Bose QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen) vs Sony WH-1000XM4C

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QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen) compared with WH-1000XM4C

	BoseQuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen)	SonyWH-1000XM4C
Overview
Released
Released	August 2026	September 2026
Sound
Type
Type	Over-ear	Over-ear
Noise cancelling
Noise cancelling	Yes	Yes
Transparency mode
Transparency mode	Yes	Yes
Driver size
Driver size	–	40 mm
Back
Back	–	Closed
Spatial audio with head tracking
Spatial audio with head tracking	Yes	–
Bluetooth codecs
Bluetooth codecs	SBC and AAC	SBC, AAC and LDAC
Chip
Chip	–	HD Noise Cancelling Processor QN1
Drivers
Drivers	–	40 mm drivers with liquid crystal polymer diaphragms; powered wired frequency response 4 Hz–40 kHz. Impedance is 40 ohms powered on and 16 ohms off; sensitivity 106 dB/mW on and 101 dB/mW off.
Lossless over USB-C
Lossless over USB-C	Yes	–
Noise cancelling detail
Noise cancelling detail	QuietControl noise cancellation with a six-microphone system; adaptive feedforward control compensates for gaps in the ear cup seal (glasses, hair, hats); Quiet, Aware, Immersion and Cinema modes plus custom modes; Aware mode with ActiveSense softens sudden noise spikes; noise cancelling adjustable or fully off in the Bose app; wind block in custom modes	QN1 and two noise-sensing microphones per earcup; Personal NC Optimizer, Ambient Sound Mode, Quick Attention and Adaptive Sound Control
Audio features
Audio features	Bose TrueSpatial Technology with Immersive Audio (Still keeps the virtual speakers in place as you turn your head; Motion lets them follow) and Cinema Mode; SoundDesign signal processing; three-band EQ in the Bose app; two-way USB-C audio with lossless input up to 24-bit/48 kHz and voice output up to 24-bit/16 kHz	DSEE Extreme upscaling, 10-band equaliser in Sony Sound Connect and 360 Reality Audio with compatible services; Bluetooth response 20 Hz–20 kHz at 44.1 kHz sampling, or 20 Hz–40 kHz with LDAC at 96 kHz and 990 kbps
Battery
Listening time (maker's claim)
Listening time (maker's claim)	Up to 24 hours	Up to 27 hours
Battery life detail
Battery life detail	Up to 24 hours with noise cancelling on, 18 hours with Immersive Audio on; tested by Bose at 75 dB SPL; can be used over Bluetooth or USB audio while charging; the USB-C to 3.5 mm cable works only with the headphones powered on, so with a flat battery Bose says to listen over USB-C while charging	The manual lists AAC/SBC playback up to 27 hours with noise cancelling or 34 hours off; LDAC up to 20 hours on or 27 hours off. DSEE Extreme, Speak-to-Chat and equaliser settings can shorten these figures.
Charging case
Charging case	–	USB-C charging; approximately 3 hours for a full charge; no USB audio playback
Fast charging
Fast charging	15 minutes gives up to 2.5 hours of playback; full charge in up to 3 hours (slower while in use)	3 minutes gives about 1 hour of playback
Design
Weight
Weight	230 g (better)	253 g
Bluetooth
Bluetooth	5.4	6.0
Two devices at once
Two devices at once	Yes	Yes
Headphone cable
Headphone cable	Yes	Yes
Controls
Controls	Physical buttons; on the right ear cup, a Bluetooth/power slider, a multi-function button (play, pause, skip, calls) and volume buttons; on the left ear cup, an Action button for modes and a shortcut to the voice assistant, Spotify or Immersive Audio settings	Touch panel on the right earcup for playback, volume and calls; separate power and noise-cancelling buttons; wear detection, Quick Attention and Speak-to-Chat; app-configurable Quick Access
Microphones
Microphones	Six microphones, used for noise cancelling and calls, with updated background noise filtering for calls	Two noise-sensing microphones per earcup; Precise Voice Pickup for Bluetooth calls
Fit and ear tips
Fit and ear tips	Around-ear (circumaural) with a redesigned adjustable headband with smooth sliders; oval ear cups with removable protein leather cushions; plastic headband and yokes; folds for the carry case	Adjustable headband, swivelling and folding earcups; colour-matched carrying case
Water resistance detail
Water resistance detail	No water resistance rating published	The manual states that the headset is not waterproof
Works with
Works with	Bose app for iOS and Android; multipoint connection to two devices; Google Fast Pair; USB-C audio for calls and video conferencing on computers	Bluetooth A2DP, AVRCP, HFP and HSP. Multipoint switches music between two devices; SoundGuys and Tom's Hardware report that LDAC is unavailable in that mode. The supplied cable allows passive playback, disables Bluetooth and does not carry the headphone microphone.
Colours
Colours	Black, White Smoke; limited-edition Eucalyptus Green, Dewdrop Mint and Rosewood Mauve; Bose UK also lists Sky Pink	Black, Platinum Silver, Lavender; official press photo shows Lavender folded
In the box
In the box	Headphones, carry case, USB-C to USB-C cable (1 m), USB-C to 3.5 mm cable, safety sheet	UK box includes headphones, carrying case and approximately 1.2 m headphone cable; USB charging cable supplied only with mainland China models