KOM66
Head-Fier
I think it’s a matter of time. Need some time for the Ultra to break in.
New Bose QuietComfort Ultra (Oct 2023) Impressions Thread
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polymathic
100+ Head-Fier
I was wondering, has anyone tested the Ultra microphones for Zoom meetings on a MacBook Pro? I need some decent microphones for calls and presentations via Zoom. My Dali IO-12 have average microphones and volume cannot be adjusted on Zoom, so I have been using my ML 5909 for Zoom, which is a bit overkill. For travel, I use the smaller Sony XM3 with better ANC but terrible mics for calls. My goal is to replace my XM3 and 5909 with portable strong ANC headphones with decent sound that work well for Zoom. The Ultra seem like a good candidate. The XM5 would be okay, but they are rather bulky for travel and have shallow ear cups. Thanks.
RADI0HEAD
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I agree. They sound wonderful. So good that I'm thinking I don't need the Sony WH-1000XM5 now. Call quality is also very good.
I caved and picked up a set of the ultras, like new from Amazon and they turned out to be new and sealed so all good there.
Early days, I am mostly very happy with them, the only issue I am having is a popping/knocking noise (I assume from the ANC) when I use them whilst walking.
Anybody else experiennced this?
Early days, I am mostly very happy with them, the only issue I am having is a popping/knocking noise (I assume from the ANC) when I use them whilst walking.
Anybody else experiennced this?
RADI0HEAD
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I didn't notice any popping while walking.
polymathic
100+ Head-Fier
I finally found a good deal on a pair of QC Ultra, and so far I find them to excel at my use case.
+ The sound EQ'd is pleasant, respectable--better than XM3. I also prefer Bose's Immersive mode to Apple's Atmos. (Too often with Apple's, I feel away from the music, the vocals too distant, whereas with Bose, I feel closer and in the midst of it.) Of course, clarity is not on par with my IO-12 or ML 5909.
+ The microphones work well for Zoom and calls--plenty clear--and you get to choose whether you want ANC or transparency, and you get to control volume. The IO-12 you can't even control volume and mics are very average.
+ ANC is excellent, and obviously blows away IO-12 and ML 5909, but also a big step up from my old Sony XM3. Transparency is very good, closest to APM so far, which to me were the king of transparency.
+ Comfort is excellent! They are light with the perfect clamping force. They stay in place better than any of my headphones; naps in flight will be smooth. They don't get too hot, and I think this is in part due to the surprising large ear cup volume. For such small headphones, the space for one's ears is amazing. This is one key feature of these headphones: my ears don't touch anything in there. The Sonys are too constricted (and if T+A Solitaire T had so much ear room, I'd have ordered a pair already.)
+ Built quality is good--they are discreet and look fine, and the metal hinges are smooth and quiet.
+ The case is tiny and practical, and the whole package light. The IO-12 case is more than double the volume!
+/- Multipoint has been a bit puzzling and doesn't work as I would typically expect. Sometimes, it works like would expect; at times I have to use the BT button to switch source; at times it just doesn't want to cooperate.
- Battery drains on this thing... it seems the auto sleep and auto off are erratic. If I just take them off and put them on a my desk... the next day they are drained. I don't think they are entering sleep mode?
As long as I can manage the battery drain and I figure out consistent multi-point operations, they are exactly what I was look for in a travel and calls headphone.
P.S. @neil74 no clicks or clacks when walking
+ The sound EQ'd is pleasant, respectable--better than XM3. I also prefer Bose's Immersive mode to Apple's Atmos. (Too often with Apple's, I feel away from the music, the vocals too distant, whereas with Bose, I feel closer and in the midst of it.) Of course, clarity is not on par with my IO-12 or ML 5909.
+ The microphones work well for Zoom and calls--plenty clear--and you get to choose whether you want ANC or transparency, and you get to control volume. The IO-12 you can't even control volume and mics are very average.
+ ANC is excellent, and obviously blows away IO-12 and ML 5909, but also a big step up from my old Sony XM3. Transparency is very good, closest to APM so far, which to me were the king of transparency.
+ Comfort is excellent! They are light with the perfect clamping force. They stay in place better than any of my headphones; naps in flight will be smooth. They don't get too hot, and I think this is in part due to the surprising large ear cup volume. For such small headphones, the space for one's ears is amazing. This is one key feature of these headphones: my ears don't touch anything in there. The Sonys are too constricted (and if T+A Solitaire T had so much ear room, I'd have ordered a pair already.)
+ Built quality is good--they are discreet and look fine, and the metal hinges are smooth and quiet.
+ The case is tiny and practical, and the whole package light. The IO-12 case is more than double the volume!
+/- Multipoint has been a bit puzzling and doesn't work as I would typically expect. Sometimes, it works like would expect; at times I have to use the BT button to switch source; at times it just doesn't want to cooperate.
- Battery drains on this thing... it seems the auto sleep and auto off are erratic. If I just take them off and put them on a my desk... the next day they are drained. I don't think they are entering sleep mode?
As long as I can manage the battery drain and I figure out consistent multi-point operations, they are exactly what I was look for in a travel and calls headphone.
P.S. @neil74 no clicks or clacks when walking
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Thanks all, it sounds like a knocking or driver moving but it's not there when they are powered off, so seems like the ANC trying to cancel out my footsteps or something. A few on Reddit seem to have the same issue. I do seem to remember I had this on the NC700s when I tried them.
I got them open box from Amazon but they were new and sealed so I might go the Bose route for getting them replaced to be sure I get new stock etc.
I got them open box from Amazon but they were new and sealed so I might go the Bose route for getting them replaced to be sure I get new stock etc.
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