The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds Truly Wireless are premium earbuds and are the previous generation of the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II Truly Wireless. Like other products from Bose, they have a high-powered noise cancelling (ANC) system, which is great if you want to block out background noise on the go. This results in a bulkier and less comfortable design than other, more traditionally designed in-ears like the Apple AirPods Pro Truly Wireless.
Our Verdict
The Bose QuietComfort buds are good for neutral sound. Out of the box, they have a neutral yet slightly bright sound profile that's versatile enough for different audio content. You can customize their sound to your liking using their companion app's graphic EQ and presets. However, their passive soundstage is closed-off, and sound seems to be coming from inside your head rather than from speakers around you.
- Graphic EQ and presets available.
- Deliver consistent audio delivery.
- Closed-off soundstage.
The Bose QuietComfort buds are great for commuting and travel. These well-built headphones have a great ANC feature that helps to reduce bass-range noise like bus and plane engines. They're also comfortable enough to wear for long commutes to work, but their 7.3-hour battery life may not be sufficient if you're on a long-haul flight. Luckily, their carrying case holds two extra charges if needed. They're also portable and lightweight, making it easy to take them wherever you go.
- Great noise isolation performance.
- Graphic EQ and presets available.
- Relatively bulky design for truly wireless earbuds.
The Bose QuietComfort buds are great for sports and fitness. They have a somewhat bulky design with a breathable and stable fit, and include stability fins that help keep them in place during workouts. They're also well-built and are rated IPX4 for resistance against water splashes. They're decently comfortable but stick out of your ears a bit, which can be annoying if you want to wear a hat or headband.
- Stable fit and great build quality.
- Deliver consistent audio delivery.
- Relatively bulky design for truly wireless earbuds.
The Bose QuietComfort buds are satisfactory for office use. They have a decently comfortable fit for most people but might not last all day without a recharge. That said, they have a great ANC feature that can help cut down ambient chatter around you and come equipped with standby mode to help conserve power when not in use. Unfortunately, they don't support multi-device pairing, so you can't stay connected to your phone and computer at the same time.
- Great noise isolation performance.
- Graphic EQ and presets available.
- Relatively bulky design for truly wireless earbuds.
- No multi-device pairing.
The Bose QuietComfort buds aren't recommended for wireless gaming. While you can connect them to Bluetooth-enabled PCs, their latency is too high for gaming. They also aren't compatible with Xbox or PlayStation consoles.
The Bose QuietComfort buds are Bluetooth-only earbuds; you can't use them wired.
The Bose QuietComfort buds are mediocre for phone calls. The integrated mic's recording quality makes your voice sound thin and distorted. It also struggles to separate your voice from moderate ambient noise around you. That said, thanks to the ANC system, you can focus on your call rather than the noise around you. The companion app also offers a 'Self Voice' feature to help you hear yourself during a call.
- Stable fit and great build quality.
- Relatively bulky design for truly wireless earbuds.
Changelog
- Updated Jun 03, 2024: We've made minor edits to the text to ensure it's up to date.
- Updated Nov 06, 2023: We've added a comparison between these headphones and the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds Truly Wireless in Base/Dock.
- Updated Jun 12, 2023: We've updated this review's text to ensure it's still accurate and clear. There have been no changes in scoring.
- Updated Nov 23, 2022: We have added a comparion between these headphones and the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II Truly Wireless in Comparted To Other Headphones.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
The Bose QuietComfort buds come in two main color variants: 'Triple Black', and 'Soapstone'. There are also two limited edition colors available: 'Stone Blue', and 'Sandstone'. We tested the 'Soapstone' variant, and you can see our model's label here. We expect all color variants to perform similarly to our model.
If you encounter a different variant, let us know in the forums, and we'll update our review.
Popular Headphones Comparisons
The Bose QuietComfort buds are premium truly wireless headphones with ANC and are the previous generation of the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II Truly Wireless. Their ANC system has a similar performance to that of the next generation and blocks out more mid-range and high-pitched noise than competitors like the Apple AirPods Pro Truly Wireless. They also have a fairly neutral sound profile and, like the Bose QuietComfort 45/QC45 Wireless, their companion app has a graphic EQ and presets to help you adjust their sound to your liking. However, they have a somewhat bulky design and aren't as comfortable for most people as the next generation.
Check out our recommendations for the best noise cancelling earbuds, the best noise cancelling headphones, and the best wireless Bluetooth earbuds.
The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds Truly Wireless and the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones Wireless serve different purposes, largely due to their different designs. The Earbuds are obviously meant to sit in your ears, as they're smaller and more portable, so you can easily toss them in a pocket while on the go. While both pairs offer ANC, the over-ear Ultra Headphones do a much better job on this front, blocking out a remarkably high amount of noise. Both headphones offer fairly balanced sound profiles, though the Ultra Headphones are a little warmer out of the box; you can tweak both sets to taste in the Bose Music app. The choice between the two ultimately comes down to your particular needs: fantastic ANC or high portability.
The Sony WF-1000XM5 Truly Wireless are better than the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds Truly Wireless. They offer a longer continuous battery life, a more comfortable fit for most, and a better ANC performance. They also support multi-device pairing and the LDAC codec for streaming high-res audio.
The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds Truly Wireless are a newer version of the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds Truly Wireless, and are quite similar. Both have an excellent noise isolation performance and a somewhat bass-heavy sound profile out of the box. The Ultra are equipped with Immersive Audio, which can help improve their soundstage performance compared to other in-ears.
The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds Truly Wireless are better in-ears than the Beats Fit Pro True Wireless. The Bose are more comfortable, feel better built, and have a more stable in-ear fit. They can also isolate you from more ambient noise, have a better battery performance, and their companion app offers a graphic EQ and presets to help you customize their sound to your liking. However, the Beats have an H1 chip for seamless pairing with other devices in your Apple ecosystem, and they support Spatial Audio with iOS devices for a more immersive audio experience.
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