Bose QuietComfort Earbuds Review

Finding the perfect pair of true wireless earbuds for you is like trying to find a needle in a haystack. With so many options out there, every single one of them delivering something different, for better or worse, it’s absolutely difficult to find one that would check your boxes. At the end of the day, you end up settling for something that checks most of your boxes when it comes to wireless audio. One worth considering is the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds.

It’s a premium pair of true wireless earbuds or TWS, that is out to demand your attention. Long story short though, it’s not perfect, but it does a lot of things right to make it stand out from a very crowded pack.

Design and Construction

Everything about the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds is big. From the case all the way to the earbuds themselves, they are probably the biggest pair of earbuds I have ever used. The case is made out of sturdy plastic that is smooth to the touch. The size would be okay if you are carrying a bag around from where you can store it, but if you’re the type to carry your earbuds in your pocket then this probably would steer you away from these.

The earbuds themselves are pretty huge as well, compared to something like Apple’s Airpods Pro, these are a notch above in size. They stick out of your ear, and you’re never gonna hide the fact that you’re walking around wearing earphones. The construction though is top-notch. Everything is well built and solid, the smooth plastic feels premium and the ear tips are also made of high-quality material. Speaking of ear tips, the box includes two extra ear tips depending on the shape and size of your own ears.

The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds also come in different colors. From black and white to a very premium-looking beige, and also a very stylish blue colorway. There’s a color for everybody, so you won’t lack options to choose from.

Comfort

One of the main things I look for when it comes to my own TWS is that they have to be comfortable. They have to last a long time in my ear. From day-long sessions outdoors to writing at home for long hours, I need something that will stay on and not annoy me. I’m glad to say that after testing these earbuds for a few weeks, the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds are comfortable.

I honestly disliked how they fit at first. They were falling from my ear, it was hard to actually put them on and find a good position for them in my ear. The easy solution was to change the ear tips to the smallest one (as I have small ears) and voila, they easily were glued to my ears after that. After a bit of fiddling around with the position of the earbuds (the app helps you find the perfect position too), I found that these can stay in my ears for hours. The ear tips have a special feature in that it has a wing that slots into your ear for extra security. Safe to say I tried running with these and that wasn’t a problem.

Sound Quality

Coming from an audio brand such as Bose, you expect the best sound quality from these earbuds, especially at the price it commands. The clearest answer I can give you with regards to the sound quality of these earbuds is, it depends.

It depends on what kind of music buff you are. A lot of TWS earphones out there are made for bass heads because, let’s face it, a lot of people like heavy thumping bass pouring out of their earbuds. The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds deliver very good bass, but bass heads out there will likely be disappointed. Listening to Kanye West’s Love Lockdown, the intro bass has a lot of depth and clarity but it will never rattle your brain and get your headbanging.

These earbuds showed out when listening to Metallica’s Enter Sandman. The separation between each instrument was very evident. What I loved was that from the opening guitar riff until when all the instruments start coming in one at a time, there was never a moment where I thought that one instrument sounded ahead of the other. Each one was highlighted by the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds. That’s the balance I look for when it comes to the earbuds that I prefer. The guitar riffs were clear, never sounding muddy. Again, the bass was there but was never overpowering. Then the vocal clarity is where these earbuds shine.

I listened to one of my favorite albums testing this pair, John Mayer’s Continuum. The opening guitar riffs of Slow Dancing In a Burning Room and Gravity really take you into the studio with the musician. With each pluck of the guitar, to the movement of their hands to a different chord, the way these earbuds bring out the clarity and brightness of each instrument truly is something else. The feeling of having the music around you rather than the earbuds throwing the music in your ear is something I have to highlight when it comes to these earbuds.

Summer Rain from Leon Bridges, brings in the perfect balance of bass and vocal clarity, and the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds don’t miss a beat. Instead of overpowering each other, the bass pairs well with the vocals of this song to bring a higher quality music experience to the user. Listening to live versions of certain songs, such as Amy Winehouse’s Valerie, makes you feel like you were at the venue rather than just listening to it from a pair of earbuds. The nuances of her vocal performance are all highlighted here, the highs are perfect and never going to a level that you could call shrill.

I can say that these earbuds give you a sense that it is meant to sound like how the artist would want you to hear the song rather than have a processed version where heavy bass or too much treble dominates the track.

Features

The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds have one of the best ANC in the market. That is the first line I chose to write because it really is above there with the competition. It is executed perfectly here. I tested these in a noisy studio where music was blaring and the earbuds just sent me somewhere else. The ANC and probably coupled with passive noise cancellation just gives you a different level of privacy if that is what you’re looking for.

I can imagine using these in an airplane (when things get better) and I can just ignore the hum of the engines. And for added convenience, Bose allows you to control the ANC through the Bose app on your phone. It has 10 levels with the highest just tuning the world out completely and 1 putting you into full transparency mode.

The transparency mode here is amazing as well, it feels as if you’re not actually wearing any earbuds at all when you’re using them. This is especially useful in commutes where you want to both listen to music and be aware of what’s happening around you. I daresay that the transparency mode matches the ANC here when it comes to quality, which is definitely a notch above the rest.

The earbuds also have touch features on the earbuds themselves to pause, play, and turn on Google Assistant or Siri. The earbuds also feature wear detection. This is a hit and miss for me at the same time. Yes, it works as advertised but I feel as if it is too sensitive at times. There are times where I am just adjusting the earbuds and it automatically pauses the music that I am listening to and it kind of gets annoying after a while.

One of the features I would’ve wanted in a pair of earbuds at this price point is a multi-point connection. This means I could pair the earbuds to multiple devices at a time. A lot of other competing products have this feature at lesser prices. This is probably not a deal-breaker for some but if you’re already paying a premium for a product then you would want something like this included. Another small pet peeve I have is that to switch devices, you need to go through the Bose app to switch to another device, this extra step instead of just choosing through your Bluetooth preferences on the phone is unnecessary in my opinion.

Speaking of the Bose app, it has most of the features that you would want, including adjusting the level of ANC, having presets for whatever situation you want, and with the update, including an EQ where you can adjust the sound to your preference. It has all the preferences you want and it is a very straightforward and easy app to use!

Battery Life

The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds offer above-average battery life versus others I’ve tried out there. Through my testing, the earbuds lasted a little over 5 and a half hours on a full charge. The charging case offers another 18 hours of battery for you. I like also how you can just place your earbuds for 15 minutes in the case and get an additional 2 hours of quick charge right away. Perfect for those times when you forget to charge your earbuds. A full charge though takes around 3 hours via USB-C, so make sure you give it some time to charge. The downside to the battery life is that you can’t turn ANC nor transparency off which affects battery life, some other brands out there allow you to turn these features off to save on battery.

Conclusion

The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds are a wonderful pair of earbuds. It definitely is a premium product at a premium price point. The build quality is amazing as well as the comfort of the earbuds.

If you could live with the downsides of the device, such as a large charging case and earbud design, lack of multipoint connectivity, and an anti-bass head sound signature then these earbuds are perfect for you. These earbuds are on the premium side when it comes to features and performance and the price doesn’t joke around with that. Priced at PHP 18,500 (available here), the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds are at the top end of the spectrum when it comes to pricing. You get a lot though for the money but I feel that a bit of a price cut will make this product a no-brainer for audiophiles out there.

So just watch out if Bose goes on sale with these, with a little bit of a discount, I can thoroughly recommend the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds as one of the best TWS earbuds out there.

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