Real-world battery with ANC and Immersive Audio active lands at 18–20 hours, well below the marketed 23–30 hour figures.

“I'm consistently getting like 18–20 hours with ANC and immersive on, nowhere near the 24–30 hours they claim. Not terrible, but I expected more for the price and compared to my XM4s.”

vs Marketing: Bose claims up to 30 hours general use and 23 hours with Immersive Audio on; the one owner who tested this configuration reports only 18–20 hours — a shortfall of roughly 3–5 hours against the most conservative claim.

A subset of users experience significant ear pressure and headaches after roughly one hour of use, a side effect not disclosed in marketing.

“The ANC is top tier but I feel a lot of ear pressure with these, way more than with my Sennheisers. After an hour or so I start to get a headache, which is a shame because they otherwise sound fine.”

vs Marketing: Marketing highlights ANC as a premium upgrade with no mention of pressure side effects; comfort cluster (5 recurrences, avg severity 2.2) shows this is a recurring owner complaint.

Owners and non-owners alike describe sound as competent but uninspiring, directly contradicting Bose's claim of meaningful audio upgrades.

“The noise cancelling is unreal, probably the best I've ever tried, but the sound is just good, not mind-blowing. They're super easy listening but kind of boring compared to my Sony XM5.”

vs Marketing: Bose claims 'upgrades in both audio and noise cancellation' including 'crystal-clear, high-fidelity sound'; owners confirm ANC improvement but characterize sound as average and boring relative to competitors.

At least one owner encountered persistent popping and crackling noises triggered by jaw movement or walking, reproduced across two separate units, leading to a return.

“Returned mine because I kept getting these random popping and crackling noises whenever I moved my jaw or walked around. Tried two different units and both did it, so I gave up and went back to my old headphones.”

vs Marketing: Marketing makes no mention of this defect; the fact it appeared across two units suggests a potential production-line issue rather than an isolated fault.

Users find the spatial audio mode gimmicky for music, limiting its practical value despite Bose marketing it as a headline Cinema Mode feature.

“The immersive audio/spatial mode is kind of a gimmick for music, but I actually enjoy it for movies and YouTube. It's not a reason to buy these, more of a nice extra when you're in the mood.”

vs Marketing: Bose markets Cinema Mode as delivering a 'movie-like experience' with a widened soundstage and crisp dialogue; users agree it works for video content but dismiss it as a non-factor for music, the primary use case.