Soak up the first real-world shots of Bose's upcoming QC headphones

According to a new FCC listing, Bose is readying a new pair of high-end headphones in the form of the QuietComfort 45. The cans recently passed through the certification agency (h/t PhoneArena), dropping their official title and a set of real-world images.

Let’s start with the design. If you’re familiar with the QuietComfort 35 II, you won’t notice much of a difference with the QuietComfort 45. Bose seemingly wants to keep this headphone line similar to its predecessor to ensure ease of use. Also, why change a formula that works?

As a result, the QuietComfort 45 features deeply padded earcups with a USB-C port on the right phone. The outer right cup features the customary power switch, while volume buttons sit along its outside edge. There’s also a 3.5mm jack on the left for those who love redundancy. It’s a very familiar layout.

Beyond this, the listing doesn’t shed any additional light on new specs. Yes, Bluetooth connectivity will still feature. We also imagine the QuietComfort 45 will also retain active noise cancellation (ANC) smarts too. Whether the performance of both will see a marked improvement remains to be seen.

Bose QuietComfort 45: When will they launch?

It’s been a while since Bose updated its QuietComfort line. While the QC 35 II remains a stellar set of headphones, even against modern rivals like the AirPods Max and Sony WH-1000XM4, they are growing long in the tooth. Sony and Apple have since eclipsed Bose on the ANC front, while both rival headphones also benefit from exclusive skills.

There’s no word on when Bose will bring the QuietComfort 45 to market, but the existence of the listing suggests a launch is imminent.