavailable on the regular QuietComfort 2023) to the QC Ultra 1st Gen, it puts itself clearly in a sound quality tier above the regular QuietComfort.
I still would choose the regular QuietComfort (2023) for bass which is more visceral and satisfying, but as a whole, the QC Ultra 1st Gen is more audiophile-friendly and detailed across the mids and treble.
vs Sony WH-1000XM6
The Bose QC Ultra 1st Gen and Sony WH-1000XM6 both benefit greatly from custom EQ, and the use of high-res codecs like aptX Lossless and LDAC, respectively.
In terms of stock sound, I prefer the XM6 which is more neutral than the boomy QC Ultra 1st Gen.
After EQ is applied, I find both headphones to be evenly-matched in terms of sound quality.
vs Sony WH-1000XM5
After applying custom EQ and high-res codecs to both headphones, I find the Bose QC Ultra 1st gen to be in a tier above the Sony WH-1000XM5 for sound quality.
The XM5 does come alive after EQ, but it doesn’t have the open soundstage and resolution of the QC Ultra 1st Gen.
I do prefer the bass response on the XM5, which is more impactful and visceral.
But the mids and treble is superior in the Bose QC Ultra 1st Gen.
vs Apple AirPods Max 2
While I slightly prefer the QC Ultra 1st Gen to the first generation of Apple AirPods Max, the newer AirPods Max 2 does make a noticeable leap in sound quality that is more competitive with the QC Ultra 2nd Gen.
It’s still fairly close when you factor in the QC Ultra 1st Gen’s custom EQ and aptX Lossless support, since neither the AirPods Max 1 or 2 supports any hi-res codecs.
I do heavily prefer the stock “neutral bright” sound profile of the AirPods Max 2 that is much more detailed than the QC Ultra 1st Gen’s boomy stock sound profile.
Sound Quality Score: 8.7 out of 10
Comfort
True to its namesake and history, the Bose QuietComfort series has always been insanely light and comfortable to wear for hours on end.
The Ultra carries on this tradition, and is one of the lightest headphones tested, only slightly heavier than the Sony XM4/XM5, and “little brother” QC45:
- Bose QuietComfort (2023 model) – 236.1 grams
- Sony WH 1000XM5 – 245.9 grams
- Sony WH 1000XM4 – 251.6 grams
- Sony WH 1000XM6 – 252.8 grams
- Bose QuietComfort Ultra (1st gen) – 254.4 grams
- Bose QuietComfort Ultra (2nd gen) – 262.2 grams
- Beats Studio Pro – 268.6 grams
- Sennheiser Momentum 5 – 288.8 grams
- Sennheiser Momentum 4 – 292.9 grams
- Bowers and Wilkins Px7 S2e – 305.2 grams
- Sony 1000X THE COLLEXION – 311.2 grams
- Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2 – 312.0 grams
- Sennheiser HDB 630 – 313.4 grams
- Sonos Ace – 318.1 grams
- Bowers & Wilkins Px8 – 320.1 grams
- Bang & Olufsen H95 – 323 grams
- Focal Bathys – 350 grams
- Focal Bathys MG – 365.5 grams
- Bang & Olufsen H100 – 375.6 grams
- Dali IO-12 – 379.4 grams
- Apple AirPods Max 2 – 384.4 grams
As you can tell from the list above, the Momentum 4 and the Apple AirPods Max, especially, are significantly heavier, and this difference is pronounced when worn on head.
The lighter weight translates to less top-of-head pressure, combined with plush cushioning on both the headband and earpads.
The clamping force is perfect with very little pressure and not bothersome at all, unlike the AirPods Max.
I can wear these for hours and they don’t seem to get too warm inside the earcups either.
I think the QuietComfort Ultra is deserving of no less than a perfect score when it comes to Comfort.
Comfort Score: 10 out of 10
Features / Battery Life / Build Quality / Practicality
Features
Being released in late 2023, the Bose QuietComfort Ultra has pretty much all the modern features worth noting: customizable active noise cancellation, spatial audio, and a free Bose companion app with EQ.
Make no mistake, the star of the show is the noise cancelling features which we’ll get to in a moment.
Bose has their own implementation of Spatial Audio called “Immersive Audio”, and I found it quite good and totally comparable to Spatial Audio on Apple headphones.
The only critique here is that connectivity is limited to 2 devices at once, which is the same for any non-Apple headphones.
If you’d like to switch, you’ll need to use the Bose app to do so.
This is one area where native Apple products like the AirPods Max are superior, as they can switch seamlessly between 3+ devices and are smart enough to do so without having to lift a finger.
Bose QuietComfort Ultra (1st Gen) Battery Life
The Bose QuietComfort Ultra boasts 24 hours of battery life on a single charge, and in my testing I found this number to be fairly accurate.
- Marshall Monitor III – 70 hours (ANC on), 100 hours (ANC off)
- Cambridge Audio Melomania P100 SE – 60 hours (ANC on), 100 hours (ANC off)
- Audeze Maxwell – 80 hours (no ANC included)
- Sennheiser HDB 630 – 60 hours
- Sennheiser Momentum 4 – 60 hours
- Sennheiser Momentum 5 – 57 hours
- Dali IO-12 – 35 hours (ANC on)
- Bang & Olufsen Beoplay H100 – 34 hours (ANC on)
- Focal Bathys MG – “Over 30 hours” (ANC on)
- Sony WH-1000XM6 – 40 hours (ANC off), 30 hours (ANC on)
- Bose QuietComfort Ultra (2nd Gen) – 30 hours
- Sony WH-1000XM5 and WH-1000XM4 – 30 hours
- Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3 and Px8 – 30 hours
- Sony 1000X THE COLLEXION – 24 hours
- Bose QuietComfort Ultra (1st Gen) – 24 hours
- Sonos Ace – 24 hours (ANC on), 30 hours (ANC off)
- Apple AirPods Max 2 – 20 hours
- Apple AirPods Max – 20 hours
The Ultra takes 3 hours to charge via its USB-C charging port, and has a “quick charge” function that can turn 15 mins of charging into 2.5 hours.
24 hours of battery life with noise cancelling ON is now slightly below the class average of 30 hours or more.
The Sony WH-1000XM5 is rated slightly higher at 30 hours, and the Sennheiser Momentum 4 is an outrageous 60 hours.
That said, I only found myself needing to charge once per every 1-2 weeks when using the QuietComfort Ultra.
Build Quality
In my initial review, I critiqued the Bose QuietComfort Ultra 1st Gen’s build quality for its $400+ pricetag, as there is a lot of plastic featured on the earcups and headband exterior.
But what I should’ve factored in higher is the use a stainless steel headband core along with aluminum hinges.
Many flagship headphones like the Sony WH-1000XM6 and Sennheiser Momentum 4 feature even more plastic in the headband and hinges, so in that sense, the Bose QC Ultra is superior.
Also, now that the QC Ultra 1st Gen’s sale price is going down due to the newer 2nd Gen being released, the build quality is becoming quite decent at under $300.
Practicality
Thanks to its lightweight comfort, excellent noise cancelling performance, and very compact travel case due to the foldable design, the Bose QuietComfort Ultra 1st Gen is still one of the best daily drivers in the market today.
I will say that the newer 2nd Gen has improved upon the 1st Gen in virtually every way, including 30 hours of battery life versus 24, and a new “Cinema Mode” that is excellent for TV, movies, and gaming.
That said, the 1st Gen is much cheaper on sale and still makes for a great all-arounder and travel headphone today.
Features / Battery Life / Build Quality / Practicality Score: 9.0 out of 10
Bose QuietComfort Ultra (1st Gen) Noise Cancelling Performance
Ahh, this may be what some of you came for…
To cut to the chase, this is the best active noise cancelling performance I’ve experienced to date, and that’s after testing a LOT of headphones on airplanes, coffee shops, and city environments.
It’s Bose after all, right?
Not only is the active noise cancellation extremely effective and powerful, but it allows a whopping 11 levels of customization between “Transparency mode” and “Noise Cancelling”.
This granularity allows any user to dial in their preferred level of noise cancelling to suit their environment and desired awareness of surroundings.
Also another reason I’m rating the noise cancelling highly is that it’s one of the smoothest implementations compared to older, more invasive noise cancelling that created a very “pressurized” feeling and added slight hums or white noise.
There’s very little of that found here, and it just sounds like… well, nothing at all.
Noise Cancelling Performance Score: 9.0 out of 10
Value
The Bose QuietComfort Ultra 1st Gen retailed at $429 USD, but has come down to a low of $269 on sale these days.
For under $300, you are getting a very competitive flagship headphone that is arguably 90% of the newer QC Ultra 2nd Gen.
When not on sale, I would spend the extra money to upgrade to the improved QC Ultra 2nd Gen.
Value Score: 9.5 out of 10
Are the Bose QuietComfort Ultra (1st Gen) Headphones Worth it?
If you can find them under $300 on sale these days, the older Bose QuietComfort Ultra (1st Gen) presents an excellent value buy that has very little weaknesses as a daily driver.
I do think the newer 2nd Gen has improved upon the 1st Gen in virtually every way, but the price difference can easily be over $100 between the two, depending on sales.
The only other noise cancelling performance that is as good for under $300 would be the Sony WH-1000XM5 and Sonos Ace on sale, but the Ace can still regularly go for close to $400.
Factor in the sound quality after EQ, elite comfort, and foldable portability, and the QC Ultra 1st gen is one of the best picks under $300 today.
Some very Strong Alternatives in this class of noise cancelling headphones are:
- Bose QuietComfort Ultra 2
- Sony WH-1000XM6
- Sony WH-1000XM5
- Bose QuietComfort (2023 model)
- Apple AirPods Max 2
- Sennheiser Momentum 4
- Sony 1000X THE COLLEXION
- Sennheiser Momentum 5
- Bowers and Wilkins Px7 S3
- Bowers & Wilkins Px8
- Apple AirPods Max
- Beats Studio Pro
Some Relevant Comparisons in this class of noise cancelling headphones are:
- Bose QuietComfort vs QuietComfort Ultra
- Bose QuietComfort Ultra vs Sony WH-1000XM5
- Bose QuietComfort Ultra vs Apple AirPods Max
- Sennheiser Momentum 4 vs Bose QuietComfort Ultra
- Sonos Ace vs Bose QuietComfort Ultra
Overall Scoring Breakdown
Sound Quality (50% of score): 8.7 / 10
Comfort (10% of score): 10 / 10
Features / Battery Life / Build Quality / Practicality (10% of score): 9.0 / 10
Noise Cancelling (20% of score): 9.0 / 10
Value (10% of score): 9.5 / 10
Overall: 9.0 / 10
Order HERE for the LOWEST PRICE AVAILABLE (Do NOT pay retail):
Save money with RENEWED!
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 🙂
FAQ
When did Bose QuietComfort Ultra come out?
The Bose QuietComfort Ultra’s official release date was October 2023.
What is the predecessor to the Bose QuietComfort Ultra?
Technically, the Bose QuietComfort Ultra is their highest flagship model which replaces the previous NCH 700. In the current Bose product lineup, the QC Ultra sits above the current QuietComfort released in September 2023, a model which replaces the QC45.
How many mics does the Bose QuietComfort Ultra have?
The Bose QuietComfort Ultra has 10 microphones, with 5 placed on each earcup. These microphones are designed specifically for clearer wireless hands-free calling, and I found them to be quite decent in my testing.
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, tech journalist, and audiophile.
Post Update History
- June 2026: Updated scores to “Version 2.0” of our Headphone Scoring System. Added long-term “1 Year Review” updates throughout post. Included comparisons to newer models including Bose QuietComfort Ultra (2nd Gen), Apple AirPods Max 2, and Sennheiser Momentum 5. Updated pricing to reflect 2026 market prices and sales, then adjusted Value score accordingly.
- April 2025: Added “V2” Equalizer setting for a more consumer-friendly sound signature, focusing on added bass and better for Rock/Metal genres.
- February 2025: Original publication date.
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