(checked 2026-10-10)
Tom's Guide's best noise-cancelling headphones overall, and among the most comfortable flagships. The catches: no water-resistance rating, touch controls Tom's Guide calls woeful, a very basic EQ, and owners reporting Bluetooth pairing trouble.
Top complaints
- Bluetooth pairing and connection trouble
SoundGuys lists 'some connection issues' as a con and says pairing can need manual steps when Fast Pair fails. Amazon's summary says some owners have connection issues with non-Apple devices. Low-star Walmart reviews (syndicated from bose.com) call the Bluetooth 'terrible' and a 'nightmare', describe constant pairing prompts, and report a pair that wouldn't connect or power on after a week.
- Frustrating controls and a basic app
Tom's Guide lists 'woeful touch controls' as a con. SoundGuys calls the controls a bit confusing and the in-app EQ too simplistic. A 1-star Walmart review complains there's no mute button for Teams calls.
- Expensive, and not built for weather
Tom's Guide lists the price hike as a con. SoundGuys says the headphones are 'not even water-resistant' and scores build 6.9. Amazon owners disagree on value, with some calling them overpriced. A few low-star Walmart reviewers say ANC wasn't strong enough for office use or that a thumping noise appeared while traveling on roads.
What owners love
- Class-leading noise cancelling
Tom's Guide calls it 'the best ANC ever, bar none'. Wirecutter measured 26.9 dB, among the highest of the over-ear headphones in its chart, and SoundGuys scores ANC 8.7/10.
- Very comfortable
Tom's Guide calls it supremely comfortable, and SoundGuys scores comfort 9.0. A SoundGuys writer wore it for a whole flight without adjusting it. Amazon owners praise soft cushions that don't pinch with glasses.
- Better battery and USB-C lossless
Tom's Guide cites a 30-hour rating (24 hours with Immersive Audio), up from 24 on the first generation. SoundGuys measured 27 hours 12 minutes. What Hi-Fi? and SoundGuys praise lossless audio over USB-C.
- You want detailed EQ control
- You need any water resistance
- You already own the first-gen QC Ultra (SoundGuys and Tom's Guide say it's not worth upgrading)
- Long flights where ANC and all-day comfort matter most
- Glasses wearers (Amazon owners say the cushions don't pinch)
- Wired lossless listening over USB-C
Scores (tap for why)
What experts say
- Tom's Guide: Best overall (updated 2026-09-29). The cons are woeful touch controls, a price hike and steep competition, and the sound needs EQ to tame the bass.
- SoundGuys: 8.2 and a close runner-up in its noise-cancelling roundup. The cons are the in-app EQ, some connection issues and no IP rating.
- What Hi-Fi?: Best Bose noise-cancelling headphones (updated 2026-07-24). It is beaten on sonic transparency, and wired listening still needs battery.