Bose adds a new member to its successful family of noise-canceling headphones: the Bose QuietComfort 45. The QuietComfort 35 was a success and that’s why when Bose decided to renew them they didn’t even release a new model: the QuietComfort 35 “II” improved them with a slightly more capable battery.
Now, Bose does something similar but with a new leap thanks to this QuietComfort 45: more autonomy (they already reach 24 hours without charging) and, among other improvements, the noise cancellation system is adjustable and they charge with USB-C. As you can see, they are headband headphones that cover the ears and, like their predecessors, will cost around $329 / €300.
Bose QuietComfort 45 Datasheet
| Bose QuietComfort 45 | |
|---|---|
| Headphone Type | Headband, supraaural |
| Noise Cancellation | Yes |
| Connectivity | Wireless (via Bluetooth 5.1) |
| Autonomy | 24 hours 2.5 hours full charge time |
| Charging Port | USB-C |
| Others | Aware mode Speech isolation in conversation |
“The Original”
In its launch campaign, Bose has baptized these new QuietComfort 45 as “The Original”. The reason is that before a competition that has followed in their footsteps, by implementing noise cancellation technologies, Bose goes one step further with an improved system, less weight, more autonomy, and better sound quality. The American company wants to tie this new headset to its previous successes: at the time they were indeed the leaders in this market but the competition is tightening and there are many headphones with similar technologies, hence this new release.
According to Bose, the ANC (Acoustic Noise Cancelling) system has been in development for more than 50 years, something that began in its professional branch of headphones for airline pilots. As we know, this system detects through microphones ambient noise and injects it into the music (or voices) we hear but with the phase reversed, so that when added together they are canceled.
In this model, it has been further refined, and not only to combat outside noise when we listen but also when we speak. The QC35 II used four microphones, two ambient and two-directional, and this QC45 uses six microphones. There are four directional, to better catch our voice, to better distinguish it from background noise (wind, street noises, etc.) and thus make our interlocutors understand us better.
Aware Mode
Noise cancellation is so effective that it can sometimes block out noises that you want to hear. Whether for safety reasons, walking in traffic or on a bicycle for example, or simply to listen to someone who approaches us to comment on something and we don’t want to take off our headphones or to find out if the plane boarding is ours. All this can be achieved by activating the new Aware mode, which is achieved by simply pressing a button on the headset.
The convenient Bose Music application allows you to configure this and other things, although there are not many options in terms of sound or ANC (active or not, Aware mode aside). Interestingly, it allows you to choose how much of your voice is filtered in conversations, to avoid that strange effect of not hearing us if we talk to someone on the phone or in videoconferences.
Evolution
As we mentioned at the beginning, Bose has not revolutionized but evolved its mid-range wireless headphones. Back in 2016, the first of this family appeared: QuietComfort 35, which in 2019 received small improvements to be renamed QC35 II. These QuietComfort 45 keep the same pace: they evolve without revolution and in fact, externally they are very similar to the previous ones. You have to look very closely, or hold both in your hand, to know that the charging connector is now USB-C (formerly MicroUSB).
Also different is the padding of the headband, softer, and also smoother are the pads of the cups that will be around our ears. The cups have some more ventilation holes but possibly that is due to the new microphones that incorporate in this evolution step by step. What is clear is that Bose has not made a “leap” and whoever has a QC35 will have to put on a 45 and listen to them to appreciate differences. It is appreciated in this world of rapid changes that there are brands that change slowly and do not make us feel that we have something obsolete within months of buying it.
Quality Music
Full-size headphones like these are chosen because we want to get the highest possible sound quality, and here Bose is a guarantee. Its predecessors (QC 35 and 35 II) already stood out for their quality, and that is why the brand has maintained the basic design and essential components in this new model, although Bose is always very discreet with the technical details of its products.
Bose does not make it clear if they have worked on the sound enclosure and how it interacts with our ears. The TriPort acoustic architecture and the volume-optimized active equalizer work in unison to produce everything in high fidelity. The patented TriPort design allows the headphones to “breathe” to add depth and fullness at low frequencies, all without increasing their size. So you get better sound in headphones that are still compact, lightweight, and comfortable.
In addition, the active equalizer works by optimizing according to listening volume: it boosts treble and bass to maintain the same high-fidelity tonal balance, no matter how loud or soft you listen. The Bass remains constant when the volume is turned down and the music remains clear when the volume is turned up.
Bluetooth 5.1 and Cable
The Bose QuietComfort 45s use Bluetooth 5.1 connectivity to connect to your cell phone (or laptop or other devices). One advantage is that this connection allows you to pair them to several devices, and switch from one to another transparently, even having two actives at the same time: listening to music from the computer, and jump to a call that comes in on the mobile, for example. The only downside is that Bose is still reluctant to adopt the aptX standard for sound transmission, which is of higher quality than the Bluetooth or AAC standard that it does support (with compatible devices).
On the other hand, the QC 45s have a standard jack cable connection: if you want to listen without Bluetooth compression or do not want to waste battery (or have run out of charge) you can connect them with a cable to any cell phone or player with standard analog output. An important plus point for the long term.
Battery: 24 Hours
Each new product improves on the previous one in different aspects and battery life is one of them. In this case, Bose has raised to the magic figure of 24 hours the autonomy of its QC 45 (the QC 35 II reached 20 at most). As they are charged via USB-C (full charge up to 2.5 hours) it is possible to give them a 15-minute fast charging that provides up to 3 hours of playback.
Pricing and availability of the Bose QuietComfort 45
The new Bose QuietComfort 45 will be available from September 23 in the United States for $329.00.
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