Bose QuietComfort Earbuds Review: Premium Performance at a Not-So-Premium Price

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Bose‘s new QuietComfort earbuds, released last month, are some of the most affordable noise-canceling earbuds the brand has released — at $179, these aren’t budget buds, but they’re still a good deal cheaper than Bose’s $300 flagship QC Ultra Earbuds.

The QuietComfort Earbuds also pack some surprising features that the premium Ultras don’t have — these have a wireless charging case, voice controls, and a new, more feature-rich app. They also have some quirky features, like the ability to take a selfie with voice control. For $120 less than Bose’s QC Ultra Earbuds, the question is, how do they stack up?

Bose QuietComfort Earbuds: Design

The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds are a bit of a throwback, in both design and name. They share a moniker with Bose’s first flagship true wireless earbuds, first released in 2020 and since discontinued. Those earbuds were followed by Bose’s QC II, then the QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds, making the QuietComfort Earbuds (somewhat confusingly) the fourth release in the line.

The earbuds also borrow design elements from the first gen, including a clamshell case and a slightly oblong, oval shape for the earbuds. Design-wise, the case and buds are not as sleek as Bose’s QC Ultras, but they’re thankfully still much smaller than the gargantuan first-gen QuietComfort earbuds.

Fit-wise, the new QuietComfort earbuds live up to the “comfort” half of the equation. Like the Ultra earbuds, these feature three stability band sizes that fit into the ear’s antihelix for a secure fit, while the three interchangeable ear tip sizes make it easy to dial in the fit. The earbuds are available in chilled lilac, a beige-ish color called white smoke, and black.

Sound Quality and Noise Canceling

There’s a slight dip in the sound quality compared to Bose’s QC Ultra earbuds, which have a richer, fuller sound, but the difference is minor — both earbuds will deliver robust audio performance, and both have features like customizable EQ. In fact, the new Bose QC Earbuds are even more customizable than the QC Ultras when it comes to EQ. Both earbuds also have reliable in-ear detection; removing one earbud will automatically pause the music and switch ANC to aware mode.

The biggest trade-off with the earbuds is ANC performance. Bose’s new QuietComfort Earbuds reliably cut the sound of a busy street to a whisper, but they lack the customization features of Bose’s QC Ultras. The Ultras have 10 levels of ANC, and you can set two personalized modes, with Quiet and Aware as preset defaults.

The QuietComfort earbuds, on the other hand, have three modes, Quiet, Off, and Aware. With ANC off, the earbuds will passively cancel noise — a tight seal will help block noise out. Aware, on the other hand, actively amplifies outside noise, increasing situational awareness without drowning out music. That leaves one mode of ANC, Quiet, which may be overkill in some situations where you only need to quiet a humming AC or office chatter.

The QC Ultras offer the best-in-class ANC that Bose is known for, while the new QuietComfort earbuds are a slight step down, but will still offer great performance for flights, commutes, and loud areas.

A New App For New Features

If you already have a Bose product, it’s a slight annoyance to have to download a new app, as the new Earbuds are not compatible with the existing Bose app. But the new Bose QCE app is smoother and more reliable than the standard Bose app, and it has some new functions that aren’t found in the Bose app.

There’s a new low latency mode for games and movies, EQ and touch controls that offer greater customization, and a handy new feature that provides a prediction of battery life, with separate projections for listening time vs. call time. That’s in addition to other new features like wireless charging and multipoint pairing (which was recently rolled out to the QC Ultras).

One feature of the new QC Earbuds ANC that I liked more than the QC Ultras was the touch controls. Switching between ANC modes can be customized with the QCE app, allowing you to use either a single, double, or triple tap or a press-and-hold to handle controls. In contrast, the QC Ultras have a customizable press-and-hold function, with the left and right able to be assigned their own controls.

In short, Bose has taken a somewhat counterintuitive approach to these new earbuds. While brands tend to roll out new features to flagships first, then add them to the budget models, Bose rolled out new features to their more affordable buds, presumably with an eye to future releases. Admittedly, some of these features are standard on other premium earbuds, but these are welcome additions nonetheless.

Final Verdict

If you’re primarily after Bose’s signature noise-canceling functionality and audio quality, plus features like Snapdragon sound and immersive audio, the Bose QC Ultra earbuds will still deliver the best possible performance.

The new QuietComfort earbuds, on the other hand, are a great sub-$200 option with new and improved features, but they lack customizable ANC and are a slight trade-off in audio performance. But the trade-offs are fairly marginal — these are great earbuds for daily use, and they’re a great option if you want Bose performance without the typical price tag.