Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen)

The most effective ANC you can buy, and the most comfortable flagship here. At $449, Bose's 2025 model sits in the middle of the range — the headphones we compare run from $89 to $549. It scores 8.4/10 overall, calculated from published specifications across 10 categories rather than from a subjective impression.

Its strongest showing is Noise Cancelling at 9.9/10 — how well ambient noise is blocked. The weakest is Gaming at 7.0/10, which is the trade-off to weigh before buying: if that is the specification you care about most, one of the alternatives below will serve you better.

Worth knowing before you buy: wired listening still requires battery power, unlike most rivals; and immersive Audio costs you seven hours of battery. Every specification on this page comes from Bose's own documentation or a verified retail listing — where a figure is not published, the table says so rather than estimating it.