Real owners lean toward the HiFiMan HE400se: 80% of 127 owners recommend it, vs 35% of 474 for the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen).
Verdicts aggregated from Reddit, enthusiast forums, and YouTube owner comments — affiliate reviews excluded. Sample sizes differ; judge accordingly. How we score
“My ultra used daily for over a year is still working great. Had some firmware issue at the start but currently it is Ok. Good anc, great sound and sturdy.”— GrumpyBitFlipper on Reddit
“I come from the xm5 earbuds and just bought the QC Ultra 2nd gen’s because even though I loved the Sony’s, I don’t like wearing them knowing there’s too much toxic chemicals in them.”— therealpurpledolpin on Reddit
“but not the Ultras (not worth the price increase imo)”— xolavenderwitch on Reddit
“The treble is still tamed, but the bass doesn't seem to roll off. Punchy and fun.”— @onepieceatatime on YouTube
“they are amazing, the replacement grills smooth out all the peaks and dips”— @ZdraveBass on YouTube
“Hifiman are known to last about two months. It's only a question of time before they fail and customer service is bad from what I saw.”— @westsenkovec on YouTube