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As well as a more rounded design that’s slightly heavier than its predecessor, the latest iteration of the QuietComfort Earbuds has a longer-lasting battery and comes with voice control - so you can ask the headphones to adjust the volume, turn on noise-cancelling, and even take a selfie for you. They’ll also be getting the ‘Immersive Audio’ feature, which Bose claims removes the ‘in your head’ feeling and instead places you in the sound’s sweet spot for a more lifelike experience - although it hasn’t specified when this will happen.
That means there’s a lot to get excited about with the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds, but in reality, do they live up to their promise or are they just a poorer and less effective sibling to the QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds? I put them to the test to find out.
Sound quality
As expected, the QuietComfort Earbuds sound very good. The audio is balanced, with equal weighting given to vocals and the top end (which sounds bright and clear). Lights Camera Action by Kylie Minogue sounds fresh, the electronic tones combining perfectly with Kylie’s slightly robotic vocals and the repetitive thumping bass for a balanced and pleasant listen.
The low notes are also fully audible when listening to the QuietComfort Earbuds. Afraid to Feel by LF System sounds clear, with the piano and soulful vocals given as much weighting as the bass - but the low notes are a little lacking in depth for my taste. Until the ‘Bass Boost’ EQ is selected in the app, that is - then the hollowness very quickly dissipates.
However, in some cases ‘Bass Boost’ can be just a little bit too extra - listening to Places to Be by Fred Again is an experience akin to standing right next to a speaker in a nightclub, with the low notes reverberating through my entire body. You’ll need to pick and choose when to use this mode based on the type of track you’re listening to.
Podcasts and calls both sound good through these earbuds. An episode of Two Pints with Will & Ralf is clear and warm, with the actor’s voices reproduced as if the conversation is happening right there in front of me. During telephone calls both voices are clear, with no distortion in the conversation and very few external sounds (such as car horns) picked up.
The noise-cancelling, always a Bose speciality, is equally impressive and ensures I am fully immersed in my audio no matter where I am - including during a 10-hour flight. There’s also a handy ‘Aware’ mode, which amplifies background sound so I can hear my surroundings without interfering with audio playback too much.
Living with
The new, rounded aesthetic of the latest QuietComfort Earbuds is sleek - and while they do protrude out of my ears a little more than the previous elongated oval design, it’s not enough for me to get het up about. The slight increase in weight isn’t noticeable, either. What is noticeable, however, is the bulky charging case, which is almost double the thickness of an Apple AirPods Pro case.
As is standard for most true wireless headphones, tapping on the earbud controls music playback, volume and noise cancellation - but unlike many models on the market, the QuietComfort Earbuds also offer voice commands such as “hey headphones, pause”. While the touch controls are fast and dependable, voice commands are more laboured. Unlike Alexa or Siri, you must say the wake phrase and then wait for a beep, indicating the earbuds have registered you. Only then can you issue a command such as “play” or “pause”.
While other Bose true wireless models use the Bose app, the QuietComfort Earbuds instead rely on a different app: Bose QCE. This still allows personalisation of the controls, and offers an equaliser with presets as well as the option to tweak the levels to suit you.
Connectivity is through Bluetooth 5.3 - and in a one-up on the QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds, there’s multipoint pairing too. SBC, AAC and LC3 codecs are available, but there’s no support for aptX of any kind.
Claims that the earbuds last around 8.5 hours between charges with ANC switched on prove true, which is longer than the majority of true wireless earbuds on the market right now. The wireless charging case hold enough power to recharge the earbuds 2.5 times, while a short 20-minute charge provides three hours of listening time.
Conclusion
The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds are a great value-for-money pair of true wireless earbuds, offering the excellent sound quality and noise-cancellation we all expect from Bose, along with a long-lasting battery but without all-that-hefty a price tag.
The more affordable price point means you compromise on some features found on the Bose QuietComfort Ultra, such as CustomTune technology and support for the aptX Adaptive codec. You’ll also have to wait for Bose’s ‘Immersive Audio’ feature to be bestowed on the headphones - but they are still an excellent buy.
Listening notes
Deee-Lite Groove is in the Heart
This 90s pop-dance track sounds fresh when listened to through these earbuds, with the electronic tones and melodic vocals equally balanced alongside the rhythmic low notes, which are rich without being overbearing.
Beyoncé Crazy in Love
The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds really bring Beyoncé’s debut solo single to life – the thumping bassline is warm with plenty of depth, while the soulful vocals and the trumpets are both given plenty of room to shine.
Bryan Adams with Tina Turner It’s Only Love
The electric guitar and rhythmic drums are the stars of the show on this 1980s power ballad, but there’s also plenty of gravitas given to Adams' gravelly vocals and Turner’s soulful voice that makes for an extremely pleasant listen
If you want the excellent sound presentation associated with Bose but can’t quite stretch to the price tag of the QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds, these are the perfect alternative. As well as excellent audio, you also get impressive noise-cancelling and plenty of handy personalisation features – there’s even the promise of Bose’s ‘Immersive Audio’ sometime in the future. The addition of voice control, though, is no reason to opt for this pair of earbuds over others - for me, it’s not really needed.
