After a month testing Bose's new premium headphones, I would recommend them — but I'd recommend waiting more

After testing Bose's new premium QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen) for a month, I believe they're worth recommending, though I'd advise waiting for a better price point. Bose has made considerable strides in noise cancellation with these headphones, but they don't quite match their Ultra-gen counterparts. While they excel at drowning out background noise, they're not entirely flawless, and other brands have caught up in recent years.

The headphones feel somewhat cheap and lightweight, with some odd gaps in their design. However, they do offer fantastic sound quality, with detailed treble and punchy bass. The spatial audio feature adds an immersive element to the already impressive sound. Despite some quirks, I found these headphones enjoyable to use, and I believe others would too if they could find them at a reasonable price.

The headphones are priced at $359 / £299 / AU$549.99, which is more affordable in the UK but pricier in the US and Australia compared to previous models. They come with a protective case and two cables. Announced on August 6, 2026, these headphones are three years after the first-gen release and a year after the Ultra Gen 2 launch.

At $359, they're cheaper than the Ultra Gen 2 at $449 but more expensive than competing models like Bowers & Wilkins PX7 S3 and Sony WH-1000XM6. Available in five colors, the headphones feature Bluetooth 5.4 connectivity and a USB-C charging port, which also allows for wired audio connection. While the battery life is limited to 24 hours, you can extend this by turning off Active Noise Cancellation.

The headphones support multi-point connection and various listening modes, though most of these affect audio quality. Overall, these headphones offer great sound for the price but may be overpriced at their current retail value.