Bose has opened preorders for the Bose QuietComfort Headphones 2nd Gen, an update to the standard QuietComfort model that brings a redesigned shape, Bose’s TrueSpatial Technology, and a fresh set of finishes. Priced at $359, the Bose QuietComfort Headphones 2nd Gen start shipping on August 13.
It is the first refresh of the standard QuietComfort model since Bose split its noise-cancelling lineup into a step-up Ultra tier and a more affordable core model, and it brings several of the Ultra’s software features down to the cheaper headphones without matching its premium materials or battery life.
Bose QuietComfort Headphones 2nd Gen: a new shape
The most obvious change is the design. The Bose QuietComfort Headphones 2nd Gen replace the previous generation’s rounded earcups with a modern pill shape, paired with a wider, super-smooth sliding headband. Bose is positioning the redesign as a style update as much as a comfort one, aimed at listeners who want the headphones to look as current as they sound. The headphones ship in Black, White Smoke, and three limited-edition colors: Eucalyptus Green, Rosewood Mauve and the two-tone Dewdrop Mint used in Bose’s own launch photography. Bose describes the redesign as a “statement piece of sound,” a phrase that signals the company wants the Bose QuietComfort Headphones 2nd Gen to read as a fashion object on a commute or in an office as much as a pair of noise-cancelling headphones.
Noise cancellation and sound
Underneath the new shell, the Bose QuietComfort Headphones 2nd Gen keep Bose’s QuietControl noise cancellation, now paired with updated ActiveSense Technology that adapts to smooth out sudden spikes in sound while in Aware Mode. The bigger addition is Bose TrueSpatial Technology, which the company says widens and fills out the soundstage for both music and video, backed by five listening modes: Quiet, Aware, Immersion, Cinema and Off. Cinema Mode is aimed specifically at layering more nuanced sound into video content, while Immersive Audio carries the wider staging into everyday music listening. Bose also says call quality has improved over the previous generation, with updated background noise filtering for clearer voice pickup.
Battery life and everyday use
Battery life is rated at 24 hours per charge, with a 15-minute quick charge good for roughly 2.5 hours of playback, matching the outgoing QuietComfort Headphones. The Bose QuietComfort Headphones 2nd Gen use a streamlined plastic headband and yoke construction, charge over USB-C, and ship with a carry case and a 39-inch USB-C to USB-C cable in the box. They sit below the flagship Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen) in Bose’s lineup, which adds a pleather headband and metallic-finish yokes along with 30 hours of battery life for $399 — a tier that competitors such as the Skullcandy Aviator 900 ANC position themselves directly against.
Pricing and availability
The Bose QuietComfort Headphones 2nd Gen are available for preorder now at $359 directly from Bose, with shipping starting August 13. Bose is selling the headphones alongside its existing QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen) and the now-discounted original QuietComfort Headphones, giving buyers three tiers of noise-cancelling headphones to choose from.
Key specifications
- Noise cancellation: Bose QuietControl ANC with updated ActiveSense Technology
- Listening modes: Quiet, Aware, Immersion, Cinema, Off
- Sound: Bose TrueSpatial Technology, Immersive Audio
- Battery life: 24 hours; quick charge 15 min = 2.5 hours
- Materials: streamlined plastic headband, plastic yoke
- Charging: USB-C (C to C cable included)
- Colors: Black, White Smoke, Eucalyptus Green, Rosewood Mauve, Dewdrop Mint
- Price: $359; ships August 13, 2026
