Bose QuietComfort Headphones (2023 generation, Black) review

Bose · current U.S. listing · Black QC-HEADPHONEARN-BLK-WW · 2023 generation

Bose’s current catalog distinguishes its QuietComfort Headphones from the “(2nd Gen)” model introduced in 2026. The earlier product is still a separate listing, not the Ultra version and not a bundle of the newer model’s USB-C audio features. Its most useful documented distinction in this assessment is the supplied analog cable: Bose says audio can continue with the headphones switched off or battery-depleted. That convenience comes with a clear compromise—ANC and Active EQ do not work in the passive, unpowered arrangement. This is research from the manufacturer’s U.S. page and instructions, not a claim of personal use or testing.

Identity and continuing availability

Bose’s U.S. product page identifies the selected Black configuration as QC-HEADPHONEARN-BLK-WW. Bose calls it “QuietComfort Headphones,” without a first-generation suffix; “2023 generation” is used here only to distinguish it from the separately named 2026 model. Bose’s own support comparison dates its sales period from October 2023 and says it continues alongside the second generation. Keep this exact product code distinct from QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen), QuietComfort Ultra, and the older QuietComfort 45.

Quiet, Aware, and custom settings

The Owner’s Guide describes Quiet as full noise cancellation and Aware as transparency. It allows up to two custom modes, with app-based settings for cancellation or wind block. The product page describes around-ear circumaural fit, removable protein-leather cushions, and active noise cancellation. These are useful controls and fit details; they do not establish cancellation strength across a noisy cabin or guarantee comfort for a particular head shape, glasses, or long listening session. Bose’s page provides no independent measurements, so this review does not rank the model’s quieting performance.

Bluetooth connections for a phone and another device

Bose documents multipoint with two simultaneous connections and a stored list of up to eight devices. Only one audio stream plays at a time. You can pause audio on one source and begin on the other; Bose says calls can reach the headset from either connected device. The Bose app is used to manage the setting, although Bluetooth pairing can be initiated from a mobile device’s settings. The product page specifies Bluetooth 5.1. I found no reliable primary U.S. codec list in the sources reviewed, so a particular codec should be checked with Bose rather than assumed.

The cable gives a genuine passive fallback

The standard Black package lists a 2.5 mm-to-3.5 mm cable, and Bose’s Owner’s Guide says it can carry audio when Bluetooth is unavailable, the battery is depleted, or the headphones are powered off. The cable has an inline microphone. When the set is off or depleted, the headphone controls are disabled; Bose directs the listener to manage playback and calls from the source device. The headphone’s Bluetooth connection and earcup microphone pickup are disabled when the cable is connected. This is a real practical difference from the 2026 model, whose manual requires its headphones to be powered on for cable listening.

Do not combine this passive mode with ANC. Bose’s guide says ANC is disabled when the headphones are powered off, and its product page says that without power the headphones operate passively without ANC or Active EQ. Bose rates up to 24 hours with noise cancellation on, but does not provide a separate cable-plus-ANC runtime. A source that says “analog” and a listener who says “ANC essential” are asking for two conditions at once; the unpowered arrangement cannot meet both.

Battery and charging claims need context

Bose lists up to 24 hours of listening with ANC enabled. That is a manufacturer maximum rather than a promise for every volume, call schedule, temperature, battery age, or session. The included USB-A-to-USB-C cable charges the headphones; a wall power adapter is not listed in the box. Bose’s official materials do not agree on charge time: the Owner’s Guide and technical table say up to 2.5 hours, while an FAQ on the same product page says up to two hours. I leave the specification unresolved rather than choosing one value. If charge timing matters, check the current exact-product instructions.

USB-C here is a charging connection, not digital audio

The product page identifies a USB-C charging interface, but Bose’s generation comparison says USB-C audio is absent on this model and added to QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen). The older set’s wired listening is through the 2.5 mm headphone socket and the supplied cable, not a digital USB-C audio path. Its published weight is 0.520 lb, approximately 236 g; the conversion is approximate. The U.S. package list names the carry case, charging cable, audio cable with inline mic, and safety sheet. The technical “audio cable included” field and the contents list are not perfectly consistent on every color-specific Bose product page, so confirm the exact offer’s package.

Finish variants share the model assessment, but cable listings conflict

Bose’s U.S. product-family page identifies ten additional finishes within the same QC-HEADPHONEARN family. Seven sibling pages selected the requested U.S. finish during this check; Bose’s listed model specifications otherwise match across them, apart from its audio-cable-included field and a small “Bose Music App”/“Bose App” wording variation. The shared model 437310 Owner’s Guide describes one set of operating modes and Bluetooth/wired behavior; no different ANC, connectivity, battery or USB-audio capability was documented by finish. These are finish references under the Black model review, not ten separate performance assessments.

The package field is less clear. Black, White Smoke, and Cypress Green pages say “Audio cable included: Yes.” Twilight Blue, Petal Pink, Sandstone, Moonlight Grey, and Ice Blue pages say “No.” Yet each of those selected pages’ “What’s in the box” lists a 3.5 mm-to-2.5 mm cable, and the shared guide lists it too. That contradiction does not establish what arrives in a retail carton; confirm the exact seller SKU and package before relying on passive wired listening. For Blue Dusk, Chilled Lilac, and Moonstone Blue, Bose’s product-family data still identifies a color-specific U.S. SKU and image, but the current exact-color page request fell back to Sandstone and its box/specification details are not attributed to those three finishes here. The manufacturer’s captured product data marked those three offers out of stock on October 28, 2026; this dated snapshot does not establish availability elsewhere or later.

Each image below is the matching Bose finish rendering, linked to its U.S. product page. It is a manufacturer reference, not a promise about color appearance on every screen or current stock.

Who should consider it

This model’s document-backed case is straightforward: active cancellation over Bluetooth, two-device multipoint, a 24-hour ANC-on maximum, and an analog fallback that can still play when the headset is off or drained. It is a weaker fit if you require battery-free ANC, digital USB-C audio, an exact charge-duration guarantee, or an advertised water-resistance rating. The 2026 successor adds Immersive Audio, Cinema, newer Aware-mode behavior, and USB-C digital audio, but it does not inherit this model’s documented power-off cable operation. Before choosing, verify the exact Black variant, included cable and case, host-device jacks, and current seller return terms; a spec sheet cannot tell you whether the clamp, seal, or sound suits you.