IGI Logo

As the premium headphone market becomes highly-competitive, US-based audio wearable giant Bose recently introduced an all-new QuietComfort (QC) 45 headset, replacing the legendary QC 35 II model, with improved noise cancellation for the Indian consumers.

Maintaining the hallmarks of its predecessor, the Bose headset is said to offer better voice isolation for easier conversations and 24-hour battery life on a single charge.

Priced at Rs 32,900, the headset comes in triple black and white smoke finishes with a beautiful matte finish, joining the QC Earbuds and noise-cancelling headphones 700.

We used the headset for a while and let us find out whether this device will be able to attract music lovers or not.

To begin with, one significant advantage of the QC 45's appearance being essentially identical to its predecessors. The ear cups are generously sized, and the synthetic leather pads are dense enough to provide enough isolation. On top of that, the band provides some cushioning.

The switch from the obsolete micro-USB connector to USB-C is one of the most significant upgrades to the new design of the Bose QuietComfort 45.

The controls of the newly launched headset are simple to use. The right headphone has playback controls, while the left has a voice assistant and an ANC toggle. If the headphones are on, you won't be able to turn off the ANC.

The Bose QC 45's external mics can only be used in "aware" mode, which permits some passthrough of your surroundings.

The headset is compatible with Bluetooth 5.1, with support for both AAC and SBC codecs, and the Bose Music app for Android and iOS allows for effortless pairing.

Open the Bose Music app and choose your Bose QC 45 headphones to add. Slide the Power/Bluetooth switch to the right on the right earcup. The battery level is informed through a voice prompt, and the status light illuminates per the current charge level.

The QC 45 now offers adjustable EQ, letting users fine-tune the bass, midrange, and treble to their preference or choose from a variety of preset selections.

The headset's sound profile is highly neutral, making it suitable for a wide range of audio content. Extra bass adds thud, rumble, and boom to mixes without overpowering singers and lead instruments.

The headset is advertised to last 24 hours with ANC enabled and continuous music playback set to 50 per cent volume, and we observed that the headset lasted roughly a day with the specified parameters, which is remarkable.

Conclusion: The headset aims for premium headphone buyers and is one of the finest headphones currently available. However, it is surely going to face stiff competition from giants like Sony as well as Sennheiser.