Why we chose this
We did a 14-hour Tokyo flight with the QC Ultra 2 on one head and Sony XM6 on the other (one of us, alternating). The Bose won — quieter, more comfortable past the four-hour mark, and easier to fall asleep in. Different headphones for different jobs; for long-haul travel, this is the one.
The review
Bose's second-generation Ultra leans even harder into what Bose does best: silence. The new active noise cancellation pulls a measurable dB more from low-frequency noise (jet engines, HVAC hum, train rumble) than the original Ultra and the Sony XM6, and the 'Immersive Audio' mode has been refined to feel less artificial than the first iteration. Where Bose still differs from Sony is the philosophy — these are designed first for travel, and the cup pressure, the headband padding, and the in-ear sealing reflect that. They're the headphones you wear for an eight-hour flight without taking off, even if you'd reach for the XM6 on a daily commute. Battery life is a solid 24 hours with ANC, the case is slightly slimmer than the original, and the new Snapdragon Sound chip enables lossless aptX over compatible Android phones. The downside remains audio purists' eternal Bose complaint — the bass is tuned warmer than neutral — but for travel, it's the right tuning.
