Bose x Steve Lacy QuietComfort Headphones

Bose QuietComfort Headphones are the successors to QuietComfort 45 Headphones. They deliver high-fidelity audio performance and world-class noise cancellation that allow you to hear more of your music and movies — while traveling, at the office, or at home.

QuietComfort Ultra Headphones offer our most premium design and our most advanced technologies, for the best Bose listening experience in a headphone. With QuietComfort Ultra Headphones, you will enjoy our best headphone noise cancellation, audio quality personalized with CustomTune, and voice pickup, among other premium features.

Proprietary TriPort acoustic headphone structure utilizes external ports to vent the earcups and effectively enlarge the acoustic volume, without increasing the size of the earcup. The result is better audio and active noise reduction from a smaller, lighter, more comfortable headphone.

Bose QuietComfort Headphones utilize both active and passive noise reduction technologies. They use a sophisticated proprietary electronics approach for active noise reduction, placing microphones both inside and outside the earcups. The electronics system senses the sound in almost any environment and then measures, compares, and reacts — instant by instant — to produce an opposing cancellation signal. Meanwhile, passive noise reduction is achieved by the combination of earcup fit, design, and clamping force of the headband.

Aware Mode turns on the external microphones of QuietComfort Headphones and feeds ambient sounds into the headphones, enabling awareness of the sounds in the environment, such as cars and emergency vehicles, while still enjoying audio content.

These headphones were designed to maximize all the features that contribute to comfort, especially when you’re using the headphones for extended periods of time. All materials have been selected for their comfort and lightweight properties. Protein leather is used for its comfort, durability, and acoustical properties. The earcups rotate easily for a uniform, comfortable seal. And most importantly, stability is achieved with minimal clamping force, allowing for hours of comfortable wear.

Yes. Bose QuietComfort Headphones have an adaptive microphone system that allows you to use the headphones during calls when connected to any smartphone. In addition to traditional calls, the headphones will work with many apps that use Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), such as Zoom or FaceTime. The microphone system adapts to your environment to isolate your voice from competing background noises and wind so that you can confidently take a call or speak to your voice assistant anywhere you go — knowing you will be heard clearly and naturally.

First, make sure your headphones are turned on with the slider switch in the middle “On” position. Next, slide and hold the switch to the Bluetooth icon until the Bluetooth LED flashes blue or when the voice prompt indicates the headphones have entered into pairing mode. Please note, if this is your first time connecting the headphones, they will automatically turn on into pairing mode. Voice prompts will provide you with additional guidance. We recommend using the Bose Music app to complete the pairing process, however, Bluetooth settings on your device can be used to complete pairing.

Yes. Multi-point technology allows Bose QuietComfort Headphones to maintain a connection to two devices at the same time — for example, an iPad and a smartphone. So while you’re watching video on the connected iPad, the headphones will automatically pause the video to answer a call from the connected smartphone. When the call is finished, the headphones switch back to the video on the iPad.

Bose QuietComfort Headphones have a range of up to 30 ft (9 meters) from the source device. This range may be reduced by physical obstructions, such as walls and doors, or by interference from other electronic devices. Pops or a cracking noise may be heard if there’s interference with the Bluetooth connection. If that happens, move away from wireless routers or microwaves and bring your headphones closer to the Bluetooth device.

The headphones can be charged using the USB-C cable supplied in the box and plugging into a USB port on a PC, laptop, or wall charger. Allow up to 2 hours for the headphones to fully charge. The battery light indicator will show an amber light while the headphones are charging and turn green when fully charged. When you don’t have time for a full charge, the fast-charge feature provides up to 4 hours of play time from a quick, 15-minute charge.

Bose QuietComfort Headphones use a lithium-ion rechargeable battery that provides up to 24 hours* of audio playback with noise cancelling turned on.

Yes. You can continue to listen to your source even if the battery power is depleted. Without power, the headphones operate in a passive mode and neither active noise cancellation nor Active EQ is able to function.

Bose QuietComfort Headphones also give you two options when it comes to audio EQ. Do nothing and the bass, midrange, and treble of whatever you’re listening to will be adjusted automatically to make it sound great. Or choose Equalizer in the settings of the Bose Music app to change the audio levels yourself to however you like them best. Either way, you’ll enjoy immersive sound at any volume.

The larger middle button on the right earcup is the Multi-function button. It initiates play/pause and other track controls for videos and music, answers and ends calls, and also provides access to your phone’s default virtual assistant, like Siri. The buttons on either side of the multi-function button are volume +/– buttons. They allow you to easily adjust volume in an intuitive up/down vertical orientation.

On the left earcup there is a single Action button. This toggles between Quiet Mode (noise cancelling), Aware Mode, and your Custom Modes. This is also a shortcut button; when you press and hold the button for approximately 2 seconds your shortcut, such as battery life status or Spotify Tap, will activate.

Using the Multi-function button on the back of the right earcup, QuietComfort Headphones give you access to your phone’s default virtual assistant, like Siri.

No. In general, the audio/video delay will be excessive and most noticeable in games where action and audio are supposed to be synchronized.

Spotify Tap allows Spotify users to access their music with a single tap on a designated control on their headphones. Press and hold the “Action” button on the left earcup to start your listening session and press down again for Spotify to offer up recommendations for other music you might like. You need a Spotify account and can configure the shortcut control to activate Spotify Tap using the Bose Music app.