Bose QuietComfort Earbuds (2nd Gen) Review

Introduction

This review was in motion before Bose announced the QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds 2^nd Gen, but another flagship Bose earbud doesn’t alter my thoughts about the QuietComfort Earbuds (2^nd Gen).

These are not the QuietComfort Earbuds II, but they are a sequel to the QuietComfort Earbuds, which the QuietComfort Earbuds II were also a sequel to… It’s confusing.

What’s not confusing is that these are an excellent pair of wireless earbuds. They’re not without their faults and imperfections, but these are Bose earbuds for a much more affordable price.

Design

• IPX4 rating
• Slightly chunky design
• Three ear-tip options

The QuietComfort Earbuds seem a direct descendant of the QuietComfort Earbuds (I know, bear with me) from 2020, rather than any more recent Bose true wireless. This version is very much a ‘Honey, I shrunk the earbuds’ model.

The charging case is more compact, and the earbuds are also smaller in size and don’t protrude as much from the ears, though the form factor still means they’re a bit chunky in size.

They appear to have borrowed some style tips from the Ultra Earbuds series with the stability bands that offer a more comfortable seal than the Stay-Hear Max design of the older model.

Wearing them over short and longer periods is no problem – while I can feel their presence in my ear, they’re comfortable and after a while, I get used to them being there. I do find the less expensive Sony WF-C710N more comfortable though.

The fit doesn’t feel the most secure. I can feel them slipping a little once I start to move, and the left earbud especially needs a re-twist every now and then to maintain the seal, but even when the earbud is a little loose, the ANC performance remains impressive.

There are only three ear-tip options that come with the ‘fit kit’: small, medium, and large. I was slightly hoping there might be extra small and large options for those with outlier ear sizes.

The wireless earbuds come in a variety of shades that include black, pink, white, lilac, and blue – a much wider range of options than usual for Bose headphones.

An IPX4 water resistance is pretty standard, and protects it from splashes of water and sweat.

Battery

• 31.5 hours in total
• Wireless charging support

Battery life has been a sore area for Bose compared to its rivals. Often, the stamina is less than others. Bose might say it’s pursuing quality over quantity, but why not both?

The QuietComfort Earbuds 2^nd Gen make a massive leap from the 18 hours of the original to 31.5 hours with the charging case. On a single charge, the QuietComfort Earbuds can last for 8.5 hours.

Putting these figures to the test, I play a Spotify playlist at 50% for an hour and the battery charge drops from 100% to 88%. That is just above the eight-hour mark, so these claims of extended battery life from Bose are very much not fake news.

The case supports wireless charging, and there is quick charging support that fuels the earbuds for three hours of use after a twenty-minute charge.

Features

• No wireless Hi-res Bluetooth
• New app companion

Bose headphones have never been big on features, at least not compared to Sony or JBL wireless earbuds. Of course, these earbuds support Bluetooth 5.3, and there’s multi-point for connecting to two devices at the same time, but codec support is only SBC and AAC. There’s no wireless Hi-res audio support like that on the Ultra Earbuds.

Bluetooth performance has been largely excellent nonetheless. There was no signal break-up in busy areas such as Waterloo. Other than a slight break-up in Streatham – there seems to be a weird dead zone in that area – the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds have been faultless.

There’s a different app to download for the QuietComfort Earbuds 2^nd Gen – Bose QCE. It’s a different look with lots of options for customising the overall performance of the earbuds.

You can monitor the battery life: enable whether you want to activate voice assistants on your phone or enable Bose’s own voice control. You can even take a remote selfie by uttering a voice command/using touch controls to command your phone to take a photo. Cute.

There’s also room to customise touch controls and the headphones’ EQ, mute the headphones’ microphones for calls, enable side tones and Bluetooth multi-point, and activate low latency mode for gaming. Compared to the QuietComfort Ultra series, there’s way more room to alter the performance than the fairly rigid Bose app offers.

The app itself is responsive and helpful with instructions and explanations of what each feature does and the effect it has. You can’t adjust the noise control modes – it’s either fully aware or fully quiet – there’s nothing in between.

There is mention of Bose’s Immersive Audio feature coming to these earbuds, but no date on when that might arrive.

Noise-Cancellation

• Strong ANC performance
• Below-par call quality

Bose’s noise cancellation skills have kept it towards the top of the market, whether it’s for its true wireless or over-ears. If you want the short version, these Bose earbuds are excellent for ANC.

When used on a plane, they’re very good. They’re not whisper quiet, but suppression is so strong I can’t hear too many people talking around me, and the noise of the cabin is minimal. Used on public transport, and it gets rid of most sounds without ever having to raise the volume.

It’s a step up from the less expensive Sony WF-C710N and LG xboom Buds, both of which are very good for their price. The real mid-range competition is the JBL Live Beam 3, and again, the Bose bests that rival.

The Aware performance is not as clear as the Ultra earbuds, as there’s a bit of additional noise I can hear when enabled. But it’s clear and amplifies sounds around you naturally enough without blaring them into your head.

Call quality, however, is less impressive. Voice pick-up is not great. The person on the other end of the line found that I sounded mumbly and that it was hard to hear what I was saying.

Sound Quality

• Clear, balanced sound
• Spacious
• Good bass presence

Like Bose’s recent vintage of headphones, the QuietComfort Earbuds have ditched the sharpness and thinness of the older models for a mainstream sound. Like the Ultra earbuds, these mid-range Bose earphones take a smoother approach, offering similar characteristics to their more expensive siblings but lacking the same clarity and precision.

Which is not really a massive issue given the difference in price. What you get from the QuietComfort Earbuds is not a showy performance – I could even describe it as unremarkable in a sense – but it is consistent, with a focus on balance across the frequency range that makes it a solid listen across various tracks and genres.

Starting with the highs and there’s brightness to be found, along with solid lashings of clarity and detail. The headphones’ sense of brightness is a measured one – they won’t go piercingly bright to the point of grating, but the detail and variation provided to treble notes offer a level of precision to the QuietComfort Earbuds’ sound that isn’t often found at this price.

The soundstage is wide enough not to have any real complaints about it, while midrange detail and clarity are comfortingly solid without ever really drawing attention to itself. Whether with male or female vocals, there’s a clarity, detail and naturalism to the Bose’s midrange performance.

It may not necessarily grab or embellish its sound, but the earbuds get the basics down pat to the point where I don’t feel like I have much to criticise here either.

They’re not the most dynamic of performers to be sure, nor the most energetic listen, but neither are the Ultra Earbuds (at least on the former point).

With the lows they turn in what’s a measured, weighty and well-judged performance, the bass doesn’t intrude on midrange detail or voices. There’s punch, clarity, detail and presence to the lows, but the JBL Live Pro 3 do offer more energy and presence.

In fact, the JBL is on a similar footing as the Bose. They lack the same degree of poise and balance, but square up well. They don’t sound quite as detailed or clear the highs with as much brightness, but soundstage is more forward with the Live Pro 3, which in turn creates a bigger, bolder presentation. If you’re after more excitement, the JBL offers more than the Bose’s more staid performance does.

Should you buy it?

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