Balanced sound isn’t for everyone, and if you have Bose’s latest cans, you can change that.
As much as we liked Bose’s return to its classic style of “QuietComfort” headphones in the QC45, they didn’t quite have the sound competitors are becoming known for.
There are two main approaches headphones makers go for, typically with the option of balanced or warm.
“Balanced” is where Bose normally sits, with a soundstage that provides the same attention to detail across the lows, mids, and highs, something Bose has become rather well known for.
That’s distinct to what one of its largest competitors offers, with Sony going for a more “warm” sound, which means more focus on the mids and lows, while the highs take a bit of a backseat.
Warmer sound typically replicates the tonality of an earthy speaker you can almost feel as you sit in a room listening to tunes, while balanced audio is a cleaner style reminiscent of digital and CDs.
Both are great, but some people prefer one over the other, and to get that sound, you either have to hope the headphone maker tweaked it the way you wanted, or you have to turn to an equaliser or profile settings on the headphones. Settings like these are more common on headphones these days, thanks to the support of headphone apps, but you still have to have an app that lets you do this.
Fortunately, Bose is adding this feature to its QC45 headphones this week, and if you have a pair, you may be able to turn these otherwise balanced headphones into something warmer, as the headphone app supports controllers for bass, mids, and treble.
We’re told the update is rolling out now, providing not just an app update, but also a firmware update for the headphones, available in the Bose Music app on devices.
