Bose has announced the latest version of its wireless noise-cancelling headphones the QuietComfort 45 will be released in New Zealand on October 4.
The US audio giant says the new model has better noise-cancelling and longer battery life than the previous QuietComfort 35 II model, but will feature a very similar design.
Bose's QuietComfort 45 will launch with an RRP of $549.95 and appear designed to challenge Sony's WH-1000XM4, a similar high-end noise cancelling wireless headphone model launched last year at NZ$599.95.
The new headphones promise better noise-cancelling through their combination of internal and external microphones paired with Bose's own proprietary digital chip, said to better detect and silence mid-range frequencies like those of a train, office or coffee shop.
There will be just two modes: 'Quiet', which is full active noise-cancelling, and 'Aware', which brings in exterior sounds, so the headphones don't need to be taken off to hear other things.
Bose is also talking up the new device's voice isolation technology, which should improve the quality of phone calls over the headphones.
"A beam-form array isolates their voice, while a rejection array dampens and blocks the audible distractions around them - like a coffee grinder or barking dog - from being picked up and transmitted to whomever they're talking to," it says.
The QuietComfort 45 (QC45) promise 24 hours of battery life and USB-C charging that will give a full battery in two hours. Bose says three hours of playback can be achieved after a 15 minute charge.
Functionality wise, the new headphones will offer multipoint Bluetooth support, so users can pair them with a PC and smartphone simultaneously.
While that function is offered by Sony's rival headphones, the QC45 will maintain a point of difference in its onboard controls, in that they're physical buttons rather than touch controls.
The right earcup will feature four buttons for power, volume control, Bluetooth pairing and frequent commands (answering calls, pausing music etc), while the left earcup will feature one button that switches modes and mutes the mic during calls.
Pre-orders for Bose's QC45 open on September 13.
