For years, whenever someone asked what brand of headphones to buy for a flight, the answer was a simple one-syllable: Bose. The company’s QuietComfort line has long been synonymous with drowning out airplane noise on long flights. But in recent years, the question has become increasingly difficult, as companies like Apple and Sony have risen to the top of the pack.
In mid-September, the company planted its flag in the sand once again. The beloved QuietComfort line has been refreshed, with three new entries: the $299 QuietComfort Ultra headphones, the $349 QuietComfort headphones, and the $429 QuietComfort Ultra headphones. The latter (which, as the title suggests, is our focus today) replaces the $379 (now $279) Bose Noise Canceling Headphones 700 .
As naming conventions go, it’s certainly simpler and more streamlined. At least you know where the QuietComfort Ultra headphones stand in relation to the QuietComfort headphones (they’re, you know, more ultra). You’ve probably already declined the price, as any sane, non-independent rich person would. The premium headphone race may have heated up, but that doesn’t make the products any cheaper. We are very close to hitting half a grand here.
Are $429 Noise Canceling Bluetooth Headphones Worth It? This is a question I certainly can’t answer for everyone. What I can say is that if they exist, they are. Bose has created some of the most comfortable and best sounding headphones I’ve ever tried, combined with the best noise cancellation in the class. These things are, indeed, the real deal.
Image Credits: Brian Heater
Fortunately, Bose was able to deliver the pair before a cross-country flight earlier this week. Unfortunately, it didn’t occur to me to double check the size of the auxiliary slot. What can I say, it’s been a while since I’ve worn a pair of Bose headphones on a flight (thanks Sony for that), so I’d forgotten that the headphones themselves have a 2.5mm port, rather than the more standard 3.5mm . When all else fails, just go with whatever they send you in the box.
So no seatback entertainment via the new QuietComfort for me this trip. Well, there was nothing good anyway. As for the rest of the flight, you’re not going to beat these things in terms of comfort — they’re light and well padded with soft padding. The active noise cancellation also did a great job of eliminating the white noise of the airplane and even a bit of the child screaming in the back. Not fully on that last bit, though – the technology just isn’t there yet.
The ANC is good enough, however, that I had to actively switch to “aware” mode when using the headphones during a podcast. With it on, it was honestly very hard to hear myself speak, which threw me off (sorry to the interviewee on this one).
Apart from the prices, there is one notable complaint. Battery life isn’t on par with other over-ear pairs like Sony’s WH-1000XM5 and the Beats Studio 3. It took me on the aforementioned cross-country flight and should get you through a day without a problem, but be forewarned that it’s the only place where the Ultras fall short of the competition.
