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Surprisingly, Bose hasn't been in the noise-canceling earphone market for very long. Two more ANC models will be released by the business in 2022 and 2023, after the first one debuted in late 2020. With each successive edition, it has evolved even further, bringing its potent active noise cancellation (ANC) technology to the true wireless form factor from the start. The company's introduction of Immersive Audio last year—spatial audio that can be enjoyed without the need for specially produced content—may have been its greatest earbud success to date.
Bose stayed true to its flagship-quality products at premium rates, while other firms were eager to offer a variety of models at different price points. The cost of its three noise-canceling earphone variants is approximately $300. Thus, Bose has stuck with what it does well even when its rivals have produced wireless earbuds that are more affordable and offer less premium features overall.
However, Bose is now attempting to compete in the mid-range market. This month, the business unveiled the QuietComfort Earbuds ($179), providing customers a second option in the portfolio. With a longer battery life than the QuietComfort Earbuds II from 2022 and a new app with features exclusive to this new model, Bose's ANC is on board. Will these earbuds satisfy your need for more, or has the firm been able to successfully pare down its signature formula?
Design
I was immediately amazed by how much smaller the new QuietComfort Earbuds are. The QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds, which share a similar design with the QC Earbuds II, are smaller than this model, however this was not made apparent in the marketing materials. Larger buds have never phased Bose, and the size hasn't presented any issues. However, given that the market is steadily getting smaller, it's good to see the business seize the chance to cut back on some excess.
The general design is closer to the early (non-ANC) genuine wireless devices made by Bose than the more modern models. The oval-shaped stem isn’t present, as the circular exterior of the IPX4-rated QC Earbuds take your taps and presses instead. To further tighten the fit, the business continues to use its "stability bands," which come in three sizes to go with the three different ear tip selections. I never experienced any trouble with the earbuds staying in place during my tests. Additionally, they are more comfortable to wear for extended periods of time because to the smaller size.
This time, Bose chose a more conventional design for the charging case. Despite having somewhat distinct designs, it is larger than the one that was included with the QuietComfort Ultra Open Earbuds and almost the same size as the QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds. Although the case on this new model is lighter and has a rather thin lid, I never felt that the buds weren't sufficiently protected.
Features
The Bose app has always been the place to access all of the functions and settings for Bose's headphones and earbuds. However, the manufacturer claimed that the Bose QCE App was created especially for the QuietComfort Earbuds and that it will only be used with that particular device. In order to get the QuietComfort Earbuds onto the market as quickly as possible, Bose noted that this model requires a new app because it employs different hardware and firmware than its prior earbuds (and other products).
Although the style and interactivity are different from the other Bose app, the overall appearance is identical. It's not a negative thing, either. For instance, instead of needing to delve into a more complex options menu, you have far more access to functions on the main screen. You may find almost everything you need, including sophisticated features like voice control, low latency audio, battery prediction, and smart calls. The relevant settings appear on a card that appears when you tap on a feature. It's a cleaner implementation, in my opinion, and gets you where you need to go much faster.
Audio quality
Bose's stock tune has always seemed adequate to me. Usually, I hear a lot of bass and treble, with some midrange integrity lost. Because of this, the company's overall sound quality has not kept up with companies like Sennhesier and Sony. But when Bose finally showed its might with more powerful, immersive audio tuning on the QC Ultra Earbuds, that all changed.
On the QuietComfort Earbuds, there’s still an emphasis on powerful highs and snappy bass. It establishes a nice base and has lots of clear, precise detail in the tone. I would prefer a little bit more midrange, though, and happily I can have that with the Custom EQ settings, which offer a 5-band slider you may adjust to your taste. With it turned on, the guitars on Balance and Composure's alt-rock song "With You In Spirit," which features some crunchy riffs and layered interplay between those instruments, have more detail to be heard.
The performance of ANC
Bose frequently uses terms like "renowned" and "legendary" to characterize the efficacy of its ANC. And with good reason. The company has been among the finest when it comes to blocking ambient noise for years. Since its launch in 2020, the QuietComfort Earbuds range has provided some of the best options for blocking out distractions; the QC Ultra Earbuds, which made their debut last year, are the culmination of this. Therefore, it would make sense if Bose eased off a little on the ANC performance for its most cheap alternative to date. Fortunately, that isn't the case.
I was pleasantly delighted by the features that Bose included in their $179 earbuds. Low-to-mid range noise sources, such as fans and white noise machines, will be easily blocked out by the QC Earbuds, and they even perform admirably when it comes to human speech. Even in the absence of audio, they will lessen distractions, albeit they won't totally stop a chatty neighbor. Sure, the more expensive Ultra model has stronger ANC, but for the majority of people, this set will block what they need it to and do it at a lower rate.
The Aware mode, also known as transparency mode, sounds quite natural, but unless you have Side Tones activated, you won't be able to hear your own voice as well. While Aware mode is engaged, this offers customizable voice amplification for phone calls and in-game conversations, however it's not always available. And even then, Apple's AirPods Pro are superior than it in terms of ambient sound quality.
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Life of the battery
With ANC turned on, Bose claims that the case may be used for up to 8.5 hours on two and a half charges. You can get three hours of playback in twenty minutes thanks to a quick-charge feature. You won't need to purchase a separate cover for wireless charging because Bose included it into the QuietComfort Earbuds case, unlike other recent versions.
I tested with ANC turned on and the volume at a comfortable 60–70%, and after the indicated 8.5 hours, I still had 12 percent battery life. I occasionally utilized transparency mode for chats and calls, but other than that, I always used ANC. The Battery Prediction feature of the program indicated that 12 percent would have been sufficient for an additional 45 minutes.
Call quality
Call quality with wireless earbuds can be very inconsistent. Either companies come up with something that sounds good and blocks a lot of background noise, or you get fuzzy, speakerphone-level speech quality. Earbuds typically fall somewhere in the middle. During my review, the QC Ultra Earbuds' call quality wasn't the finest, but it was still adequate to get the job done and effectively block out background noise.
That wasn't the case with the QuietComfort Earbuds, though. During calls, my voice came across as a little muffled; it wasn't perfect, but it was still reasonably clear. The sound of a powerful fan was likewise muffled by the earbuds when I was silent, but it became a little louder when I started talking. These might not be your best option if you use your earbuds for a lot of phone calls. But, you should be good if you simply want to utilize them infrequently and not for crucial meetings.
The Competition
The Sony WF-1000XM5, which is my choice for the finest wireless earbuds, costs around $300, which is a lot more than the QC Earbuds. When they go on sale, the going rate is usually $248, but some of my bargain-hunting coworkers have seen them as low as $228. Therefore, you're looking at spending an extra $50 above the QuietComfort Earbuds, even in the best-case scenario. Sennheiser's Accentum True Wireless and Sony's LinkBuds S are therefore better analogies.
Many of the features of the 1000XM5 earbuds, including their general shape, are also present in the LinkBuds S. Among other features, you will still be able to use Speak-to-Chat conversation awareness and Adaptive Sound Control, which dynamically modifies settings based on activity or location. Although the LinkBuds S have a reduced battery life of six hours, they are still rated IPX4, so working out shouldn't be a problem.
Conclusion
The secret to a compelling set of earbuds with all of Bose's greatest features at a reduced cost has been figured out. Excellent sound quality, long battery life, efficient active noise cancellation, and a ton of other useful features—some of which are exclusive to this model—are all included. Although the more expensive QuietComfort Ultra has superior noise cancellation, call quality, and music performance, this device offers a lot for $179. Bose may become an even more attractive alternative with its new QuietComfort Earbuds if it can expeditiously offer Immersive Audio.