Bose QuietComfort 45 review

Another gaming option that's ideal work work calls too now, but a significantly more expensive one. Astro also now owned by Logitech G – is well known for its excellent sound quality and superior wireless connectivity that we describe as “bulletproof” after testing it. This means you can rely on the A50 for a work day of calls and meetings as well as a night of solid gaming on PC and console. The only thing is you’ll have to choose between getting one for PC, Mac and PS5 or PC, Mac and Xbox Series X as there’s a different model for each console. 

The microphone isn’t detachable but all you need to do is raise it to mute yourself and the headphone band is snug but never too tight. As we say in our in our Astro A50 Gen 4 review, “comfort and adjustability are high on the agenda. The ear cushions are as soft as they are expansive, surrounding your ears without putting undue pressure directly onto them. The headband is equally soft and didn’t cause any discomfort, even during longer gaming sessions.” If you’re looking for a luxury option with superlative audio that's also elite for gaming, look no further.

If you're looking for the highest mic quality in your headphones, then something with a boom mic is going to give the best results, unsurprisingly. Gaming headphones have them for this reason.

However, smarter wireless headsets get great results from downward-facing microphones and ambient noise reduction (where they use additional microphones to measure the sound around you, and then cleverly subtract that noise from your voice).

In our guide, we're also looking for good results with music too, so you can enjoy using your headphones throughout the day, and not just for calls. And to that end, they need to be really comfortable for long periods – again, something gaming headsets excel at, though they're not the only ones.

Finally, you may want a product with active noise cancellation, meaning that it uses processing to block out the sound around you while you're listening to someone else speak – great if you're in a location that can be noisy.

If you’re looking for headphones that will cut the world out and keep the music in, then this Bose QuietComfort 45 review is the right place to be because these are some of the best noise-cancelling headphones out there right now. 

We've been waiting a long time for these headphones. They're replacing the Bose QuietComfort 35 II (otherwise known as Bose QC35 II) which were released way back in 2017, and luckily, the Bose QuietComfort 45 didn’t disappoint. 

Keeping things simple and comfortable, the Bose QuietComfort 45 block out most of the distractions around you and they’re some of the best wireless headphones you can buy in a more general sense as well. Bose has done it yet again, cementing itself as a top-tier audio brand that is very hard to beat. 

The Bose QuietComfort 45 are relatively pricey headphones, even though their launch price is ever-so-slightly cheaper than their predecessors. 

So what’s new? Well, they offer a longer battery life, a few design tweaks and a brand new noise-cancelling mode. 

The design hasn’t had a massive overhaul but the small changes Bose has made make the headphones look that little bit more premium - the pleats and puckers have been removed from the ear cushions while the gaps have been taken out in the build, so now they're smooth all over. 

The Bose QC35 II headphones were heavily praised for how effective their ANC was - so naturally, you’d expect big things from the next generation. The Bose QC45 actually feature a brand new noise-cancelling mode, that being the Aware Mode which is similar to the Transparency modes you find on other ANC headphones. It lets in some of the noise in your surroundings like the sound of traffic, for example, but balances it better with your music. 

With any upgrade in headphones, you’d expect improved sound performance. To give you a better audio experience, Bose has packed in their new TriPort acoustic architecture which consists of vents on the earcups to “add depth and fullness” to the sound, as well as Volume-optimised Active EQ which “boosts highs and lows to maintain the same high-fidelity performance”. Neither of these features were included in the Bose QC35 II. 

There’s also 4 built-in microphones this time (as opposed to 3 before) which should boost call quality, and they also use the most recent Bluetooth 5.1 instead of Bluetooth 4.2 now as well to improve connectivity. 

Alongside the Bose QuietComfort 45 headphones, the box includes a zipped travel case to keep them in, a 3.5mm to 2.5mm audio cable to manually connect to devices and a USB-C cable to charge them. There’s also a Quick Start Guide to help you get set up

ou can pick up a pair of the Bose QuietComfort 45 headphones in either black or white, and to cut right to the chase, these look and feel like a premium pair of headphones straight out of the box. 

The cast-metal hinges seem strong and sturdy while the glass-filled nylon headband makes them seem pretty resistant to knocks and bumps as well, other than that, they are largely made from plastic but the matte finish makes them look quite luxurious. They come with a zipped travel case to protect them as well. 

Comfort is key with over-ear headphones, and the Bose QuietComfort 45 are definitely a pair you can wear for a very long time. That’s partly because of the very smooth synthetic leather cushioning on the earcups and the headband, and the fact that the ear cups sit around your ears giving them plenty of room to breathe so they don’t get pressed up against your head