For the last few years, Bose has been in a slightly awkward position. Its standard QuietComfort headphones have remained an easy recommendation, but they’ve also felt a little… forgotten. While the Ultra lineup grabbed the spotlight with new features and a refreshed design, the regular QuietComfort stayed the same. That may finally be about to change.
A new leak suggests Bose is preparing a QuietComfort (2nd Gen) model, and if it’s accurate, this looks like Bose bringing its mainstream headphones much closer to its premium offering.
One thing I always appreciate is when a company updates a product without simply changing the color and calling it “new.” If this leak is anything to go by, Bose seems to have done a little more work than that. The redesigned headphones are said to feature softer-looking, pill-shaped ear cushions, a broader headband with extra padding, and controls placed directly on the earcups. These are exactly the refinements you notice after wearing headphones for hours.
🚨 EXCLUSIVE 🚨
Here are Bose QuietComfort (2nd Gen) headphones, unveiled for the first time
💰 with no real price hike
🎧 Bose QuietComfort (2nd Gen)
We reveal also:
🗒️ New features & specs
🎨 All color options
📅 Release date
🔽https://t.co/vscYd0mc2S
The rumored audio improvements sound even more compelling. Features like lossless USB-C playback, TrueSpatial audio, and new listening presets, including one aimed specifically at making movie dialogue clearer, could make the QuietComfort feel much more versatile than before. Even better, the battery life reportedly isn’t taking a hit. The headphones are expected to offer up to 24 hours of listening with active noise cancellation enabled, with spatial audio reducing that figure to around 18 hours.
The leaked specifications are interesting, but the rumored price is what really caught my attention. According to the report, Bose plans to keep the QuietComfort (2nd Gen) at $359 in the US, matching the current model’s launch price despite the added features. At a time when new tech products seem to become more expensive every year, holding the price steady almost feels unusual.
It also raises an interesting question about the QuietComfort Ultra. Many of the rumored additions have already appeared on Bose’s flagship headphones, so bringing them to a cheaper model naturally narrows the gap between the two. Unless the Ultra still delivers a noticeably better listening experience, plenty of buyers may find the regular QuietComfort to be the smarter purchase. Of course, none of this is official yet. Bose hasn’t announced a new QuietComfort model or commented on the report, so it’s worth treating every detail with a healthy dose of skepticism until the company makes it official.
The OnePlus Buds Clip are a new pair of open-ear earbuds built around a simple convenience. They join Sony’s LinkBuds Clip in the growing ear-cuff category, but either OnePlus bud can go on either ear.
Sensors recognize how the earbuds are being worn and route the audio channels accordingly. There’s no label to check before putting them on, and the feature also works when only one bud is used.
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Google first showed off the improved tracking earlier this month alongside the Fitbit Edge. It is now coming to Fitbit Air and the Pixel Watch 3, 4, and 5, and Google claims the added context behind the system makes workout detection nearly twice as accurate while cutting missed activities by more than half. Fitbit Edge will support it too.