Bose flagship headphones gain Auracast and Bluetooth LE Audio in beta firmware update

Bose flagship headphones gain Auracast and Bluetooth LE Audio

Bose has begun adding Auracast and Bluetooth LE Audio to its flagship QuietComfort Ultra Headphones Gen 2 through a firmware update, according to The Verge. Both features arrive as beta functionality on the $449 over-ear headphones, which become the first Bose headphones to support the audio-sharing technology. The update, labeled 10.12.12, has reportedly been reaching devices gradually over the past few weeks.

What else firmware 10.12.12 changes

The wireless additions are the headline, but the update also improves wired USB audio. The Verge reports better handling of audio over USB connections, including balance controls for separating game sound from chat, along with improved compatibility with web conferencing apps — relevant for anyone using the headphones as a computer headset.

What Auracast does

Auracast, officially announced in 2022, lets a single device — a phone, a television, or a dedicated transmitter — broadcast Bluetooth audio to any number of compatible headphones or speakers in range at the same time. Use cases cited by The Verge include gate announcements at airports, live sound at venues, and college lectures. At home, it can carry television audio to headphones after others have gone to sleep, and it can also serve as a hearing-assistance option. Some Samsung and LG TVs already hide Auracast support inside their settings menus.

A slow-moving standard picks up a major name

Adoption since the 2022 announcement has been slow. Among major manufacturers, only a handful of select headphones and earbuds support it — The Verge names Sony, JBL, Samsung's Galaxy Buds, and Sennheiser, which also released an Auracast transmitter this year. Smaller brands such as EarFun have added it as well. Bose's participation is significant largely because of the company's name recognition in headphones, and Bose says more of its devices will follow.

A Bose spokesperson, Tim Williams, told The Verge by email that the QC Headphones Gen 2 should receive the beta firmware next.

Why it matters

Auracast lives or dies on network effects. Airports, gyms, lecture halls, and TV makers have little reason to broadcast audio that almost no headphones can receive, while headphone makers have little reason to add receivers when there is almost nothing to tune into. Every recognizable brand that ships support widens the installed base of receivers and makes deployment in public spaces easier to justify, so Bose arriving at the flagship level — with a stated intention to expand across its lineup — is the kind of momentum the standard has lacked since 2022.

For owners, the update is also a reminder that a flagship product can gain meaningful new wireless capabilities after purchase rather than being locked to the feature set it shipped with. And because Auracast is built on the Bluetooth LE Audio stack, the two features arriving together suggests Bose is laying groundwork across its audio line rather than ticking a one-off box.