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Bose QuietComfort Headphones over-ear wireless noise cancelling headphones in black

Bose QuietComfort Headphones: Airplane Quiet You Can Tune

Description

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If you want a plane cabin to go quiet and you’d rather not fuss with settings to get there, the Bose QuietComfort Headphones are the easy answer. Bose has owned the noise-cancelling name for years, and this is the pair built for the traveller who just wants the drone to disappear. The newer model keeps what made the QuietComfort line a travel staple and adds something the old QC45 didn’t: an EQ you can actually adjust. Here’s who it’s for, and where it still falls short.

Bose QuietComfort Headphones over-ear wireless noise cancelling headphones in black
The Bose QuietComfort Headphones, an over-ear pair built around class-leading noise cancellation.

What it is, in plain terms

An over-ear wireless headphone with Bose’s active noise cancellation, soft cushions made for long wear, and up to 24 hours of battery on a full charge. It charges over USB-C, connects over Bluetooth, and gives you two modes: Quiet for full cancellation and Aware for hearing the world when you need to. The part that’s new since the QC45 is the adjustable EQ in the Bose Music app, so you can push the bass or ease off the treble instead of living with one fixed sound.

Why it works for travel

The cancellation is the whole reason to buy these, and it’s very good at the low, constant rumble of a plane or train. The cushions stay comfortable across a long-haul flight, and 24 hours of battery covers most round trips without packing a charger. They fold down into the carrying case and slip into a personal item, and they pair naturally with a Trtl travel pillow for the full long-haul kit. Aware mode is handy for catching a gate announcement without pulling them off.

A traveler wearing the Bose QuietComfort Headphones on the go
Comfortable enough to keep on from the gate to the far end of the trip, and Aware mode lets the world back in when you need it.

What we like

  • Class-leading noise cancellation for plane and train drone.
  • Adjustable EQ, so you can tune the sound instead of settling for one.
  • Comfortable enough for a full long-haul flight.
  • Up to 24 hours of battery, enough for most round trips.
  • USB-C charging, so it shares a cable with most phones.
  • Clear calls from the noise-rejecting mics.

Worth knowing

  • The pricier QuietComfort Ultra cancels a touch more and adds spatial audio, if your budget stretches.
  • Ear cushions can get warm over a long flight.
  • Quiet and Aware are the only modes, with no gradual dial between them.
  • No airplane adapter in the box, so check what’s included if you need to plug into an older seat-back screen.
  • At just under 300 dollars, it’s a real investment next to cheaper travel headphones.

Who the Bose QuietComfort Headphones are for

Reach for the QuietComfort Headphones if quiet is your priority, you want comfort that lasts a whole flight, and you’d like to tune the sound without leaving the app. If you want the absolute strongest cancellation Bose makes, look at the QuietComfort Ultra. If you want a heavier, bass-first sound out of the box, Sony’s flagship is worth comparing before you decide.

Our take

For pure quiet and long-flight comfort, this is one of the easiest pairs to recommend, and the adjustable EQ fixes the one real knock on the old QC45.

Ready for a quieter flight?

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