Bose QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Generation) Review: Excellent ANC, but Tough Value

Bose’s QuietComfort Headphones (2nd generation) are comfortable, sound great, and effectively block out the outside world. However, their short battery life, missing wear detection, disappointing call quality, and $370 price make them difficult to recommend over newer alternatives.

Short battery life compared with the competition

Battery life is one of the biggest weaknesses. The headphones last up to 24 hours with active noise cancellation enabled, which was not enough for my typical use. I had to recharge them midweek every week.

The headphones do charge quickly, but they run out of power noticeably faster than competing models, including the Sony WH-1000XM4C, which offers 27 hours with ANC, the Nothing Headphone (1), which offers 35 hours with ANC, and the Sonos Ace Ultra, which also offers 35 hours with ANC.

No wear detection is a surprising omission

I’m baffled by the lack of wear detection on these headphones. It may sound like a minor feature—you can always press pause before removing your headphones—but after testing so many headphones with automatic wear detection, including cheaper models, I was surprised that Bose left it out.

At first, I thought I needed to enable the feature in the settings. Then I remembered that its absence was by design.

Call quality is the biggest problem

The most obvious downside may be the call quality. A co-worker said my voice sounded unusually quiet and unprocessed during Zoom calls. That is not what I would expect from high-end headphones costing $300 or more.

If you need to remove these headphones and switch to the $170 Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro earbuds to take calls in a quiet room, Bose has a problem it needs to address.

The $370 price makes the QuietComfort Headphones hard to recommend

The $370 manufacturer’s suggested retail price may be my biggest issue. These headphones cost relatively close to the $450 Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd generation), which were available for $400 on Amazon at the time of writing. That is only a $30 difference for a significantly better pair of headphones.

Bose is losing its noise-canceling crown

Bose’s QuietComfort series is iconic for a reason. This midrange model is comfortable, sounds good, and blocks out ambient noise effectively. But by 2026, many competing headphones offer similar strengths along with longer battery life, automatic wear detection, or a lower price.

The $300 Sony WH-1000XM4C does not have ANC as powerful as the Bose, but it includes wear detection, longer battery life, and a lower price. The $300 Nothing Headphone (1) is slightly less comfortable, but it has equally good button controls and a 35-hour battery with ANC. Bose’s own QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd generation) outperform their less expensive sibling in most ways while costing only a little more.

Verdict: Wait for a discount or choose an alternative

Bose may once have been able to command this price, but the competitive landscape has changed. The Bose QuietComfort Headphones (2nd generation) are not bad: They are quiet, comfortable, and offer better sound quality than many headphones. For Bose loyalists and listeners who prioritize music over phone calls, those strengths may be enough.

However, the $370 price and the missing features make the alternatives more appealing. I would wait for these headphones to be released, as they are at the time of publication, or consider the first-generation version if you can find it for less than $200.