Bose QuietComfort headphones 2nd gen will bring the company’s head-tracked Immersive Audio to its lower-priced over-ear noise-cancelling line, a feature previously reserved for the QuietComfort Ultra. Bose has set a $359 price, with preorders beginning August 8 and shipping expected August 13, according to The Verge.
The update matters because the standard QuietComfort, introduced in late 2023 at $349, is getting a set of processing features that Bose had used to distinguish its more expensive Ultra hardware. The price has moved up $10. This is a product announcement, not a test result, so Bose’s claims about sound, comfort and noise cancellation remain unverified in real-world use.
How does head tracking work on Bose QuietComfort headphones 2nd gen?
Head tracking uses sensors in the headphones to tell when the listener turns their head. Bose says its digital processing can then make ordinary stereo audio seem to stay in a fixed apparent spot in front of the listener, closer to the effect of listening to speakers in a room than conventional left-right headphone playback.
The reported Still mode is for that fixed-position effect while seated. A reduced-tracking, mobile-oriented setting lets the apparent listening position move with the wearer instead. Bose’s earlier Ultra implementation called that setting Motion, and Bose says its current Immersive Audio system processes standard stereo content without requiring Dolby Atmos-encoded tracks.
That distinction is worth keeping straight. Spatial audio is a broad label for techniques that simulate three-dimensional sound; Dolby Atmos is one particular production and playback format. Bose markets Immersive Audio as its own head-tracked processing approach, rather than claiming these headphones turn every soundtrack into a native Atmos mix.
A Cinema mode is also intended for videos and podcasts. Product reporting says it spatializes background material while attempting to hold dialogue in the center. Whether any of these modes improve a particular recording will depend on the listener and material, and Bose has not supplied an independent comparison in the available reporting.
What else changed from the 2023 QuietComfort model?
- Wired playback: The new model supports lossless audio through USB-C, up to 24-bit/48 kHz, The Shortcut reported.
- Noise control: Bose says a revised Aware mode reacts more naturally to sudden changes in ambient sound, such as a passing vehicle. The company also says its QuietControl and ActiveSense systems are meant to maintain cancellation around glasses or hats and during abrupt noise spikes.
- Physical design: The headband has been revised to be easier to adjust and more comfortable, according to The Verge.
- Power: Battery life remains rated at 24 hours, and playback can continue while the headphones charge, according to The Shortcut.
Bose will sell the headphones in black, white smoke, eucalyptus green, dewdrop mint and rosewood mauve. The latter three are described as limited-edition colors by The Shortcut. Buyers get a more capable feature list on paper, but should treat the company’s promises about adaptive cancellation and immersive sound as promises until independent reviews put the new model through its paces.
This story draws on original reporting from The Verge.
