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Copyright ©2026 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 87990cbe856818d5eddac44c7b1cdeb8

Bose’s QuietComfort Headphones, priced at $349, promise the comfort and noise cancellation the brand has built its reputation on, but a closer look at the over-ear headphones reveals a product that changes little from its predecessor while introducing a sound profile that several reviewers have described as an unwelcome step backward.

Released in 2023 as a replacement for the long-running Bose QuietComfort 45, the QuietComfort Headphones sit as the entry-level model in Bose’s current noise-cancellation lineup, positioned below the pricier QuietComfort Ultra line. According to a detailed review from SoundGuys, which tested the headphones over a two-day period using the stock firmware and version 8.0.5 of the Bose Music app, the new model earned an overall score of 7.5 out of 10, reflecting a headphone that performs competently in several areas while stumbling in others.

Familiar Comfort, Familiar Design

Anyone who has previously worn a pair of Bose QuietComfort headphones will find the new model immediately familiar. According to SoundGuys, the QuietComfort Headphones are nearly indistinguishable from the QuietComfort 45 in terms of materials, microphone placement and button layout, aside from a new olive green color option. The ear cups measure 63 by 40 millimeters, are lightweight, and feature sufficiently soft padding, continuing Bose’s reputation for headphones well-suited to extended listening sessions. In testing, the headphones delivered 27 hours and 14 minutes of continuous music playback, several hours beyond Bose’s own promotional claim of 24 hours, enough for roughly a week’s worth of daily commuting or about three full days of continuous use.

The headphones ship with a compact, fabric-wrapped travel case designed to fit easily into a carry-on bag, along with a 3.5mm to 2.5mm cable, a USB-A to USB-C charging cable, and printed documentation. Notably, the package does not include an airplane headphone adapter, though most airlines have increasingly updated their in-flight entertainment systems to reduce the need for one.

Reliable Physical Controls

Unlike some competing noise-cancelling headphones that rely on touch-sensitive surfaces, the Bose QuietComfort Headphones use physical buttons positioned on the back of each ear cup, a design SoundGuys described as more reliable and easier to operate by feel than touch-based alternatives. The right ear cup houses volume and playback controls, while the left ear cup includes a dedicated action button that can toggle between noise-cancellation modes, mute an active call, or trigger a customizable shortcut, though that shortcut is currently limited to launching Spotify or announcing the current battery level aloud.

Solid, if Unspectacular, Noise Cancellation

The Bose Music app remains necessary to unlock the headphones’ full functionality, including firmware updates and adjustable noise-cancellation modes, a feature that allows users to save up to two custom presets tailored to specific environments. In testing, the active noise cancellation reduced between 10 and 30 decibels of low-frequency noise below 1 kilohertz, a level SoundGuys said was effective at cutting engine and street noise by roughly 50% to 85%. High-pitched noise reduction measured between 20 and 45 decibels, described as respectable though not class-leading given the increasingly high standards set by competing noise-cancelling headphones on the market.

A Sound Profile That Divided Opinion

Where the Bose QuietComfort Headphones drew the most pointed criticism was in their default sound signature. According to lab measurements cited by SoundGuys, the headphones’ sub-bass response is dramatically over-emphasized, creating an impression that the midrange sounds comparatively weak or underpowered by contrast. The review’s author described the overall listening experience as “weird,” pointing specifically to a pronounced peak in the treble range between 6 and 8 kilohertz that can create the sensation of missing detail elsewhere in a song’s higher frequencies. In practical listening tests, the reviewer noted that tracks with busy high-end instrumentation, including hi-hats and cymbals, sounded noticeably different than expected on other headphones, an effect the review compared to listening to band-limited audio through a phone speaker, though less extreme.

Attempts to correct the sound profile using the Bose Music app’s built-in equalizer presets did not meaningfully improve the situation, according to the review. Both the app’s Bass Boost and Treble Boost presets were found to exacerbate existing imbalances rather than resolve them, and manual adjustments using the app’s basic three-band custom equalizer similarly failed to bring the sound closer to a more neutral listening preference. Despite these technical criticisms, the review noted that a broader crowd-pleasing quality score, based on an industry-standard multi-dimensional audio assessment, suggested that many casual listeners, particularly those who enjoy heavier bass, might still find the default sound signature enjoyable.

Calling Performance and Everyday Use

For phone calls, the headphones performed reasonably well handling wind noise, though background noise rejection during calls was flagged as a relative weak point. Connectivity is handled through Bluetooth 5.1 or a standard 3.5mm wired cable, though the headphones support only the SBC and AAC audio codecs and do not offer USB-C audio passthrough, a feature found on some competing 2023-era headphones. The headphones are not waterproof, and while their ear pads can be replaced, the ear cups themselves cannot.

How the Bose QuietComfort Headphones Stack Up

Compared with the Sony WH-1000XM5, a similarly priced competitor, reviewers found Sony’s offering superior in several respects, including sound quality, in-app equalization options and features such as spatial audio, making it difficult to recommend the Bose model over Sony’s alternative except on the basis of price, aesthetics or brand preference. Against the similarly priced Beats Studio Pro, neither model was judged clearly superior, with the Bose headphones offering better comfort but the Beats providing USB-C audio support that Bose lacks.

The Verdict

Ultimately, reviewers have suggested that shoppers considering the Bose QuietComfort Headphones might be better served financially by seeking out the older Bose QuietComfort 45, which offers roughly equivalent noise cancellation, arguably better default sound quality, and is frequently available at a lower price during seasonal sales. For buyers willing to spend closer to $350, alternatives such as the Sennheiser MOMENTUM 4 Wireless or the Shure AONIC 50 Gen 2 were also cited as offering more robust equalization options and additional features, positioning the Bose QuietComfort Headphones as a comfortable but ultimately unremarkable option within an increasingly competitive premium noise-cancelling headphone market.

Operator

Good day, and thank you for standing by. Welcome to Legacy Housing Corporation Second Quarter 2026 Earnings Call. [Operator Instructions]

Please be advised that today’s conference is being recorded.

I would now like to turn the conference over to your speaker for today, Jon. Please go ahead.

Jon Langbert
Chief Financial Officer

Good morning, and thank you for joining Legacy Housing Second Quarter 2026 Conference Call.

I’m Jon Langbert, the Chief Financial Officer; our CEO, Kenneth Shipley is also on the line and will join me for the question-and-answer session following our prepared remarks.

Before we get into the quarter, I want to briefly note a leadership change in July. Curt Hodgson retired as Executive Chairman and from our Board of Directors after decades building Legacy alongside Kenny from a Texas partnership into one of the largest producers of manufactured homes in the country. Curt is the reason I joined Legacy. I’ve known him personally for more than 20 years, and I’ve learned an immense amount from him about this business and about business in general. So I’ll always be grateful to him.

Kenny continues to lead the company as Chief Executive Officer, and he’ll share a few thoughts on Curt, at the close of our prepared remarks.

Before we begin those remarks, I’ll read our safe harbor disclosure. Management’s prepared remarks today will contain forward-looking statements, which are subject to risks and uncertainties, and management may make additional forward-looking statements in response to your questions. Therefore, the company claims the protection of the safe

Sourcing some additional fans might feel like a relatively minor cost overall, but for those hosting, catering and supplying weddings, the financial impact of coping with this summer’s heatwaves has spiralled.

“It has affected the industry massively. You are talking into the thousands [of pounds] for businesses,” says Michelle Miles, board adviser to the UK Wedding Association and founder of the Sustainable Wedding Alliance.

One of the biggest costs wedding venues are facing is the equipment and energy costs of trying to keep a space and food cool, she says.

“[Some] venues are having to bring in air conditioning units; they are at a premium when everyone else is wanting those units to keep their houses cool and businesses.”

Guests are also drinking more water – which brings another issue for venues.

“There has been a massive hit on alcohol sales. Venues would quite often rely on these to boost their profits, and people are…not drinking alcoholic drinks as much as they would on a temperate day,” says Miles.

It is not just the wedding party wilting in the heat but also the flowers. Peonies and roses – some of the most popular choices for a British wedding – saw their flowering window narrow from two months to two weeks.

“It has been an extremely tough growing season with water shortages, drought, no rainfall, slow germination in the heat, flowers going over too quickly,” explains Rebecca, from Lilac and Lace Floral Design.

For a recent wedding, she had to go to three times as many growers to get enough stems.

“For now, it’s more a time cost than a direct financial one. But using more growers often [has] larger delivery costs – I would estimate it costs £200 more in delivery.”