Your Bose headphones are getting a major Bluetooth upgrade – what to expect

ZDNET’s key takeaways

• An upcoming Bose firmware update brings Bluetooth LE Audio to the QuietComfort Ultra headphones.
• LE Audio enables Auracast and audio streaming.
• The firmware update also brings refined USB-C audio performance.

Nearly a year after releasing the QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen), Bose is gifting its headphones with some of the latest Bluetooth audio upgrades in an upcoming 10.12.12 firmware update. The flagship headphones will soon support Bluetooth LE Audio, enabling Auracast and audio streaming via the LC3 codec.

Review: Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen)

Additionally, this firmware update includes expanded USB-C audio support, enabling higher-quality audio streaming during voice calls and using the headphones’ voice microphone while gaming. The 10.12.12 firmware update also brings 5.1 spatial audio support to compatible Android devices.

These connectivity upgrades will be available in beta beginning this week, and users can update their QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen) in the Bose app.

Competitive Bluetooth features

Among the premium heavy hitters — Apple, Sony, Sennheiser, and Sonos — Bose joins only Sony in offering Auracast support, powered by Bluetooth’s LE Audio standard. Other brands have embraced Auracast, including JBL and Google, but these brands fall behind the aforementioned powerhouses in over-ear headphone performance.

Also: Bose’s QuietComfort Ultra shows the company still outperforms Apple in one key area

Auracast support allows users to connect to Auracast audio streams in supported venues, such as theaters, churches, and stadiums, to listen in real time to theatrical productions, sermons, or sporting event commentary. On a smaller scale, Auracast also allows for users with a compatible phone and a pair of headphones or earbuds to share audio from the phone with an unlimited number of headphones.

Along with Auracast comes the mandated LC3 Bluetooth codec, which offers higher-quality audio with lower power consumption than the older, widely supported SBC codec. For now, only select Android phones support LE Audio, Auracast, and the LC3 codec, meaning Android users can obtain the most utility from these technologies.

Jada Jones/ZDNET

Bose’s release notes for this 10.12.12 firmware update state that LE Audio features are restricted to compatible Android and Windows devices only.

In addition to LE Audio support, Bose’s connectivity features at launch showed that the headphones supported the hardware for advanced Bluetooth technologies. The QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen) support Bluetooth 5.4 and Bluetooth Low Energy to power their advanced auto-low-power and auto-wake features.

Also: Bluetooth’s latest wireless audio push could solve a connectivity problem we’ve all dealt with

Compared to its contemporaries, Bose is leveraging several of Bluetooth Low Energy’s best attributes, including modern audio technologies, faster device connectivity, and efficient power consumption. Additionally, LE Audio support further distinguishes the flagship Ultra headphones from the midrange QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen), which recently debuted with several premium features, including spatial audio and Bose’s latest noise-canceling technologies.

Expanded USB-C support

Jada Jones/ZDNET

Bose’s 10.12.12 firmware update also includes refined USB-C audio performance, including game/chat balance and improved voice performance when calling via web conferencing applications.

The QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen) supported 24-bit/48kHz lossless audio streaming and can now tap into a 48kHz sample rate for the drivers and a 16kHz sample rate for the microphone when gaming or video calling. These upgraded audio features are not supported when wired to a gaming console — only to PCs and mobile devices, such as tablets or smartphones.

Also: Frustrated with your Bluetooth? How multipoint works – and why it sometimes won’t

Ultimately, Bose’s new upgrades make its flagship headphones a well-rounded competitor in the connectivity category, polishing its USB-C audio performance in ways Sony lacks, its LE Audio features in ways Sennheiser doesn’t offer, and its compatibility with Android devices in ways Apple doesn’t support.

Jada Jones is a journalist based outside of Atlanta, Georgia. She graduated from Georgia State University with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism. Jada is ZDNET's audio editor and regularly reviews the latest flagship headphones, earbuds, speakers, soundbars, and more. See full bio