When it comes to premium headphones, thorough research is necessary as people are willing to spend a considerable amount of money. I aim to suggest the best option within their budget. Recently, we reviewed two active noise-cancelling headphones - Bose 700 and Bose QC 35 II - both belonging to the premium segment, with their own set of advantages and disadvantages.
Today's review focuses on another noise-cancelling pair from the QuietComfort line-up - the QC45. However, Bose isn't the only brand in the competition. Sony's WH-1000 XM4 and WH-1000 XM5 are also among the best noise-cancelling pairs available.
Let's compare these models and determine which one is the most suitable for you. Price differences may exist between these options. Let's begin our review with the Bose QuietComfort 45.
Pros:
Cons:
Sound
Build
Battery
Value
Whatβs in the box?
- QuietComfort 45 headphones
- Carry case
- USB-C charging cable
- 3.5 mm to 2.5 mm audio cable
Bottom Line:
If you are considering purchasing the Bose QC 45 headphones, there are some important factors to consider. Let's start with the positives and negatives.
On the positive side, they are extremely comfortable, provide good sound quality, and are highly portable due to their design. The battery life is also impressive, with our testing showing it can last up to 23 hours with ANC.
However, they are quite expensive, don't have strong bass, are not waterproof, and the microphone is not the best. Additionally, they may not be the best choice for gaming due to possible latency issues.
Moving on to the reasons to buy them, if you are a frequent traveler or commuter, the Bose QC 45 is highly portable and comes with a compact carrying case.
They are also very comfortable, making them ideal for long listening sessions. The sound is accurate and balanced, and the noise-cancelling technology is top-of-the-line.
However, if you are looking for more features like auto-pause or booming bass for working out, or if budget is a concern, you may want to consider other options.
If you are deciding between the Bose QC 45, Bose QC 35 II, and Sony WH 1000 XM5, it's important to note that the QC 45 is more comfortable and has improved ANC compared to the QC 35 II.
It also has USB-C charging, which is a big plus. While the QC 35 II may sound better, it's not enough to compete with the newer QC 45. In terms of comparing with the Bose 700 NCH, the QC 45 is more comfortable and portable than NCH 700, but NCH 700 outperforms the QC 45 in terms of ANC and offers more flexibility with 11 noise cancelling levels.
If you prioritize noise cancellation, the Bose 700 is unmatched, but if you value comfort and portability for commuting, the QC 45 is the better choice. Ultimately, if you prefer the Bose sound signature, either the QC 45 or Bose 700 would be a good option, but the QC 35 II may not be the best choice. For those who want more features, the Sony WH 1000 XM5 is a solid option.
Bose QuietComfort 45 Noise cancelling Headphones
How is the Design and Build Quality of QuietComfort 45?
If you own the QC 35 II headphones, you can easily picture the design of the QC 45 as they are almost identical. Many people prefer Bose QC headphones purely for their foldable design, which is especially convenient for commuters. When comparing the QC 45 to the Bose 700 and Sony XM5, I found that the QC 45 are more portable and the carrying case is more compact. The Sony XM5 has a comparatively large carrying case that may not fit as well in your bag as the QC 45.
Despite the similarities in design between the QC 45 and QC 35 II, there are significant differences between the two. The QC 45 has a USB-C charging port, while the QC 35 II has a Micro USB port. Additionally, the QC 45 headband has more padding than the QC 35 II, and the ear cup design is cleaner with more comfortable ear pads. Overall, the QC 45 is more comfortable than the QC 35 II and even more surprising, they are more comfortable than the more expensive Bose 700 NCH.
The headphones boast a comfortable headband with ample padding, and their weight is evenly distributed, allowing for extended listening sessions without experiencing fatigue. Majority of the control buttons are situated on the right ear cup and have a sliding action for powering on and pairing via Bluetooth. The status light on the right ear cup indicates the Bluetooth connection status, lighting up blue to signal that the headphones are connecting to the source. Once connected, the blinking blue light switches to a solid blue light.
On the right ear cup, you'll find the USB C charging port, volume up/down button, multi-function button, and power button. On the left ear cup, there is an action button and a 2.5mm to 3.5mm audio cable port. The action button enables quick switching between noise-cancelling modes.
After comparing the Bose QC 45 with QC35 II and NC 700, I discovered that the QC45 headphones are more comfortable and convenient than the other two. The ear pads are softer and wider, providing improved isolation, although they may cause your ears to become sweaty.
Despite the QC45 having a cheaper build quality compared to the NCH 700, its foldable design, smaller carrying case, and added comfort make it superior in the eyes of a commuter. I rate the design and build quality of these headphones an 8.5 out of 10.
Packaging contains Carrying case, QC45 Headphones, 2.5-3.5 mm Audio cable and USB A to C charging cable.
How is the Sound Performance of QuietComfort 45?
: In my experience, the sound quality of the new QC 45 is superior to that of both QC 35 II and NCH 700. The details are clearer, the mids are more balanced and the treble isn't too bright.
Compared to the 700, I find the QC 45 to have a more natural sound. However, if you prefer a more natural and airy sound, the QC 35 II may be slightly better in this department, possibly due to its overall design.
As usual, the vocals are crystal clear and the instrument separation is impressive. The only downside is that the bass may not be powerful enough for some listeners. Although I played some bass-heavy tracks on these headphones, I missed the powerful bass.
Bose NCH 700 has more bass and, of course, the Sony WH 1000 XM5 is my top choice for bass. Overall, I think the sound quality of the QC 45 is slightly improved compared to the QC 35 II. I would rate the Bose QC 45 8.5 out of 10 for sound quality.
How is the noise cancelling performance of QC 45?
When it comes to discussions about noise cancellation, Bose is a name that cannot be ignored. Whether it's the QC 35II, NCH 700, or the latest QuietComfort 45, all have world-class noise cancellation capabilities. In my experience, I found that the QC 45 cancels noise significantly better than the QC 35II.
The QC45 offers two modes of noise cancellation. Quiet and Aware mode. Quiet mode provides the highest level of noise cancellation, while aware mode allows you to hear your surroundings. When you turn on the headphones, the default noise cancellation mode will work, which you can change by pressing the Action button. After changing the mode, a voice prompt will inform you about which mode you are currently in.
If you ask me to compare the noise cancellation of QC 45 with Bose NCH 700, I would say that NCH 700 is far more convenient for cancelling noise because it offers 11 levels of noise cancellation, which you cannot get with QC 45.
With QC 45, you only have access to either aware mode or Quiet mode, which can be inconvenient at times. If you are purely comparing NCH 700 and QC 45 based on noise cancellation, I would suggest the NC 700, but surely QC 45 is a lot better than QC 35II for noise cancellation. I would rate the noise cancellation of QC 45 a 9 out of 10.
Call Quality: Bose QC 45 does a decent job in this department. Call quality is good. Impressive noise cancelling ability indirectly helps improving overall call quality. Mic is on the right ear cup.
How is the Connectivity of QuietComfort 45?
You can easily connect your Bose QC45 headphones to your iPhone or Android device using Bluetooth 5.1. Although Bluetooth 5.3 may become available in 2023, it doesn't affect the strong connection of the QC45. You can enjoy uninterrupted music even up to 33 feet away from the source device. Connecting the headphones to your phone is a breeze - just slide the Bluetooth switch to the right and hold it for a few seconds until you hear the voice prompt saying "ready to connect". The status light will blink blue to confirm the successful connection.
Similar to the QC35 II, the QC45 can connect to two devices simultaneously. However, it does not support high-end audio codecs and only relies on SBC and AAC, which may be disappointing for the price. In case you run out of battery and still want to listen to music, you can connect the QC45 to your mobile using a 2.5-3.5mm TRS cable. For the best experience, download the Bose Music app.
How is the Charging and Battery performance of QuietComfort 45?
When comparing the Bose QC 45 to the Sony WH XM4 or XM5, it may seem that Sony is superior in this area and that is not incorrect. Many ANC headphones offer more than 30 hours of battery life, but personally, I believe any ANC headphones that provide more than 20 hours of playtime are satisfactory.
With the Bose QC45, you get an impressive 23 hours of battery life with ANC. The most notable difference between QC 35II and QC 45 is the charging. With QC 45, you get USB-C charging, which is a significant improvement. Full charging of the headphones takes 2.5 hours, and quick charging is another pleasant surprise that makes QC 45 better than QC 35 II. It gives 3 hours of playtime with just 15 minutes of charging.
As mentioned, the USB-C charging port is located on the right ear cup. After a full charge, the status light turns solid white from blinking white. Each time you turn on the headphones, the voice prompt informs you of how much power is left, giving you an idea of when to charge them. This is a good feature because you don't need to connect the headphones to the phone every time to know about the charging status. Overall, I would rate QC 45 8.5 out of 10 for battery life and charging.