Table of Contents

Intro

The search for the ideal set of noise-canceling earbuds will never end. The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds are viable for anyone looking for great earbuds. Whether you’re an Apple fan or an Android devotee, these earbuds are worth the money. The price of Bose’s noise-canceling earphones reflects the company’s belief in its product’s authenticity. Let’s see if we’re on the same page in this dedicated review.

Who needs the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds?

  • The QuietComfort Earbuds are ideal for commuters since they include great active noise cancelation (ANC) that rivals Sony’s flagship earbuds.
  • ANC earbuds are useful for conference calls for both office employees and those working remotely.
  • Comfort and durability will be appreciated by anybody willing to pay a little more for a well-known brand.

Using the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds

White and black variants are available for the QuietComfort Earbuds. Both variants are stylish but a little heavy—another noise-canceling headphone with a similar design as the Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700. Bose’s initial truly wireless earphones were widely criticized for their ridiculous size. Although Bose’s QC Earbuds have been reduced in size, they still stick out from the ear more than many other options.

There is a thick charging case for the headphones with the same matte black finish. We recommend cleaning the casing with a towel several times each week since it rapidly accumulates oils from sweat and other bodily fluids. As the case has four LEDs, it’s easy to see how much power is left in it. A button sits between the two earbud cut-outs that can be used to enter pairing mode manually.

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The earbuds immediately enter pairing mode when the casing is opened. Downloading the Bose Music app is highly recommended for an optimal listening experience. It allows for easy device transitions, control configurations and custom equalizers, and adjustment of ANC. Users can quickly switch between the three most-used ANC/transparency mode settings by double-tapping the left earbud.

Bluetooth Codecs

This headset uses Bluetooth 5.1, a range of nine meters, identical to the Bose Sport Earbuds. Anywhere from your home office to the outdoors is safe from connection dropouts because of the earphones’ wireless design.

All current Bose wireless headphones, including the QuietComfort Earbuds, support SBC and AAC Bluetooth codecs. This is great news for iPhone users since iOS can easily handle the high-end AAC codec, but Android struggles to broadcast via AAC reliably. The developer options on your Android phone allow you to force SBC if the inconsistent streaming quality is driving you crazy.

Bluetooth Wireless Technology Comparison: Bluetooth 5.1 vs. Bluetooth 5.0

Because Bluetooth 5.1’s location functions are more accurate than Bluetooth 5.0’s, your smartphone can easily determine your Bose earphones’ direction and specific position. For example, “Find My Earbuds” would be a perfect use for this function. However, this option is missing in version 4.2.4 of the Bose Music app.

Additionally, Bluetooth 5.1 is a little more energy efficient than Bluetooth 5.0 due to a more robust caching mechanism that stores more data. Auto-connect times will be quicker because of this. Both Bluetooth 5.0 and Bluetooth 5.1 are available as part of the Low Energy (LE) specification. They are not part of LE Audio, supported in Bluetooth Core Specification 5.1.

The Battery life of the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds

With active noise cancellation turned on, our team tested the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds at 75 dB for five hours and 29 minutes. If you’re looking for ANC wireless headphones, they are better than the AirPods Pro—but not the Sony WF-1000XM4.

By putting the earphones in the case for 15 minutes, you can get two hours of playback. The earphones take two hours to fully charge, while the case takes three hours to charge over USB-C as well fully. The case also supports Qi wireless charging, although the rates are restricted.

Noise Cancelling System

The active noise cancellation of the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds comes in handy if you’re a daily commuter. Annoying noises such as a train’s grinding wheels or an engine’s whooshing horn are significantly reduced. Using headphones to block out the sounds of my stationary bike has surprised me. Normally, the resistance mechanism shakes when I ride my bike, but if the Bose QC Earbuds’ ANC is turned 10, I hardly hear anything.

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You can alter the transparency and anti-noise modes from levels 1-10, which are controlled inversely. Increasing the amount of ambient passthrough audio occurs when the ANC strength is reduced. Considering how fantastic the ambient noise mode sounded compared to the competition, it took me a while to understand this. It is one of the most natural-sounding implementations of transparency hearing, and I prefer it to the Sony WF-1000XM3 over the others.

The sound features of the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds

For the most part, users will be satisfied with the sound quality common among high-end consumer headsets. Your ability to acquire a proper fit with the earbuds is critical to getting decent sound quality from any headset. Most people’s ears can be accommodated by the three different sizes of Bose ear tips, from small to large. This is critical for both active noise cancellation and the best possible bass reproduction.

Lows, mids, and highs

The bass notes are audible even during the instrumentally hectic sections when listening to the song Honeybody by Kishi Bashi using the Bose QC Earbuds. Thanks to the enhanced high-midrange frequencies, it’s just a matter of time until the high-pitched “Ohs” begin to stand out from the joyful cacophony. As in Snail Mail’s song, Speaking Terms, the treble notes come through too strongly. At 2:20 in the second hook, it’s difficult to tell Lindsey Jordan’s voice apart from the cymbal strikes.

A Customized Equalizer (EQ)

When they were first released, the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds didn’t come with an EQ setting.

The “EQ” button on the main screen of the Bose Music App may be used to fine-tune the earphones’ sound.

Microphone Quality

The microphone technology on these earbuds is adequate, but it falls short of the finest we’ve heard from a TWS earbud. Nevertheless, it works well enough for phone conversations. The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds microphone array provides excellent speech intelligibility, but there is some slight distortion.

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Comparison of Bose QuietComfort and Bose Sport

The Bose Sport Earbuds are designed for sports, but they do not have noise cancellations like the QuietComfort Earbuds. If you look beyond those features, there are more similarities than differences. For example, both earbuds include USB-C charging casings and employ StayHear Max ear tips.

Because of this, the IPX4 classification of the Sport Earbuds and the QuietComfort Earbuds seems odd. If you’re going to use the same earbuds every day, why not make them the Bose QuietComfort? Some listeners don’t want to pay for or dislike ANC, so they don’t use it. It’s difficult to work out while using these earbuds, even with noise-canceling, because of their large size and lack of comfort.

There are a few small variances with all these similarities to be aware of. There is a wireless charging option built within the shell of the Bose QuietComfort earbuds if the USB-C input fails. With the QC Earbuds (ANC on), the battery life is a few minutes longer than the Sport Earbuds due to the bigger housings. Choosing the Bose Sport Earbuds over the noise-canceling model saves you a reasonable amount. Sport earbuds are just as good as the noise-canceling option unless that’s all you require.

Alternatives to Bose QuietComfort Earbuds

The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds are a terrific all-around solution for those who can afford it. Because of its adaptability, the cost is justified. It’s a great tool for commuting, communicating on a conference call, and exercising, among other things.

Bose’s flat, the simple style appeals to many people, but the huge housing may not be for everyone. To be safe, keep in mind that the case is larger than most other ANC true wireless earbuds, so keep that in mind while packing. In addition, the cost is prohibitive for most of us, honest nine-to-fivers. Because other high-priced Bose headphones are often discounted, the QC Earbuds are likely to be discounted with time.

For iPhone users who aren’t yet convinced by the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds, there is an alternative: the AirPods Pro. On iOS 14, utilizing the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds isn’t as simple as an Apple AirPod on iOS 14, even with the Bose Music app downloaded.

Active noise cancellation is excellent with the AirPods Pro, with a more compact design and all the advantages of the H1 chip, making it a great upgrade. All these features and more are available to users without needing a physical keyboard or mouse. No matter what, you can still use Apple’s earbuds while working out since they are IPX4-certified. In terms of battery life, they fall short of the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds, but that should not be an issue since you can store them in their case when not in use.

Alternative: Amazon Echo Buds (2nd Gen)

To block out the hum of an air conditioner or an old refrigerator, the Amazon Echo Buds (2nd Gen) use Amazon’s patented noise-canceling technology. With three sets of ear tips and ear stays to choose from, Amazon ensures that everyone can find the perfect fit. Additionally, the firm offers an ear tip fit test through the Alexa app, ensuring that you will always have the best fit.

Like the QC Earbuds, Amazon’s earbuds include an IPX4 certification and a charging case that allows both wireless and rapid charging. It’s a good idea to get the Echo Buds (2nd Gen) if you want to spend less than $120 to 140 dollars.

Alternative QuietComfort 35 II

Compared to the more recent Bose QuietComfort 45, the Bose QC 35 II may seem outdated, but it still offers many popular features and costs less than $200. The active noise suppression is excellent, the flexible frequency response and the headphones are well-fitting.

The QC 35 II does not utilize the Bose Music app but rather the older Bose Connect software. While it cannot build a custom EQ, the previous version of the program still functions well. The QC 35 II is one of the finest consumer headsets currently on the market.