Bose QuietComfort 45 Review: When old reliable gets old

Bose's QuietComfort range is typically thought of as the go-to for travellers thanks to its noise-cancelling prowess. When combined with a compact, collapsible design and a light, comfortable fit, it's no surprise the QuietComfort family was long thought of as the default for on-the-go over-ear headphones.

With the QuietComfort 45s (henceforth, QC45s), Bose continues to excel at its strengths. They're long-lasting headphones with great noise-cancelling and cushy design, but they're also stuck in the past.

Bose may be synonymous with noise cancellation, but it's not the only game in town anymore. Sony has made incredible strides in the field, Apple has entered the arena with AirPods Max, and other manufacturers like Sennheiser and Bowers & Wilkins are rapidly catching up.

Given the increased competition, it's surprising how small an upgrade the QC45s are over their predecessors. Bose has made improvements to battery and noise-cancellation, but hasn't added many of the modern conveniences rivals are now offering.

When it comes to sound quality, the Bose QC45s offer a mostly good out-of-the-box listening experience with a heightened treble. This bright tuning works for the most part, but it can make songs that operate in the high-end taxing to listen to. I could barely make it through Portishead's "Humming" on the Reviews.org AU audio testing playlist.

The treble emphasis can also detract from the clarity on some songs. I found myself completely losing the kick drum during the psychedelic freakouts in Radiohead's "The National Anthem".

Thanks to a recent software update, the Bose QC45s now feature an equaliser in their companion app. I found drastically dialling down the treble made the headphones less sibilant.

Microphone quality is perfectly fine, but nowhere near as clear as what Bose achieved on the more premium yet older NCH 700. They're also a step below the AirPods Max, but about on par with the last generation Sony WH-1000XM4s.

The Bose QC45s excel when it comes to noise-cancelling however. While the Sony WH-1000XM5s edge them out slightly, the QC45s are hard to fault when it comes to making the world a little bit quieter.

The implementation is a little weird, however. You can't switch off noise cancellation entirely, unless you're using your QC45s as wired headphones with the included 3.5mm cable. You can either have it on, or use the transparency mode that mixes in the real world. The transparency mode sounds pretty natural, but it would have been nice to be able to switch it off to get extra battery life in a pinch.

You're also missing out on variable noise cancellation options. While other headphones - including Bose's NCH 700s - give you the option to pick the level of noise you want to block out, this isn't the case here. I don't mind the omission personally, but it's a bit of a weird one.

The Bose QC45 offer up reliable battery of up to 24 hours per charge. That's an improvement over the QC35 IIs, but not exactly stellar. Sony's WH-1000XM5s offer up to 30 hours per charge, while the new Sennheiser Momentum 4s boast up to 60. For most users, the QC45s should still be enough, however. And if you need a top-up, a 15-minute charge if they're flat gets you 2.5 hours of playtime.

Where the Bose QC45 really feel dated is a lack of functionality that's becoming increasingly standard. The lack of auto-pause is my biggest frustration; if you take them off, the QC45s will keep playing whatever audio you're listening to. There are also no fast pairing options, and you can't listen to them while charging.

I do however like that the QC45s still have physical controls rather than touch, and multipoint for connecting two devices at once is a useful perk.

The Bose QC45s are ideal for those that want more of the same. If you've got an older pair of QuietComfort headphones that you love but are getting a bit worn and battered, the QC45s will be a nice, familiar replacement.

While I understand Bose not wanting to deviate from the formula that makes the QC45s beloved, this iteration could have used just a little more love. Even auto-pause would help make the QC45s feel more era-appropriate and solve a big frustration.

The QC45s are still a great option if you're after a comfortable pair of noise-cancelling headphones, especially if you value a compact form factor. It's just hard to think of them as the default.