Bose made a splash with its recent, long-awaited update to its popular QuietComfort 35 headphones. But while the company was probably smart not to change the QuietComfort formula much, that included not expanding the classic headphones’ limited customizability. Until now.
If you have a set of QC 45s, Bose said a new firmware update lets you access and adjust a new equalizer via the Bose Music app. So you can tweak the sound all you want with the new Adjustable EQ feature.
Bose QuietComfort 45 headphones: new customizable EQ
For many folks, Bose’s sense of what settings sound the most balanced works just fine. That’s one reason why high-end headphones don’t always come with an equalizer. But if you like to customize your sound — maybe your tunes cry out for a cranked bass — now you can.
After you download Bose’s latest firmware update (version 2.0.4), you can use the Adjustable EQ feature in the Bose Music app. It will let you tweak the output to your liking. You can customize the bass, mid-range and treble just as you like using sliders. To return to what you had, click Reset.
Note, however, that you can’t save a manual setting. So if you tweak settings a lot, returning to one you liked will require you to set it again.
Or you can pick from presets to approximate the sound you want. Presets are bass boost, bass reducer, treble boost and treble reducer.
To install the update, just launch the Bose Music app and click on Install Update from the QC45 control screen.
David Snow, an expert on Apple hardware and software, writes on a variety of technological and cultural topics for Cult of Mac. They include Apple news, technology buying guides, and features about computer setups and Apple TV shows and movies.
With 30 years of experience covering technology and other subjects, he has written and edited for numerous print and online publications, including CMP Media, TechTV.com, CNET, Wired News, Red Herring magazine, Law.com, The National Law Journal and Law Technology News magazine. Among other roles, he served as executive editor of the Law.com network of websites and editorial director, technology, for ALM Media.
Snow graduated with a B.A. from Syracuse University with majors in magazine journalism and psychology. While there, he worked as a reporter for The Daily Orange newspaper and associate editor of Equal Time magazine.
Founder of the blog At the Waterline, he can be reached on X (formerly Twitter) via @atthewaterline and on Mastodon via @dsnow.
