Bose Quietcomfort 45 Review [October 2023]: 15 Stunning Facts You Must Know
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These are small tweaks and a great step up in noise cancellation. But how does it deliver? Let’s find out in the Bose Quietcomfort 45 Review.
In fact, we have classified the Bose Quietcomfort 45 as one of the best headphones in our list of the 9 Best Wired and Bluetooth Headphones.
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The QuietComfort 45 is a very good option for both fans looking to swap out their old QC headphones for something more modern. And also for those fans who are looking for top-of-the-line Bose noise canceling for less than 700. ANC is the best.
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It’s no secret that Bose dominated the noise-canceling headphones market for quite some time. It has set the industry benchmark with its QuietComfort line for over 20 years.
I have been using Bose headphones for a long. The Bose QuietComfort 45 is the successor to the company’s flagship Bose QuietComfort 35 II.
Looking at it, QuietComfort is not as sleek as its sibling Bose Noise Canceling 700. At the same time, QC45 lacks some features like adjustable noise cancellation and audio performance.
If you are looking for an audiophile headphone, it’s not your cup of tea. But, that doesn’t take away its other good qualities.
The Bose QuietComfort 45 are good noise-canceling headphones. Easy to use and comfortable to use for long periods. These are the qualities that make Bose stand out in the crowd.
There are a few new tricks with the QC45 that impressed me. For example, Ambient Aware Mode lets you hear your surroundings at the touch of a button. And improved noise-canceling technology is more responsive than before.
The headset delivers a battery life of 25 hours. But, I found a beamforming mic array a little lacking because I expected much.
Having said that, I don’t see these are real deal-breakers. But, they do make the Bose QuietComfort 45 a little less appealing than some of its counterparts.
Few of my readers find its active noise-canceling performance comes with certain prejudices. After all, it has over 20 years of dominance in the noise-canceling audio market segment.
So, how does much hyped latest best pair, the long-awaited QuietComfort 45 that is styled Bose QC45 perform?
Let’s deep dive in terms of durability, usability, sound quality, and the expected upgrades when it comes to blocking.
We also look at many other important facts you never knew before.
The box of the Bose Quietcomfort 45 headphones comes with the following articles:
- Bose Quietcomfort 45 headphones
- USB-C charging cable
- Carry Case
- Audio Cable
- User Manual
- Troubleshooting Guide
2. When Did the Bose Quietcomfort 45 Headphones Release?
The brand lover’s wait ended. The Bose QuietComfort 45 came on the market in September 2021.
The price of the headset was a little on the higher side depending on the region where consumers live.
As I said in the opening line, this is on the expensive side of noise-canceling headphones. There are other options that are available at much lower prices.
The Bose QC45’s biggest competitor is the Sony WH-1000XM4. It’s also considered to be the best noise-canceling headphones as on date. Not very expensive.
The WH-1000XM4 has some features that the QC45 lacks. For example, DSEE Extreme audio upscaler and LDAC codec support.
The Bose NC700 has adjustable noise cancellation. On the other hand, the QuietComfort 45 lacks this key feature.
3. Bose Quietcomfort 45 Design and Build
Looking at the design, the QC45 doesn’t look very different from its predecessor. When unboxing the headset, it took me a few seconds to spot the difference.
A closer look at the device helped me to see a USB-C charging port. This replaces the now-old-fashioned Micro-USB with its predecessor.
The ear cushions are no longer pleated. And there are some very small improvements to the ear cups as well. There are vents to add depth and fullness without adding bulk.
It seems to me Bose reinforced the headband with glass-filled nylon. This will protect it and maintain its shape if dropped.
The plastic also feels a little streamlined with smaller gaps between the case elements. But I had to look very closely to see that.
Therefore, the build is also solid. The physical button placement is on both ear cups. There are four buttons on the earcup. They are used for power on/off, volume and playback.
The left ear cup has one button. This is used for switching between the two modes of noise canceling and transparency.
The QC45 has similar drivers to its predecessor the QC35 II. Like previous Bose noise-canceling headphones, the QC45s are designed for travel.
I am also impressed with the double hinge QC45’s design. It helps me easily fold and store my headset to store in the included carrying case.
The design here is comfortable. It has enough padding on the earcups, and enough clamping force to keep it in place.
There are a total of 6 mics with 4 beamforming. While QC35 II has 4 with 2 beamforming.
4. Features and Specifications- Bose Quietcomfort 45
The Bose QuietComfort 45 comes with a true multipoint pairing. All credit goes to Bluetooth 5.1.
I am happy to see that the Bose QC45 supports the AAC Bluetooth codec. But, the headset lacks aptX or aptX HD for higher-resolution audio streaming.
The music app is very handy when pairing with many devices. I tried the app to pair my OnePlus and MacBook Pro together.
You can do this by going to the Source tab in the Bose Music app. When paired, turn on both your smartphone and PC at the same time.
Hurray, now you can listen to music on your phone. Also, you can make a Zoom call, or watch a movie on your PC. The audio will switch automatically.
Turning the headphone on will notify you by the voice of the connected device. The execution of this process is very well-balanced and perfect.
I said above the QC 45 doesn’t support aptX. It’s also important to touch upon the fact that the Sony WH-1000XM4 and XM5 don’t support it either.
The improved voice pickup is commendable. It actually isolates and focuses your voice. I tried and make a few calls from a noisy environment to test the performance. And the Bose QuietComfort 45 is true to its word.
The person on the other side said my voice was clear and there was no background sound. This is very impressive.
This is also very interesting. Pressing the “Quiet” button in the Bose Music app turns on noise cancellation. This reduces the background sound in the mid-range. This is where voices are most pronounced.
There’s no room to tweak noise canceling or the new “Aware” mode. This filters out ambient noise such as traffic and pedestrians.
So, you can hear your surroundings when you need them. The sound profile is preset. Bose calls it an “active EQ.” There is no option to tweak them. You can only turn one of the profiles “on”.
The QC45’s treble, bass, and mids aren’t tweakable now. But, I hope the EQ tweaks will be added after a firmware update.
If you want to keep the noise out of your office, the new Bose QC45 delivers better than Sony’s rivals. That’s quite an announcement, and it should be enough for many.
But, you also lose a host of extra features that XM4 and XM5 offer. The EQ optimization, and Sony’s Adaptive Sound Control.
They can detect whether you’re sitting at home or walking. They also detect whether you are running, or riding public transport.
The QC45’s Bose Music app’s Settings tab is pretty straightforward. The only customizable option in the Settings tab is Self Voice.
This adjusts how much you want to hear yourself during a call. It works well. But, completes a rather meager feature set for this premium level.
5. Bose Quietcomfort 45 - Battery Life
According to the company the Bose QC45 delivers 24 hours of battery life with ANC on. This is slightly better than its siblings 700 and QC35 II.
They offer over 20 hours of battery life. I tested QuietComfort 45 for a week with 5 days a week cycle.
I am quite comfortable with battery backup. The device still shows 50% remaining. One thing I could not see is the playtime with ANC turned off. This is a drawback for me.
According to Bose, ANC is never actually turned off. This gives me the impression that user you’ll be in either mode and definitely draining the juice.
For some users, 24 hours of battery backup seems a little insufficient in comparison to a few other rivals.
But, it did well for me. This is enough for two weeks of moderate listening enjoyment.
I am sure you will be to see that a 15-minute quick charge gives you up to 3 hours of use.
In addition, these headphones feature USB-C charging, whereas the QC35 II used Micro-USB.
An additional charging case was sold for the 700. This model doesn’t have as on date.
There are other straight rivals that offer better battery life. For example, the WH-1000XM4 offers 30 hours and Enduro ANC offers 60 hours of playtime.
6. Bose Quietcomfort 45 Wearing Comfort
The Bose QC 45 over-ear headphones are excellently comfortable to wear. They are available in black or off-white color variants.
The circumaural QuietComfort 45 headphones are very similar to the QuietComfort 35 II. They also come with a simple, practical design featuring the Bose logo on the side.
With plush ear cushions as well as a padded headband. The fit is extremely comfortable. I wore them for hours in a test and didn’t feel any uncomfortable pressure on my head.
7. The Sound Quality Bose Quietcomfort 45 Delivers
At the first place the Bose QuietComfort 45 over-ear headphone sounds great. But I do feel the audio performance it delivers doesn’t meet the user’s expectations.
At this point, it’s lagging behind its siblings the 700 and QC35 II. I also noticed that these headsets are not outstanding at complex recordings.
On the other hand, both the 700 and QC35 II deliver good sonic signature. That very well leans towards the warm end of the frequency spectrum.
At the same time, it also produces good details and clear mids. It’s very exciting to see that Bose has maintained its momentum.
It elevated the audio stakes of its noise cancelling headphones with TriPort acoustic architecture.
At the same time, there is a volume-optimized active EQ that delivers a refined listening experience. I tried and listened some vocals. And they are also sharp and detailed.
I loved hearing clean and vibrant lows and mids of classic hip-hop. It displays Bose’s commitment to honing their signature with each new release.
The jazz guitar sound is very delicate. You can hear the fingertip-friction on instruments. I am sure bass lovers get their money’s worth.
I also found the low end of these headphones to be punchier and richer than the 700 and QC35 II.
I also listened a melodic piece like Simon & Garfunkel’s “Scarborough Fair”. The soundstage couldn’t keep up with the harmonies and strings of the orchestra.
It also lagged behind its immediate rivals like the Sony WH-1000XM4. High-pitched tone is brighter than I expected.
Listening in wired mode gives a wider frequency range. The lows are punchier and the mids more pronounced.
The QuietComfort 45 does not come with adjustable EQ. Active EQ also, does not work without power.
So, using the headphones in wired mode after the battery runs out will affect sound quality.
I found these on the downside.
8. How Does the Microphone of Bose Quietcomfort 45 Deliver?
I suppose the 700 and QC35 II are two of the best over-ear headphones with a microphone that deliver excellent voice calls.
The best part is Bose does not compromise on the call quality. It always delivers near-perfection call quality in addition to the ANC.
But, talking of QC45’s call quality, it’s not very exciting compared to the two former headsets. I found it a little disappointing.
This is my personal experience. You may find it good otherwise. There are better options as well in the similar lineup.
The microphone of the QC45 does its job. But filtering background noise in the crowd seems a little lacking.
Using the headphones in a less noisy environment produced loud and clear results. My indoor testing did a very job. The vocals are very clear and more pronounced.
These have also become my on-the-go headphones for video chatting with my colleagues, clients, and friends. They all shared good vibes about it.
QuietComfort 45 features Bluetooth 5.1 for extended range and enhanced connectivity. I enjoyed 50 feet of wireless listening. This is great for moving around the house and while charging my phone at the office.
I also love the seamless pairing with new devices. It’s quick and fast. And the headphones’ auto-connect feature is even faster. It recognizes and connects to the last device they paired right away.
I paired two devices at the same time and they worked fine. It was a great experience.
I could answer calls on my OnePlus and make Zoom calls on my MacBook Pro without disconnecting either device.
9. Bose Quietcomfort 45- Connect App Use and its Features
I didn’t have a very good experience with Bose connect app over the years. My past experience shows Bose has confused app support.
It created Bose Music for new versions like the 700 and QC earbuds. On the other hand, the QC35 II has obsolete Bose Connect.
I found Bose Music is the primary app for all current and future Bose releases. And this goes well for QuietComfort 45 also.
The Bose QC45 doesn’t have the same features as the Bose 700. It provides volume control, battery level indicator, and firmware updates.
In addition, the headset also has a music player, and toggle controls for selected features. The Settings page gives access to other features.
For example, the power to set the auto-off timer and self-voice. Self-voice is a special mode to customize and hear your own voice during calls.
Bose SimpleSync is also included in the package. This lets you connect your QuietComfort 45 or other headphones to the Bose Smart Soundbar.
All of these have independent volume controls. Therefore, you can turn up, down or mute your TV.
The Bose 700 allows you to customize your ANC levels, and store 3 of them in your headphones. And you can switch between them via the action button.
The QC 45 also misses a few other features. For instance, configuring EQ and shortcut functions. The shortcut functions include enabling or disabling wake word, Spotify tap setup, etc.
10. Bose Quietcomfort 45 Wireless and Bluetooth Review
QuietComfort 45 features Bluetooth 5.1 for extended range and enhanced connectivity. I enjoyed 50 feet of wireless listening.
This is great for moving around the house while charging my phone I my room. Pairing with new devices is quick, and the headphones’ auto-connect feature is even faster. It recognizes and connects to the last device they paired right away.
I can now pair them at the same time and they work fine. It was great to be able to answer calls on my smartphone and connect to my PC at the same time.
You may get a voice prompt error stating headphones are connected to a device with Bluetooth turned off.
I hope the company will fix this issue in the future.
11. How Does Bose Quietcomfort 45 Pair with Devices?
The Bose Quietcomfort 45 can connect to your smartphone or source via the earcup’s Bluetooth 5.1 hardware. You can also connect through the wire with the included 2.5-to-3.5mm TRRS cable.
By going wireless, you can travel up to 30 feet from your source device before you experience connectivity issues.
If you are expecting a high-end codec with the latest Bose codecs, you’ll be disappointed. The Bose QC 45 does not support aptX or other high-bitrate Bluetooth codecs.
This may come as a disappointment to some. But, SBC and AAC implementations have improved over the years. And you probably won’t notice what’s attributed to Bluetooth itself.
12. Bose Quietcomfort 45- the ANC Review
Putting the Bose QC45 and the 700 head-to-head gave me similar performance in the ANC domain.
Yet, it’s a little annoying that the QC45 doesn’t have the feature to adjust or turn it off. Keeping the ANC on drains out the battery fast.
With this device, rest assured you have premium noise reduction. That also delivers in wired mode. Bose has programmed its two modes into these cans. Quiet default ANC and Aware i.e. transparency.
The performance delivery is more or less the same as the Bose 700. The device helps keep away large amounts of ambient noise across the frequency spectrum.
All the usual noises like family conversations, doorbells, appliances, and loud TVs are away. It does a good job to cut outside noise too.
But, it couldn’t completely block out little children’s screams and sirens. But, I ignored all these noises and continued with my playlist.
The QuietComfort 45 works effectively. Bose has developed it differently this time with its transparency mode. The aware mode aims to balance volume and make background noise audible without sacrificing sound quality.
But, when you cannot adjust the amount of noise coming in. This is on the negative side. But it’s still one of the better versions.
I was happy with the amount of noise the mic picked up. I believe Bose implemented the same strategy as the QuietComfort Earbuds. That combines ANC with ambient noise to make the sound more prominent and less harsh.
It was fun communicating with my friend while playing with my kid on the terrace.
13. Custom Button Function- Bose Quietcomfort 45
The control functionalities of the Bose Qc45 look pretty much similar to the QC35 II. It wouldn’t be wrong if I call it a copy-paste job.
The three-button module on the right earcup has the most commands. There is a volume rocker next to the multifunction button. This is used to play/pause/answer/end call with a single press.
In addition, it’s also used to skip track with 2 presses and play the previous track with 3 presses. You can also activate the native assistant with a long press.
The power/pair toggle is on the front. Then there’s the action button on the left earcup, which is limited to one function. Toggles ANC mode.
It can no longer be assigned to a digital assistant. I’m fine with the decision to stick with physical buttons.
That doesn’t mean I’m stretching too far that Bose isn’t trying to offer new controls for the QuietComfort 45.
Google Assistant, Siri, and Bixby all support hands-free voice commands. They work well, and the Bose mic array provides solid intelligibility. And picks up vocals and long requests with precision.
The QuietComfort 45 does not have an integrated wake word.
14. Bose Quietcomfort 45- Frequency Response
The Bose QuietComfort 45 delivered well in terms of frequency response. It’s consistent and good. With proper fitting, sealed, and positioned on the head, it gives a consistent bass and treble response.
The Bose QC45 has excellent center accuracy. It’s fairly flat and neutral across the range, resulting in detailed, precise, and present vocals and lead instruments.
But, the left and right drivers are out of sync in the high-mids. So, the right driver sounds harsher than the left. Initially, left-hand drivers reported louder high-mids and highs.
But this was wrong. It’s the right driver that makes the louder sound. The Bose QC45’s image performance is decent.
There is a small peak above the group delay hearing threshold, indicating a slight slack in the bass.
Yet, the treble is transparent. At the same time, the headphones have a very mismatched phase response. The right driver sounds louder in the mids and highs.
Even with realistic content, you can hear a phase shift in the high range. The Bose QuietComfort 45 has excellent weighted harmonic distortion performance.
All frequencies are within tolerance. This gives you clear and pure audio reproduction.
15. How is Speak to Chat Feature- Bose Quietcomfort 45?
If you are looking for a pair of headsets that keeps away noise from your office, the new Bose QC45 is at par with Sony noise-canceling headphones. It seems an exaggeration. But, it is good enough for many. There are other excellent features that XM4 and XM5 offer for a better experience. For example Speak to Chat, EQ optimization, and Sony’s Adaptive Sound Control. Thus, there is no Speak to Chat features with this headset.
Conclusion: Helping You Make Informed Decision Easy
The QuietComfort 45 is a very good option for both fans looking to swap out their old QC headphones for something more modern.
And also for those fans who are looking for top-of-the-line Bose noise canceling for less than 700. ANC is the best.
Nearly 90% of ambient noise is eliminated. These headsets also have an excellent transmission mode. This enhances awareness without sacrificing sound.
The audio frequency response is significantly improved to complement most music genres. The ANC doesn’t turn off and this reduces the battery life.
The design and comfort are the same as that of QC 35 II. But the small changes give it a slightly fresh look.
Some people may complain about certain omissions such as adjustable ANC, transparency, EQ, touch controls, etc.
There is also a slight drop in call quality. These are valid complaints and well taken.
At the same time, for less than the Sony WH-1000XM4, Apple AirPods Max, and sibling 700, you get so many features, especially top-end ANC, that the QuietComfort 45 deserves praise.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): Things You Must Know Before Buying
A: To connect your Bose QuietComfort 45 headphones, turn them on and put them in pairing mode. On your device, go to the Bluetooth settings, find the headphones in the available devices list, and select them to establish the connection.
A: Yes, the Bose QuietComfort 45 headphones come with a 3.5mm audio cable that allows you to connect them to devices using a wired connection, which is useful when the battery is low or for devices without Bluetooth capability.
A: The headphones have built-in noise cancellation. You can control the noise cancellation level using the buttons on the headphones or through the accompanying Bose app. You can switch between different noise cancellation modes to adjust the amount of external sound you hear.
A: The battery life of the Bose QuietComfort 45 headphones can vary depending on usage and noise cancellation settings. On average, you can expect around 20-25 hours of playback time with noise cancellation turned on, and potentially longer with noise cancellation off.
A: While the Bose QuietComfort 45 headphones are designed primarily for comfort and noise cancellation, they are not marketed as sweat-resistant or specifically designed for workouts. It’s recommended to avoid exposing them to excessive moisture to prevent any potential damage.
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