Bose returns with its classically designed Bose QuietComfort 45 wireless headphones. But are they a better option than the Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700? Let’s find out…

Bose has been at the forefront of the headphone market for as long as I can remember – and I’m pretty old. I’ve used a bunch of the company’s headphones over the years and they’ve all got progressively better. I’ve always been a huge fan of its Bose QuietComfort 35 II headphones. I own a pair and have used them most days for going on three years now.

As with most things, the headphone market is in a constant state of flux. You have new brands entering the fray, Apple and Nothing, and new leaps in technology. In a bid to better realign itself with “modern” aesthetics, Bose released its Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700. They used a sleeker design than what the company was traditionally known for, showing that it too can innovate and design with the best of them.

Bose purists, however, were divided. Many missed some of the features and design attributes they’d come to know and love from Bose’s QuietComfort series – things like the ability to fold the headphones away into a box. And like any good company, Bose was taking notes. This is why the Bose QuietComfort 45 headphones exist; they’re a love letter to fans of the Bose QuietComfort 35 II headphones which haven’t been updated since 2017.

But now that they’ve been updated, what can you expect from a pair of Bose QuietComfort 45 headphones? Let’s take a look at the specs for the Bose QuietComfort 45. Then we’ll have a look at the updates, what’s new, and how they’re different from the 700s and the QuietComfort 35 II headphones. After that, we’ll have a look at some Bose QuietComfort 45 reviews to see if these headphones are worth a buy.

Bose QuietComfort 45 Specs & Updates

Color: Black or White
Battery life: 24 hours
Dimensions: 18.4cm x 15.24cm x 7.62cm
Weight: 240g
Bluetooth: 5.1
App: Bose Music
Quick charge: Yes, via USB-C

Bose QuietComfort 45 Updates – What’s New?

If you own a pair of QuietComfort 35 II headphones, you’ll know one of the most annoying things about them is that they run the now-ancient micro-USB. With the Bose QuietComfort 45, you now have the modern USB Type C in its place which brings with it not only easier charging, literally no one uses microUSB anymore, but also faster charging too – a quick five-minute blast delivers almost three hours of battery life.

Bose has improved the battery life inside the Bose QuietComfort 45 too, so you now get 24 hours of playback versus 20 hours on the Bose QuietComfort 35 II headphones. You also have things like support for Bluetooth 5.1 for true multi-point pairing, so you can pair both your iPhone and your MacBook at the same time, and the AAC Bluetooth codec but, like the Sony WH-1000XM4, they do not have aptX or aptX HD for higher-resolution audio streaming which is unfortunate.

With respect to drivers, the Bose QuietComfort 45 runs the same ones as its predecessor. The button placement is the same too, and they also feature the same fold-away design as before, making them ideal for traveling. You also get a travel case with them too for safe keeping when you’re on the road. All told, the improvements here aren’t massive. But for those of us running the QuietComfort 35 II headphones, which are now five years old, there’s enough going on here to warrant an update. Mine are starting to look a bit shabby, so I think I’ll be picking up a set of these in the not-too-distant future.

That’s my hot-take on the Bose QuietComfort 45, as a current QC35II user. But what did other reviewers and critics make of the Bose QuietComfort 45? Let’s take a look at a selection of Bose QuietComfort 45 reviews to find out whether these headphones are worth it, or if you’re better off going with Bose’s new flagship headphones, the Bose Noise Cancelling 700 headphones instead?

Bose QuietComfort 45 Reviews

85

The Verge

The QuietComfort 45s are Bose at its best. They’re not some grand departure, and they adhere so closely to what’s come before that it’s easy to perceive them as less ambitious than the Noise Cancelling Headphones 700.

But with their enhancements to noise cancellation, a useful new aware mode, and other tweaks, Bose has added ample appeal to what was already a solid foundation.

And you’re not simply going to find a more comfortable pair of noise-canceling headphones. I just hope the company unlocks their fullest potential with some firmware updates in the coming months.

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80

What HiFi

If you want a set of wireless over-ear headphones you can put on, deploy noise-cancelling on your commute or at your desk and largely extinguish the outside world for up to 24 hours, the Bose QC 45 has the edge over most of the competition at the price. And for many, that will be the end of the story.

Sonically, your money can buy better. And if you want a more tailored noise-cancelling experience, an auto-pause function when you remove them, or sound EQ adjustment, you might be better shopping elsewhere.

We understand the inclination to stick to a winning design recipe, and that attitude has produced another very likeable pair of QuietComfort headphones. However, given the five-year wait for a significant revamp in the QC range, it’s fair to say we had hoped for more.

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80

Expert Reviews

Following their February 2022 firmware update, the Bose QuietComfort 45 are a step closer to the headphones I’d hoped they be at launch. They continue their predecessor’s legacy of delivering best-in-class comfort along with highly effective noise cancellation and they offer sound quality that’s eminently listenable, even more so after the addition of in-app EQ options.

However, their ANC is limited to one level and can’t be adjusted based on your surroundings, and there’s nothing groundbreaking to make them truly stand out from their big-name rivals. Apple’s AirPods Max may be a lot more expensive but have Spatial Audio support going for them, while Sony’s WH-1000XM4 possesses superior smarts and user-friendly convenience features.

The QuietComfort 45 is the pick of the bunch for comfort and noise cancellation but still falls a little short of dethroning Sony as our favorite noise-canceling all-rounders.

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80

Tech Radar

The Bose QuietComfort 45 is a rock-solid pair of noise-canceling headphones. They’re easy to use and feel incredibly comfortable to wear for long periods of time. Those are traits that Bose has always been known for and they continue to live on here.

Of course, the QC45 isn’t without a few new tricks. Among them is an Ambient Aware mode that allows you to hear sounds around you at the press of a button as well as upgraded noise cancellation tech that’s more responsive than before.

On top of that, you’ve got a good-but-not-great battery life of 25 hours and a beam-forming microphone array that is, well, not quite as good as we had hoped. Neither of these is a deal-breaker, but they do make the Bose QuietComfort 45 slightly less appealing than some of its competitors.

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T3

If you want comfortable headphones with excellent noise-cancelling then the Bose QuietComfort 45 will be a good choice for a lot of people. The sound is inoffensive, clean and balanced, you won’t get pounding bass performance but you will be able to listen to your music for hours, and hours, and hours.

Keeping things simple Bose has chosen not to include some quite major features here like the ability to pause the music when you take them off, or to turn off noise-cancelling. You also won’t be able to charge them and use them at the same time which is a minor annoyance. Given how expensive they are, it’s a shame that they haven’t gone a bit further when it comes to functionality. But Bose has rolled out a new firmware update giving you manual EQ settings – a very welcome change!

These haven’t changed massively from the Bose QC35 II but the few areas that Bose has changed have made a big difference in how these feel to use. They’re incredibly comfortable and the noise-cancelling is some of the best I’ve ever heard, if not the best so, despite their flaws, I do still highly recommend them.

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90

Guardian

The Bose QuietComfort 45 offer some of the very best noise cancelling and comfort money can buy. If you need a set of headphones to wear for hours on end, such as on long-haul flights or endless commutes, there aren’t many better options.

They’re light, fold up for travel, feel robust, sound good, connect to two devices at once, can be used with a cable and last for about 25 hours between charges. But while that formula made their predecessors top dog in 2016, the QC45 lack the bells and whistles offered by the latest rivals at similar or lower prices, such as automatic pause, virtual surround sound, sound and noise cancelling customisation and support for higher quality audio formats.

The Bose are still great but a bit pricy at RRP. They are frequently discounted so look for a deal or consider the still excellent QC 35 II, which are available for about £200. Note the battery cannot be replaced on the new headphones by Bose, ultimately making them disposable and losing a star.

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Are Bose QuietComfort 45 Worth It?

If you’re a long-time fan and user of Bose’s QC35II headphones, the Bose QuietComfort 45 represents a nice, slightly incremental update. You get faster charging, USB Type C, the same excellent design and comfort, and an extra four hours of battery life. For me, that’s more than enough to warrant upgrading my aging set of QC35II headphones – it basically fixes everything that is wrong with them.

If you’re looking for a more modern set of headphones with things like adjustable EQ, more aggressive noise canceling, and a more contemporary design, it might be worth looking at the Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700. These are Bose’s newly anointed flagship headphones, so they get all the latest and best new features. But you will pay more for these headphones. Another option would be Sony’s incredible WH-1000XM4 headphones which boast 30 hours’ worth of battery life and outstanding audio quality.

Basically, it’s a really tough call choosing between these three sets of headphones. They’re great in their own ways. Me? I like the fit and finish of the Bose QuietComfort 45. I also love the sound of my QC35 II headphones and Bose hasn’t messed with any of the drivers inside its Bose QuietComfort 45 headphones, so performance will be precisely the same. I do really like the Sony WH-1000XM4 headphones, though, especially since their battery performance is so strong.

Whichever model you go for, you’re going to have a great set of headphones. Me? I reckon I’ll be picking up a set of Bose QuietComfort 45 headphones later this year. I’ve enjoyed my QC35 II headphones so much, that it’d almost feel rude switching to another brand at this point, although it is nice to know there are plenty of solid options out there that are all similarly priced.