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The second-generation Bose QuietComfort Headphones are good, but don’t stand out
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There’s nothing really wrong with the QuietComfort Headphones 2nd Gen, but there’s nothing exciting about them, either.
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Bose QuietComfort headphones used to be innovative. Bose’s noise-canceling research is the reason the technology is where it is today, and its headphones set the standard. They were the ubiquitous traveler’s accessory. But over the past few years, it’s felt like Bose has rested on that reputation, as other companies have caught up. Sony and Apple have both surpassed Bose in noise-canceling performance, and even midrange headphones like the $130 Soundcore Space 2 are close for much less money. That means the $359 Bose QuietComfort Headphones 2nd Gen need to stand out in other ways — and I don’t think they do.
The second-generation Bose QuietComfort headphones look a lot like the QuietComfort Ultra Gen 2 that Bose launched last fall, but with more plastic instead of metal accents in the headband and joints. In addition to black and white, the QC Headphones come in mauve, a light avocado green, and a two-tone mint color, where the padding is darker than the rest of the headphones. The colors look nice, but headphones companies (including Bose) have been expanding on the reliable black and white options for years now, so colorful options are no longer novel.