Bose QuietComfort Earbuds review

The hunt for the perfect noise cancelling earbuds seems never-ending. The Apple AirPods Pro is the obvious choice for iPhone owners, but Bose hopes you’ll consider the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds too. Whether you’re a die-hard Apple fan or devoted Android user, these earbuds are worth your while. Bose believes its noise cancelling earphones are nothing short of genius, and the price reflects that. Let’s find out if you agree.

Editor’s note: this Bose QuietComfort Earbuds review was updated on January 6, 2022, to include new standardized microphone demos, add isolation and frequency response charts, and expand the Alternatives section.

Who should get the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds?

The Bose QC Earbuds are quite a bit larger than the competition.

• Commuters and globetrotters should get the QuietComfort Earbuds because it features excellent active noise cancelling (ANC), rivaling Sony’s flagship earphones.
• Office and remote workers will enjoy the ANC too, and be able to use the earbuds for conference calls.
• Anyone who doesn’t mind spending a bit more for a household name will appreciate the comfort and durability of these earbuds.

What is it like to use the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds?

You have two color options, black or white.

The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds is attractive, yet bulky, and comes in black or white. The design is akin to the Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700: discreet with subtle curves. Bose caught plenty of flak for its original true wireless earbuds, as they were laughably bulky. While Bose scaled down its QC Earbuds, these still protrude from the ear more than most alternatives.

See: What makes a good set of in-ears?

A chunky charging case accommodates the earphones, and shares the same matte black exterior. You can easily clean the case by wiping it with a cloth, which you’ll need to do a few times a week since it collects oils quickly. Four LEDs line the case and indicate its remaining battery levels. Inside, a button rests between the two earbud cutouts, and you can press it to manually initiate pairing mode.

Even cats are fans of the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds.

When you open the case for the first time, the earbuds automatically enter pairing mode. For the best experience, you should download the Bose Music app. This is required to quickly switch between devices, reconfigure the controls, create a custom EQ, and adjust ANC levels. You can set three quick favorite ANC/transparency mode levels, and cycle through them by double-tapping the left earbud.

How to control the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds

Bose’s earbuds feature touch controls only, and since the series of taps and swipes aren’t always intuitive, we made a table of the controls below.

What Bluetooth codecs does Bose QuietComfort Earbuds support?

You can quickly switch between devices, if you download the Bose Music app.

Just like the Bose Sport Earbuds, the QuietComfort Earbuds use Bluetooth 5.1 and operate well within a nine-meter range. Whether you take the earbuds into the great outdoors or listen from your home office, you don’t have to worry about connection drops.

As with all modern wireless Bose headsets, the QuietComfort Earbuds support two Bluetooth codecs: SBC and AAC. This is very good news for iPhone owners as iOS easily handles the high-end AAC codec; Android, on the other hand, has trouble consistently streaming over AAC. If streaming quality inconsistencies become too frustrating, you can always force SBC from your Android phone’s developer settings.

What’s the difference between Bluetooth 5.1 and Bluetooth 5.0?

Bluetooth 5.1 makes it easier for your smartphone to identify the directionality of your earbuds.

Bluetooth 5.1 has more accurate location features than Bluetooth 5.0, which makes it easy for your smartphone to understand the directionality and precise location of your Bose earbuds. This is great for something like “find my earbuds,” but oddly enough, version 4.2.4 of the Bose Music app lacks this feature.

Bluetooth 5.1 is also slightly more energy efficient than Bluetooth 5.0, thanks to a more advanced caching system. This translates to faster auto-connect times. Both Bluetooth 5.0 and 5.1 are part of the Bluetooth Low Energy (LE) standard. They aren’t part of LE Audio, which will initially see support in Bluetooth Core Specification 5.1.

How long does the battery last on the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds?

You can easily open the charging case with one hand.

We subjected the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds to a constant 75dB output until the batteries depleted, and they lasted 5 hours, 29 minutes with active noise cancelling enabled. This is above average for ANC true wireless earbuds, beating out the AirPods Pro, but not the Sony WF-1000XM4.

You can quick charge the earbuds by placing them in the case for just 15 minutes, which grants you two hours of playtime. If you need to complete a full charge cycle of the earbuds, you have to set aside two hours, while charging the case completely takes three hours via USB-C. The case also supports Qi wireless charging, though speeds are limited by your specific mat.

Does the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds have good noise cancelling?

This is among the best ANC from true wireless earbuds.

If you commute regularly, the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds’ active noise cancelling is a huge asset to you. It effectively reduces continuous droning sounds like the grind of a train car and roar of an engine. I am shocked at how well the earbuds cancel out the noise emitted by my stationary bike setup. Normally when I bike, the resistance mechanism rattles the whole apartment, but I can hardly hear anything when ANC is set to 10 on the Bose QC Earbuds.

Learn more: Active noise cancelling types explained

The sliding scale allows you to make adjustments from levels 1-10, and inversely controls the transparency mode and ANC. As you decrease the ANC intensity, you increase the degree of ambient passthrough audio. It took me a moment to realize this, as the ambient noise mode sounds quite good compared to its competitors. It’s among the most natural-sounding executions of transparency hearing, and I prefer it over the Sony WF-1000XM3.

How does the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds sound?

To most listeners, the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds (cyan) will sound very, very good.

The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds really sounds quite good and as you can see above, its frequency response closely follows our consumer curve. Most listeners will enjoy the sound profile that is all too popular among other high-quality consumer headsets. As with any headset, sound quality is dependent on your ability to get a good fit with the earbuds. Bose provides three ear tip sizes (small, medium, large), which should accommodate most ear canals. This is both important for active noise cancelling performance, and optimal bass reproduction.

Related: How to read charts

Lows, mids, and highs

Kishi Bashi’s song Honeybody sounds great through the Bose QC Earbuds, which reproduces the bass notes clearly even during instrumentally busy moments (1:42). Just a few seconds later, the high-pitched “Ohs” manage to stand out from the cheery din, in large part due to the amplified high-midrange. Treble notes occasionally come through too loudly, which is noticeable in Snail Mail’s song Speaking Terms. If you skip to the end of the second hook at 2:20, Lindsey Jordan’s voice is harder than it should be to distinguish from the cymbal hits.

Does the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds have a custom EQ?

At launch, the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds did not include any native EQ customization. However, the following Bose Music App updates now include custom EQ functionality:

• iOS: 5.0.2
• Android 5.0.1
• Firmware version 2.0.7

After updating, you can press the “EQ” button on the home screen of the Bose Music App to adjust the sound of the earbuds to your exact preference.

How good is the Bose Sport Earbuds’ microphone?

Mono listening is limited to the right earbud, which isn’t useful for some folks.

The earbuds’ microphone system is okay, but a long way from the best we’ve heard from a TWS earbud, though it can get you through phone calls. Speech intelligibility is never an issue with the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds microphone array, but some mild distortion occurs.

Take a moment to listen to our microphone recording and rate the quality of the recording. Doing so helps our readers better understand how it sounds relative to a huge index of products.

Bose QuietComfort Earbuds microphone demo (Ideal):

Bose QuietComfort Earbuds microphone demo (Office):

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As of November 4, 2021, 1,400 readers have rated the above mic sample as somewhere between “good” and “perfect.” This is as good as it gets for true wireless earbud mics.

Bose QuietComfort Earbuds vs Bose Sport Earbuds

The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds (left) are bulkier than the Bose Sport Earbuds (right).

Unlike the QuietComfort Earbuds, the Bose Sport Earbuds lacks noise cancelling and is intended specifically for athletes, though anyone can use it. Otherwise, they share more similarities than differences: both earbuds use the StayHear Max ear tips; both earbuds feature touch controls; and both earbuds have USB-C charging cases.

Read on: Bose Sport Earbuds vs Jaybird Vista

The Sport Earbuds and QuietComfort Earbuds share the same IPX4 rating, which may seem curious. After all, why not just use the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds as your daily headset and workout headset? Well, you certainly can, but some listeners don’t like ANC, don’t want to pay for it, or both. The noise cancelling tech adds a lot of bulk to the QC Earbuds, which doesn’t make them supremely comfortable for exercise—even though they still stay in place.

The Bose Sport Earbuds is a cheaper and more compact package than the QuietComfort Earbuds.

With all of these similarities, there are some fine differences to respect. For one, the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds’ case can be wirelessly charged, which is a good backup in case the USB-C input breaks. Additionally, battery life is a few minutes longer with the QC Earbuds (ANC on) than the Sport Earbuds, a possible benefit of the larger housings. You save well over $100 when you purchase the Bose Sport Earbuds over the noise cancelling variant. Unless you absolutely need noise cancelling, you’ll enjoy the Sport Earbuds just as well.

Should you buy the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds?

The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds is a great do-it-all option for anyone, so long as you can afford it. Sure this is expensive, but its versatility softens the financial blow. After all, you can use this on your daily commute, to communicate in a conference call, and when you exercise.

The Bose Active EQ is great and makes the QC Earbuds an easy device to use.

Bose’s flat, minimalist design appeals to many, but the large housings might not be for everyone. The case is sizeable too, compared to other ANC true wireless earbuds, so you should factor that in if every centimeter counts. What’s more, the price is hard for most of us honest nine-to-fivers to justify. Fortunately, other premium Bose headsets often go on promotion, so it’s likely the QC Earbuds will too, given enough time.

Editor’s note: this Bose QuietComfort Earbuds review was originally written with firmware version 1.0.7-9846+620b71c and app version 4.2.4.

What should you get instead of the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds?

The Apple AirPods Pro charging case is much smaller than the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds case.

If you’re an iPhone owner not yet sold on the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds, don’t worry: you can snag the AirPods Pro for quite a bit less. Although the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds offers a smooth experience on either mobile OS, so long as you download the Bose Music app, it’s not as seamless as using any of the Apple AirPods on iOS 14.

See: Apple AirPods Pro vs Bose QuietComfort Earbuds

The AirPods Pro has very good active noise cancelling, a more compact design, and all the benefits of the H1 chip. You get hands-free Siri access, automatic device switching, battery optimization, Spatial Audio, and more. Apple’s earbuds are also IPX4-rated, so you can exercise with them all the same. Battery life isn’t quite as good as the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds, but seeing how you throw the buds back into their case when inactive, it shouldn’t pose much of a problem.

Want noise cancelling on the cheap? Get the Amazon Echo Buds (2nd Gen)

Though nondescript, the Amazon Echo Buds (Gen. 2) are unmistakably an Amazon product at a glance.

The Amazon Echo Buds (2nd Gen) uses the companies proprietary noise canceling technology, which works quite well to hush the hum of an A/C unit or outdated refrigerator. Amazon provides three sets of ear tips and ear stays, so anyone can find a secure fit. Plus, the company provides an ear tip fit test through the Alexa app, meaning you’ll always experience the optimal fit.

Related: Bose QuietComfort Earbuds vs Amazon Echo Buds (2nd Gen)

Like the QC Earbuds, Amazon’s earphones feature an IPX4 rating and the case supports both fast and wireless charging. If you don’t want to go over $120-140 USD, the Echo Buds (2nd Gen) is a smart purchase.

Want something bigger? Consider the Bose QuietComfort 35 II instead (yes, over the QuietComfort 45)

Bose uses tactile controls for playback, volume, and ANC adjustments.

The Bose QuietComfort 35 II may be quite a few years old, and seemingly outdated compared to the Bose QuietComfort 45, but the QC 35 II has plenty of beloved features and currently costs well under $200 USD. You get very good active noise cancellation, a versatile frequency response that makes all music sound good, and a comfortable fit.

Rather than the Bose Music app, the QC 35 II uses the older Bose Connect app to customize the headset. The older app works well, even though it doesn’t allow you to create a custom EQ. If you want one of the best consumer headsets around, save up for the QC 35 II.

Next: Bose QuietComfort 45 review