legal opinion : Bose ’s latest range of headphones have been rumoured and leaked over the last several month , but now they ’re a realism with a Modern series ofQuietComfort headphones .
The launching does feel somewhat odd , though . I ’ve been expect a follow - up to theNoise - Cancelling Headphones 700(NCH700 for short ) since they went on sale in 2019 but had thought they ’d retain a similar model designation ( NCH900 ? ) , but it feels as if that popular series , if it ever was a fully - fledge one , has been retired .
Then there was the surprisal launch of the QuietComfort Headphones , which replace theQuietComfort 45that launched in 2021 . The unexampled ones have a few upgrade , new colour , and a few more additions , but on the airfoil , they are similar to what came before before .
Then there are the QuietComfort Ultra over - ears and true wireless . The Ultra Earbuds were an even self-aggrandising surprisal as theQuietComfort Earbuds IIlaunched in 2022 – they ’ve not even been on cut-rate sale for a year before being substitute – and the older model was wait to be updated to supportaptX codecsandSnapdragon Sound , but the longer it blend without an update , the more it felt that something had changed .
I think some ( rightly ) will sense aggrieved that they ’ve buy a pair of wireless earphones require a feature that does n’t appear to be coming at all , but from Bose ’s perspective , this could terminate up being a voguish move . The company ’s refreshed and unite its line - up in one fell swoop , offer customers a choice of options ; while presumably the premature models will retain to be sold ( while stocks last ) at lower Price for those looking for a chintzy option , but it also seems as if Bose has been play catch - up with the residuum of the market
The Immersive Audio characteristic on theQuietComfort Ultra Headphonessounds interesting , but Sony ’s been on the immersive audio gear with its 360 Reality Audio format for twelvemonth , while Applewelcomed Dolby Atmoswith subject arms a few years ago , and the likes of Yamaha made inroads into spacial audio with itsYH - L700A headphones . Bose is n’t the first brand to get into spatial audio frequency – there ’s some ground to make up in associating the Bose name with 3D audio .
As I wroteback in 2021 , 3D audio is look like the next battleground for headphones . Jabra jumped into it recently with itslatest honest wireless headphonesand there ’s more euphony being believe in format such as Dolby Atmos , so it ’s catching on in terms of popularity . As I indite in that article however,3D audiocan still be something of a poison goblet . Upconverting stereophony into 3D is still rather difficult , and even native spacial audio mixes can be uninteresting if there ’s not enough in the song to take advantage of the format .
Tthen there ’s the addition of aptX and Snapdragon Sound to deal . Qualcomm ’s aptX is something I ’ve been expect in Bose headphones for a while now . We ’ve reached a point where even budget true wireless like theAnker Soundcore Liberty 4 NCare offeringLDACstreaming . in high spirits character medicine streaming overBluetoothhas been pushed consistently by stigma , and again it feels as if Bose has waited a small too foresighted to wade into these waters .
I ’m not entirely sure why it ’s taken so long or what ’s ended up bechance behind the setting ; Bose has always made quality earphone , but a consistent complaint has been they ’ve never include the kind of features and options to contend against the like ofSony , JBL , Appleand others . Now they ’re boast more firepower and I ’m scheme as to how this fresh approach for Bose transportation in a fearsomely competitive market .
