Is the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones worth the upgrade from the Shure Srh1440?
Verdict
Meaningful upgrade
The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones scores 9.0 points above the Shure Srh1440. That's a real improvement, though not the kind you'd notice on every track. It loses ground on sound (8.0 to 7.0) and value (7.5 to 6.5). On paper: active noise cancelling, weight 343 g to 254 g and multipoint pairing. Worth checking: driver size goes 40 mm to 35 mm. That costs $170 more, or about $19 per point of score - reasonable value for the jump. Worth doing if you're replacing anyway; harder to justify as a pure upgrade if what you have still works.
What actually changes
Sub-scores both products have, on the same 0-10 scale. Bars extend right for a gain, left for a loss.
- Sound8.07.0
- Value7.56.5
Spec differences
Only where the two genuinely differ - everything they share is omitted.
| Spec | Srh1440 | QuietComfort Ultra Headphones | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|
| Active noise cancelling | No | Yes | |
| Weight | 343 g | 254 g | |
| Multipoint pairing | No | Yes | |
| Driver size | 40 mm | 35 mm | |
| USB-C | No | Yes | |
| Frequency response | 15 Hz - 27 kHz | 20 Hz - 20 kHz |
About this verdict
Direction matters here: this page answers "Srh1440 to QuietComfort Ultra Headphones". The other direction is a separate question with a different answer. Scores blend published review verdicts across over-ear and shift as new reviews land, so a marginal call today may not be one next quarter.