Description
The first noise cancelling headphones are back, with world-class quiet, lightweight materials, and proprietary technology for deep, clear sound and adjustable EQ so you can tune your music to your liking. Bose QuietComfort 45 headphones aren’t just an icon reborn – they’re the perfect balance of quiet, comfort, and sound. Plus, everything that made the first around ear headphones an icon is still here. Just refined. Like an updated design with smooth cushions and a clean look. Plush synthetic leather, impact-resistant glass-filled nylon, and cast-metal hinges were all selected for their comfort as well as their durability. Add in minimal clamping force, and you’ll almost forget you’re wearing Bluetooth wireless noise cancelling headphones. Enhanced Acoustic Noise Cancelling™ technology produces the true quiet needed to hear every detail of your music in high fidelity. Or, choose the new Aware Mode to hear your music and your environment together. TriPort acoustic architecture and Bose’s innovative Volume-optimized Active EQ add depth and clarity while maintaining balance at any volume. And lightweight materials such as synthetic leather and glass-filled nylon were meticulously selected for comfort and durability. The headphones offer 24 hours of play time*, charge via USB-C®, and feature six microphones for clearer calls. Bluetooth® 5.1 maintains a strong connection, and the Bose Music app guides you through setup, lets you personalize settings, and keeps your headphones’ software up to date.
From the manufacturer
QuietComfort 45 wireless headphones
Iconic quiet. Comfort. And sound.
The first noise cancelling headphones are back, now with lightweight materials for premium comfort and proprietary acoustic technology for deep, clear audio. They’re not just an icon reborn – they’re the perfect balance of quiet, comfort, and sound.
Scott Moser –
My top 3 reasons for picking QC45sI realize the QC45s have some slight shortcomings in certain areas but their strengths are why I chose them. I have watched so many reviews on the top N/C headphones it irritates my wife, but here is what you can learn from my OCD (hopefully). First the competition and why I didn’t select these.Airpod Max – Cost, weight and the stupid, stupid, stupid case.Sony XM4/XM5 – Bulky and didn’t want gesture controls (just my preference).Bose NC700 – Didn’t like the style and band adjustment, didn’t fold up small enough and gesture control.There are other headphones in the consumer space but these are the big players and my top 3 reasons for picking QC45s were,1. Space, these fold up into a small case, big, big plus. My main use will be for travel and I wanted the smallest footprint for my carryon.2. Noise cancelling, I tried and compared these to Sony and the NC700 at an electronic shop in an airport and I thought these were the best. This was before the XM5s, from reviews they might have a slight advantage but not significant.3. Comfort, all the reviews said the weight, clamping force, cabin pressure, cavity size and breathability were the best of any of the N/C top picks. Smart move by Bose to have another iteration of the QC35s, the comfort is unrivaled.I will use these mostly for travel, I had QC15s I bought for a wedding anniversary for my wife and I when we were flying for a cruise. They served us well, even bought a Bluetooth adapter for them, still working great and gave them to a family couple. That was 10 years ago, so another anniversary seemed like a reasonable purchase. The other players have features that surpass the QC45s, better sound, more bass, more adjustments but none of these were that important to me. For me comfort was very high on the list and I just like physical buttons and the sound is very good so no complaints there.UpdateComfort – After almost 1 month I can confirm the comfort of these headphones. My wife’s sleep schedule is different than mine so I have been using these connected to our Apple TV while she is sleeping. 2 or more hours with no fatigue, pain or any discomfort at all. As I stated in my original review, comfort was probably my top priority and I am so happy with them.Noise Cancelling – I give the noise cancelling 5 out of 5, absolutely amazing and no hissing or cabin pressure. Adjustable NC just isn’t that important to me, I just want it on or off. In this case it would be ambient, it would be nice to have the option to just turn NC off. Hoping a firmware will be coming to give that option but not a big deal.Sound – EQ’d the sound in the app and I am very happy with how they sound. I’m not a bass junkie or a audiophile but I like upper scale speakers (2 Sonos 5s in my living room for example) and these headphones do not disappoint.Battery – I haven’t measured the actual time but the claimed 24 hours seems pretty close and that is more than adequate.2nd UpdateMy adult daughter flew home for Christmas and she had replaced her Bose QC 25s that had stopped working with the Sony XM4s. So I got to spend some time with the XM4s, played with the app, listened to music, tried the noise cancelling and wore them for a while to test the comfort. I was very impressed, not surprising given the reputation of the XM4s but my personal opinion is the sound was very comparable to my Bose QC45s. I didn’t A/B switch the headphones but I have been listening to the QC45s for a couple of months now so that gave a good reference point. Noise cancelling of the XM4s was excellent, I still think the Bose have the edge but only a very slight advantage, it was cool to have the ability to turn off NC and get better battery life and still wish the Bose had this feature (still holding out hope a firmware will come to give this) but it isn’t a big disappointment for me. The comfort was again excellent, the ear cushions were super supple and gave a great seal. The Sony app had a lot more options than the Bose, if your an app nerd you could geek out on it, if your not it could seem complicated, for me I wouldn’t spend time in it so it’s not a significant advantage but that’s me. As I said in my original review adjustable NC isn’t something I would use so that feature isn’t for me but the Sony’s have it if you would like it.Summary of the XM4s from my perspective is they are comparable to the Bose in many ways, comfort, sound, noise cancelling, case size and better in some aspects like the app and the ability to turn NC off. It comes down to personal preferences and I like physical buttons but wow if you like the features of the Sony they are a top of the line headphones and you would love them. I still would choose the Bose but it was fun playing with the Sony XM4s.3rd UpdateThere were some references to wind noise with the QC45s in comments and reviews because the 45s don’t have the ability to turn off NC (if I remember correctly). I was letting the dog out the other day and had my QC45s on and there was a mild wind. Yes you do get wind noise, so if you are going to use headphones outside consider this. I don’t see this being an issue for me, guess only when I let the dog out, yeah first world problem. I keep mentioning the firmware update that could fix this (and added battery when not needed) with some hopes that a Bose rep will take notice (might have a better chance of winning the lottery) but for now this is a narrow circumstantial issue. For me it’s the comfort that trumps the advantages that the competition over the QC45s.
Mariann J. –
Extremely comfortable with big head and earsSummary: Extremely comfortable / good bass but may fall a little short for bass heads / good noise cancellation / very short cablesI used to hate having to wear headphones, because they always gave me a headache and ear pains. I’d only put on one when I wanted to provide quiet space to my partner which has become more and more necessary, so I finally looked into headphones better suited for big heads and ears. QC 35 II was the first one I came across on top lists, but then the 45 was on a hefty sale *and* according to customers’ measurements, 45 has an even bigger internal space for ears than the 35 (1.5″ width x 2.5″ height, vs. 1″ width x 2″ height respectively). I don’t know if the comparisons are true, but my ears definitely fit perfectly with the 45! It’s also for the first time ever that I can extend the headband so much I could even have empty space between that and my head if I wanted to, so no more pressure on the top of my head either!Comfort aside: prior to this, I had a Skullcandy so the sound quality difference is taking some time to get used to. The bass isn’t weak per se, I’d say it’s very good, but if you want that deeply thumping bass, this might fall a little short on that for you. It also doesn’t sound as crisp as my Skullcandy did, but the quality is still extremely good. Noise cancellation and awareness mode is easy to switch between, and both are very good at their functions. The charging and audio cables are ridiculously short, but the charger is a universal one so you can just charge it on your phone’s charger as well. I don’t know if the audio cable can be supplemented from elsewhere, but if so and you need it, definitely recommend to with this length. My PC has bluetooth so I haven’t had a need for it.All in all, any minor shortcomings these headphones may have is completely trumped by how incredibly comfortable it is, and for the first time I’m happy to wear headphones. If anything changes about quality (ear pads coming off, battery dying too fast), I’ll try to remember to update this review.
Mark L. Schatz –
They get the job doneI’ve had Bose noise cancelling phones for years and they’re ideal for traveling, which I do a lot of. They effectively block extraneous sound including road and plane roar, and have a warm full sound with plenty of bass, which is much appreciated by a bass player like me. I recently and regretfully left mine on a plane. The silver lining is that this newer model is bluetooth and rechargeable which are generally great conveniences. The one odd drawback to the bluetooth is that it doesn’t really function with digital editing software like Digital Performer; you have to turn them off and plug in the provided cable, and sound quality is crappy. A very helpful feature is the “aware” option – when you push that button you can hear some ambient sound around you. This can be a good safety feature at times, but for me, it allows me to practice my bass with music and not have to take one headphone off to hear my own bass, which is normally cancelled out.
Mark D. –
Phenomenal sound qualityI bought a pair these of these Bose headphones for my daughter for christmas. White looks awesome, and she loves them. So, I tried them out for a min on christmas day. Damn!!!! Amazing sound quality and excellent noise cancelation. Very comfortable as well. I really don’t think any human could have better hearing that would require anything better. I ordered mine in black within 5 minutes of trying them out. Well worth every penny. I use them with my computer, iphone and TV. You won’t hear anything but what you want to hear. They put you in your own world to enjoy whatever you like. Crystal clear sound and you will hear stuff you never heard before. Seperation, Base, Mid range and the highs are all separated perfect. I enjoy listening to Joe Bonamassa and Beth Hart like right now! Love the Modern Blues and a nice Bourbon on ice.Just do it! Order them now! You won’t regret it. Great job Bose!!!!
DQS –
Connects to two devices simultaneouslyThis was a gift for my wife. She really likes it. Of course, the sounds is wonderful. ANC works well. She says it is comfortable to wear. I was concerned about this because she found a prior headset to be uncomfortable after 30 – 45 minutes. This is not the case with the QC45.One of the coolest features is that the QC45 can connect via Bluetooth to two devices simultaneously, such as a tablet and a cell phone. If a call comes in, the QC45 automatically switches to the cell phone. Since these headphones contain microphones, she can speak on the phone without removing the headphones.Overall, a fantastic headphone. I would definitely recommend.
Renee –
A Present for my Significant OtherI had bought ear pods for my SO to listen to the football games he watches on his iPad. Turns out, he hated them. So I bought these for a Christmas present and crossed my fingers that he would prefer Bose headphones. Can I just say that he loves them! I do too because he enjoys his football and I can read without being distracted by the noise. He says the sound quality is outstanding and he hasn’t stopped talking about how this was the perfect gift. Another thing he really likes is being able to get a drink or snack and still hear the game. They aren’t a month old yet, and so far they paired easily and the sound quality is phenomenal.
Nick R –
Great Headphones…not great for PC GamingI bought these to replace my Bose Earbuds and hopefully my bluetooth gaming headset for my PC. They do not play well with Discord/VOIP and PC audio. So if you’re like me and hope you can game with these, they are great for single player games but not multiplayer using discord or VOIP.Otherwise they are fantastic headphones, great sound quality and battery life is solid. Charge quickly, and I have minimal issues connecting to different devices.The noise cancellation is good, but for instance on a plane you can still hear a good bit of noise and occasional chatter depending on the volume of whatever you’re listening to.
Carrie Stillings –
Best headphones ever!I waited forever to buy these because of the price but I’m very glad i finally did! The noise cancellation is excellent. You can also easily turn it off. The app lets you customize the bass, treble and balance. Sound quality is literally the best and I prefer these over the Beats Studio pro headphones. Very lightweight and comfortable but also sturdy. I can use them all day and charge them at night. The case that they come in makes a convenient travel case. I’m overall very impressed with these headphones and I hope they last a long time
Nathan Swan –
Good, but lacking featuresI’ve been a Bose owner for about 5 years now, and I do love using their headphones. I will say, the noise cancelling is powerful, but there are only two options for these headphones. It’s either max strength, or it’s actively using the mics to pic up sound around you. “Quiet” and “Aware” modes, respectively. If you’ve ever walked outside in windy conditions with ANC headphones, you’ll know that the mics will pick up a bit of the wind and relay them through the headphones. If you can turn off ANC, it completely removes this issue. You cannot turn ANC off on these, and it’s frustrating. Walking my dog with these on can be annoying. Listening to music or an audiobook and there’s a constant sound of wind being picked up by the mics.I think they need to issue a software update with multiple levels of ANC strength and an option to completely turn off ANC. Also a downside, ANC being on all the time will drain the battery a bit faster than if it was off.They sound good and are very comfortable, but Bose is a very established company. You’d think these would have improved features considering the QC 35’s had more ANC modes including an “Off” option.
Sam G –
Game-changing. A+These are excellent. If you’re somebody that just struggles with sound sensitivity and wants to experience silence, then these are for you. I’m an audiophile, yet at the same time the sound quality wasn’t even a consideration for me when settling on these (sound quality is excellent, by the way). I’m somebody that lives in a noisy area and just wants peace and quiet typically. I tried a number of solutions, and finally ended up getting these. I directly compared them to the Beats Studio 3 over-ears, because I use Beats earbuds every day, and these are clearly superior to the Studio 3 – no contest.TIP: If you really want to try and completely isolate from outside noise, you can actually layer these with earbuds. I wear them over Beats Studio earbuds, which have their own ANC, and the ANC from these two products actually combine! I’m pretty blown away. (Edit: They definitely appear to combine, however at the same time I don’t fully understand ANC technology and could be mistaken!) This is game-changing for anyone with noise sensitivity, misophonia, etc. 5 stars for sure. I’ve been looking and looking and this is the solution I’ve found that actually works.Another tip: If you feel these could be more comfortable on the top band portion, search for “headband cover” and you can find something that provides even more cushion so it doesn’t hurt the top of your head after wearing for extended periods of time.