Bose QuietComfort headphones, earbuds take on Sony's premium audio wearables
What's the story
Bose Corporation has dropped three new audio wearables, including the QuietComfort Ultra Headphones, QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds, and QuietComfort Headphones, replacing existing models in its hardware portfolio.
The new products embrace the brand identity and shed other product names that didn't resonate as well.
The Ultra models make a push into spatial audio with proprietary audio processing to spatialize stereo tracks with optional head tracking.
The new offerings from Bose take on Sony's latest WH and WF series wearables.
Information
Spatial audio and head tracking take center stage
The QuietComfort Ultra Headphones and Earbuds contain an inertial measurement unit sensor that detects head movements, allowing the music's sweet spot to remain in the center when using "still" mode for Immersive Audio.
Headphones #1
QuietComfort Ultra Headphones are sleek and feature-rich
Priced at $429 (around Rs. 35,600), the QuietComfort Ultra Headphones replace the Noise Cancelling Headphones 700.
They feature a sleek design that blends aspects of previous models with the signature QuietComfort line.
Its physical controls have been improved, with a volume slider added to the multifunction and power/Bluetooth buttons. The audio wearable folds down for easier storage.
The QuietComfort Ultra Headphones offer up to 24 hours of continuous battery life, dropping to 18 hours when using Immersive Audio.
Insights
QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds support Snapdragon Sound
Priced at $299 (roughly Rs. 24,800), the QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds replace Earbuds II.
They come with silicone stability bands for a better fit.
The ANC and sound quality remains similar to Earbuds II. However, the earbuds offer improved voice-call quality.
Sound fidelity has also been upgraded, thanks to support for Snapdragon Sound, allowing Android listeners to stream audio tracks with AptX Adaptive Bluetooth codec at higher bitrate.
Talking about the battery, you get four hours of playback with Immersive Audio.
Headphones #2
QuietComfort Headphones replace the QuietComfort 45
Bose's new audio wearable lineup is completed by the standard QuietComfort Headphones, which retain the design of the QuietComfort 45, while introducing new software features.
They cost $349 (around Rs. 29,000), and are available in Green, Black, and White finishes.
According to Bose, these headphones let users adjust noise cancellation levels beside the default enable/disable functions, and set custom modes. They support multipoint pairing and offer a battery life of up to 24 hours.