First, make sure your headphones are turned on with the slider switch in the middle “On” position. Next, slide and hold the switch to the Bluetooth icon until the Bluetooth LED flashes blue or when the voice prompt indicates the headphones have entered into pairing mode. Please note, if this is your first time connecting the headphones, they will automatically turn on into pairing mode. Voice prompts will provide you with additional guidance. We recommend using the app to complete the pairing process, however, Bluetooth settings on your device can be used to complete pairing.

CustomTune technology is a proprietary Bose technology that optimizes the audio playback you hear based on the unique physical properties of your ear and ear canal. It works by playing a specially designed calibration tone as the welcome chime each time you power on the headphones while wearing them. It then measures how the shape of your ear uniquely modifies that sound. The headphones use that information to adjust their sound to your ears, creating a more balanced, authentic audio experience.

Proprietary TriPort acoustic headphone structure utilizes external ports to vent the earcups and effectively enlarge the acoustic volume, without increasing the size of the earcup. The result is better audio and active noise reduction from a smaller, lighter, more comfortable headphone.

QuietComfort Headphones have three controls on the right earcup: a Bluetooth/power button at the bottom, a multi-function button in the back, and a capacitive volume strip along the edge. Additionally, the headphones are equipped with on-head/off-head detection, which is another way to control the product.

• The Bluetooth/power button is used to power the headphones on/off, put the headphones in pairing mode, cycle through paired devices, and more.

• The multi-function button supports audio playback (e.g., play/pause/skip), telephony (e.g., answer/decline calls), mode switching (e.g., Quiet, Aware, Immersion), and more.

• Swiping along the volume strip changes volume, and pressing and holding on it activates a user-configurable shortcut.

• Putting the headphones on and taking them off controls wake/sleep/auto-off and resume/pause. Auto-off can be customized in the app.

Wind Block is a setting you can use when your environment is windy. Wind Block mutes the microphones on the outside of the earcups used for noise cancellation so that gusts of wind do not cause system responses that become noise disturbances in themselves. Note that the exterior microphones used for voice pickup are not muted, so if you’re on a call, the person on the other end will still hear the wind.

Aware Mode turns on the external microphones of QuietComfort Headphones and feeds ambient sounds into the headphones, enabling awareness of the sounds in the environment, such as cars and emergency vehicles, while still enjoying audio content.

Bose QuietComfort Headphones have a range of up to 30 ft (9 meters) from the source device. This range may be reduced by physical obstructions, such as walls and doors, or by interference from other electronic devices. Pops or a cracking noise may be heard if there’s interference with the Bluetooth connection. If that happens, move away from wireless routers or microwaves and bring your headphones closer to the Bluetooth device.

The headphones can be charged using the USB-C cable supplied in the box and plugging into a USB port on a PC, laptop, or wall charger. Allow up to 2 hours for the headphones to fully charge. The battery light indicator will show an amber light while the headphones are charging and turn green when fully charged. When you don’t have time for a full charge, the fast-charge feature provides up to 4 hours of play time from a quick, 15-minute charge.

QuietComfort Headphones use a lithium-ion rechargeable battery that provides up to 24 hours¹ of audio playback with noise cancelling turned on.

Yes. You can continue to listen to your source even if the battery power is depleted. Without power, the headphones operate in a passive mode and neither active noise cancellation nor Active EQ is able to function

QuietComfort Headphones also give you two options when it comes to audio EQ. Do nothing and the bass, midrange, and treble of whatever you’re listening to will be adjusted automatically to make it sound great. Or choose Equalizer in the settings of the Bose app to change the audio levels yourself to however you like them best. Either way, you’ll enjoy immersive sound at any volume.

The larger middle button on the right earcup is the Multi-function button. It initiates play/pause and other track controls for videos and music, answers and ends calls, and also provides access to your phone’s default virtual assistant, like Siri. The buttons on either side of the multi-function button are volume +/– buttons. They allow you to easily adjust volume in an intuitive up/down vertical orientation.

On the left earcup there is a single Action button. This toggles between Quiet Mode (noise cancelling), Aware Mode, and your Custom Modes. This is also a shortcut button; when you press and hold the button for approximately 2 seconds your shortcut, such as battery life status or Spotify Tap, will activate.

Spotify Tap allows Spotify users to access their music with a single tap on a designated control on their headphones. Press and hold the “Action” button on the left earcup to start your listening session and press down again for Spotify to offer up recommendations for other music you might like. You need a Spotify account and can configure the shortcut control to activate Spotify Tap using the app.