Bose has been the market leader in noise-cancelling headphones for as long as one can remember. Bose’s QuietComfort headphone line has been giving tough competition to multinational companies like Apple and Sony for more than 20 years now. And that’s not the only competition Bose is up against! The company seems to outshine its Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 by introducing the QuietComfort 45 noise-cancelling headphones. Even though the former had some impeccable features like the ever-powerful active noise cancellation and a revamped, sleek design, they set off even the most loyal customers because they lacked some essential features like folding for ease of travel.
The stakes are high for the newest addition to the company’s QC line, the Bose QuietComfort 45. The real question is whether the $329 QuietComfort 45 does a better job than the Noise Cancelling Headphones 700. Our Bose QC 45 review answers that question and more.
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Table of Contents
Bose QuietComfort 45 ANC Headphones
Design and Build
Looks wise; the new Bose QuietComfort 45 made sure customers didn’t miss the old design. You’ll find virtually the same design as the Bose QC 35. A simple, yet practical design with the Bose logos stamped on each side (yeah, the QC 35 had a raised logo) and the exact positioning of buttons can be seen on the Bose QC 45, similar to the previous design. The new Bose QC 45 is available in two distinct colors; black and off-white. In terms of comfort, not once during the 3 hours of testing did the Bose QC 45 ever feel uncomfortable. The credit goes to its plush ear pads and cushioned headband. Oh, and the headband is no longer of steel, but durable plastic and has a smooth finish, unlike the micro-suede-like material that the Bose QC 35 had. And to be honest, I couldn’t even tell that the weight of the Bose QC 45 was 8.5 ounces (or 238 grams), 0.2 ounces (3 grams) more than the Bose QC 35, which was 8.3 (235 grams). The headphones are accompanied by a shallow and compact round, rectangular zip-up case. Just collapse the hinges and fold the earcups flat to fit inside of it.
Bose goes old school when it comes to its control buttons. Instead of touch controls, it comes with the same old physical buttons. On the positive side, you won’t have to worry about the touch controls not working in colder environments. There are pros and cons, but preferences will vary. The Bose QC 45 comes with three buttons on the backside of the right earcup; depending upon the number of times you press it, the central button manages playback, call management, voice assistant, and track navigation. The buttons accompanying it are dedicated for volume up and volume down. The left earcup comes with an ANC/ambient mode button, or as Bose calls them, Quite and Aware mode buttons. The only con is that the Bose QC 45 restricts you to only listening in Quiet or Aware mode. You can’t disable both to preserve battery life. Honestly, this isn’t what we expected considering the price of the product. I wish that Bose had included an automatic pausing system when the headphones were removed, which isn’t a lot to ask. Sony and other manufacturers have included this on other premium headphones.
Battery Life and Connectivity
The Bose QC 45 gives an estimated battery life of approximately 24 hours. That’s longer battery life than some headphones, but it falls short of its main competition. They take up to 2 hours to recharge and give a good 3 hours of the functionality on a quick 15- minute recharge. But the thing that annoyed me the most about the Bose QC 45 was that we couldn’t use it while it’s plugged in and charging. Only charging is allowed when you attach a USB-C cable. The Bose QC 45’s ANC works in wired mode, that is, if you manage to connect its audio jack to a peripheral device. You can even continue to listen when the battery is exhausted but with no active noise cancellation. An audio cable and USB-C cable for charging are included.
The Bose QuietComfort 45 accommodates Bluetooth 5.1 and supports both AAC and SBC codecs. I do wish it would accommodate more advanced sound audio like aptX Adaptative and LDAC. The microphone configuration in the new Bose QC 45 is a little different from the Bose QC 35 II. The latest addition in the QC line now comes with a fourth external microphone for voice pickup. This array of four microphones uses beamforming technology that eliminates noise and wind from the exterior, ensuring that you focus on your voice during hands-free calls. Moreover, the Bose QuietComfort 45 supports multi-point technology and can be paired with two devices simultaneously, enabling you to switch between them seamlessly.
Sound Quality
The QC 45 headphones use Bose’s auto EQ, which Bose calls Active EQ. But here’s the kicker; Bose doesn’t let you customize the EQ on its QC 45, but the feature IS available on the Noise Cancelling Headphones 700. I mean, this is one feature that is indispensable for headphones, especially those which cost $329! Bose headphones already don’t have a great reputation for dynamic sound profiles. The ability to customize EQ is one way to combat this. The overall sound quality of the Bose QuietComfort 45 is good. Music has good clarity and detail, but audio can come across as flat when listening to some songs. It may be a turnoff for those who listen to more bass-heavy genres of music. These are definitely not for bass-heads.
How Is The Active Noise Cancelling for the Bose QC 45?
Coming to the real deal, the active noise cancellation features of the new Bose QuietComfort 45! Honestly speaking, the Bose QC 45 offers the best noise cancellation than any Bose QC series. The Bose QC 45 active noise cancelling reduces the low rumbles and the highs well in comparison to its top-tier competitors.
ANC headphones tend to struggle with high variable frequencies like human conversations, glass clinking at restaurants, and the sounds of treadmills at the gym. We decided to give the Bose QC 45 out for ourselves. So, our experiment went somewhat like this; we played a recording of a loud, busy road in New York, and surprisingly enough, the Bose QC 45’s ANC faced no issue and successfully passed the test.
Bose Music App Support
Before we forget to mention, the Bose QC 45 supports the Bose Music App, which allows effortless pairing for both Android and iOS. Simply turn the headphones on, open the app on your mobile phone and start browsing without having to switch the Bluetooth command on. And there’s more to the app than you think! You can also toggle between Quiet and Aware modes and connect to different sound sources you’re paired to, which enables you to get audio from your laptop and other devices, in addition to your phone. Moreover, adjusting automatic power-down times and monitoring your microphone to know how much of your voice can be heard on calls are some other features you can access through the app’s settings menu.
A Quick Analysis of the Pros and Cons of the Bose QC 45
Now that we have mentioned all the features of the Bose QC 45 in detail, it is now time to give a quick analysis of the pros and cons of this new addition to the Bose QC line.
Pros
- Top notch active noise cancellation
- Extremely comfortable
- Improved battery life
- It can be folded for easy storing
Cons
- It can’t be used while charging
- EQ can’t be adjusted through the Bose app
- Lacks support for audio over USB-C
- ANC levels can’t be adjusted
- Sound quality isn’t the most dynamic
The Bottom Line
The Bose QC 45 headphones lead the Bose QC line in active noise cancellation. Even though it does not provide the best most dynamic sound, it offers its unique strengths. Not everyone will find the flat EQ an issue. Some will prefer it. All in all, if you have a Bose QC 35 version II and are thinking about upgrading to the QC 45 just for brand loyalty, we would recommend not to unless you really need to because apart from the noise cancellation, it’s more or less the same trade. Those who want great active noise cancelling with a more dynamic EQ should consider the Sony WH-1000XM4. Bass-heads should consider the Sony WH-XB900N or the Skullcandy Crusher Evo headphones.
Bose QuietComfort 45 Review: FAQs
Is Bluetooth multipoint supported?
Yes. Bluetooth multipoint is supported. The QC45 can connect to two devices simultaneously.
Is there app support?
There is additional functionality with the Bose Music app. Unfortunately, there is no ability to adjust EQ which is available on other Bose headphones. Hopefully, Bose can add this in a future update.
Does the Bose QuietComfort 45 have quick charging?
Yes. A 15-minute charge will provide 3 hours of battery life.
Keith Collins has been writing for over 15 years for various publications. He’s a lover of music, home theater, and excellent sound quality. His fondness for technology in addition to his non-stop curiosity fuels his writing ventures.