Bose - QuietComfort 45

NC700 are pretty light headphones (around 254 grams) so this surprises me a bit. The XM6 weight about the same, the QC a bit less and the really good ones I have (Bathys/Px8) and the Px7s3 a lot more. Would look at the XM6 which has a phenomenal microphone and ANC solid (if a bit bass forward) sound (EQ helps) and pretty comfortable although I don't like the shallow earpads. The Bose QC Ultra and QC are also right around the XM6 and NC700 in weight but may feel more comfortable for you as they don't use the same headband.

I'll throw in my 2c based on ones I have actually owned and used both on iOS and Android... 1. Bose QC (or QC45s) or QC Ultra. The most comfortable. Good enough sound, excellent ANC. Fold for easier carrying on the move. They have APTX adaptive/Snapdragon sound but no standard or HD APTX. Not many devices out there support Snapdragon sound 2. Sennheiser M4s. Fantastic sound, terrible ANC. Do not fold. 3. Sony M4s and M5s. Bose level ANC, mostly good if a little muddy at times sound. Cook my ears, the least comfortable by some distance, for me at least. M5s do not fold. 4. B&W P7 S2e. Fantastic sound. Ok, probably good enough ANC. Do not fold 5. B&W P7 S3. Pretty much as per the S2es, but they sound better and maybe the ANC is slightly better too, still not at Bose or Sony levels though. Still do not fold. They have Snapdragon sound, but they also have APTX HD and standard. I could never buy Sonys again unless I was sure the ear cooking had been resolved, I suspect though that this is down to their overall approach to ANC. The Bose QC45s or the new QCs (non-Ultra) are head and shoulders the most comfortable over-ear ANC cans I have owned.

Bose quiet comfort are my fave but are expensive. There was a cheaper brand from Amazon I used to use before I got my current set. I wear them every day

Yeah, over the years I moved away from headsets to the mic and headphones and I honestly like it a lot more!! I have a blue yeti mic and just Bose noise cancelling headphones.

I love the QC45! Though the Bose 700 are even better if you can afford them.

I with you on that! I did my time with Bose QCs back in the day...the name sounded good and I didn't know better. If I'm sitting in my garden or out taking photos...I'll have an extra device just for music pushing audio through a set of IEMs. I'm not bothered by notifications...nor am I worried about anything falling off me (wires have their benefits)

The momentum 4 have shitty, bloated bass even with EQ, so I'd skip them. The QC45/Quietcomfort are the best of a deeply mediocre bunch until you get up to the $550/650 range. https://daemonxar.wordpress.com/2025/05/26/the-bose-quietcomfort-sc-a-solid-anc-offering/

loving my bose for sure

My first choice as well. It's been years and they are still going strong.

Best ANC headphones on the market are Apple AirPods Max, Bose 700 or QC series, Sony XM5. You will never get absolute reduction of noise. If you need more than these headphones can provide, use normal earplugs inside them (I use classic 3M earplugs) and/or listen to some record of neutral noise (there are many nice noise generators, from artifical, to natural - water, sea, fire etc) in your headphones to mask the actual noise from outside. As for comparing best earmuffs (e.g. 3M Peltor Optime III) with active noise cancelling headphones (brands mentioned above), ANC headphones are slightly better in noise reduction plus provide much better comfort for long-term wearing. I tested it on myself some time ago (We are speaking about normal environment, not shooting etc). But if you do not want to spend money on ANC headphones, good thick earmuffs are your option.

Completely same! They keep me sane. Yeah same, the amount I recommend them to people, I should be getting paid XD

If you're stuck in Beats, I prefer the Studios over the Solos for long wear time. The on ear ones pushing on my ears just weren't comfortable after awhile, so I enjoy the over the ear ones. The downside is, they can make you a bit sweaty when working out in them, so I prefer just earbuds for workouts. Now, for work, I just got the Bose Quietcomfort (they are similar to the Studio Pro). They are amazing. I wear them all day and for long flights listening to audiobooks. Highly recommend.

I have owned both. I currently have the Sony headphones. They sound good but are not as comfortable as the Bose. The Bose also sound amazing. I'm about to pass these Sonys on to one of my kids and go back to Bose.

The over-the-ear ones kept adding to my migraines. I switched to Bose quiet comfort.

I have used the Bose QC since the 25, then 35 and 45 - the Ultra is the absolute WORST. It has no on off button - so if it does not auto turn on when you put it on - you have the press the button about 16 times to get it to turn on. It is brutal. Definitely do not buy the Ultra

Unless you hate touch controls. I loved the XM series until I tried Bose QC-45 and realized how much I prefer physical buttons.

If comfort is yo ur jam then I'd look at a pair of Bose qc headphones, either the new model or the qc45, they're practically the same so get whichever one you can get a better deal on.

I love my Bose Quiet Comfort headphones. They're very good but they're not silent, if that's what you're wanting. I tried a few ear buds but the feeling of them in my ears was a sensory nightmare, so I went for over ear. I know that Loops come in a bunch of different noise settings, including sleep which I think is the quietest/best noise-cancelling one Edited to fix spelling mistake

I have these and the bose both work great.

I have bose qc45. They work great.

I love my Bose Quiet Comfort 45s

Yes. I rotate between these and the noise cancelling air pods!

A lot depends on the music you listen to. Bose QC for chill, bass, voice focused music, jazz. Sony for bass, house, techno. Sennheiser for instrumental, rock, classical music. Remember you can replace the earpads on most models, so that you can extend their lifespan from the wearing of the sweating. I've replaced my wife's Bose QC25 pads 2 times already. Good as new.

I've tried a few and Bose are still my favourite although the Sony's are loved by a fair few. Airpod pros were decent as well.

I had Bose quiet comfort last me all thru college I just bought a new pair after 6 years. They are on sale rn

I recently got the Bose quiet comfort and love them

Bose noise cancelling, all day every day. In ear and over hear are both great. I sweat a lot and the only thing that bothers me about over ear is having to constantly wipe them off. The sound quality is unmatched though

Bose QCs are like pillows. Pillows damnit

I have Bose quietcomfort. Love them. I run for 15 minutes for cardio after my workout and they work great. They get sweaty by that time though and I clean em off with the wipes after.

Best trio is: Apple, Bose, Sony (their latest-best model of ANC headphones). It must be real headphones covering your ears, not only earplugs. I have Bose and they are ok. Plus you can combine them with travel pillow (as it is not comfortable to sleep on your side with these headphones on - with travel pillow, it will help to bolster up your head when sleeping on your side. Even best ANC headphones will not cancel the noise 100% but it is big help in noisy areas when sleeping. I use them exactly for this purpose. Somebody else recommended here "Shooting earmuffs over ear plugs." - this is not so true. They are not better than ANC headphones (I have 3M Peltor shooting earmuffs - extra thick, best in the league, so I can tell). They are less comfortable and noise reduction is similar to ANC headphones. And ANC headphones are incomparably more convenient for long-term wearing (much less pressure on your head)

This was going to be my suggestion, one of the QC series. They are incredibly comfortable and great for long listening even compared to more expensive headphones I have.

My noise cancelling AirPods are really great and when I need a break from in-ear, I switch to my over-the-ear quiet comfort Bose.

Thats honestly weird. Apple apm, sony whxm, bose qc, sennheiser momnetum/hdb, etc. can all do it. Very common feature for modern headphones in this space :)

I currently use bose quiet comfort, but I'm going to change to shokz bone conduction instead.

Yes, the Sony XM range, Bose QuietComfort and Apple AirPod Max come up a lot in similar posts. I use Sony XM5 with Phonak Paradise RIC aids. You need to find headphones that will completely cover the ear and hearing aid without pressing on it, I've seen a recommendation of a centimetre gap but no idea how authoritative that is. Feedback can be an issue and you might need to involve your audiologist in getting it all working together.

Seconded. Outstanding quality, the noise cancellation was bliss

Yup, my cushions got trashed during a mold issue in my basement/wear and tear, cleaned them and got replacements from Amazon good as new.

I have Bose noise cancelling headphones and they really were a game changer. The ones the FA's pass out make movies sound like they were filmed under water in comparison.

me too, they are my gym headphones, that detachable wire comes in handy

Same. Dead silent in open offices. Mic is ok but wired so slightly annoying. I usually just play music in them and do my thing. People tend to leave you alone with headphones on.

Bose in my opinion. They were the OG creators of noise cancelling headphones for pilots and the tech is very good. They sound the best to others on calls I find. That said, if you are an Apple user, the AirPods and headphones are hard to beat and have the best noise cancelling in my opinion.