Bose QuietComfort Wireless Noise Cancelling Headphones, Black

Bose QuietComfort Wireless Noise Cancelling Headphones, Black

By Bose · Noise-Cancelling Headphones · Audio & Electronics

  • Legendary Bose ANC with Quiet and Aware modes
  • Up to 24 hours battery (18 with Immersive Audio)
  • Bluetooth 5.3 with multipoint
  • USB-C charging, 15-min quick charge for 2.5 hours
  • CustomTune sound calibration per ear

Lowest price seen
$169.00
from $169.00 at Crutchfield · Checked Oct 9, 2026

Prices are snapshots. Check the current price with the store.

Summary

The 2023 Bose QuietComfort Headphones are a simple, comfortable over-ear pair with top-tier noise cancelling, rich bass-forward sound and a genuine 24-hour battery. Check two things before buying: the codecs are limited to SBC and AAC, and the noise cancelling cannot be switched off.

Strengths

  • Comfort is the standout: lightweight, plush ear cushions and low clamping force, worn for hours without fatigue.
  • Noise cancelling is top-tier for travel, office and commuting; Tom’s Guide measured about 90% of unwanted sound blocked.
  • Sound is rich and crisp, with deeper bass and more natural mids than the QC45.
  • The 24-hour battery claim holds up: RTINGS measured 26+ hours and SoundGuys 27h 14min.
  • Simple physical buttons and reliable multipoint switching between laptop and phone.
  • A hard carry case and a wired audio cable are included.

Weaknesses

  • Codec support stops at SBC and AAC, so Android users lose the aptX and LDAC that rivals offer at this price.
  • ANC cannot be turned off; Quiet mode is the minimum, so there is no passive listening once the battery is dead.
  • No spatial audio, no USB-C audio and no touch or wear-detection controls.
  • Reddit owners report intermittent audio cutouts, hiss and multipoint instability, with some returning multiple pairs.
  • The default tuning over-emphasizes sub-bass and has a treble peak at 6-8kHz that some listeners find fatiguing.
  • Some users get ear fatigue and pressure headaches from ANC within 20-30 minutes, and the cushions run warm.

Verified specifications

ModelBose QuietComfort Headphones (2023), the first “numberless” QuietComfort and successor to the QuietComfort 45.
Battery lifeup to 24 hours with ANC on.
Quick charge15 minutes for 4 hours (Tom’s Guide) or 2.5 hours (Bose).
Charging time2.5 hours for a full charge.
Bluetooth5.1, with no support for aptX, LDAC or aptX Adaptive.
CodecsSBC and AAC only.
Multipointtwo devices connected at once.
ANC modesQuiet, Aware and Custom, with Wind Block available as a toggle inside those modes.
Drivers40mm.
Weight0.520 lb / 8.32 oz / about 240g.
Dimensions7.68 × 6.18 × 3.15 in (184 × 152 × 76 mm) unfolded; the case measures 211 × 145 × 51 mm.
Materials and cushionsmetal, plastic and protein leather; the ear cushions are removable and measure 63 × 40mm.
In the boxhard leather carry case, 3.5mm to 2.5mm audio cable with inline mic, and a 12" USB-C (A to C) cable; no power adapter or airplane adapter.
Appthe Bose Music app is required for the full feature set.
Water resistanceno IP rating.
Warranty1-year limited warranty, with BoseCare extended plans sold separately.
Full research notes and sources

Sound and noise cancelling

Bose kept the QC45 formula and improved it. Tom’s Guide found sound quality better than the QC45 with deeper bass, and noise cancelling still among the best for real-world travel and office use. The default signature divides reviewers: SoundGuys measured over-emphasized sub-bass and a 6-8kHz treble peak that can make some music sound odd, and Consumer Reports called the sound bassy, grainy and etched. SoundGuys measured ANC cutting 10-30dB below 1kHz and 20-45dB for high-pitched noise.

The tuning is adjustable through the Bose Music app’s EQ, but the app’s scope is limited and it is not needed for basic listening. There is no spatial audio mode; that lives in the Ultra line. Because there is no ANC-off option, the headphones always run active processing while powered.

Comfort, fit and controls

Comfort is the reason many people stay with Bose. Reviewers across Tom’s Guide, RTINGS and TechRadar describe them as light and plush with low clamping force, and the removable protein-leather cushions are easy to replace. Controls are physical buttons rather than touch, which most users prefer for reliability.

A few fit quirks show up in testing. RTINGS and Consumer Reports note the headphones can shift forward when you lean over and may fall off with moderate movement. Consumer Reports also flags ear pads that feel hot and sticky after long sessions, a faint rushing sound when nothing is playing, and muffled footstep vibrations heard through the headphones while walking.

Owner reports and reliability

Owner threads on r/bose describe intermittent audio dropouts, crackling and hiss; one user returned two pairs over a cutout and hiss issue before switching to the Ultra, and another reports hiss from ANC that feels like a sudden pressure change. Other owners report multipoint connections that need disabling and re-enabling to work, and a third reports the headphones connecting with no sound about half the time. Treat these as known annoyances rather than a measured failure rate: no long-term reliability study exists for this exact model, and Bose publishes only standard troubleshooting for humming, buzzing, rattling and intermittent audio.

Bose does offer support articles and a 1-year limited warranty, and owners can buy extended BoseCare coverage. No repairability guides or spare-parts documentation beyond Bose’s own channels were found.

Parts, upkeep and running costs

There are no running costs beyond replacement ear pads, which Bose sells; there is no subscription and the app is free. The cushions are the only wear item and they pop off for cleaning or replacement. Long-term reliability data does not exist for this model, so budget for pads rather than repairs.

Price and value

Bose launched the 1st-gen QuietComfort at $349 in September 2023, and PCMag noted street prices around $229 that year; CNET in 2026 still cites them down to $229. Bose lists the 2nd Gen at $359. At $200 or less these are a strong buy for the ANC and comfort; $201-279 is fair value against more feature-rich rivals like the Sony WH-1000XM5, and $280-349 is weak value at full MSRP given the missing aptX, spatial audio and ANC-off. The draw is comfort and noise cancelling, not cutting-edge features.

Which model this is

This page covers the Bose QuietComfort Headphones (2023), SoundGuys gives the model number as 884367-0200, and the black variant is ASIN B0CCXQ1ZY7.

It is not the QuietComfort Headphones 2nd Gen (2026), which moved to Bluetooth 5.4, a 3-hour charge and Immersive Audio, nor the QuietComfort Ultra. Do not confuse it with the QC45 it replaced.

Sources

Manufacturer:

Independent reviews:

Owner reports:

Buying guides for this category

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