The Bose QuietComfort Ultra (2023) has the best noise cancelling you can buy — owners and every major outlet agree. It's comfortable for all-day wear and call quality is excellent. But 24-hour battery trails Sony, there's no LDAC, and USB-C is charge-only. At $279–$329 on sale it's a strong buy; a 2025 second generation exists if you want the latest.
— THE VERDICT · JUDGEANY EDITORSThe ANC king, with receipts
If you want the strongest noise cancelling you can buy, this is the headphone — owners say it, and every major outlet agrees. SoundGuys' lab measurements put ambient noise reduction at roughly 87%, the highest they had recorded, and RTINGS scored the overall package 81/100 with top-tier ANC. This review covers the first-generation QuietComfort Ultra from 2023 (model 880066-0100); a second generation launched in 2025. We don't run a test lab — scores below are editorial judgments based on manufacturer specs, owner reviews, and published expert measurements.
Comfort and calls: the quiet strengths
At around 253 grams with soft earcups and even headband pressure, the Ultra is repeatedly called the most comfortable flagship by owners — including glasses wearers and people who wear headphones all day. Call quality is the other quiet strength: the multi-microphone array gets consistent praise for clear voice pickup in noisy environments — Bose itself calls these the clearest calls of any Bose headphone.
Sound: energetic, with a Bose Immersive Audio asterisk
The 35 mm drivers deliver an energetic, detailed, bass-forward sound that suits pop and modern music; RTINGS' testing scored sound 8.6. Bose Immersive Audio (spatial audio with head tracking) divides opinion — some owners love the immersion, others call it a gimmick — and it cuts battery life from 24 hours to 18. CustomTune ear-shape calibration personalizes the sound to your ears, a small feature owners actually appreciate.
Where it falls short
Battery life is the weak spot: 24 hours with ANC on trails the Sony XM5's 30, and some owners report fast standby drain. The codec situation is awkward — no LDAC, and aptX Adaptive only helps Snapdragon Sound phones — while the USB-C port is charge-only on this generation (no USB-C audio; that's a 2nd-gen feature). The mostly-plastic build and missing IP rating feel thin at flagship money, and the touch volume slider is a recurring owner gripe.
First gen vs second gen
The 2025 second generation (model 890101-0100) adds 30-hour battery, Bluetooth 5.4, and USB-C audio at a $449 list price. That makes this first-gen unit the discount play: it now routinely sells for $279 to $329, and at that price the ANC-per-dollar math is excellent. Just make sure the listing you buy is the 2023 model (24-hour battery, model 880066-0100).
Who should buy it
Noise-cancelling purists who want the best ANC and all-day comfort should buy it on sale. At $279 to $329 the first-gen Ultra is a strong buy; at its original $429 it was a much harder sell against Sony.