Bose QuietComfort headphones
Hacker ApprovedRanked 3 of 7 noise-cancelling headphones by recommenders
People recommend them for strong noise cancellation, clear sound, comfort and long life. Common caveat: limited controls without the app, and weaker iOS and PC sharing.
People recommend them for strong noise cancellation, clear sound, comfort and long life. Common caveat: limited controls without the app, and weaker iOS and PC sharing.
24 people gave an opinion
- recommend it
- 22
- criticize it
- 2
- approval share
- 92%
Recommended in 5 of 13 months
- November 2025: not recommended
- December 2025: not recommended
- January 2026: recommended
- February 2026: recommended
- March 2026: recommended
- April 2026: not recommended
- May 2026: not recommended
- June 2026: not recommended
- July 2026: not recommended
- August 2026: recommended
- September 2026: recommended
- October 2026: not recommended
- November 2026: not recommended (month in progress)
Owned for 10 years
Median of the 5 owners who said how long they have had it.
Each square is one year.
Why it carries the badge
- 22 people recommend itNeeds 10 or more, met.
- 11 recommenders for every criticNeeds 2 to 1 or better, met.
- Recommended in 5 of 13 monthsNeeds 4 or more, met.
The same three rules apply to every product, and the badge can’t be bought. How the badge works
What people say about it
The reasons people give, with the number of comments that give each one. Open a reason to read what they said.
Why people recommend it
Each mark is one comment
Clear, neutral sound
“Their QC headphones are the best in noise cancellation, and the sound quality is good enough that they're my pair of wireless headphones.”
Comment from 8 Jan 2026 in “Bose is open-sourcing its old smart speakers instead of bricking them” “Man, the build quality was insanely good. The sound was really good. And it’s really comfortable to wear.”
Comment from 8 Jan 2026 in “Bose is open-sourcing its old smart speakers instead of bricking them” “continue to receive praise for comfort, durability, sound quality, noise cancellation, etc.”
Comment from 8 Jan 2026 in “Bose is open-sourcing its old smart speakers instead of bricking them” - Comment from 8 Jan 2026 in “Bose is open-sourcing its old smart speakers instead of bricking them”
- Comment from 8 Jan 2026 in “Bose is open-sourcing its old smart speakers instead of bricking them”
Strong noise cancellation
“Their QC headphones are the best in noise cancellation, and the sound quality is good enough that they're my pair of wireless headphones.”
Comment from 8 Jan 2026 in “Bose is open-sourcing its old smart speakers instead of bricking them” “continue to receive praise for comfort, durability, sound quality, noise cancellation, etc.”
Comment from 8 Jan 2026 in “Bose is open-sourcing its old smart speakers instead of bricking them” “Thee noise cancellation was unmatched several years ago.”
Comment from 9 Jan 2026 in “Bose is open-sourcing its old smart speakers instead of bricking them” - Comment from 10 Sep 2026 in “AirPods 5”
Comfortable for long wear
“Man, the build quality was insanely good. The sound was really good. And it’s really comfortable to wear.”
Comment from 8 Jan 2026 in “Bose is open-sourcing its old smart speakers instead of bricking them” “continue to receive praise for comfort, durability, sound quality, noise cancellation, etc.”
Comment from 8 Jan 2026 in “Bose is open-sourcing its old smart speakers instead of bricking them” “can pivot and are a million times more comfortable”
Comment from 16 Mar 2026 in “AirPods Max 2” - Comment from 8 Jan 2026 in “Bose is open-sourcing its old smart speakers instead of bricking them”
Lasts many years
“Best piece of tech that I ever bought. Going on three years now and they are still like new.”
Comment from 17 Mar 2026 in “AirPods Max 2” “They are probably 5y+ now and they go with me everywhere.”
Comment from 8 Jan 2026 in “Bose is open-sourcing its old smart speakers instead of bricking them” “My QC35s are still going strong.”
Comment from 14 Mar 2026 in “Wired headphone sales are exploding. What's with the Bluetooth backlash?” - Comment from 8 Jan 2026 in “Bose is open-sourcing its old smart speakers instead of bricking them”
Other noise-cancelling headphones people recommend
The four most recommended other noise-cancelling headphones, with the same counts for each, so you can compare like for like. The tick on each bar marks the 2 to 1 line the badge needs.
| Product | Recommend | Criticize | Approval | Months | Owned | Badge |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AirPods Max | 56 | 104 | 35% | 6 | 3 yrs8 owners | — |
| Sony WH-1000XM5 | 23 | 17 | 58% | 6 | — | — |
| Bose QuietComfort headphonesThis page | 22 | 2 | 92% | 5 | 10 yrs5 owners | Approved |
| Sennheiser Momentum 4 | 7 | 1 | 88% | 3 | — | — |
| Sennheiser HDB 630 | 6 | 0 | 100% | 2 | — | — |
What people said
All 26 comments that mention it, newest first. Each links to the original comment.
“my impression was that they plan for people not going through the effort of actually requesting a replacement item”
“There’s nothing [wireless] that comes close, for ANC.”
“That combo kicks the everloving shit out of any Bluetooth headphones I've tried.”
“The headphones seem to work better with Android. IOS is a bit weird with sharing them with my PC.”
“the ANC will try (and fail) to cancel the noise from the wind”
“Best piece of tech that I ever bought. Going on three years now and they are still like new.”
“can pivot and are a million times more comfortable”
“No battery to die (it's simply AAA), the cord and ear pads are replaceable.”
“My QC35s are still going strong.”
“I have some 14 year old Bose QCs and some newer Beyerdynamics, both of which I’ve replaced the cord on.”
“of superb quality at 250 €”
“they offered me a free replacement, no questions asked, a year after my warranty ended”
“It's just a shame it requires soldering on a new battery pack.”
“Thee noise cancellation was unmatched several years ago.”
“I was so impressed with Bose QC headphones that i stocked up and gave out 7 pairs”
“I'm using my QC on my phone without any app, just BT. Sure I can't adjust all settings but enough to be usable.”
“their QCs are good enough and the rest of the package makes up for it”
“Man, the build quality was insanely good. The sound was really good. And it’s really comfortable to wear.”
“these are hands down the most comfortable”
“found Bose to have the most pleasant sound, very clear/neutral”
“continue to receive praise for comfort, durability, sound quality, noise cancellation, etc.”
“More often than not, for a late night YouTube binge in bed, I'm reaching for the QC35s.”
“my QC35 never failed on me”
“They are probably 5y+ now and they go with me everywhere.”
“Bose QCs track the Harman curve pretty well”
“Their QC headphones are the best in noise cancellation, and the sound quality is good enough that they're my pair of wireless headphones.”
Counts come from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026. How we count. Report a mistake.