Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II Truly Wireless  Headphones Review

Review updated Nov 23, 2023 at 11:20am
Writing modified Jan 09, 2026 at 03:58pm
Tested using Methodology v2.0 
Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II Truly Wireless

Track

0.0
Sports And Fitness 
0.0
Travel 
0.0
Office Work 
0.0
Wireless Gaming (In Development) 
0.0
Wired Gaming (In Development) 
0.0
Audio Reproduction Accuracy 
0.0
Noise Isolation 
0.0
Microphone (In Development) 

Track

 6
Notice: These headphones were replaced by Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds Truly Wireless

The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II Truly Wireless are the next generation of the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds Truly Wireless. You'll want to check these buds out if you value noise isolation. Like their predecessor, they have an active noise cancelling (ANC) system that's worthy of their premium price. Bose has changed the buds' design, making them less bulky and more customizable, improving their overall comfort and fit. They're also the first to feature Bose's CustomTune technology, which calibrates their sound profile and ANC based on your ear shape.

Our Verdict

0.0
Sports And Fitness 

The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II are great for sports and fitness. These buds have a well-built, comfortable, and stable design that won't fall out of your ear during tough workouts. They're also certified IPX4 for resistance against water splashes. Their wireless design also ensures that nothing snags the buds and pulls them out of your ears.

Pros
  • Great noise isolation performance.
  • Graphic EQ and presets available in companion app.
  • Very comfortable and stable fit.
  • Certified IPX4 for water resistance.
  • Low leakage at high volumes.
Cons
  • No multi-device pairing.
0.0
Travel 

The Bose QuietComfort II are great for commuting and traveling. These well-built buds have a powerful ANC system, which can block out the low rumble of bus and plane engines as well as passenger chit-chat. They also have a comfortable fit and are very portable, thanks to their small and lightweight design. They have over 6.5 hours of continuous battery life, and their carrying case supplies an additional three charges if you need it.

Pros
  • Great noise isolation performance.
  • Graphic EQ and presets available in companion app.
  • Very comfortable and stable fit.
  • Low leakage at high volumes.
Cons
  • No multi-device pairing.
0.0
Office Work 

The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II are decent for office use. They have a comfortable fit for long days at the office, and their ANC tackles office chatter so that you can focus on your work. While their 6.7-hour continuous battery life may not last the whole day, their carrying case supplies an additional three charges, which is handy in a pinch.

Pros
  • Great noise isolation performance.
  • Very comfortable and stable fit.
Cons
  • Mic has poor noise handling performance.
  • No multi-device pairing.
0.0
Wireless Gaming (In Development) 

The Bose QuietComfort 2 are Bluetooth headphones and aren't designed for wireless gaming. Their latency is also too high for gaming, as your audio and visuals won't be in sync.

0.0
Wired Gaming (In Development) 

The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II are Bluetooth-only headphones; you can't use them wired.

0.0
Audio Reproduction Accuracy 

The Bose QuietComfort 2 are good for audio reproduction accuracy. Their frequency response doesn't deviate much from their V-shaped sound profile, which injects extra emphasis into the bass and treble range for a more excited sound. The L/R drivers are amazingly well-aligned, with no major mismatches in amplitude, frequency, and phase, and group delay mostly falls under the audibility threshold across the entire range. These buds exhibit no audible coloration of audio through harmonic distortion, either, regardless of the listening volume.

0.0
Noise Isolation 

The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II are a great choice for noise isolation. While their isolation isn't quite on par with the very best ANC-equipped earbuds, the CustomTune technology adapts the ANC level according to your surroundings and does a solid job of tamping down on noises across the entire frequency range. They don't leak much audio either, so you can blast your tunes in public spaces without risking dirty looks.

0.0
Microphone (In Development) 

The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II have a disappointing microphone performance. While the built-in mic renders your voice in an intelligible way, it rolls off both the low and high end, making your voice sound quite boxy. It does a bad job of separating your voice from its backdrop, too, in both calmer and noisier environments.

0.0
Frequency Response Consistency 

The Bose QuietComfort 2 have excellent frequency response consistency. As long as you take the time to achieve a solid, comfortable in-ear fit, you'll be rewarded with consistent audio delivery.

  • 0.0
    Sports And Fitness
  • 0.0
    Travel
  • 0.0
    Office Work
  • 0.0
    Wireless Gaming (In Development)
  • 0.0
    Wired Gaming (In Development)

  • Performance Usages

  • 0.0
    Audio Reproduction Accuracy
  • 0.0
    Noise Isolation
  • 0.0
    Microphone (In Development)
  • 0.0
    Frequency Response Consistency
  • Changelog

    1.  Updated Jan 09, 2026: 

      This review has been updated to Test Bench 2.0, which adds the following tests: Stereo Mismatch, Group Delay, Cumulative Spectral Decay, PRTF, Harmonic Distortion, and Electrical Aspects. We've added new performance usages and updated the text throughout the Sound tests.

    2.  Updated Dec 15, 2025: We've converted this review to Test Bench 2.1, which features minor updates to our sound tests.
    3.  Updated Jan 21, 2025: 

      Several Sound tests have been updated following Test Bench 1.8. There have also been text changes made throughout the review, including to the usages and product comparisons to match these results.

    4.  Updated Jan 15, 2025: We've converted this review to Test Bench 1.8, which updates our target curve and Sound tests. You can read more about this in our changelog.

    Check Price

    Eclipse Gray
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    Midnight Blue
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    Triple Black
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    Differences Between Sizes And Variants

    The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II come in three color variations: 'Triple Black,' 'Eclipse Grey,' and 'Soapstone,' as well as a 'Midnight Blue' color variation that has since been discontinued. We tested the 'Triple Black' variant; you can see our model's label. If you come across another variant of these headphones, please let us know in the comments, and we'll update our review.

    Popular Headphones Comparisons

    The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II are the next generation of the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds Truly Wireless. Their ANC blocks just as much ambient noise as their competitors, like the Apple AirPods Pro 2, and it's on par with their successor, the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds Truly Wireless. They're much more comfortable than their predecessor, thanks to the new design, which is less bulky and has ear tips and stability fins as separate attachments, allowing you to customize their fit.

    If you're looking for more recommendations, check out our picks for the best noise cancelling headphones, the best noise cancelling earbuds, and the best wireless Bluetooth earbuds.

    Sony WF-1000XM5 Truly Wireless

    Track

    The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II Truly Wireless and the Sony WF-1000XM5 Truly Wireless are both great pairs of in-ear headphones. The Bose are more comfortable, and their ANC can block out more background noise in the bass range, where you'll find the rumble of bus engines. In comparison, the Sony headphones have more robust sound customization features. They have longer battery life and support multi-device pairing and LDAC, which is Sony's proprietary codec for hi-res audio streaming via Bluetooth. They can also block out significantly more ambient sound in the mid to treble ranges, where you'll find noise like ambient chatter and the hum of an AC unit, respectively.

    Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds Truly Wireless

    Track

    The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds are the next generation of the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II Truly Wireless. That said, the differences between them are fairly minimal. Both buds share a similar sound profile that you can further tweak via the Bose Music app, and they're both equipped with Bose's excellent ANC technology. The QuietComfort Ultra are equipped with Bose's new Immersive Audio feature, though, which can help offset the poor passive soundstage performance that's commonplace with in-ear designs.

    Bose QuietComfort Earbuds Truly Wireless

    Track

    The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II Truly Wireless are the next generation of the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds Truly Wireless. While both buds have great noise isolation, the successor's design has changed, and now the buds have separate fins and ear tips to help you get the best fit, making them a lot more comfortable. Their carrying case also holds an additional charge than their predecessor. However, the original gen have better build quality and feel less plasticky.

    Beats Fit Pro True Wireless

    Track

    The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II Truly Wireless are better in-ears than the Beats Fit Pro True Wireless. The Bose are more comfortable, have a slightly better noise isolation performance, and their continuous battery life is better. They also have sound customization features to help you adjust their sound to suit your tastes. That said, you may still prefer the Beats if you're an iOS user. They have an H1 chip for seamless pairing with your Apple devices and support Apple's Spatial Audio for a more immersive sound.

    Show more 
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    You can also discover how we produce recommendations like this one so that you can find the best headphones (or earbuds!) for your needs.

    Test Results

    perceptual testing image
    Sort:
    RATINGS
    Category:
    All
    Sound
    Sound Profile
    Normalization Frequency
    LockedLock Hz
    Bass Amount
    LockedEmphasized (4 dB)
    Treble Amount
    LockedSlightly Emphasized (1 dB)
    Sound Signature
    LockedV-Shaped

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    0.0
    Frequency Response Consistency
    Std. Deviation
    LockedLock dB

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    Raw Frequency Response
    0.0
    Bass Profile: Target Compliance
    RMS Deviation From Target
    LockedLock dB
    Low-Frequency Extension
    LockedLock Hz
    Low Bass
    LockedLock dB
    Mid Bass
    LockedLock dB
    High Bass
    LockedLock dB

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    0.0
    Mid-Range Profile: Target Compliance
    RMS Deviation From Target
    LockedLock dB
    Low Mid
    LockedLock dB
    Mid-Mid
    LockedLock dB
    High Mid
    LockedLock dB

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    0.0
    Treble Profile: Target Compliance
    RMS Deviation From Target
    LockedLock dB
    Low Treble
    LockedLock dB
    Mid Treble
    LockedLock dB
    High Treble
    LockedLock dB

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    0.0
    Peaks/Dips
    Peaks
    LockedLock dB
    Dips
    LockedLock dB

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    0.0
    Stereo Mismatch
    Weighted Amplitude Mismatch
    LockedLock dB
    Weighted Frequency Response Mismatch
    LockedLock dB
    Weighted Phase Mismatch
    LockedLock°

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    0.0
    Group Delay
    Weighted Group Delay
    LockedLock ms

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    Cumulative Spectral Decay
    0.0
    PRTF
    PRTF Accuracy (RMS Deviation)
    LockedN/A
    PRTF Size (Avg.)
    LockedN/A
    PRTF Distance
    LockedN/A
    0.0
    Harmonic Distortion
    WHD @ 94 dB SPL
    LockedLock%
    WHD @ 104 dB SPL
    LockedLock%

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    Electrical Aspects
    Sensitivity @1kHz-1V
    LockedN/A
    Bluetooth Max SPL
    LockedLock dB

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    0.0
    Virtual Soundstage
    Head Modeling
    LockedLocked
    Speaker Modeling
    LockedLocked
    Room Ambience
    LockedLocked
    Head Tracking
    LockedLocked
    Virtual Surround
    LockedLocked
    Test Settings
    Firmware
    LockedLocked
    Power
    LockedLocked
    Connection
    LockedLocked
    Codec
    LockedLocked
    Test InstrumentLockedLocked
    EQ
    LockedLocked
    ANC
    LockedLocked
    Tip/Pad
    LockedLocked
    Microphone
    LockedLocked

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    Design
    Style
    TypeLockedEarbuds
    EnclosureLockedClosed-Back
    WirelessLockedTruly Wireless
    TransducerLockedDynamic

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    0.0
    Comfort
    WeightLockedLock lbs
    Clamping Force
    LockedLock lbs

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    0.0
    Controls
    OS Compatibility
    LockedLocked
    Ease Of UseLockedLocked
    FeedbackLockedLocked
    Call/Music ControlLockedLocked
    Volume ControlLockedLocked
    Microphone ControlLockedLocked
    Channel Mixing
    LockedLocked
    Noise Cancelling ControlLockedLocked
    Talk-Through
    LockedLocked
    Additional ControlsLockedLocked

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    0.0
    Portability
    LLockedLock" (Lock cm)
    WLockedLock" (Lock cm)
    HLockedLock" (Lock cm)
    VolumeLockedLock in³ (Lock cm³)
    Transmitter RequiredLockedLocked

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    0.0
    Case
    TypeLockedLocked
    LLockedLock" (Lock cm)
    WLockedLock" (Lock cm)
    HLockedLock" (Lock cm)
    VolumeLockedLock in³ (Lock cm³)

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    0.0
    Build Quality

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    0.0
    Stability

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    Headshots 1
    Headshots 2
    Top
    In The Box

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    Isolation
    0.0
    Noise Isolation - Full Range
    Noise CancellingLockedYes
    Overall Attenuation
    LockedLock dB
    Bass
    LockedLock dB
    Mid
    LockedLock dB
    Treble
    LockedLock dB

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    0.0
    Noise Isolation - Common Scenarios
    Airplane Noise Attenuation
    LockedLock dB
    Airplane Noise Isolation Audio
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    Office Noise Attenuation
    LockedLock dB
    Office Noise Isolation Audio
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    Street Noise Attenuation
    LockedLock dB
    Street Noise Isolation Audio
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    Noise Isolation - Voice Handling
    Female Voice 1
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    Male Voice 1
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    Female Voice 2
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    Male Voice 2
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    ANC Wind Handling
    ANC Wind Noise
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    0.0
    Leakage
    Leakage Audio
    JOIN NOWto hear audio samples
    Overall Leakage @ 1ft
    LockedLock dB

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    Microphone
    Microphone Style
    Integrated
    LockedLocked
    In-Line
    LockedLocked
    Boom
    LockedLocked
    Detachable Boom
    LockedLocked
    MicLockedYes
    0.0
    Recording Quality
    Recorded Speech
    JOIN NOWto hear audio samples
    LFE
    LockedLock Hz
    FR Std. Dev.
    LockedLock dB
    HFE
    LockedLock Hz
    Weighted THD
    LockedLock
    Gain
    LockedLock dB

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    0.0
    Noise Handling
    SpNR
    LockedLock dB
    Noise Gate
    LockedLocked
    Speech + Pink Noise Handling
    Locked
    0.0
    Speech + Pink Noise Audio Sample
    JOIN NOWto hear audio samples
    Speech + Subway Noise Handling
    Locked
    0.0
    Speech + Subway Noise Audio Sample
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    Active Features
    0.0
    Battery
    Battery Type
    LockedLocked
    Continuous Battery Life
    LockedLock hrs
    Additional Charges
    LockedLock
    Total Battery Life
    LockedLock hrs
    Charge Time
    LockedLock hrs
    Power-Saving Feature
    LockedLocked
    Audio While Charging
    LockedLocked
    Passive Playback
    LockedLocked
    Charging PortLockedLocked

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    0.0
    App Support
    App NameLockedLocked
    iOSLockedLocked
    AndroidLockedLocked
    macOSLockedLocked
    WindowsLockedLocked
    Equalizer
    LockedLocked
    ANC Control
    LockedLocked
    Mic ControlLockedLocked
    Room Effects
    LockedLocked
    Playback Control
    LockedLocked
    Button MappingLockedLocked
    Surround Support
    LockedLocked

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    Connectivity
    0.0
    Wired Connection
    Analog Audio
    LockedLocked
    USB Audio
    LockedLocked
    Detachable
    LockedLocked
    Length
    LockedN/A
    Connector
    LockedLocked
    Latency - Analog
    LockedN/A
    Latency - USB
    LockedN/A
    Recorded Latency
    N/A
    Recorded Latency ConnectionLockedLocked

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    0.0
    Bluetooth Connection
    Bluetooth Version
    LockedLocked
    Multi-Device Pairing
    LockedLocked
    Quick Pair (Android)
    LockedLocked
    Quick Pair (iOS)
    LockedLocked
    Line Of Sight Range
    LockedLock ft (Lock m)
    Latency - SBC
    LockedLock ms
    Latency - aptX
    LockedN/A
    Latency - aptX Adaptive (High Quality)
    LockedN/A
    Latency - aptX Adaptive (Low Latency)
    LockedN/A
    Latency - LDAC
    LockedN/A
    Recorded Latency
    JOIN NOWto hear audio samples
    Recorded Latency CodecLockedLocked
    AAC Support
    LockedLocked

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    0.0
    Wireless Connection (Dongle)
    Line Of Sight Range
    LockedN/A
    Latency - Dongle
    LockedN/A
    Recorded Latency
    N/A
    PC Compatibility
    Analog
    LockedLocked
    Wired USB
    LockedLocked
    Non-BT Wireless
    LockedLocked

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    PlayStation Compatibility
    PS4 Analog
    LockedLocked
    PS4 Wired USB
    LockedLocked
    PS4 Non-BT Wireless
    LockedLocked
    PS5 Analog
    LockedLocked
    PS5 Wired USB
    LockedLocked
    PS5 Non-BT Wireless
    LockedLocked
    Xbox Compatibility
    Xbox One Analog
    LockedLocked
    Xbox One Wired USB
    LockedLocked
    Xbox One Non-BT Wireless
    LockedLocked
    Xbox Series X|S Analog
    LockedLocked
    Xbox Series X|S Wired USB
    LockedLocked
    Xbox Series X|S Non-BT Wireless
    LockedLocked
    0.0
    Base/Dock
    Type
    LockedLocked
    USB Input
    LockedLocked
    Line In
    LockedLocked
    Line Out
    LockedLocked
    Optical Input
    LockedLocked
    RCA Input
    LockedLocked
    Dock Charging
    LockedLocked
    Power Supply
    LockedLocked

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