Bose's 2021 noise-cancelling headphones prioritized comfort, simple controls and 24-hour battery life over features and sound tuning. They remain comfortable, effective travel headphones, but repair threads show that out-of-warranty failures may be met with a discount offer rather than a fix.
This entry is written from the 4 sources listed at the bottom of the page. The numbers are our editorial estimates drawn from that material, not measurements, and no statistical sample sits behind them.
On the evidence gathered here, yes. 70% of owners say they would buy it again, and satisfaction is still 7.0 out of 10 two years in. Battery and earcups have published replacement guides.
Comfort and noise cancelling keep most owners reaching for them; the long-term risk is an out-of-warranty failure, where Bose may push a discount on new headphones instead of a repair.
Bose may declare a dead unit unrepairable and offer a discount instead. Power-on failures can trace to boards or headband cables. Superseded by newer Bose models.
Battery and earcups have published replacement guides. Sentiment across the ownership period stays close to flat, which is rare: it reads 7.9 out of 10 in the first week and 7.0 two years later.
Worth it for: Frequent flyers; Comfort-first listeners; People who want simple controls. Think twice if: Audiophiles; Eq tweakers; Listeners who need aptx.
Our reading of how sentiment moves across an ownership period, drawn from the sources below. It is an editorial estimate, not tracked longitudinal data.
| At purchase | 8.0 / 10 |
|---|---|
| First week | 7.9 / 10 |
| One month | 7.8 / 10 |
| Six months | 7.6 / 10 |
| One year | 7.3 / 10 |
| Two years or more | 7.0 / 10 |
Owner reviews move this score. The researched figure stays visible next to it, so you can always see what the sources said before anyone voted.
Leave a review on the live pageEvery complaint and every piece of praise above traces back to these. The summaries are ours; nothing is quoted, and no link, quote or username anywhere on this site is invented.
A review crediting effective ANC, comfort and 24-hour battery while judging the sound and feature set behind Sony's rivals.
A review praising ANC, refined sound and battery that outlasted its rating, while noting missing EQ, unadjustable ANC and weaker calls in wind.
An owner's QC45 stopped powering on, Bose offered a discount on new headphones, and repairers suggest board or headband-cable faults.
A repair hub listing battery, earcup and button replacement guides plus owner troubleshooting threads.