Expert review of the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones

Thanks to the aluminum and plastic design, the headphones feel light and sturdy. In addition, the headphones have a leather headband. The ear cushions are also made of leather. Bose includes a sturdy storage bag as well. In this bag, there's a USB-A to USB-C charging cable and an audio cable.

The QuietComfort Ultra are the first Bose headphones with Bose Immersive Audio. This technology plays sound around me, which places me right in the middle of my favorite music. This is an especially nice addition for instrumental music. The technology places the instruments around me, which makes me feel like I'm at a concert. This technology has no extra value for podcasts and EDM. Podcasts sound shrill and EDM sounds tinny.

I can easily adjust my sound preferences in the Bose Music App. For example, I emphasize the bass when I want to. I can also do that for the mid tones and treble. In the app, I can switch from stereo sound to Bose Immersive Audio, spatial audio, and back to stereo sound. I choose 'Static' if I want to experience the Bose Immersive Audio while sitting down. If I want to hear Bose Immersive Audio while walking, I choose 'Dynamic'.

Thanks to the noise canceling, I can close myself off from my environment. I can adjust the noise canceling in the Bose app. In the app, I go to 'Modes'. I choose 'Silent' if I don't want to hear anything from my surroundings. When I listen to music via Immersive Audio, I use 'Immersion' to enable noise canceling. This noise canceling adjusts to the spatial audio. I can hardly hear anything from my surroundings with the 2 modes, both in the office and in a busy city. If I want to hear my surroundings, I choose 'No NC'.

I'm impressed by the sound of these headphones. The bass and mid tones sound clear, which also applies to the vocals. This isn't at the expense of the treble, so the sound remains balanced. This makes both electronic and instrumental songs stand out.

At first, I had struggled to find the right fit. That's because the aluminum headband isn't very flexible. Once I found the right fit, it stayed in place on my head. It also feels comfortable on my head during long listening sessions. I often notice that my glasses slide off my head with over-ear headphones. I don't have that problem with these headphones.