Bose QuietComfort Earbuds Review: Rich-Sounding Earbuds With Excellent ANC

Bose sent us a unit to review for one of the writers. For the complete review, please read on.

Bose has been a top audio brand for wireless headphones and the QuietComfort Earbuds continue that tradition. Bose headphones are not the best choice if you need to have precise spec information and control over the EQ, functionality and sound quality of your headphones. Without wired headphones, and most likely a headphone amplifier, you won't achieve true audiophile sound quality. But Bose is the Apple of speakers and headphones—they have end-to-end control over their devices with proprietary EQ, design, and a superbly premium fit and finish.

Bose QuietComfort is the first brand to offer true wireless headphones with active noise cancelling. The SoundSport wireless earbuds were reviewed by Lifewire last year. They are still my favorite true wireless headphones and the one I take with me everywhere. To see how the new ANC adds value, I was eager to try the QC version.

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Design: Modernized, yet still very Bose.

QuietComfort's earbud design is somewhat reminiscent of previous Bose earbuds. Although this is in many ways a good thing (I love the Bose design language for nearly all their products), it also means that the earbuds themselves are quite large.

Fair enough, the QC earbuds now have an oval-shaped chassis rather than the bulging, round enclosure of the SoundSport range. The earbuds are now more in line with your head, thanks to this slimmer profile. The earbuds that are more than an inch long still make a noticeable appearance, much like the small Bluetooth headsets people used to wear in the 2000s.

The matte plastic is high quality and gives these earphones an almost Bose look. At first glance, the sleek outer casing looks very elegant. This material design can also be found on the battery charger case. It makes for an extremely nice package, which feels just as good as it looks.

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Comfort is still one of the most important aspects.

Bose earbuds have been among my favorite for many years. Although many prefer to have a tight seal with a round silicon tip in their ear canals (like the AirPods Pro), for me, earbuds that are just below your ear can be comfortable. This ensures that you don't seal in pressure unbecomfortably.

The QC Earbuds can cancel out noise so I was not surprised that the seal is much stronger than my SoundSport design. It isn't as restrictive as other tight earbuds. Although the new StayHear Max tips look very similar to those on Bose's earbuds before, they provide a tighter seal. They are not round, but more tapered. It almost looks like an umbrella, or traffic cone.

The tips are made from ultra-soft silicone. They have a nice curving wing which grips your ear cartilage. I think these two points of contact are paramount in preventing earbuds from being jostled out of your ear—extra important when there's no wire to keep earbuds from rolling down the street. Even though they weigh less than half an ounce and are quite large, the earbuds feel light.

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Durability and build quality: Very sturdy and kind of playful

The QuietComfort Earbuds don't claim to be sport earbuds. Bose does have a model that eliminates the ANC, which seems less focused on this. However these earbuds look very sporty. Bose's plastic has felt luxurious to me, not that it isn't, but I have always found them playful enough that they won't cause any unsightly scratches or scuffs on my daily commutes, workouts, and hikes. Both the case as well the outer shell of the earbuds are made of this material.

Eartips are also made from ultra-soft silicone. However, this material seems to be strong enough to withstand bending caused by taking the earbuds off of your ears multiple times. This rating is IPX4, which ensures a good level of rain and sweat resistance. This does not mean that there is dust resistance. However, many more sporty earbuds have higher ratings like IPX5 and IPX6 for greater moisture protection. This level of water sealing seems adequate for most users.

Bose fans will love the sound quality and noise cancellation

Bose headphones are a great choice if you know what you are getting into. The EQ and quality of the QC Earbuds is comparable to most other Bose products. They sound very similar to the SoundSport line. There is a good amount of bass, but not too heavy and lots of details in the middles. The QCs do suffer a bit from Bose earbuds. This means that I have to crank the volume up a lot more than usual for true wireless earphones. Bose's EQ technology (volume optimized Active EQ) causes some volume adjustments.

It is a good thing because the technology can keep some frequencies under control when increasing the volume. This will be different from the EQ artifacts that are heard with cheaper headphones. You don't need to listen to your earbuds at maximum volume. This is why volume tempering seems to work well in this situation. Bose is very precise in the specs, although they do sound impressive and full of natural sounds.

The Active Noise Cancelling section is where the QuietComfort Earbuds really shine. Wireless earbuds with active noise cancelling have only recently been available. It is usually far less than the ANC that you would get from premium over-ear headphones. ANC works best when there is a stronger physical seal than with earbuds.

Bose's ANC technology and how it interacts with StayHear tips is impressive. Bose's over-ear QC range has a seal that is strong enough to block out any sound. This earbud is able to cancel out much more sound than any other I have tried. This earbuds are perfect for noise-sensitive environments such as noisy offices or the dull sound of traffic.

Battery life: Just middle of the road

The battery life of the QuietComfort Earbuds isn't great, probably because there has been so much invested in active noise cancelling tech. According to the specs, the headphones can provide 6 hours continuous listening with a single charge. The battery case provides 12 hours additional charging.

These numbers are a bit lower than other brands that offer greater listening time at the same price. The battery life is comparable or better to what I received with SoundSport earbuds last generation. And considering that there is ANC (an extremely heavy drain on the battery), Bose clearly has done some work to increase the battery life. It still feels a little low at this price.

Bose compensates for this by offering USB C-based quick charger (which gives you two hours of music and a fifteen-minute charge), to help you get going when you need it. And there's even Qi-certified wireless charging tech baked into the battery case—something I'm shocked to see included on so few premium true wireless headphone offerings. It's there, and works well.

The right amount of connectivity and codecs to keep you out of trouble

Bose uses Bluetooth 5.1 for the wireless transmission of the QuietComfort headphones. It promises about 30 feet solid connectivity. Even with Bluetooth 5.0 headphones, my experience is different. This is because I live in a thickly plastered apartment and am often walking through densely populated NYC streets. Although I had some issues with SoundSport, Bose managed to provide stable connectivity using the QC buds. So far, so good.

The Bluetooth codes are not as robust as they seem. You'll find only the SBC and AAC choices. It feels strange that earphones costing nearly $300 are not using aptX and LDAC as Bluetooth codecs. Bose may have forgone aptX as it is third-party integration by Qualcomm. Bose, a brand that values full control of their digital signal processing and software, is likely to do so. This is not a dealbreaker but it is important to be aware of.

Software, controls and extras: more than you might expect

Bose's earbuds are more minimalistic, with only a handful of controls onboard. A small package like an earbud can make it difficult for brands to pack a lot of features into the device. It's not easy to squeeze so many cool things into such a tiny product. Bose's latest generation features touch controls instead of buttons. The right earbud handles track-skipping, voice assistance, and the left earbud controls the ANC, as well as an extra parameter. This functionality is made even easier when you combine it with the Bose Music App.

Bose apps can be very simple, but this time I was pleasantly surprised by the number of options available. With up to 10 levels, you can adjust the level of noise cancellation. There are also sensors on each earbud that will automatically pause music when you remove an earbud and will auto-answer a call when you put an earbud into your ear—both features that were absent on last year's SoundSport earbuds. The battery case was redesigned and is now easier to open. It's also smaller than the last year. This category represents a major step forward for Bose and I am happy with all of the changes.

Price: An important price increase

The QuietComfort Earbuds are now available at a price of $280, which is less than the SoundSports' below-$200 cost. Fair enough, almost all ANC TW earbuds are around the same price, with some premium brands going up to $300. Bose's latest offering includes a lot of innovative features, such as class-leading noise cancelling, making the increase in price justified. However, the price tag isn't for everyone who wants affordable earbuds.

Bose QuietComfort Earbuds vs. Sony WF-1000XM3

The Bose QC Earbuds compete directly with the Sony WF-1000XM3s in terms of sound quality and design. I find the Bose QC Earbuds to be more comfortable and have better noise cancelling. However, the Sonys offer slightly better control which allows for better sound quality. Sony's battery life and physical feel are also better. Prices can fluctuate quite a bit, so it is possible to find better value for older WF headphones depending on the sales at that time. The QCs are a great choice if Bose is your favorite brand.

Specifications

• Product name QuietComfort Earbuds
• Bose Product Brand
• SKU 6419203
• Prices from $279.99
• September 2020 Release Date
• Weight 0.3 oz.
• Product dimensions 1.54 x 0.02 x 1.06 inches
• Soapstone, Color Triple Black
• Battery life 6 hours for earbuds, 18 hours with battery case
• Wired/Wireless wireless
• Wireless range 30 feet
• 1-year warranty
• Audio Codecs SBC, AAC

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