Verdict: Bose’s best headphones and a top choice for comfort and noise cancelling on long flights. Owners of the 1st Gen don’t need to upgrade; new buyers should pick this one over it if the price gap is small.
Good for
- Long flights: top-tier noise cancelling and plush comfort
- Movies: Immersive Audio and the new Cinema mode
- Wired listening: lossless audio over USB-C
- Longer battery than the 1st Gen: up to 30 hours
Skip it if
- You want LDAC; Bose supports aptX Adaptive on Snapdragon Sound phones instead
- You already own the 1st Gen; the changes are incremental
Key specs
| Battery | Up to 30 hours (up to 23 hours with Immersive Audio) |
|---|---|
| Noise cancelling | Quiet, Aware and Immersion modes, plus Cinema mode |
| Wired audio | Lossless audio over USB-C |
| Bluetooth | 5.4 |
| Extras | On-head detection (auto on/off) |
| Released | 2025 |
How it compares
- Bose QuietComfort Ultra (1st Gen): shorter battery, no USB-C audio; often cheaper
- Sony WH-1000XM6: the main rival, with LDAC and a folding design
Featured in: Best noise-cancelling over-ear headphones 2026 · Best noise-cancelling headphones
Specs come from the manufacturer’s published specifications (Bose: what’s new in the 2nd Gen · SoundGuys 1st vs 2nd Gen); iTech Level has not tested this product hands-on. How we choose products.
