Despite being the (arguably) biggest name in noise-canceling headphones, Bose has lagged behind when it comes to noise-canceling wireless earbuds. It didn’t release its first pair of wireless earbuds with active noise-cancellation, the Bose QuietComfort (QC) Earbuds, until September 2020 — years after rivals like Sony, Sennheiser and Apple had released their own. And, while solid, Bose’s original QC Earbuds were quite large — and quite expensive.
Nearly two years later, Bose is back with the second-generation version of its noise-canceling wireless earbuds — and boy, are they different. The QuietComfort Earbuds “II” ($299) have been redesigned them from the ground up with a new look, new fit, new sound and — in my experience — the best noise cancellation of any wireless earbud to date. They’re incredible…but at just shy of $300, they ain’t cheap either.
What’s Good About the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II?
They’re the new king of active noise cancellation
It’s 2022 (and almost 2023); there are not just a lot of noise-canceling wireless earbuds to choose from, there are a lot of really good ones, too. But it quickly became quite evident that even in a crowded field, the Bose QC Earbuds II’s noise-cancellation hits a different. As soon as you put them in your ears, they make a kind of robotic suctioning sound — whomp — and the active noise-cancellation kicks on. And it’s instantly silent.
Bose has integrated the QC Earbuds II with a new technology it calls “CustomTune.” Basically, when you place them in your ears, each earbud calibrates itself — which is what that whomp sound is doing — and then customizes its settings so that both the sound and noise-cancellation is optimized for that particular ear. And they do this calibration every time you put the earbuds back in your ears.
Several other noise-canceling wireless earbuds use a similar technology — Apple’s newest AirPods Pro are one example — but they don’t do it nearly as well as the QC Earbuds II. They are able to block out most of high and low-end frequencies — which are admittedly easiest for noise-canceling wireless headphones and earbuds — but what makes them truly special is their ability to block out most of the midrange, too. For example, when hanging out with my friends and family, or even watching talk-sport TV, dialogue and conversations are almost non-existent. You barely can even tell they’re talking.
A smaller design and new fit
The other major difference between Bose’s first- and second-generation QuietComfort wireless earbuds is their size and fit. While everything about the original QC Earbuds was big — including the charging case, which was just enormous — Bose shrunk everything down on the QC IIs so they’re much more aligned in terms of size with other wireless earbuds, such as the Sony WF-1000XM4 and the Sennheiser Momentum TW3. They’re still not small, but Bose says the earbuds are roughly 30 percent smaller than their predecessors.
Maybe more importantly than size, the QC Earbuds II fit differently. They are one of Bose’s first wireless earbuds that don’t have its signature StayHear silicone tips. This is a big deal, because while in the past pretty much all of Bose’s wireless earbuds and wired earphones have fit the same, that’s not the case with the QC Earbuds IIs. Bose has given them a two-piece fit, where you have the option of selecting from three different sized silicone eartips and three different-sized silicone earwings.
The new size and design allows the QC Earbuds II to fit deeper in your ear canals, rather than resting on the outside like the first-gen QC Earbuds. When putting them in your ears, there’s a bit of a push-and-twist action to get each earbud fitting snug. They fit well — but admittedly, the StayHear silicone tips fit in my ears really well. And I actually find that I prefer the fit of the older QC Earbuds. TL;DR — there is a chance that you might not like how these earbuds fit in your ears. Or you might love them.
They’re Bose’s best-sounding wireless earbuds
Bose improved the sound quality of the QC Earbuds II, too. It’s not heads-and-shoulders over their predecessors, but in my testing, I found that they delivered a slightly more balanced and vibrant sound that’s not quite so reliant on bass (which a lot of Bose’s headphones have been known for).
The QuietComfort Earbuds II aren’t as hi-fi as other wireless earbuds are trying to be — they don’t support immersive sound (like spatial audio or Sony’s 360 Reality Audio) or higher-resolution codecs (like LDAC) — but I don’t think they need to be. And as previously mentioned, they do support Bose’s new CustomTune feature that, in addition to helping with active noise-cancellation, also customizes the sound for your ears. And of course, they sound great.
I’m not going to say that the Bose’s QC Earbuds II are the best-sounding wireless earbuds you can buy; I still prefer the rich and full sound of the Sony WF-1000XM4. But the QC Earbuds II fall just below that and very much in line with the likes of Apple’s AirPods Pro. But I don’t think anybody who buys them them will be disappointed with their sound quality.
What’s Not Ideal About the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II?
A lack of wireless charging seems like a miss
The Bose QC Earbuds II have a lot of similar features as a lot of other premium noise-canceling wireless earbuds. They have decent battery life (roughly six hours per earbud with ANC turned on) and have an IPX4 rating (just like AirPods Pro), so you can technically take exercise with them without worrying about sweat damage.
But one of the big omissions is wireless charging — the Bose QC Earbuds II can’t do it. The case doesn’t support it at all, meaning you have to rely on a trusty USB-C cable. It’s not a deal-breaker by any means, but it does feel like an oversight for a pair of $300 earbuds.
The price is steep — real steep
At $300, the Bose QC Earbuds II are one of the most expensive noise-canceling wireless earbuds you can buy. (Bose made them $20 more expensive than their predecessor.)
There are a lot of other options in the $230 to $280 price range, many of which offer more premium features — like wireless charging or Bluetooth multi-point (so you can simultaneously connect to multiple devices) — than the Bose QC Earbuds II, too. So, you have to really want the best of the best in terms of active noise-cancellation. And you really have to trust that the Bose QC Earbuds II are going to fit you well.
The Verdict: Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II
Tucker Bowe
The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II are one of the best wireless earbuds out there — and, most significantly, they deliver noticeably better active noise-cancellation than any other noise-canceling wireless earbuds to date. The more pocketable design is a welcome update, too.
However, there’s no getting around the fact that because of their steep price, you can get better bang-for-your-buck on other wireless earbuds (many of which are even discounted). So when shopping for wireless earbuds, you really have to want the best active noise-cancellation — and trust that Bose’s new design is going to fit your ears. If so, you’re going to love Bose’s latest QuietComforts.
Bose
