Bose QuietComfort (2nd Gen) release: What’s new, price, and why we’re excited for them

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Few names in headphones are as iconic as the Bose QuietComfort line, and as of Aug. 6, a new addition to it is here.

The Bose QuietComfort (2nd gen) headphones come with a new design, upgraded noise cancellation, and audio features, all for the same price as the first generation headphones — $359. The headphones are available to preorder as of Aug. 8 on Bose’s website and will be widely available on Aug. 13.

My testing unit of the new headphones is on the way, but ahead of preorders opening, I’ve gathered everything you need to know about Bose’s latest headphones launch.

Bose QuietComfort (2nd gen) at a glance

Specs

• Active noise cancellation: Yes, with manual adjustment available

• Microphones: Six

• Lossless playback: Wired USB-C audio up to 24bit/48kHz

• Equalizer: Three-band custom equalizer

• Spatial audio: Bose TrueSpatial technology with Immersive Audio modes for Still, Motion, and Cinema

• Battery life: 24 hours per charge (18 hours with Immersive Audio)

• Quick charge: 15-minute charge for 2.5 hours of playback

• Connection: Bluetooth 5.4

• Multipoint: Yes

• Weight: 0.5 pounds

• Colors: Black, white smoke, eucalyptus green*, dewdrop mint*, rosewood mauve* (*limited edition colors)

Price

The second generation Bose QuietComfort headphones will retail for $359, putting them at the same price point as the first gen QuietComforts. If you’re looking for an even more affordable option, the older headphones are often on sale for under $300.

This also puts them at a considerably cheaper price point than the Bose QuietComfort Ultra (2nd gen), which cost $449, and have been our pick over the standard QuietComfort headphones due to their slightly better comfort, presence of spatial audio, and slightly better ANC. With improvements on all three coming on the second gen QC headphones, it will be interesting to see how wide the gap remains between the two options.

What’s new with the Bose QuietComfort (2nd gen) headphones?

The Mashable team loves the Bose QuietComfort headphones. Lead Shopping Reporter Samantha Mangino calls them her “go-to headphones for everything,” praising their solid ANC, rich sound quality, and incredibly comfortable design that’s glasses and earrings-friendly. She also appreciates the tactile on-ear controls that are intuitive and way more reliable than finicky touch controls often found on over-ear headphones.

Her one complaint? That sometimes sudden, loud sounds — like a train rolling up to a platform — could cause audio distortion. With this new generation, Bose is providing a fix for that issue, as well as improving on all of the parts of the headphones Mangino already appreciated. Here’s the breakdown:

Design upgrades

At a casual glance, these headphones look similar to the first generation, but come with a few upgrades. For starters, the ear cups have more of an oval shape to provide a fit that’s better for maximizing passive noise cancellation without sacrificing comfortable wear. The headband is more plush with improved sliders for easier adjustment, and the button placement is even more intuitive than the first generation, according to Bose.

Of course, there are also the three new colorways: eucalyptus green, dewdrop mint, and rosewood mauve, featuring two-toned palettes for a more striking design.

Sound upgrades

One of the most major differences between the OG QuietComforts and QC Ultras was the presence of spatial audio on the latter. That difference is no longer. Bose introduces TrueSpatial technology on the second generation QuietComfort headphones, featuring spatial audio listening modes in Still, Motion, and Cinema modes.

Bose also introduces lossless playback via the USB-C cable, which can still charge the headphones while they’re being used.

Noise cancellation

Bose has always been solid in the noise cancellation space, but they’re making even more improvements to their tech (now called QuietControl). As the name suggests, the QC line is focused on comfort, so the headphones are intentionally left with some gaps to allow for all-day wear. According to Bose, those gaps will be addressed due to improved tech in the six-microphone system and adaptive controls in the headphones.

Spikes of noise, as Mangino mentioned, will also be addressed in Aware Mode with the addition of ActiveSense response, which engages some noise cancellation for mitigating the impact of the spikes.

Where to buy the Bose QuietComfort (2nd gen) headphones

The Bose QuietComfort headphones will be available to preorder from Bose and other sellers on Aug. 8, and will become widely available on Aug. 13. We’ll update this post with more information once links to product pages go live.