Our Verdict
Mediocre for neutral listening. They're comfortable for long listening sessions but they have a slightly dark sound that overemphasizes bass at the expense of instruments and vocals. They also have a slightly closed sound due to their closed, noise cancelling design so they won't be the ideal choice for more neutral listeners.
- Excellent noise isolation.
- Simple, durable design.
- Comfortable stable fit from the StayHear+ tips.
- Slightly bass-heavy audio reproduction.
Above-average for commuting. They're comfortable and compact. The noise isolation significantly reduces the ambient noise of regular commutes. They also have a good battery life and a simple and efficient control scheme. Unfortunately, their sound quality may be a deal breaker for some.
- Excellent noise isolation.
- Simple, durable design.
- Comfortable stable fit from the StayHear+ tips.
- Slightly bass-heavy audio reproduction.
Good for sports use. The Bose QuietComfort 20 have a stable and comfortable fit that won't fall while exercising. They're also small and easy to carry around. Their noise isolation will cancel the ambient noise of any ambient gym but they may be too closed for runners that need to monitor their surroundings.
- Excellent noise isolation.
- Simple, durable design.
- Comfortable stable fit from the StayHear+ tips.
- Slightly bass-heavy audio reproduction.
Above-average for office use. They don’t leak much, and their noise isolation will block a lot of office chatter from seeping into your audio. They're also comfortable enough to wear for long periods of time, and they have a long battery life. Unfortunately, their sound quality may be a deal breaker for some.
- Excellent noise isolation.
- Simple, durable design.
- Comfortable stable fit from the StayHear+ tips.
- Slightly bass-heavy audio reproduction.
Average for gaming. They have a comfortable fit and a low-latency wired connection that makes them decent for gaming. Unfortunately, they have a mediocre sound and microphone quality, and you can't customize them like most gaming headphones.
- Excellent noise isolation.
- Simple, durable design.
- Comfortable stable fit from the StayHear+ tips.
- Slightly bass-heavy audio reproduction.
- Excellent noise isolation.
- Simple, durable design.
- Comfortable stable fit from the StayHear+ tips.
- Slightly bass-heavy audio reproduction.
Changelog
- Updated Oct 19, 2021: Converted to Test Bench 1.5.
- Updated Feb 17, 2020: Converted to Test Bench 1.4.
- Updated Nov 21, 2019: Converted to Test Bench 1.3.1.
- Updated Nov 21, 2019: Converted to Test Bench 1.3.
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Popular Headphones Comparisons
The Bose QuietComfort 20 are good commuting headphones thanks to their strong isolation and compact design. They have comfortable earbud tips that you can wear for longer than most in-ear designs and they're fairly easy to use with a durable build quality. Unfortunately, they do not sound as good as some of the more recent releases by Bose and their wired design feels a bit limiting and compared to some of the newer wireless earbuds available on the market like those from Jaybird. See our recommendations for the best noise cancelling earbuds and the best sounding wireless earbuds.
The Bose QuietControl 30/QC30 Wireless are a better option for most uses if you want to go wireless; however, for a wired earbud, the Bose QuietComfort 20/QC20 are a good choice. The QC 30 benefit from the greater range of a Bluetooth connection. They also have a bit more control over their noise cancelling feature when compared to the QC 20. On the upside, the QC 20 have no latency, since they are wired. They also have a slightly stronger noise isolation performance than the QC 30. Also, since they have a simple wired design, they are a bit more portable and will easily fit into your pockets, unlike the QC 30.
If you prefer a compact design you can easily carry around in your pocket, then go for the Bose QuietComfort 20/QC20. However, if you want a wireless over-ear, the Bose QuietComfort 35/QC35 Wireless 2016 are a great alternative. The QC 20 are wired earbuds that are comfortable enough to wear for long listening sessions. They also block a lot of noise in noisy conditions, thanks to their excellent noise canceling. They're a slightly better travel headphone for some, since they are a bit more compact than the QC 35, and their earbud fit is not as bulky on your head so you can fall asleep on the plane or train with no issues. On the other hand, the wireless QC 35 are a bit more practical for everyday casual use. They also have a much better sound quality, they're easier to use and versatile enough to use wired or wireless with most of your devices.
The Bose SoundSport Wireless have a similar design and overall score as the Bose QuietComfort 20 but have much different use cases. The SoundSport Wireless are a bit more practical for every day use and sports since there are no cables to hinder your movements. They also have a better-balanced sound quality that does not sound as bass-heavy/dark as the QC 20. The QC 20, on the other hand, are better travel and commuting headphones thanks to the strong noise cancellation that blocks a lot more noise than the semi-open of the SoundSport Wireless. They also have a longer battery life and no latency for watching videos since they are wired.
The Jaybird X3 Wireless are a slightly better and more versatile in-ear/earbud than the Bose QuietComfort 20/QC20. The Bose have excellent isolation which makes them a far better choice for commute and travel than the Jaybirds. They also have a more comfortable earbud fit that you can wear for longer than the Jaybird. On the other hand, the Jaybird are better and more convenient sports headphone thanks to their wireless design. They also have a better default sound quality and come with an EQ so you can customize them to sound the way you like, unlike the Bose.
Our How We Test Headphones article takes you behind the scenes in our lab. You'll learn how we choose and purchase products and dive into the details of our review philosophy, from testing and scoring to writing and editing.
You can also discover how we produce recommendations like this one so that you can find the best headphones (or earbuds!) for your needs.
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