Bose QuietComfort 45 Review: Can the OG Noise-Canceling King Hold the Throne?

Look, I’ll cut right to it — everyone’s been asking me whether Bose still has it, or if Sony’s finally eaten their lunch in the ANC game. The QuietComfort 45 is Bose’s answer to that question, and after spending three weeks with these cans on flights, coffee shops, and my too-loud apartment, I’ve got some thoughts. Spoiler: this race is closer than the fanboys on either side want to admit.

Unboxing & Build

The box screams “premium but not trying too hard” — clean, minimal, very Bose. Inside you get the headphones, a hard-shell case that’s actually pocketable (take notes, Sony), a USB-C cable, and a 2.5mm-to-3.5mm audio cable for wired listening. No airplane adapter though, which feels a bit cheap at this price point.

Build quality is classic Bose: lightweight, lots of plastic, but it’s good plastic. These weigh just 240 grams, and you feel it immediately. The WH-1000XM5s are heavier and more substantial-feeling, but after hour six of wearing the QC45s, I appreciated Bose’s approach. The headband is real leather (not pleather pretending), and the earcups have this plush protein leather that doesn’t turn your ears into saunas.

They fold flat but not compact — again, that hard case justifies its existence here. Hinges feel solid. No creaking. The matte black finish on my unit shows fingerprints like it’s auditioning for CSI, but it beats looking like cheap glossy plastic.

Features & Controls

Three buttons on the right cup: power, ANC/Aware toggle, and a multifunction button. That’s it. No touch controls, no swipe gestures, no accidentally pausing your music when you scratch your head. Honestly? I’m here for it. The physical buttons work every single time, even with gloves.

The ANC/Aware toggle is binary — you’re either in full noise-canceling or Aware mode (Bose’s transparency feature). There’s no adjustable levels like Sony offers, which feels like leaving features on the table in 2024. Aware mode is good but not great — voices come through clearly, but there’s this slightly artificial quality that the XM5s handle more naturally.

Battery life hits the advertised 24 hours with ANC on. I got about 22 in real-world use, which is still ridiculous. USB-C charging is fast — 15 minutes gets you three hours. Bluetooth 5.1 is stable, and multipoint pairing actually works reliably (connected to my phone and laptop simultaneously without the usual Bluetooth chaos).

The Bose Music app is clean but basic. EQ is there, but it’s the simplified three-slider kind, not a proper parametric setup. You can adjust ANC intensity in the app despite not having physical controls for it, which seems… backwards?

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Sound Quality

Here’s where things get interesting. The QC45 sounds exactly like what Bose thinks most people want: balanced, slightly warm, inoffensive, and detailed enough to be engaging without being analytical.

Bass: Put on Billie Eilish’s “bad guy” and the sub-bass is present but controlled. It doesn’t have the visceral punch of the XM5s — those low frequencies in the intro hit harder on the Sonys. But the Bose bass is tighter. Switch to Thundercat’s “Them Changes” and the bassline stays articulate instead of becoming one-note boom. It’s like Bose tuned for accuracy while Sony tuned for excitement.

Mids: This is where the QC45 shines. Vocals are forward and natural. Listen to Phoebe Bridgers’ “Kyoto” and her voice sits exactly where it should, intimate but not in-your-face. The acoustic guitars have texture. The XM5s push vocals slightly further back, giving you a wider soundstage but less immediacy. Pick your poison.

Treble: Safe. Maybe too safe. Cymbals in John Coltrane’s “Giant Steps” are there, but they’re polite about it. There’s zero harshness, which is great for long listening sessions but means you’re missing some sparkle. The hi-hats in Daft Punk’s “Get Lucky” don’t shimmer the way they should. If you’re treble-sensitive, you’ll love this. If you want detail and air, you might feel like you’re listening through a very thin curtain.

Soundstage & Imaging: Intimate rather than expansive. Tame Impala’s “The Less I Know The Better” doesn’t have that psychedelic width you get on open-backs or even the XM5s. Instrument separation is good — you can follow individual elements — but everything’s happening in a small room, not a concert hall. For closed-back Bluetooth ANC cans, it’s respectable. For critical listening, it’s limiting.

The ANC itself? Chef’s kiss. It’s still the best in the business for low-frequency rumble. Airplane engine noise vanishes. That annoying fridge hum in my kitchen? Gone. Sony’s gotten close, maybe even tied in some scenarios, but Bose wrote the book on this and they’re still teaching the class.

Who It’s For

You want these if you prioritize: comfort above all, best-in-class ANC for travel, simple controls that just work, and a sound signature that won’t fatigue you on 12-hour flights. If you mostly listen to podcasts, acoustic music, and vocals, the QC45’s midrange focus will make you happy.

Skip these if you want: customizable sound, exciting V-shaped tuning, the widest soundstage possible, or cutting-edge features. The XM5s beat them on features, app functionality, and soundstage. The AirPods Max beat them on… okay, maybe just build materials and ecosystem integration.

Verdict

At $329 (though I’ve seen them for $279 on sale), the QuietComfort 45 is a hard sell against the similarly-priced XM5. Bose wins on comfort and arguably ANC performance. Sony wins on features, sound excitement, and app depth.

Would I buy them? If I flew constantly and valued comfort and ANC above all else, yes. For everyday listening at my desk? I’d take the Sonys’ more engaging sound. The QC45 isn’t the automatic recommendation it would’ve been five years ago, but it’s still a legitimate choice depending on what you prioritize.

Bose hasn’t lost the crown. They’re just sharing it now.

Rating: 8.1/10

Tested with: iPhone 13 Pro, MacBook Pro M1, Spotify Premium (320kbps), Apple Music Lossless, wired connection via Schiit Magni/Modi stack for reference