Bose has earned a report for establish some of thebest noise - canceling wireless earbudsand headphones you’re able to buy . Unfortunately , it also has a reputation for being more expensive than the competition . Not so with its second - genBose QuietComfort Earbuds . Bose has priced them at just $ 179 — $ 100 cheaper than itsfirst - gen QC Earbuds , and $ 120 cheaper than its current flagship , theBose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds .
I was concerned that Bose might have thin too many corner with such a dramatic price drop . But those fears were put to relief . Not only do they deliver superb auditory sensation and silence , but they also add hands - free voice program line that do n’t rely on Siri , Google Assistant , or Alexa .
If anything , these earbuds are so honorable that I ’m beginning to question why anyone would want to spend more on the QC Ultra Earbuds .
Bose ’s earbuds might not be as succinct and thin asApple ’s AirPods Pro , but they nail the balance between a comfortable and unchanging fit . The QC Earbuds are a bit bulky than their costly QC Ultra Earbuds siblings ( and thus not as sleek ) , and yet the vital helping that sit down in your auricle uses a nearly identical excogitation and shape . The silicone eartips create the needed seal for sound quality and noise cancellation , while the silicone polymer stability bands allow for a large contact orbit inside your auricle ’s concha .
Along with a short USB - C charge cable , Bose let in three sizes of both the eartips and stability band in the box , which should help most family get a well-to-do jazz group . For me , the fit was perfect flop out of the box seat with the default intermediate eartips and small stripe . I was able to wear off them for three minute continuously without any discomfort or pressure level . Water protection is tell on atIPX4 . Avoid shower with them — bury them in pee is bad — but sweat and rain should be no problem if you wipe them down before stack away them .
esthetically , bigger earbuds might not be everyone ’s cup of tea . But that extra size of it comes with benefits : The touching control Earth’s surface are impossible to miss and the buds are easy to grab when you open up the charging sheath .
utter of the case , it ’s on the bulky side , too . It ’s little than the first - gen QC Earbuds , but that ’s not tell much . The first - gen ’s case was splendidly great . gratefully , this fourth dimension Bose has included wireless charging — a feature film that Bose did n’t integrate into itsQC Earbuds IIorQC Ultra Earbuds .
The new case also experience well built than the QC Ultra Earbuds . The eyelid is held closed by magnets that are strong ( but not too strong ) , and the flexible joint does n’t joggle in either open or closed spot .
Getting the QC Earbuds connected was a cinch , and so was usingBluetooth Multipointto add a second coincidental connection .
So far , so sound . But what about the poppycock that really matter , like ANC and sound quality ? I ’m happy to report that the QC Earbuds are awesome on both fronts .
Sadly , I have n’t had a fortune to vanish with these bud . But if their carrying into action in other noisy conditions is any indication , they should be splendid in - cabin companion . Traffic , backdrop voices in deep brown shops , and droning sound like fan or air conditioners were all greatly reduced . I do n’t have any agency to assess it , but subjectively , it felt like they were just as effective in daily spot as the QC Ultra Earbuds , Apple’sAirPods Pro 2 , and Sony’sWF-1000XM5 . I ’m gauge that professional equipment would show slenderly poorer fading of specific oftenness , but unless you ’re an ANC connoisseur , I doubt you ’d detect .
Still , lots of wireless earbuds do a good chore of ANC . foil modal value is where the cock-a-hoop differences show up . Apple ’s AirPods Pro 2 stay the king of the Benny Hill when it comes to that magic feeling of not jade any buds , but I ’m stunned at how tight the novel QC Earbuds get .
Even when earbuds lease ideal amounts of out-of-door strait in , they often fail to rent you hearyourvoice by nature . With the QC Earbuds , this is n’t a trouble , making them excellent for both in - person and call - base conversation .
I have only one criticism : You ca n’t alternate back and forth between ANC and transparency mood without first toggling through a “ normal ” modality . This should be an easy thing for Bose to accost . But for the time being , it will stay a venial incommodiousness . I ’ll balance that objection with a positive : switching between these modes is very fast , especially when you assign mode switching to the single - pat command ( more on control customization in a minute ) .
As with ANC , the QC Earbuds ’ sound timbre issue forth implausibly closely to the QC Ultra Earbuds , with one caveat . You get that classic Bose sound — deep , resonant bass reply coupled with high - energy mids and highs . There ’s scads of particular , a pleasingly wide soundstage , and no observable distortion that I could hear . One thing I noticed is that the amplification ( or perhaps the equipment driver ’ response to the gain ) is n’t as even as I ’d like . At 40 % to 50 % book , they voice moderate . I was actually a petty interested by it . But pump them up to 60 % and they bounce to living , and at 65 % to 70 % , they ’re in their acoustic sweet spot .
Bose lets you make belittled , but noticeable tweaks using four presets , or one customizable scene ( via a simplified five - striation equalizer ) . This is more control than Bose offers on the QC Ultra Earbuds ( four presets / three - band equalizer ) , but I just bid we could lay aside more than one customs duty setting .
The caution comes into romp if you use the earbuds with an aptX Adaptive- orSnapdragon Sound - capable Android phone . The QC Earbuds only support SBC , AAC , and LC3Bluetooth codecs , while the Ultras bed on aptX Adaptive and aptX Lossless forhi - res audioand certificate of deposit - quality phone .
However , since the iPhone does n’t support those aptX codecs , it puts the two earbuds on a level playacting field of study : iPhone proprietor should n’t feel the need to drop more on the Ultras from a levelheaded lineament linear perspective .
For Android owner , it ’s a different tale . permit me to briefly cite my QC Ultra Earbuds follow-up :
“ With aptX Adaptive ( and a reliable Bluetooth connection ) , you could get far bully fidelity . It ’s not theoretical . When listening to the QC Ultra on a Xiaomi 12 Pro and a Motorola ThinkPhone , the soundstage take on observably better preciseness , profoundness , and particular versus listening on an iPhone 14 ( AAC only ) . It ’s the same bump in tone that I ’ve heard when using other equally capable wireless earbuds or earpiece . ”
The QC Earbuds also lack Bose ’s Immersive Audio ( its version ofspatial audiowith oral sex tracking ) . I think Bose ’s take on the technology is the best you could get at the moment . The troupe has hinted that it could sum up Immersive Audio to the QC Earbuds , which would be slap-up . But take that with a monolithic dose of skepticism . Bose made alike promise about future feature article ( e.g. , Bluetooth Multipoint and aptX Adaptive for the QC Earbuds II ) and failed to deliver .
I rest convinced that physical buttons on earbuds are preferred to touch control condition ( few accidental dictation , easy to apply with gloves ) . And yet Bose has done a majuscule job with the QC Earbuds . For starters , there are four available gestures per earbud : single , duple , and triple taps , plus tap - and - clutch . Each can be configured with your choice of command — a small , but very handy feature the QC Ultras lack . The only thing I miss is the QC Ultra ’s excellent swipe gesture for volume controller .
By nonpayment , ANC is assure by a rap - and - hold gesture . But as I take note above , assign it to a individual tap makes way switches way quicker . Everything you ’d normally expect to be able-bodied to control ( calls , book , track skipping , etc . ) is useable , plus one command you do n’t see very often : camera shutter control .
Bose calls it Remote Selfie , but it ’s not just for selfies . As long as your camera app is open ( even if your headphone is otherwise locked ) , you could use this instruction to trigger the shutter .
With four gesture per earbud , that ’s a total of eight possible commands . Want to verify more than eight actions ? you’re able to use the wear sensors for instant pause / play when you remove an earbud . And lease ’s also “ talk ” about those hands - gratis voice commands I refer in the introduction .
Once you enable them in the companion app , you may say , “ Hey headphones … ” follow by set phrase like …
fundamentally anything you could trigger with a dab restraint on the earbuds can be triggered with a part bid . It works well out of the loge , but Bose recommends you take the additional step of trail it to recognize your vocalism ( it takes less than a moment ) .
The one matter you involve to be aware of is that pausing after you say , “ Hey earpiece , ” is required . Only after you see a tone that confirms the earbuds have find out you may you then go with the control itself . I learned this the concentrated way after several fail attempt .
I ’m not a big hand - free voice command drug user , but I absolutely see the economic value here for those who are .
When I first learned that Bose had created a new standalone app for the QC Earbuds ( fitly named Bose QCE ) I was a mo nettled . Why not just use the existing Bose Music app that already controls most of the troupe ’s existing wireless headphones , earbuds , soundbars , and more ?
And yet , it ’s intemperate to debate against the decision once you habituate the new app . Its interface is clean , and well organize , and it makes almost every setting available with just a undivided tap .
Better yet , the various cards act as both an account of a feature as well as the quick way to adjust it . As such , some can be a bit duplicative ( Noise Control , Fast Mute , Assistant , and Remote Selfie are basically the same affair as the Touch Controls card ) , but I think a great deal of folks will appreciate the approach .
I ’m also a boastful fan of the Battery Prediction subdivision . I ’ve never seen remaining stamp battery life express as both listening time and talk time . This is how every company should display these number .
Being able-bodied tosee and wangle paired devicesis the one matter that the QCE app does n’t do as well as the Bose Music app . you could enable or disable Multipoint , but that ’s about it .
Call quality on the new QC Earbuds might just be the best Satyendra N. Bose has ever managed on a set of wireless earbuds . This is to say , it ’s still not arrant , but it nonetheless improves on the QC Ultra . There are still time when an especially noisy environment can deform your voice to the point where it ’s opaque , but we ’re talking about extreme examples , like having an 18 - wheeler thunder by . However , unlike with the Ultra , your caller wo n’t be deflect by those sounds — they do n’t get picked up at all .
In quiet preferences , the QC Earbuds also have a slight advantage in clarity .
Battery life is yet another field where the QC Earbuds conk out the traditional Bose stamp . With up to nine hours of playback stamina with ANC enabled ( 8.5 according to the prescribed specs ) and a total of 31.5 hours when you include the case , these are easily the longest - fly the coop earbuds the company has ever made .
However , those numbers game assume a 50 % volume level . As you may recall from before , I do n’t recall 50 % cuts it from a reasoned character point of eyeshot , so you may expect slightly less time if you play them louder .
If and when Bose supply Immersive Audio , these number will likely take a smasher when using the feature — it reduces the QC Ultra ’s stamina by a third .
The one affair missing here is a spry - charge option , but then again , Bose has yet to offer quick charging on any of its QuietComfort wireless earbuds .
If you ’ve sire this far , you ’ve in all likelihood guessed that I ’m a liberal fan of the fresh Bose QuietComfort Earbuds . There ’s just one teensy small affair that might give you pause : a want of reenforcement forAuracast . You may not be familiar with this comparatively Modern Bluetooth audio recording - sharing platform , but it ’s about to play a self-aggrandizing role in our wireless audio animation . In terms of futurity - proofing , it ’s the one thing I wish Bose had included .
Still , if we set that one omission by , the raw QC Earbuds are a fantastic set of day-after-day - article of clothing earbuds . Better yet , they ’re available at a price that ’s not only more approachable than that of any previous Bose earbuds , but that also challenges the price set by Bose ’s traditional competitors . If I were Sony , Sennheiser , or maybe even Apple , I ’d be sleeping a little less good right now .
