Bose QuietComfort 45/QC45 Wireless Headphones Review

These over-ears deliver a warm sound signature with a somewhat excited top-end. They don't exactly follow our target or any other perfectly, though they comply well. The cans exaggerate the lows, the dip in the mids, and the boost and dips in the highs. Thanks to their overemphasized bass, they pack a bit of warmth and boom. If you prefer a different sound, their companion app offers a graphic EQ and presets to help you adjust their sound to your liking.

Our unit's left and right drivers are somewhat mismatched, particularly in the mid-mid to low-treble range, which weakens vocals and instruments in the right driver. However, this issue may only affect our unit. If you experience this too, please let us know in the comments, and we'll update our review.

They have good frequency response consistency. Once you achieve a proper fit, seal, and positioning on your head, you'll get consistent bass delivery each time you use them, regardless of your head shape. That said, there's slightly more deviation in the mid and treble range between different reseats. 

These headphones follow our target curve extremely well in the bass range. Their frequency response is slightly overemphasized across the range, with the most deviation occurring in the high-bass, adding warmth and boom to mixes. In songs like Lorde's Royals, the bass drum at the beginning has a bit of extra punch and kick, but it doesn't completely overwhelm vocals or lead instruments.

The Bose QuietComfort 45's have outstanding compliance to our target in the mid-range. The response is fairly flat and neutral across the range, resulting in detailed, accurate, and present vocals and lead instruments. However, our unit's left and right drivers are out of sync in the high-mid, so the right driver sounds weaker than the left.

Regarding the treble range, these headphones do an good job of following our target curve. The response is a bit uneven here, with a bump in the low-treble adding detail and clarity to vocals and instruments while a dip in the mid-treble veils sibilants like cymbals. There's a degree of mismatch between the L/R drivers, especially in the low-treble, which results in sonic elements like vocals and guitars often sounding louder in the left channel than the right. 

The Bose QuietComfort 45's peaks and dips performance is good. For the most part, their frequency response doesn't deviate much from their warm sound profile. However, our unit's left and right drivers become most noticeably out of sync in the mid-mid to low-treble. The divergence is particularly noticeable, as lead instruments, like pianos, will sound louder in the left channel when played in a lower register. However moving up the octaves results in the right channel becoming louder. A dip in the left driver's low-treble veils the upper harmonics of these sounds, while a peak in both drivers' mid-treble brightens sibilants like S and T sounds.

These headphones have an adequate stereo mismatch performance. There's quite a bit of mismatch between the L/R drivers in frequency response and amplitude, which is also clearly present in the frequency response deviations. This deviation is also connected to the phase mismatch in the high-mids through treble. These interlinked mismatches indicate a somewhat skewed stereo image, but these results only apply to our unit, and yours may differ.

The Bose QC45's group delay performance is bad. The group delay is elevated in the bass range, to the point where it might be audible in the form of loose, poorly-defined transients. 

These headphones have a sub-par PRTF performance, so they interact with your ears' pinna somewhat. But, as expected from closed-backs, they don't interact with your environment the way that open-backs do. They don't quite capture the same impression as an angled reference monitor.

These headphones have a passable harmonic distortion performance. While there's some degradation in the audio fidelity that occurs in the low-treble range at higher listening volumes, it's still unlikely to be audible. 

These headphones are capable of playing audio at loud volumes over Bluetooth. Even if you use them wired, you won't need an amp to drive them. 

Unlike the Beats Studio Pro Wireless, these headphones don't have any virtual surround sound features. However, Bose has since developed their own Immersive Audio technology, found in more recent products like the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds Truly Wireless.

These are the settings used to test these headphones, and our results are only valid when you use them in this configuration.

They have a similar design to their predecessor, the Bose QuietComfort 35 II/QC35 II Wireless 2018. They have a sleek and minimalist look with a modest print of the manufacturer's logo on each ear cup. They come in the following colors: 'Black', 'White Smoke', 'Eclipse Grey', and 'Midnight Blue'.

These headphones are amazingly comfortable. They feel light and don't clamp onto your head very tightly. The ear cups and headband padding feel softer and cushier than the Sony WH-1000XM5 Wireless. Most people won't experience much fatigue, even after wearing them for a few hours.

The Bose QuietComfort 45 have great controls. There are three physical buttons located on the right ear cup, which are clicky and easy to use. There's a switch on the outside of the right earcup that powers the headphones on and off and controls Bluetooth pairing. An 'Action' button on the left ear cup also acts as a multi-purpose control. There are volume chimes for when you've reached the minimum and maximum volume and voice prompts when cycling through ANC settings. There are also voice prompts for when you're pairing the headphones. Unfortunately, there's no feedback if you're skipping tracks.

On the left ear cup:

Action button:

• Single press: Cycles between 'Quiet' mode, which is the ANC on, and 'Aware' mode. 'Aware' mode is very similar to a talk-through mode as it allows the headphones to actively use their microphones to pick up sounds around you and play them alongside your regular audio content. However, unlike the Bose QuietComfort 35 II/QC35 II Wireless 2018, you can't adjust the level of noise cancelling if you prefer a lower setting, and you can't turn this feature off.
• Press and hold: Access voice assistant.

On the right ear cup:

• '+' and '-': Raises and lowers the volume.

Center button:

• One press: Plays and pauses audio. Also answers and ends calls.
• Double press: Skips a track forward.
• Triple press: Skips a track backward.
• Press and hold: Declines a call.

They're fairly portable. They're bulky, like most over-ear headphones, but the headband can fold into a more compact format. You can also lay the ear cups flat to take up less space.

The case is great. It's made of leatherette, and it feels sturdy and solid. There's a zipper to help secure the headphones when you're on the go and has a small pouch inside to store the cables when you're not using them.

Their build quality is good, and they feel similarly well-built as the high-end Dyson Zone Wireless. The ear cup and headband padding feel soft, and the adjustable headband is made of metal, which helps make them feel sturdy. However, they're otherwise mostly made of lightweight plastic, which feels a little cheap considering their price. The hinges and yokes are also made of the same plastic as the rest of the body and feel like a weak point in the build. If you're looking for even more premium Bose headphones, try the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones Wireless.

They have decent stability. They'll stay on your head while you're using them at your desk or on the couch. However, they aren't as stable as some over-ear headphones, like the Beats Studio3 Wireless, and they may fall off your head during a run. On the upside, they have a wireless design, so you don't need to worry about snagging them on something and pulling them off your head.

• Bose QuietComfort 45 headphones
• 1/8" to 1/16" (3.5 mm to 2.5 mm) TRS audio cable
• Carrying case
• USB-A to USB-C charging cable
• Manuals

The Bose QC45's noise isolation performance is fantastic. Using the 'Quiet' ANC mode, they block out bass-range noise like rumbling engines very effectively, like the previous generation. However, the Bose QuietComfort 35 II/QC35 II Wireless 2018 and Bose 700 Headphones Wireless still have a slight edge when it comes to reducing noise in the mid and treble ranges, though the QC45 apply the ANC more evenly. That said, the QC45 can still reduce significant noise, like ambient chatter and the hum of AC units. You can't turn off the ANC but only cycle between 'Quiet,' which is ANC on, and 'Aware,' which is a talk-through mode that allows you to hear your surroundings without removing your headphones. As a result, we tested their passive isolation capabilities with the headphones turned off.

Users have reported high cabin pressure when using their unit's ANC. Cabin pressure refers to the pressure-like feeling inside your ears when the ANC is on and is similar to when a plane ascends and descends, creating a difference in pressure between your inner and outer ear. Some users may also describe this feeling as similar to being underwater. This sensation is caused by your brain perceiving the lack of low-frequency sound as a pressure difference between the inner and outer ear, which can become uncomfortable. The cabin pressure of these headphones is slightly more than normal when their ANC is on, but it won't be an issue for most users unless you're already sensitive to ANC. In comparison, other ANC over-ears, like the Apple AirPods Max, have higher and more noticeable cabin pressure, but it won't be too much of an issue for most users.

These headphones have similarly excellent noise isolation performance when it comes to more dynamic environments you'll encounter in your day-to-day life. Whether you're traveling on an airplane, walking down a busy street, or working at the office, these headphones can isolate you from a lot of ambient sound so that you can focus on your audio. With firmware update 4.0.4, their ANC improved slightly, particularly in handling busy streets and airplane noise.

As of firmware 4.0.4, these headphones have a wind reduction mode. When the wind reduction mode is enabled, it helps prevent the ANC system from creating 'anti-noise' caused by the wind directly interacting with the ANC microphones on the outside of the headphones. Basically, it reduces the annoying popping sound ANC can produce without a wind mode. The mode works with similar effectiveness regardless of the wind's angle. However, leaving the mode on can impact the ANC's performance if you're not in a windy area.

The Bose QuietComfort 45 have a passable leakage performance. Their leakage is mostly concentrated in the mid to treble range, which sounds fuller than in-ears and earbuds. People around you can hear parts if you listen to audio at high volumes in a moderately noisy environment like an office.

The integrated microphone has very good recording quality. Speech sounds natural, although a little muffled and lacking in body. Your voice is still understandable, though.

The Bose QuietComfort 45 have disappointing noise handling. The mic struggles to separate your voice from moderate ambient noise, so your voice will be drowned out if you're taking a call from somewhere like a busy street. If you're looking for Bose headphones with a better noise handling performance, it's worth considering the Bose QuietComfort 35 II Gaming Headset instead.

The Bose QuietComfort 45 have an excellent battery performance. The manufacturer advertises them to last 24 hours continuously with their ANC on and continuous audio playback set to 50% volume. However, we measured a bit less than that, though battery life can vary depending on usage. Depending on whether you connect to one or two devices simultaneously, you may also notice a difference in battery life. The manufacturer advertises them to deliver up to three hours of playtime after a 15-minute charge. If you tend to run through battery life quickly, they have an auto-off timer you can adjust in their companion app to conserve battery life.

Bose Music is a great app. It includes a graphic EQ and presets so you can customize their sound. Unlike previous generations, this app lets you connect the headphones to other Bose products using 'SimpleSync'. You can pair up to two compatible Bose speakers, soundbars, or headphones together, so you can listen to your TV's audio via your Bose soundbar without disturbing others around you. For instructions on how to connect your devices, check out Bose's FAQ here.

You can also use the app to switch between ANC modes, adjust the volume, check the battery life, and set the auto-off timer. You can also adjust 'Self-Voice' (or sidetone) volume, allowing you to hear your voice when using the mic. You can turn voice prompts on and off and switch languages. You can view, add, and change the Bluetooth sources too.

These headphones come with a 1/8" to 1/16" (3.5 mm to 2.5 mm) TRS cable that you can use to passively listen to audio with low latency. However, you can't use their mic with this connection. These headphones also come with a USB-A to USB-C charging cable.

The Bose QC45 have great Bluetooth connectivity. They support multi-device pairing with up to two devices at a time, and unlike the Bose QuietComfort 35 II/QC35 II Wireless 2018, they use Bluetooth 5.1. However, they don't support NFC for easier pairing. They also have high latency on PCs via SBC codec, causing your audio and visuals to fall out of sync. However, some apps and devices compensate for latency differently.

Some users have reported experiencing issues like as audio dropping when connected to their smartphone and PC at the same time. We retested multi-device pairing in two ways: connected to a Windows 10 PC and a Samsung S10e phone and connected to the same Windows PC and an iPhone SE. Both phones are updated to the latest firmware. We played a song on the phone and a YouTube video on the PC, alternating when one source played audio and the other was paused. However, we didn't experience any issues with either phone and couldn't replicate this issue.

The Bose QuietComfort 45 headphones can connect to Bluetooth-enabled PCs with full audio and mic compatibility. You can connect them to your PC using their included 1/8" to 1/16" (3.5 mm to 2.5 mm) TRS cable, but you can only receive audio.

You can only use these over-ears on PlayStation consoles via an analog connection. However, you can only receive audio.

They can only receive audio when connected via analog to an Xbox One or Xbox Series X|S console.