The Bose QuietComfort 45 successor first dropped just under the $250 mark during the Black Friday craziness of yesteryear. It wasn’t to be a one-time thing, for Amazon re-launched the offer several times after the shopping season. And today, we’re seeing it again, though not exclusively on Amazon. At the time of writing, Best Buy and Lenovo have the same deals going on.
Now much more affordable than the brand’s most high-end set of headphones to date, the QuietComfort Ultra, these puppies promise impressive noise cancellation, satisfactory battery life, and good sound quality. And they do deliver on all of those!
The ANC has two modes – Quiet and Aware, depending on what amount of outside noises you want to hear. It does a particularly great job of canceling out lower-frequency noises like traffic rumbles, but it also works fantastic on some high-pitched sounds. Their ability to create your own uninterrupted “bubble” of music is precisely what makes them a top choice for commuters.
Sound-wise, the Bose headset definitely can’t match Sony’s flagship-grade WH-1000XM5. That’s not to say they don’t sound good, though – they’re just not the best in class. For one thing, you may notice slightly overcooked lows compared to the other frequencies.
But if you appreciate bass, you’ll most likely like what you hear out of the box. Plus, there’s always the option to tinker with the EQ settings via the Bose app to squeeze the sound profile you want out of them.
So, great ANC and satisfactory sound. What about the battery life? According to Bose, you should be able to get up to 24 hours of listening time per charge, with fast charging giving you up to 2.5 hours of listening time within 15 minutes. Although not a stellar result, their battery life isn’t half bad.
Should you buy them? If you want fantastic ANC from comfortable headphones with an impressively good seal, yes. At that price, they’re definitely an option to consider.