Odi Productions
In this article, I’m going to share my HONEST comparison review with the Bose QuietComfort vs QuietComfort 45 (QC45) 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 (2023 model) Review and Bose QuietComfort 45 Review for those who are interested in reading more detailed thoughts about each headphone after. (Links open in a new tab.)
Key Takeaways
- Bose QuietComfort 2023 has greatly improved sound quality over the QC45.
- Both the Bose QuietComfort 2023 and QC45 share an identical design, materials, comfort, and similar noise cancelling performance.
- Because the older QC45 is now discontinued, brand new pairs are harder to find, so pricing is not much of an advantage unless shopping Renewed.
Bose QuietComfort 2023 vs QuietComfort 45 (QC45) Price Compared
Overall, the Bose QC45 is about $20 cheaper than the Bose QuietComfort 2023 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.
Bose QuietComfort (2023) Prices
- Retail: $349.00
- New: $349
- Renewed: $225 (save up to $124!)
Bose QuietComfort 45 (QC45) Prices
- Retail: $329.00
- New: $329
- Renewed: $163 (save up to $90!)
- Used: $190 (save up to $70!)
Order Here for the LOWEST PRICE AVAILABLE (Do NOT pay retail):
Want to save up to an additional $100?
Want to save up to an additional $150?
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
The Bose QuietComfort 2023 and QC45 are practically identical, and some of the most comfortable headphones I’ve tested, just slightly below perfect.
On my scale, the QC45 is 0.7 grams lighter than the QuietComfort 2023:
- Bose QuietComfort 2023 weight: 236.1 grams
- Bose QC45 weight: 235.4 grams
These are the two lightest headphones that I’ve tested in this class of premium wireless ANC headphones, with the older QC45 less than 1 gram lighter on my scale.
They seem to have the same design, cushioning, and materials.
I could wear either of these pretty much all day.
The only thing keeping these from a perfect score, is that a couple headphones like the more premium Bose QC Ultra are even more plush and slightly more comfortable.
Bose QuietComfort 2023 Comfort: 4.5 out of 5
Sony WH-1000XM4 Comfort: 4.5 out of 5
Winner: Tie
Features / Build Quality / Battery Life / Noise Cancelling
Features
Both headphones share the same modern features like multiple levels of Active Noise Cancelling and Transparency modes.
Both headphones also have multiple microphones for taking calls, and use the exact same Bose companion smartphone app to adjust settings and EQ.
Neither headphone has Spatial Audio, but that’s really not a dealbreaker to me.
Both headphones fold and collapse nicely into a fairly identical compact hardshell case.
User Experience, Buttons, and Controls
Both headphones feature the same physical buttons and controls, which I highly prefer over the “touch controls” on some of these other premium wireless headphones.
From a user experience perspective, it doesn’t get much better than having a physical On/Off switch, and the tactile buttons to control your music or turn the volume up/down.
Build Quality
Because these 2 headphones share the same design, they have similarly excellent build quality.
They both feature a metal headband and very sturdy swivel hinges that feel quite durable.
Bose headphones are known to last a good while, and these are no exception.
Looks
Again, due to sharing the same design, both headphones are tied here. Which is to say that they are quite stylish and offered in a variety of cool colorways, with the newer QC having even more flavors to choose from.
For example, this Bose QC 2023 in Cypress Green is gorgeous in real life, understated yet a bold splash of color that instills some personality.
Bose QuietComfort 2023 vs QuietComfort 45 (QC45) Battery Life Compared
The Bose QuietComfort 2023 and QC45 have the same battery life on paper.
- Bose QuietComfort 2023 Battery Life: Up to 24 hours
- Bose QuietComfort 45 (QC45) Battery Life: Up to 24 hours
In my testing, I found both of these manufacturer’s battery ratings to be accurate.
I consider these battery life ratings to be slightly above average, although not class-leading by any means, with Sennheiser’s Momentum 4 leading the entire pack at a jaw-dropping 60 hours. It is better than the Apple AirPods Max at 20 hours.
I’m just glad that both headphones feature modern USB-C charging ports, fitting in nicely with other devices.
Bose QuietComfort 2023 vs QuietComfort 45 (QC45) Noise Cancelling: Which is better?
To my surprise, the older QC45’s noise cancelling performance holds up quite well to the newer Bose QuietComfort 2023.
This is to say, that both are excellent and pretty on par with the best in the world such as the QC Ultra and Sony XM5.
One improvement of the newer Bose QuietComfort 2023 is a new feature called “Wind Block”.
I’d say Wind Block does make a significant difference if you live in a windy city or are outside frequently, as it actively filters wind noise that can mess with other headphones.
Inside of the Bose app for both headphones, you can choose between 11 levels of noise cancelling mixed with “ambient” transparency modes.
You can make presets for your favorite settings, and easily switch between them depending on the setting.
Both headphones are tied here.
Bose QuietComfort 2023 Features / Build Quality / Battery Life / Noise Cancelling: 5 out of 5
Bose QuietComfort 45 (QC45) Features / Build Quality / Battery Life / Noise Cancelling: 5 out of 5
Winner: Bose QuietComfort
Bose QuietComfort 2023 vs QuietComfort 45 (QC45) Sound Quality Comparison
On the stock sound…
Comparing these two headphones stock, I prefer the newer Bose QuietComfort 2023 over the QC45.
The QC45 has a lot of sibilance in its treble, it’s almost piercing on certain modern tracks with a lot of treble energy.
The newer QuietComfort does a better job of smoothening out that sibilance with its stock sound profile.
That said, I found that creating custom equalizer settings inside of the official Bose app for both headphones can elevate their sound quality.
So I’ll be testing these headphones with the EQ settings shared below, in order to bring out their best sound quality potential possible.
Best Equalizer Settings for Bose QuietComfort (2023 Model)
- Bass: -4
- Mid: +3
- Treble: -3
Result: Vocals are much less distant. Still very bass-forward with good slam, just more controlled. Much smoother highs with most sibilance removed and smoothened out. Mids are now much more present and detailed. Overall sound is much better balanced.
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 to listen to.
Comparing Sound Quality AFTER EQ…
My initial reaction is that the newer Bose QuietComfort 2023 is actually quite similar in sound profile to the older QC45, but simply improved overall. So essentially, the QuietComfort is just a better version of the QC45.
That shared sound profile being a very fun, bass and treble-forward, consumer-friendly sound signature.
One standout for these headphones is a marvelous bass response, with plenty of slam and bass quantity.
Bass notes linger and extend, with a visceral physicality to the impact.
I’ve tested the QuietComfort back-to-back with the Sennheiser Momentum 4, a standout for bass in this class, and can confirm that the bass performance is on par. That’s impressive.
Now, what surprised me was that the improvement in the QuietComfort wasn’t a night-and-day difference to the QC45, but a slight improvement on what I consider the QC45’s biggest flaw… that harsh sibilance in the treble.
The QC45 is pleasing to listen to aside from a peaky treble, and the newer QuietComfort has smoothened that out… mostly.
I still have to EQ the QuietComfort to make it even smoother, but it’s not a lost cause like the QC45 can be.
Both of these headphones are still in the same tier below the higher-end Bose QC Ultra and others, but the QuietComfort 2023 is a welcome improvement over the QC45.
They’re very fun to listen to, but fall short on the more audiophile technicalities like separation and layering. I will say that they have pretty good, wide soundstage for this class.
Some consumers may actually prefer the QuietComfort 2023 over the QC Ultra due to an arguably better bass response with more slam and impact.
Bose QuietComfort 2023 Sound Quality: 8.4 out of 10 (after EQ)
QuietComfort 45 (QC45) Sound Quality: 8.0 out of 10 (after EQ)
Winner: Bose QuietComfort 2023
Value
At the time of this writing, the Bose QuietComfort 2023 is only about $20 more expensive than the older Bose QC45 at brand new prices.
The QC45 is currently in a bit of an awkward phase in its product lifecycle, as it seems to be discontinued now in favor of the QuietComfort 2023.
Due to this, prices are a bit strange with the newer QuietComfort sometimes being cheaper than the older QC45 on Amazon.
Regardless, many Renewed (Like New) pairs can be found for the QC45 at around $163, while the newer QuietComfort can be found Brand New for $249, or Used for under $200.
Due to this strange pricing and also having superior sound quality, I find the Bose QuietComfort 2023 to be a better value these days than the QC45, even if you have to pay a little more.
Bose QuietComfort 2023 Value: 4.5 out of 5
QuietComfort 45 (QC45) Value Value: 4.0 out of 5
Winner: Bose QuietComfort 2023
Bose QuietComfort 2023 Overall Rating
- Fun, excellent sound quality (after EQ)
- Strong noise cancelling performance
- Very comfortable and lightweight
- Excellent value if on sale (or used)
- Less impressive for audiophiles
- Full retail price is less of a value
QuietComfort 45 (QC45) Overall Rating
- Fun sound quality (after EQ)
- Great noise cancelling performance
- Insanely comfortable and lightweight
- Good value due to being older model
- Piercing treble without EQ
- QuietComfort 2023 is simply better overall
Overall Winner: Bose QuietComfort 2023
The newer Bose QuietComfort 2023 wins this comparison versus its predecessor, the QC45.
These headphones are nearly identical in most ways including their design and comfort.
But where the QuietComfort improves upon the QC45 is most notably in its sound quality, cleaning up the major flaw in the QC45’s harsh treble.
Also, due to the QC45 being discontinued, prices for these headphones brand isn’t much of an advantage for the harder-to-find QC45.
Some very Strong Alternatives in this class of noise cancelling headphones are:
Some Relevant Comparisons in this class of noise cancelling headphones are:
- Bose QuietComfort vs QuietComfort Ultra
- Bose QuietComfort 45 vs Ultra
- Bose QuietComfort Ultra vs Sony WH-1000XM5
- Bose QuietComfort Ultra vs AirPods Max
- Sonos Ace vs AirPods Max
- Sennheiser Momentum 4 vs Bose QuietComfort Ultra
I highly recommend you check those out next!
Lastly, if you’d like to save some money and keep supporting RecordingNOW.com’s 100% independent, unbiased reviews, do consider using some of our affiliate links below to shop and even just compare prices. We purchase all products we review with our own money to maintain the highest level of integrity, and your support goes into that plus a continuously improving site experience.
Bose QuietComfort 2023 Prices
- Retail: $349.00
- New: $349
- Renewed: $225 (save up to $124!)
- Used: $228 (save up to $121!)
Bose QuietComfort 45 (QC45) Prices
- Retail: $329.00
- New: $329
- Renewed: $163 (save up to $90!)
- Used: $190 (save up to $70!)
Order Here for the LOWEST PRICE AVAILABLE (Do NOT pay retail):
Want to save up to an additional $100?
Want to save up to an additional $150?
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.
Read Next
Bose QuietComfort Ultra Review
Bose QuietComfort vs QuietComfort Ultra
Bose QuietComfort Ultra vs Sony WH-1000XM5
Apple AirPods Max vs Sony WH-1000XM5
Bose QuietComfort Review (2023 Model)
Bose QuietComfort 45 (QC45) Review
