Bose Headphones Can Now Tune Into Shared Audio

Bose has released firmware version 10.12.12 for the QuietComfort Ultra Headphones Gen 2, adding Bluetooth LE Audio and Auracast as beta test features. The $449 headphones are the first Bose headphones to support Auracast, according to The Verge.

LE Audio is a new way to send sound over Bluetooth that uses less power. The beta covers direct listening and calls, for one person at a time, on compatible Android and Windows devices. On Android it works only on certain devices with Bluetooth 5.2 or newer.

Even then, results can differ. The Bluetooth software, radio, and system settings on each phone or PC affect the result. A device that looks compatible may still use older classic Bluetooth by default.

Auracast builds on LE Audio. It lets one source send audio to many headphones at once. Think of it like a small radio station: unicast is a private call for one listener, Auracast is a broadcast many can tune into.

The update also improves wired USB audio. It adds better balance between game sound and voice chat, and better work with web meeting apps. That covers how sound moves between games, music, and work calls without manual switching, how call buttons work, whether the chosen microphone stays selected, and how the headphones appear in browser meetings.

Updates come through the phone app. Bose says QuietComfort Ultra Headphones 2nd Gen firmware updates are automatically downloaded and installed through the app to keep the device up to date. The phone app updates the headphones even when they are mostly plugged into a PC or game console.

Bose plans to add Auracast to more models. Spokesperson Tim Williams said QuietComfort Headphones Gen 2 should be next for the beta. The company has not called this final software. Beta means there will be fixes for compatibility as more senders and receivers come out.

This follows an earlier update. A QuietComfort Ultra 2 update in March removed key features. This new firmware changes many things at once: how sound quality is chosen, how broadcasts are found, how USB is set up, and how meeting apps behave.

The broader context here is testing before wider use. The short Android list affects testing, and the USB and meeting changes need checks of their own. There is a real risk of breaking something that worked. Near-term use is less about public places and more about checking direct LE Audio connections in daily life. That means connection stability, switching between new and old Bluetooth, battery life on long calls, and differences between Android brands and Windows systems. Support teams will need to explain the difference between pairing for private listening and joining a shared broadcast, since users will mix them up.

In my view, Bose is starting in the right order with a beta on a top model before wider Auracast. Shared broadcasts will only help once TVs, phones, laptops, and public systems send reliably. Getting headphones ready first makes that future possible. It helps to list which devices show LE Audio and Auracast controls today, then test USB chat balance and meeting changes apart from wireless. That split makes it easier to find faults when audio routing changes after 10.12.12.