Bose QuietComfort 45: How Good Is It? (Full Review)

The Bose QuietComfort 45 headphones reveal what they came for in their name: the “Quiet” indicates active noise cancellation, while the “Comfort” stands for the great build quality. Does it keep his promise? And is the sound good? I tested the Bose headphones and will tell you everything in this review!

Construction and design

The QuietComfort 45 hasn’t changed much from the QuietComfort 35 II, its direct predecessor. If you put them side by side, you wouldn’t notice any glaring differences, maybe just in the quilt material in the handle and shells, now softer.

This decision has its positives and negatives. I liked it because the headphone is still very well built and practical, being able to be folded to fit in the compact carrying case that Bose ships with the product. In addition, the finish appears more resistant to scratches and drops.

Another benefit is comfort, a trademark of the QuietComfort line. It is light and does not put pressure on the head and ears, favoring long-term use. In particular, it is more comfortable than the Sony WH-1000XM5, Sony’s latest headphones.

It is worth mentioning that the QuietComfort 45 still has some protection against liquids, although Bose has not indicated a specific certification. I believe that a moderate walk or run is not a problem for this model.

As a negative point, even more, because we are talking about a relatively new product, from 2021, I highlight the lack of touch controls or gestures. However, like the QC35 II, it has physical buttons on both shells to control music and activate usage profiles.

Thus, all actions are practical and easily accessible. Still, it tastes a bit dated already and without many differences compared to other better-designed and thought-out models, such as the Sennheiser MOMENTUM 2 Wireless, the AirPods Max, and the Sony WH-1000XM5.

At least Bose has updated the charging port to USB-C. Oh, and it also has a 3.5mm jack to listen to wired on our smartphone, tablet, or laptop.

Connectivity and app

The QuietComfort 45 has Bluetooth 5.1 with the promise of a stable connection at a distance of 10 meters. But, of course, that depends on the environment and the number of obstacles.

A cool feature of the QC35 II that is not present in the new model is NFC pairing. In the past generation, you just had to bring your smartphone to the right earcup of the headphone to connect automatically. A pity because it was one of the differentials of the line.

Bose headphones also support the Bose Music app. It is very interesting visually but quite simple. You can practically only control the volume and music playback, change the sound mode (Quiet or Aware) and the sound source if you want to listen on your cell phone or laptop.´

Sound quality and microphone

The Bose QuietComfort 45 has a more open sound profile, so the mid and high frequencies are much more evident in the hi-rats, guitars, high synths, and many female vocals.

Everything is very clear and well defined, as in “Don’t Speak” by the band No Doubt. But I missed the lower details of the song a little, like the kick drum and the more dramatic bass. This feeling was more present in rock and alternative songs.

In pop music, usually with louder and more effect-packed songs, the QuietComfort 45 delivered clarity and depth, although I was still looking for something even denser. Overall, it’s a pretty safe way to go, one that shouldn’t displease many less demanding users, but it doesn’t offer any musical identity.

The QuietComfort 45’s microphone has a mixed performance depending on where and where you are speaking. For example, in a Google Meet video call, my colleagues said my voice was quite muffled and unnatural, like I was indoors.

Already in a voice call on WhatsApp, I had much better reports regarding the microphone. Overall very bright and clean, although a little metallic. I also got a good recording using the Galaxy S21’s native voice recorder, but there wasn’t a very efficient noise reduction.

Noise cancellation and ambient mode

The Bose QuietComfort 45’s active noise cancellation isn’t the best I’ve used — both the Sony WH-1000XM5 and its predecessor, the WH-1000XM4, do better in this regard. But that doesn’t mean it’s bad; at home or in the office, for example, he managed to reduce the quietest noises well.

Is it worth buying the Bose QuietComfort 45?

The Bose QuietComfort 45 is an overall good headphone that doesn’t stand out. It’s round, with good construction, sound, noise cancellation, and battery, but it doesn’t stand out in any way compared to other models.

The Sony WH-1000XM3 and the Sennheiser PXC 550-II Wireless already deliver superior experiences. They are a bit more expensive, of course, but they might be better acquisitions if we think long term.