For the last year or so, Sony has completely dominated the world of noise cancellation. Whether you were on the hunt for full-size over-ear headphones or tiny in-ear buds, there’s really only been one place to go for top-of-the-line audio gear. That won’t be the case for long, as Bose — Sony’s long-time rival in the battle for ANC domination — is finally returning with a successor to the aging QuietComfort 35 II headset.
Today’s leak comes courtesy of WinFuture, nearly a month after we got our first glimpse of the company’s newest headphones. The QuietComfort 45s look to continue the company’s trend of excellent ANC-equipped audio gear, albeit with a relatively understated and plain design. Unlike the Bose NC700s released a few years back, these look like any standard pair of studio headphones you could pick up right now from B&H. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but it does mean the QC 45s are on the opposite end of the flair spectrum as, say, Apple’s AirPods Max.
Still, it’s hard to call them ugly; they’re just plain. The bottoms of each cup stick to tried-and-true buttons, with playback controls kept to one side and a power button on the other. With both black and beige variants available, there’s at least some room for customizing how they look on your head. They’re also, at least according to Bose’s marketing materials, “shockingly light,” utilizing materials like synthetic leather and glass-filled nylon.
While this report lacks any in-depth details on how well the ANC will function on this pair, there’s no doubt Bose has to step up its game to compete with Sony’s recent XM4s. “Aware mode” is making a comeback, allowing for passthrough audio using the built-in microphones. Despite a slightly smaller battery, the QC 45s are rated at 24 hours of playback on a single charge — four hours more than the QC 35s. They also (finally) charge over USB-C with support for 15-minute fast charging and retain the all-important 3.5mm headphone jack.
Unfortunately, all of these upgrades don’t come cheap. If the QC 45s look like your next set of headphones, you’d better be ready to shell out for the experience. At $329, they’re priced well above the competition — especially when you consider regular sale pricing. Still, with the amount of time Bose fans have spent waiting for a true successor to the last QuietComfort pair, the price might not matter at all.
