Bose’s QC45 headphones are a triumphant return to form. They have a design that is quite similar to the QC35II, which means they are incredibly light and comfy on your head even after wearing them for a full day. The oval ear cups never tyre your ears, and no one beats Bose in terms of comfort. The best part is that, unlike the Noise Canceling Headphones 700, these can be folded to making them easier to transport.
Bose made minor enhancements to the active noise cancelling and increased battery life from 20 to 24 hours. In addition, the QC45s contain a USB-C interface rather than the Micro USB socket found on their predecessors. They also include a transparency mode for when you need to have a quick conversation with someone or want to be more aware of your surroundings.
The QC45s have somewhat better sound quality than the bassy Sony 1000XM4s. However, you may change the default sound: with a software update in February 2022, Bose provided the ability to personalise EQ. One annoyance is that there is no way to disable noise suppression without using the transparency mode. There is no basic “off” mode, so it’s either one or the other. We’re still hoping that Bose will address both of these flaws in future software upgrades, but don’t bank on it.
Number 3. Apple Airpods Max ($549)
