Bose QuietComfort Earbuds Review: Outstanding Audio Quality Despite a Heavy Structural Design
Bose refreshed its well-liked QuietComfort line with the second-gen QuietComfort Earbuds, priced at $180 and available in three colors: Black, Chilled Lilac, and White Smoke. This is the second incarnation of the widely popular QuietComfort buds launched in 2020. With the more expensive QuietComfort model costing $300, this one is the mid-priced option in Bose's in-ear range.
Bose maintained its reputation for delivering rich, clear sound and robust noise-canceling on these earbuds. Surprisingly, they managed to suppress the raucous commotion from the children's preschool nearby, something many earbuds struggle with. However, the earbuds' substantial size and weight made them uncomfortable to wear. They felt oversized in the ears and were large enough to be noticed by coworkers. The all-plastic construction also lacked appeal and gave them a dull appearance. I would have appreciated better dust and water resistance on these buds compared to their predecessors from four years ago, as well as slightly improved volume controls.
Bose QuietComfort Earbuds Review: Design and Comfort
The QuietComfort earbuds, like their predecessors, are substantial in size. They are massive oval plastic peripherals that appear quite cumbersome when plugged into smaller ears. Improving their appearance could have been achieved with a better choice of materials, even if the size remained consistent, as demonstrated by Master & Dynamic's earbuds. The plastic body of the Bose QuietComfort earbuds falls short in terms of aesthetics. Despite the higher price tag of Master & Dynamic's earbuds, the QuietComfort earbuds cost less than half at $180, and I have reviewed other buds with a more appealing design within the same price range.
Photo: Adriano Contreras / Gizmodo
The bulky build comes with a disadvantage: uncomfortable fit. Weighing in at nine grams each, these earbuds are significantly heavier than most earbuds, which weigh between five and six grams, such as the Apple AirPods Pro at 5.4g and the Sony WF-1000XM5s at 5.9g. This heft was unforgivable for my ears, which prefer compact earbud designs. Google's latest Pixel Buds Pro 2, for example, have significantly reduced their size and weight without sacrificing comfort.
My ears did not take kindly to the new Bose earbuds. Though I utilized the smallest ear tip size throughout my review period, I continually encountered issues with them. Either my ears rejected them, causing them to pop out at random, or they began to feel fatigued shortly after use.
Photo: Adriano Contreras / Gizmodo
I had high expectations for the wing tips and stability bands on the earbuds, but unfortunately, they did not contribute to a better fit. The size ratio of the earbud body to the stability bands was not proportionate, making the bands inconspicuous and insufficient for securely gripping the inner portion of my ear.
Bose QuietComfort Earbuds Review: Controls
The basic controls for these earbuds consist of a single tap for play/pause, two taps to skip the track, three taps to rewind, and a hold to cycle between noise canceling (referred to as 'Quiet' on these earbuds), ambient sound mode (known as 'Aware'), and an off mode for turning both noise canceling and ambient sound off. These gestures can all be customized through the companion app, Bose QCE. Despite my attempts to include onboard volume controls via the app, the hold gesture failed to function as intended. When I held the earbuds, they would attempt to pair even though they were already paired, and the hold gesture was not set to pairing. Swiping for volume adjustment was a missed opportunity on these earbuds, as Samsung's Galaxy Buds 3 Pro and Google's Pixel Buds Pro 2 both permit such control with stem swipes. Due to the unintuitive controls, I was forced to manipulate volume settings through my phone.
Photo: Adriano Contreras / Gizmodo
Bose QuietComfort Earbuds Review: Sound and Noise Cancellation
Despite their size and weight, the Bose QuietComfort earbuds delivered a rich and detailed sound quality and robust noise-canceling capabilities. However, their design and fit issues made for a less than ideal listening experience, ultimately detracting from their overall performance.
Regarding the QuietComfort's appearance, Bose isn't shy about expressing their abilities in active noise cancellation (ANC). We praised the QuietComfort II, now known as QuietComfort Ultra, as one of the top noise-cancelling earbuds in the market. Living near a boisterous pre-school playground, I tested many earbuds based on their ability to suppress that raucous noise. The QuietComfort earbuds surpassed my expectations in blocking out the kids' constant yelling and the commuting traffic's roar effectively. Despite providing a top-notch ANC experience without causing discomfort, the QuietComfort buds artfully managed to avoid the intense, uncomfortable sensation often associated with earbuds that offer such features.
The Aware or Ambient Mode on these earbuds makes the outside world audible but in its most natural state. Avoiding the widespread mistake of enhancing artificial ambient noise to a ridiculous level, thus making the mode seem synthetic, the Aware mode on the QuietComfort retains the authenticity of the surrounding noises.
Photograph by Adriano Contreras / Gizmodo
The sound signature on these earbuds was well-balanced, requiring no intervention from the EQ settings on the companion app. Usually, I tend to fiddle with the equalizer settings, sometimes out of mere curiosity. However, once you encounter a balanced profile as flawless as this, you don't feel compelled to tamper with it. The bass renders a pleasant amount of thump and energy without overpowering the mix, while the treble maintains its crispness even at the highest notes. Contrary to most earbuds, where piercing highs dominate the mix at amplified volumes, the QuietComfort earbuds preserve their brightness and richness at lower volumes. Among the frequencies, I found the midrange to be the most captivating, as the earbuds amplified vocals exceptionally well, creating a layer of separation between the mid-tones and the highs and lows.
Bose QuietComfort Buds Review: Battery and Water Resistance
Similar to its four-year-old predecessors, the new Bose QuietComfort Earbuds remain IPX4-rated, meaning no dust resistance but endurance against water splashes. I expected an improved water resistance for the more recent version, but the IPX4 rating remained unchanged. The earbuds boast a battery life of around eight hours on a single charge, which is par for the course in the wireless earbud market. They support both wireless charging and quick charging, providing a three-hour boost from a 20-minute charging session. According to Bose, the charging case can store around 2.5 charges, equating to over 20 hours of total usage.
Photograph by Adriano Contreras / Gizmodo
Equipped with Bluetooth 5.3, the QuietComfort earbuds support multi-point connectivity for up to two devices, allowing for simultaneous pairing with multiple gadgets. They also offer mono-listening capability, allowing you to enjoy audio on just one bud, and features wear detection, which automatically pauses your content when you remove the buds from your ears.
Bose QuietComfort Buds Review Verdict
Bose has been a significant player in the audio peripherals sector, known for its expertise in sound and noise cancellation. Its QuietComfort line of wireless earbuds has earned a dedicated fanbase. Despite their bulky build, the uncontested balanced sound profile and exceptional noise cancellation capabilities of these earbuds are compelling. The battery life is sufficient enough to endure a week's typical usage (around three hours daily). The earbuds' additional features, like wireless charging, quick charging, mono listening, and wear detection, are all well-implemented.
In an era where earbud manufacturers are striving to make their products as compact as possible (with Samsung adopting the AirPods-style stem on the Galaxy Buds 3 and Google further downsizing its Pixel buds in the second-gen), it's perplexing why Bose didn't follow suit. However, Bose remains steadfast in its commitment to delivering industry-leading audio and ANC performance. If you can overlook the aesthetic, weight, and ergonomic issues of the Bose QuietComfort earbuds, you'll be rewarded with a remarkable listening experience.
In the future, Bose might consider revamping the design of the QuietComfort Earbuds to make them more aesthetically pleasing and lighter, potentially using materials like those used by Master & Dynamic. This could improve their comfort and reduce the likelihood of discomfort or rejection by the ears.
The advanced technology in noise cancellation of the QuietComfort Earbuds is impressive and has great potential for further improvements. If Bose can find a way to improve the noise cancellation while keeping the size and weight down, it could make these earbuds a standout choice in the market.
