Bose - QuietComfort Earbuds (2nd Gen, 2024)

Why choose? I bought both the QuietComfort headphones and the AirPods Pro 2 earbuds last week. They both do things I need the other doesn’t. The AirPods will be used a lot more though.

I would still do what I did!😉😊

I bought them on Thursday. The only calls I have done have been in my home.

Hey everyone – wanted to share a quick reivew of the new Bose QC earbuds (2024 model, 3rd generation? No idea what to call these). For reference, I’ve owned and will be comparing these to the QC II Earbuds, AirPods Pro 2nd gen, LinkBuds S, Galaxy Buds Pro3, and Jabra Elite 10s. **Design / Comfort** – Going to start here because this is the #1 concern for me with earbuds. Obviously super subjective, but the QCEII’s were the only earbuds I’ve ever worn that I’d call a good fit for my ears or “comfortable”. Everything else would hurt after some while, particularly stem style buds when smiling or laughing. These have a very similar fit to their predecessors despite being a different design. They still have swappable fins and tips, so you should be able to find a good fit. I personally love the switch to a more “earbud” shape, it’s just a tiny bit more compact than the QCEIIs. For reference, the Jabra’s and Galaxy Buds really never fit my ears, and the AirPods were mixed at best. [Size comparison with QCEII and AirPods Pro2](https://i.imgur.com/VyJW3qT.jpeg) Charging case finally has wireless charging but is still massive for some reason. It’s shorter and fatter than the old, already huge QCEII case, which means it’s not great for pocketing. Easily double the size of the AirPods Pro case. Maybe that’s the tradeoff for this design style? [Charging case comparison](https://i.imgur.com/Wc8kJw4.jpeg) [Charging case comparison 2](https://i.imgur.com/X3RvbN2.jpeg) **Sound Quality** – Good sound quality overall, definitely a more consumer-friendly sound signature. Quite similar overall to the QCEII’s despite being significantly cheaper at $180 retail, so that’s a win. I don’t think they’re going to compete with more HiFi buds like the Sennheisers or Technics, but for daily use, I really don’t think many people will have much complaints here. Certainly better than the LinkBuds S, and more competitive with the more expensive headphones listed above. **Call Quality** – One big issue I had with the QCEII’s was the call quality, particularly in noisy areas. The good news is, these are substantially better at cutting background noise – like night and day, even compared to the newer QC Ultras. These are honestly some of the best I’ve tested in noisy conditions for the other person being able to hear me. The downside is that they actually are not as good in quiet environments. Still totally usable, not difficult to understand someone, but it is certainly a step below the AirPods and even the QC Ultras in quiet environments. Overall I think a worthwhile trade-off though, it’s truly a massive improvement when there is background noise. Vastly superior to the Sony’s there as well. Noise Cancellation – Near top of the line ANC. Feels very similar to the QCEII’s/Ultras, again despite being just over half the price. The best specifically at low frequencies so if you’re like me and fly a lot, these are best in class with the big brother Ultras. Sony’s with foam tips are always going to have better passive isolation for high frequency noises but these are still decent enough there. **Features / Connectivity** – I’m not going to spend too much time on the features, I don’t believe they have spatial audio but not a huge deal to me. They have some odd stuff like being able to snap a selfie from the earbud. But most importantly, they have a new completely re-written app and it ACTUALLY WORKS. This was by FAR my biggest complaint with previous Bose earbuds. Despite being the only brand that fit my ears and sounded great, they were an absolute nightmare for anyone that had to switch devices frequently or use any sort of connectivity beyond “pair and forget”. These have truly been flawless, including multipoint. The headphones actually connect to the app every time (what a concept), do so quickly, consistently, no dropouts. The app itself is also great, very user-friendly with a decent amount of customization with voice and touch controls. HUGE improvement compared to previous generations. Overall I’d highly recommend these if you’re in the market for travel ANC earbuds that aren’t locked to an ecosystem. If you’ve used the previous generations and liked the design / features but hated all the bugs, these seem to have been designed almost entirely to address those issues. I think they’re already a great deal in this market at $180, but if they go on sale these will be a steal. I'd be happy to answer any questions as well on these!

[They do have](https://i.imgur.com/dgkAxfh.jpeg) a low latency option when paired to my Fold 6, haven't tested it out much so can't tell you how good it is yet. Will give it a shot tonight.

Depends, what was it about the QCIIs that you hated? These fit and sound quite similar to my ears to the QCIIs, the main difference being that these actually work and don't have constant connection or pairing issues (so far, at least)

They stay in my ears significantly better than the APP2 personally due to the little winglet design. But I've always had issues with the AirPod design, particularly when smiling or laughing - they just get pushed right out of my ears. This is the biggest factor for me in choosing them over the AirPods honestly. Charging case is definitely big, it's still pocketable...ish but it's basically twice the footprint of the APP2. Battery life has been pretty much as advertised for me yeah, I rarely have em for 8 hours straight but I don't doubt it based on my usage. Plays one at a time no problem, either ear. I'd say get them from somewhere with a decent return policy and try em out, earbuds are so difficult to make blanket recommendations for. The ANC on these isn't THAT much better than the AirPods either, it's somewhere in between APP2 and the Bose QC Ultras which are the best ANC on the earbud market bar none. But I can't recommend the Ultras because they are gigantic pieces of shit wrt connectivity so these are the ones I have been rocking.

I still use them daily for both work and general use, and they still work perfectly fine. Every once in a while I'll have a drop but it's night and day different from the previous QCE2s. When those dropped, I would be fighting for hours to get it to reconnect. These, worst case it's a couple seconds. And this happens quite infrequently, I notice it mostly when I'm in a busy area like a plane and using the multipoint to swap between tab and phone. Now I will say the airpods are going to have more stable connectivity if you're in the iOS world but I use a Mac for work and again, it's been totally fine. Basically no issues whatsoever when I'm just at my desk. If you're still in the return window for the airpods I'd recommend you give it a shot. Worst case you can go back, but because these are so much more comfortable for my ears, I haven't even touched the airpods in a month. For fit I'd recommend trying the smallest tips that give you a decent seal and then tweaking the wing size so it keeps them generally in place when you smile or move around.

They're very good but not quite identical. Similar performance on low frequencies, ultras were a little better with the other stuff. If I'm pulling a number out of my ass, I'd say maybe 85% of the ANC of the Ultras. I still think they're a much better deal though, especially if you get them on sale. They actually connect and stay connected so my QCEII's have been in the closet since these came out. Let me put it another way. I tested these against Sony's Linkbuds Fit that just came out. Decent earbuds themselves, I actually liked the sound quality a bit better on those. But comparing ANC, these Bose earbuds can absolutely hold their own against the ultras and the XM5s, while the Linkbuds were a very clear and very noticeable step below the other 3. These bose ones are on their site at $130 right now, and I would say that's a steal and a half based on my usage so far.

You might want to give these a shot then, I had a similar list of complaints (3 warranty claims with my QCII's, all for random volume issues in one earbud or connectivity BS). These have been night and day better so far. They connect to the new app consistently, no dropouts, it feels much more like their other products like the NC700 over-ears I have. Call quality is massively improved in noisy environments over the old ones, though still kinda mediocre in quiet environments oddly

They have pretty decent ANC honestly, but it's definitely a tier below the Bose earbuds (which are already a step below proper over-ears). Very competitive amongst earbud offerings though, miles better than the galaxy buds or elite 10s to my ears. I think the Bose were the only earbuds that I've tested that consistently had better ANC than the airpod pro 2s, though I haven't tested Sony's equivalent ANC pair

Bose QC (not ultra) are fabulous. Try them out. Way better than everything you tried (except Sony xm5 which I didn’t try myself, so can’t compare ).

Recently bought Bose QC Earbuds (the recent version, not the old QC nor QCII) and I am overwhelmed by the quality of sound and ANC. I've been particularly looking for something that sounds decently but will not break the bank either. So during the recent Amazon days I tried Apple Airpods 4 and Pro 2, Beats Studio+, Bose QC, Sony WF c710, and Creative Aurvana Ace 2. Firstly, one certainly really needs to try the earbuds before buying. I found all the rankings and reviews to be way disconnected from how the earbuds actually sound. Awards, Editor's Choices and all that PR has nothing to do with the actual product. From the models I tried, only Airpods Pro 2 were close to Bose QC. Marketed Beats, Creative Aurvana with the innovative driver, Sony, all sounded worse than my 7 year old Phillips 2515 earbuds which I bought for $25 on sale long time ago. Bose QC play lows and highs clearly, there is a sense of immersion in the music, I could actually hear the singer's breath and the detail of the song (I used the same song to test all the earbuds). Again, the only earbud which has comparable quality of sound was Airpof Pro 2. Same with the noise cancellation function. Beats QC turned off the noise instantly. Only Apple (both Airpods 4 and Pro 2) had comparable ANC, although I think Bose was slightly better. But the difference between Bose and Apple's ANC is negligeble. Comfort of wearing earbuds also differs, but this is idiosyncratic and is another reason why we should be able to try erabuds before buying (a lot of stores do not allow you to return earbuds unfortunately, so it could be hit or miss). I found Bose to be comfortable enough although not perfect. Yet, I value their sound quality more. Overall: \- Bose makes surprisingly good earbuds in mid-price range. \- So many brands just sell mediocre earbuds at $100+ prices, and reviews are not really helpful, which makes me sad. \- Please try earbuds before buying them or writing reviews. They are soo different. Some are great, many are not. I'm glad I found mine.

I have the Bose QC Ultra Earbuds and the Apple Airpods Pro 2 (for my wife). Fit: Both are comfortable. But I'd say Ultra is better because after using it for a while, I sometimes forgot I was wearing the earbuds. Apple is deeper into the ear canal so you'll always feel it, however they are light -- no big deal. ANC: Ultra blows Apple out of water. No contest there. When my range hood is on high, Ultra blocks everything but there's still quite a bit from Apple. Sound quality: I'd say the Apple sounds more balanced out of box. Bose is heavier on the bass, which I don't prefer. However, I use the wavelet app on Android to EQ it back to a balanced profile. When doing so there isn't too much difference. Connectivity: I noticed the Bose would occasionally turn off in one of the ear as well. It's annoying but doesn't happen very often. There is sometimes the statics and electronics noise from the left bud, personally I'm okay with it. Personally I'd pick Bose Ultra. But hey you can buy both of them :) As for Bose QC -- they are not comfortable for me so I tried and returned them. Edit: grammar

I have Bose quiet comfort ear buds that might work for you! https://www.bose.com/p/earbuds/bose-quietcomfort-headphones/QCEARB24-HEADPHONEIN.html

I bought the Bose Quiet Comfort earbuds last week and I returned them after 2 days. I had lots of connection issues. One earbud would suddenly turn off. Sometimes the left..sometimes the right. I couldn't get a comfortable fit. I'm also not used to earbuds and I think I have smaller ears. That's just my experience. A lot of reviews say they are great though.

I had the same problem and returned them. Then I got the Pixel Buds Pro 2 and they fit my ears a lot better.

Honestly it was back in December that I tried the Bose QC buds. They were actually my first ever earbuds. I thought they sounded really good. I'm very happy with the Pixel Buds Pro 2. They are slightly more expensive (on sale right now though). They are less bassy than Bose QC buds. They do have an EQ in app of course. Pixel buds don't have some of the higher bit rate codecs if that matters to you. Bose noise cancelling is better but the Pixel Buds have pretty good noise cancelling too. You could also look into the Jabra elite 8 and Jabra Elite 10. They seem to be on sale frequently, putting them in a similar price range and are highly rated. I'm not sure what other good buds are in that range. I would definitely recommend buying them from somewhere you can return them since earbuds fit everyone differently.

Based on that you are into apple, apple will be much more consistent, stable choice. Apple has better touch controls, 0 hiss on ANC mode, better sound quality imo. Bose has better ANC and may fit better

I loved the QuietComfort back in the day but they are the same now, right? Micro USB to charge, outdated Bluetooth version, same price as before? That’s just insulting to technologically minded people. Give us a spec bump, add USB C and I’d get those. Otherwise, I prefer the Quiet Comfort Ultras. Airpods Pro 2 are…earbuds, right? You are asking about the difference between over-ear earphones vs earbuds? The AirPods Pro are frankly one of the best inventions that have come along in my lifetime, but you can’t compare them to over ear headphones.

I’ve had both the quiet comfort and the AirPod pros. The AirPods don’t stay in my ears well. They are nice for what they are but the Bose headphones are way way better. I didn’t get the ultras because I read to many complaints. If I tried a pair and they were way quieter I’d prolly be bummed.

I have had Gen 1 & 2 Apple AirPods Pro and Gen 1 & 2 Bose quiet comfort earbuds. The apples had lots going for them but with no eq and having to constantly re-twist them into my ears every 15-30 minutes they became a no and both were eventually returned. There were other iPhone specific bonuses but they won’t assist you. the gen 1 bose had the best fit of all these. very comfortable and secure. anc on both bose models was really good and the sound quality was top notch. but they had terrible bt connectivity with my iphone. had to often forget and reconnect. mich too often for buds in that price range. had to call bose about this way too often. so i've had these elite 8 gen 2 for about 2 weeks. Happy overall after upping the tip size. So i’d recommend you try the $175-300 level Sony, Samsung, and Google buds in that order. With Black Friday deals here or soon, hopefully you’ll find some goods options. Def try getting them from a Costco or Sam’s due to their generous return policies. Good luck!

Everything you said matches my experience. I’m kinda considering returning them for the Momentum 4 because the sound quality is kinda meh coming from fairly decent headphones. But maybe it’s good enough and I would find the Momentum to be uncomfortable. Hard to say. I’d recommend them to someone who has reasonable expectations about their sound quality.

They do and they work well with iPhone at least.

I just got a pair and they’re going balk. I’ve never experienced anything as bad as the connection first time. Now the left earbud has completely died. The customer service is appalling. They’ve just left me hanging there a couple of times.

I finally decided to get a pair of Bose quiet comfort earbuds. They initially worked for like 30 minutes and then stopped working. I’ve sent them back today. People may not like to hear this but if you have an iPhone, the best earbuds are the AirPods second generation.

Yes quite frustrating when watching a movie in bed before dozing off.. it does cut off connection if you dont move your head.. sound for movies are excellent pity bose not even listening to any of our problems or request at all.. ive also sent a support msg to them and theres no replies at all.. this earbuds only work well for my web meetings and while im actively moving around.. wish they would just address this simple issue.. if they dont fix this issue i think eventually we all will move on to other brands in future.. bose no longer carries the hardworking spirit anymore and they are just getting rich, fat and lazy..

I just bought the Bose Quiet Comfort (2024) and they do a great job. Ear buds with stems will never do as good a job as the nub style on ANC in my opinion. The fit and seal is a big part of noise cancellation. My wife has the Airpods Pro and they don't come close to the Bose. My primary use case is phone and teams calls, in and out of the office as I have better ear buds for music and the tests showed the Bose also had excellent mic quality - better than the XM5 ear buds. Music is not bad at all but certainly not reference quality.

Update: I was still in the return window and sent the Bose back. A lot of drop out and connectivity issues. Sad because on every other aspect they were pretty solid.

Yes i agree 👍 bose 2024 is my top choice when I am outside, but az100 is better product overall 

The pixel buds 2 pro and bose qc 2024 earbuds, my current daily drivers 

Under $100, the Liberty 4 NC is best choice. Btw, the best ANC are the Bose QuietComfort earbuds (not Ultra) and Sony XM5. Don't go for the Ultra model , save money.

Gemini 2 , Pixel Buds 2 pro, Pi8 and Bose Quiet comfort 2024.

Common people, share true data and info. I've been using these earbuds daily for 4 months. YES, they have slightly better ANC than the Ultra , but I expect honesty. We know we can't call Bose cheap they offer the best ANC technology for $150. So, for those bashing Bose, you need to look at things differently...

You're getting the best ANC on the market for $150. Better then ultra

Hahaha, all those people are talking nonsense. The best earbuds with top-tier ANC and great sound, check them out!

The Bose QuietComfort 2024: killer ANC, killer sound, killer comfort. $150, also great bass. Only Gemini 2 has better bass from all earbuds on the current market.

Get the Bose Quiet Comfort 2024 release, it has superb noise cancelling no connection issues for me either, also excellent sound.

I agree with this. The buds are really good for comfort, sound and NC however they constantly lose connection if I take them out of my ears for longer than a minute or so

They are also supposed to be getting the spatial audio and I second the above statement I have the ultras but I actually prefer how these stay in my ears even in vigorous exercise they don’t budge and are the best buds I’ve ever had.

I have had mine for about a month now and I have had the Bose QC2 and QC45 over ears as well as AirPods 4 with ANC. I use the buds when it’s windy as the 4’s pick up too much noise. They are smaller than the QC2 buds and you can have them in longer. The sound is classic Bose the best imo and the ANC is decent. They connect easily with all my different devices across brands and they are cheaper than the Ultras which has slightly better ANC just. I would highly recommend them they are the best Bose in ears I have tried. Get some!

I never had any problems with the QC2 or these. I have the Pros and they have better ANC but this is still very good and is particularly good at blocking out wind. They are also more comfortable compared to my Pro’s. The controls work well and while there is no volume up swipe you just use voice control and it responds immediately. I really like them and they sound fantastic which is the norm for Bose. The price is also great and it’s getting the spatial sound thing soon apparently but they are way better value than the Ultras imo and look better as well.

Hi, I just read your message and I can confirm you’re not alone.  I bought the newest QC 2024 earbuds and have had the exact same problem: when I’m lying down, they stop constantly, and it’s a royal pain.  I’ve walked around for hours, sat for hours in a chair, no problem.  But I can’t use them if I want to lie down and chill out Otherwise I love these.  Fantastic sound, great battery life.  The case is really cheap but at least it’s wireless. I don’t know if a firmware update can possibly fix this issue.  I’m very disappointed that I can’t use them at night in bed, but beyond that they are great. 

Got my bout 3 days ago, earbuds btw. They work pretty good, no issues with connectivity (yet?). I do like the tuneable anc the immersion mode feels a bit gimmicky but others wise pretty good.

My view is, I always prioritize anc and comfort first before sound. Sound you can just eq if you're on android. If apple just buy airpods. I look around shopee and see that bose qc earbuds 2024 is rm699. That's seem good. [Rtings comparison. Don't compare by using the points, it's arbitrary. Compare by the raw data.](https://www.rtings.com/headphones/tools/compare/nothing-ear-2-truly-wireless-vs-bose-quietcomfort-earbuds-truly-wireless/38605/17836) It seems that bose has better isolation than nothing ear 2. [Sound quality is better with bose, get this instead.](https://earphonesarchive.squig.link/?share=5128_DF_Target,Bose_QC_Earbuds_(2024)_(ANC),Nothing_Ear_(2))

I grabbed a pair a couple months ago, young fella didn’t tell me about them glitching. So I used them and found them glitching, switching sides through the song. I dropped a bud unfortunately and now have voided any warranty, my fault I know. Definitely wouldn’t buy another pair of Bose, purely because sennhiesers TW4 have a much better sound quality

Thanks for your response! Bought them yesterday, now giving them a first listen.

Hmm, this one might be subjective. I *think* I get what you mean, but I personally don't experience it. But maybe I do but I don't mind. But I think *if* they were to cause this *thump* I imagine it is a lot less, simply because they weigh less and because they sit more inside your ear. But I think these should be good for that. Also: the ANC is much better than my Bose QC 45's, due to the addition of passive NC. And the transparency mode sounds also very natural when running. Only when it's very windy do I turn them to passive mode.

Still great, but I'm on my second pair because I lost 1 of my buds. They don't float.

Bose Quietcomfort Earbuds (2024) - compared to all the other brands ; coming from SMTW 3 and galaxy buds 2 pro, sound and battery life is very VERY good. i wear Bose Quietcomfort Earbuds (2024) with out the given fin, they actually stick in my ear comfortably for longer hours. ... there is a reason bose and sony are like the standard metrics for certain products . ANC is like the top 10 best anc earbuds products ever for Bose Quietcomfort Earbuds (2024) i haven't experienced any connectivity issues at all - i have to be a little slow abt it, cant just super quickly open the buds, sometimes then they dont connect - it happened 2 times so far, while i was trying to be very quick. basically no problem - nothing at all. bought them @ cashback, multiple offers what not, dont regret buying btw, i am kind of interested in soundpeats h3 - looks dope, also interested in Air 5 Pro+ (when will it release) Sony WF-C710N - i got in very cheap price, with different promotional offers, haven't personally used sony linkbuds s , SoundPEATS Opera 05 , Soundcore Space A40, Sennheiser CX Plus - i would completely omit them from list for buying, coz u have much better 2024 , and recent year options

Bose quietcomfort 2024( bose somewhat budget version earbuds), has been  very good for me. I use it without the fin tips;  lifting weights, Microsoft teams meeting, grocery shopping - with like long battery life and multipoint 👍 it is in the top 6 anc earbuds list. 

I daily bose quietcomfort 2024  without the fin tips, sound stage before and after setting the  eq  is equally awesome. Top ten best earbud anc ever. Only twice experienced connectivity issues, when I took buds out too quickly to wear, like it didn't register I took the buds out of the case. Only twice it happened. Coming from Samsung buds 2 Pro, SMTW 3, Sony wfc710n, this is the best earbuds I have used. I really get so sound details in movie watching, music listening 

I use bose quietcomfort 2024 without the fin tips. Top ten best anc ever. I haven't experienced annoyingly connectivity issues  https://www.soundguys.com/bose-quietcomfort-earbuds-2024-review-124327/

I use bose quietcomfort 2024 without the fin tips. Top ten best anc ever. I haven't experienced annoyingly connectivity issues. Good battery life. I go on hour long brisk walks with them. While Cooking,  lifting weights OK for me. They got cool features like I take out earbuds to talk to security, cashier,  they auto pause music movies vidoes, then I put earbuds back in they auto plays, I don't have touch my android for this, pretty practical and useful. https://www.soundguys.com/bose-quietcomfort-earbuds-2024-review-124327/ Nothing ear 2024 and beats studio buds , I would omit them from the list of choices 

I bought these for 118 usd on discount. I previously tried the AZ 80s that cosy twice as much, but I really didn’t get the hype at all. The volume was really not loud enough and the ANC was almost non existent for me (maybe i was doing something wrong). these bose are so much better.

I’m having issues getting them to connect to my Mac.

Yes. Hold down on the earbud and it’ll say ready to pair. Annoying but takes some troubleshooting

Bose QC ultra is best, Bose 2024 is a close 2nd place, JBL Tour Pro 3s with foam tips feel pretty close behind the Bose QC 2024s

I own both pairs and I would say the noise cancelling is the same, but the transparency mode is better on the quietcomfort 2024 over the ultras. I love these things!

I own both and find that the Bose have far superior sound to the beats fit pro. And sound is my most important thing

I made a post about them [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/Earbuds/comments/1fpzbrf/for_anyone_wondering_about_the_bose_earbuds_2024/) Yes, they still have connection issues similar to their predecessors. Similar to other people, I thought that having to download a separate app for them was stupid, but I actually would have been okay with it if the app was well made but that's just not the case. Used for a month on both iPhone and Android before returning

I never tried to use them without first pairing them, and that goes for every pair of earbuds I've used. >Used for a month on both iPhone and Android before returning I don't have any updates on these earbuds anymore. Bose still has a long way to go before they catch up to the likes of Technics, Nothing Ear, or the other high end brands

Hi - as you were so helpful, I thought I'd let you know, I actually returned the open box ultra's. I was fine with them and resorted to using them for work calls and normal life but not jogs but their bluetooth was just bad. too many connection issues and wasn't great for work because you don't want to start every call with "can you hear me". anyway i did get the Bose QC 2024's and I did a short jog. They had a much much less pronounced thump AND you can turn off ANC to completely make it go. so these don't have that issue. thanks so much for all your insight!

Ok sure, if you say so, comes down to personal preference I guess. I auditioned these between Bose QC 2024, Pixel Buds Pro and Sony WF-1000XM5 and I can't really tell the difference. The A40 actually fit my ears best and the size and build is on par with the Sony. The sound quality and ANC I can't tell the difference, certainly not enough to make me pay 4x as much. These days all earbuds are good. It's not like in the past where you went from cheap 2 dollar wired earpods to quality over ear headphones and you were blown away by the difference. Now the internal drivers and circuitry is all very cheap and all the same more or less. The ANC patents expired in 2020, meaning everyone has the same implementation now. The price difference these days is purely branding and marketing.

I have used Bose wireless for ~8 years now and my opinion is that they have finally gotten the connectivity right to the point it works consistently. The fit of the QCE is excellent. One thing I did notice is that one would have to connect it directly to the phone’s Bluetooth before the app picks it up. Smooth sailing otherwise, and have had no issues with multi point connectivity. Edit: Phrasing

I’m still evaluating the Method 360 ANC. I’ll provide more info soon. I’m very pleased with the sound quality and comfort. Those are the biggest qualities I want in earbuds. Everyone wants to compare them to the Bose QC Ultras, but realistically they are likely based on the less expensive, but still excellent Bose QC 2024 earbuds. (I’d post pictures if I could. Let me know if there is a way.) Externally, the resemblance to the Ultras is strong, but the business side (microphones and charging points) are identical to the QC 2024 earbuds. They even have the same irritating issue of the stability bands coming loose when I take them out of my ears. For some reason, that has never happened once with my Ultras. Also, the app is identical to the QC 2024 which is not the same as the Ultras. I think the QC 2024 earbuds indeed have excellent sound, comfort and ANC. Just not as feature rich as the Ultras. But you can trigger a picture on your phone if that works for you. Skullcandy has a reputation for loudness, but these (and the Bose) don’t hold a candle to my B&W Pi6/8s. Those are the loudest earbuds I’ve ever heard.

I bought these last November when they were discounted to around $120. I had read many negative stories about the older Bose QC and the QC Ultra earbuds before but couldn't resist at that price, despite owning the AirPods Pro 2, the Technics AZ80 and the Huawei FreeClip already at the time. I was pleasantly surprised by how solidly they performed: Relatively good sound quality, solid ANC and ambient mode, decent mic quality and comfortable fit. The charging case also has Qi wireless charging. The only minor gripe I have about them is that sometimes when I take them out of the case and put them in my ears, one (usually the right-side) of them might not be connected properly and I have to put that one into the case and take it out again to fix it. I don't know if this is something that could be fixed via future firmware updates. I've also read about the issue that if you wear them while lying in bed they will turn off automatically after a while but I've never used them that way so I can't verify that.

Nice write up. Had both of these but will say the Bose QC Buds 2024 is better than both. Stellar sound (after EQ), amazing ANC and transparency mode, 8.5hr battery, excellent controls and superb fit and comfort.

Bose QC Buds 2024. Better than most, if not all earphones costing more than $300. And, this isn’t my opinion, I have measurements to back my statements.

OnePlus Buds 4 or Bose QCE. And this is coming from someone who has tried earbuds $300+

ANC is the same really. It is incredibly effective. No swipe for volume controls, just taps. But I have the controls setup in a way where I can do everything I need as long as I am wearing both earbuds. I did not like with the JBL Tour Pro 3 where you can only choose between a group of preselected commands.

As someone who is willing to pay any amount for the absolute best overall performance from a earphone, it's astonishing that I think I may have found it in a pair that's currently on sale for $149.99 and normally retails for $179.99... I've had countless Bose products and for the most part, they have been mediocre to great. But their earphones have usually gave me some issue with the software. Also, it was comical how they were one of the last companies to have earphones capable of independent earbud use or even multipoint. The QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds still don't even have wireless charging unless you purchase an aftermarket case. Ridiculous... Anyways, enter their latest iteration of the QuietComfort earbud lineup... These earbuds were something that I acknowledged but never really paid any really attention to. I figured these would just be a downgraded option than that of the QuietComfort Ultra earbuds and I didn't quite fully like the Ultra's. So why bother, right? Well... Let's start with the sound. Out of the box, they sound like typical recent Bose offerings. Excessive bass and treble which causes the midrange to sound scooped and pushed back in the mix. This can give the illusion of depth and result in a more "energetic" mix, but I don't like it. Vocals and the foundation notes of instruments sound too weak in relation to how it should actually sound. Thankfully, there's a 5 band EQ versus the 3 bands found in the QuietComfort Ultra. So I went to work and was able to tweak the sound to something I can safely say is enjoyable, yet not too far from accurate. After EQ, these to me sound very, very clear and rich. Bass extends deep with tight control and doesn't overshadow the mids anymore. Midrange has excellent timbre and everything sounds as it should. The treble is slightly a bit too spicy at times, but overall it's very clear and well extended leading to excellent sense of presence and air. It's so easy to pick up subtle nuances in the mix which can also be due to the excellent ANC which I will get to soon. Also, there's no perceivable distortion or compression in the audio which were major issues I found with the Technics AZ100 and Jabra Elite 8 Active Gen 2. Comfort and fit is typical of Bose earbuds for me and that is excellent. They fit snugly with no discomfort even after hours of use and never budge or fall out. No complaints. ANC is excellent. About on par with the QuietComfort Ultra which is considered top tier in the category. It's fun to just toggle on and off the ANC and experience how the world just literally mutes. No white noise hiss, just pure silence. No complaints. Transparency mode is very clear. A bit muted in the treble along with the slightest faint hiss when in the quietest of environments, but it's honestly me nitpicking at this point. Close to no complaints. Battery is stellar at around 8.5hrs, but I was about to go for a little over 9hrs. Easily lasts the whole day at the office for me. The controls are great. You have the ability to map a single tap, double tap, triple tap or tap and hold for either earbud to a wide range of commands. You can mute during a call as well. Just wish you could adjust the ambient controls and volume while on a call so that's where they fall just shy of being excellent in this regard. My favorite controls of any earbud is still the AirPods Pro 2. Unique features these have is an always listening voice control assistant that allows you to make commands which is cool. So this makes them more brand agnostic for those who want an always listening voice assistant but use different devices. There's also a remote selfie option that I honestly couldn't care less about. And last, is the call quality. The mics are great and reject a good amount of background noise allowing your voice to come thru clearly in moderate to semi loud environments. Overall, these are my new favorite overall wireless earphones surpassing the JBL Tour Pro 3. Highly recommended!

I have the QC (2024) and they fit but it has to be the right twisting because I’ve had many times where it pops back out of my ear because I didn’t tuck the wing in- also struggling to find good earbuds for my small ears and iPhone :( seems to have good android options either way Google/samsung

Im currently using bose qc earbuds 2024. Amazing anc and surprisingly amazing transparency too. It's cheap and it's all i need. Only anc but i cant see any difference from my cable iem with flac audio file. And i have wavelet too.

The new Bose QC earbuds; the ones that came out this year. The battery life is long enough to surpass an 8-hour workday, and you don't need to mask with sound to block unwanted noise. The Ultras are awesome, but their battery doesn't last as long and it has a lot of premium stuff that I just don't find myself using much for office work. The misses actually gets a little annoyed sometimes because she's trying to get my attention and I can't hear her. That's because I didn't realize I still had the buds on even though I finished work! I have to warn you though that the shape is different from most Bose units in the past. It's a bit top-heavy like the newer Sony's, so there will be more contact on the upper part of your ear to keep the buds stable. This can be problematic depending on the shape of your ear. Personally, I get a bit of irritation putting them on at first, but after a while, it goes away.

This year's version has a more rounded-looking shape. The case looks more like the clamshell from the original QC earbuds instead of the AirPod-looking ones on the Ultra. The label just says "Quiet Comfort Earbuds" and they cost $179. You could knock it down to $170 if you have an account with Bose and they give you a 10% code.

I've had the QCEs (basically miniature 1000XM5) for a couple of weeks. When they're working, they are awesome; everything I like about the Ultras (which my wife has) without all the frills that I don't really care for: immersive audio, tunable ANC, software tricks, et al. Sound is great, ANC is basically as good as the Ultras, I can wear them for hours, and they indeed last more than 8 hours on battery WITH ANC ON THE WHOLE TIME! Wow. Right now, I've had them on for 4 hours listening to an audiobook with ANC on. My work day is half over and I still have 70% battery. My Airpods Pro 2 would be almost out of juice at this point. It's just right for me in every way except for connectivity. The app has a hard time recognizing them. Not much of a problem since you don't need the app to pair. What really sucks is that they automatically turn off after about 20 minutes. This only happens when I'm lying down. If I'm doing anything else, e.g. sitting, working at my desk, walking, running, they run for hours. But once I lie down during my break, while taking a nap, or when I want to sleep and my neighbor is being loud, they turn themselves off. It doesn't matter if I'm playing something or if I'm connected to my device. I wake up and find them disconnected, turned off, and with 100% battery. There doesn't seem to be a way to disable this. Sometimes, when it connects to the app, it says something about "turning off battery optimization," but I can't find that option anywhere on the app.

I returned the buds about 3 weeks ago. As of that time, the issue was not fixed. Their explanation was the following: "Earbuds might not be in the ear enough, so use a smaller tip. The buds rely on a sensor that detects insertion to the ear. If the sensor doesn't detect that, they automatically turn off after 15 minutes." This is not feasible for me since the buds fall off my ears even with the stability wings and the smaller tips do not establish a good seal.

I do! I’ve had them for the last month (sneak peak reviewer) and they’ve been great for running. “Aware” mode actually works well & they stay put. They come with 2 adjustable bands so I had to play around some with the sizing but I got it dialed in. I’ve been very, very happy with these. 

I concur with your assessment; I possess 2x Ultra earbuds, Qc 2024 earbuds, Ultra headphones, and Qc headphones. I enjoy the audio, comfort, and design, but the application is awful. I also have 7 other earbuds, but my top choice is FiiO Fw5 (no ANC, chosen for sound). The FiiO app is significantly inferior, plus they produce some crackling noise; however, the sound quality is incredible. Additionally, Melomania M100 offers fantastic sound, decent ANC, and transparency, great comfort, and excellent battery life, with a working app. Sony offers decent active noise cancellation and okay audio quality, but the battery in the earbuds is poor; it's best to avoid Sony. I evaluated AZ100 and Gemini 2; they sound good, but I wasn't impressed otherwise. I believe their prices are too high. AZ80 offers better vocals, which I find clearer. This is just my perspective; don't trust all that you hear. People quickly become attached to brands and tend to exaggerate. Comfort and sound are subjective. If you desire active noise cancellation and good sound, consider Bose. However, if you're looking for affordability in earbuds, the Cambridge M100 will impress you with its sound, comfort, and incredible battery life.

https://preview.redd.it/1cfy4dxuayje1.jpeg?width=1600&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=94888ef0cb61dfca55dc87a6c6272498231830b4 I purchased them yesterday and they have interruptions. I own Sony wf-1000xm5, Cambridge M100, Fiio Fw5—about 20 earbuds—and Headphone Bose QC Ultra and Bose Ultra earbuds have no issues at all, only with this QC 2024 model I am experiencing problems. I found on Google that many others have the same issues. I believe the app or multi-point is causing the problems.

I sent it back after one week of usage Unfortunately, the product is disastrous in terms of reliability. My main goal was top anc and good call quality with sidetone/hearthrough due to having a lot of calls talking in an open office and home office with kids around ( so I wanted to cancel the noises but hear myself as I hate the feeling of hearing myself while using anc ) and also due to gym usage. And some music of course. I wanted to love this as I loved the ultra except for calls… which was the reason I sent it back. ( I could have forgive no multipoint back then ) I liked the product when it worked… top anc ( still weaker than the ultra as I felt it ), good sound, acceptable calls, multipoint, comfort.. ( still the ultra is an inch better ) Problems I had using with my iphone 14 1 - randomly it doesn’t recognize that you take it out of the case, - it doesn’t connect 2 - random crackling noises - often in multipoint mode 3 - the right earbuds touch control does not react - sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t 4 - voice control often doesn’t hear what I say - it does two instructions, then nothing 5 - the earbud still connects to the phone while it is back in the case… this is unacceptable for the peice and generally

i like the product nothing comes close for quality and handling bose qc u and sony xm5 and sennheiser m4 are toys comparedto it but i cannot even walk in them i hear my own footsteps bumping back when perdorming calls and going around yes-with transp mode anyone else experiencing the same? with re pro2 vs max anc for cutting out voices is weak on the pro vs the max or for ex compared to bose qc u earbud but-you can still have a call with airpodspro with anc on and your voice comes in well with the max you nees to go transparency but than office talks and kids while at home offices is not reduced with anc on the max i cannot bear talking

Just recently I also bought Bose QuietComfort Earbuds (2024) and I couldn't be happier. Awesome sound and amazing, amazing, amazing ANC performance for earbuds! and the comfort..maaan..Default size out of the box fits and feels amazing (size 1 wing, M-size eartip). They were off 20% on [amazon.de](http://amazon.de) and I was hesitant to buy them first with quite many users complaining on connectivity and what-not, but with latest update installed, I haven't had a single issue with them with the heaviest of testing. Before buying these I had bought Sony LinkBuds Fit as replacement for my broken Beats Fit Pro (wing tip broke after like 1.5\~ year of usage for the second time actually..had the same issue with other Beats Fit Pro), which I really like in terms of comfort and sound, but they (Sony LinkBuds Fit) are not even close in ANC performance vs these (Bose QuietComfort Earbuds (2024)) Don't get me wrong, the ANC on Sony LinkBuds Fit is also good, but its different and it depends if you prefer such type of ANC. I, for ANC, prefer the approach Bose takes, blocking out pretty much all frequencies.

I bought them. The ANC is great, imo much better than the over ear headset, even though I read it should be opposite. I don't find them comfortable at all, though. Way too big for my ears. There's an alternative fit kit with smaller ear lips and stability bands, and it seems fairly easy to get from the US but it's a pain from Europe (I haven't succeeded yet)

The sound is good, but I think mostly just louder. I switched back and forward, and adjusting for volume, there's not much in it. Not worth paying 3 to 4 times as much for sure. They also have terrible build quality. The case is massive, cheap, and rattles. And the buds have a lot of nooks and places where gunk, sweat, dust etc will build up. It's really a terrible design.

Connectivity on these is terrible!

I have the Bose QuietComfort Gen 2 and I would happily recommend them. Great sound, strong anc, good mic and call quality, and has long battery life. They’re also not that pricey only costs around 180 USD I think.

I like bose qc earbuds wayyy better in terms of sound. Especially the sound

I jus order em, should I go with samsung buds 3 pro? I didn't like the buds 3 pro sound tbh. Felt very stale after hearing our bose qc 2nd gen

Should I still stick with qc ? I'll be using em mostly for commute and gym not for sleeping

Should I still stick with qc ? I'll be using em mostly for commute and gym not for sleeping

I tried Bose QC 2nd gens and gave up after 24 hours because they had so many connectivity and touch control issues. So disappointing.

That's a loaded question. Cost focused options (no order)  1. Earfun Air pro 4 ( 50 hours total in battery with over 8 per listening charge, very rich sound, comfort is just like all airpods like shaped earphone, good ANC, good phone call quality and under $100. 2. Bose 2nd Gen QC with over 10 per charge, greatest ANC, amazing hear thru, good phone call quality, and good sound, good fit under $180 3. Denon perl pro.. Will get you at least 5 hours of battery life, decent ANC, decent phone call quality, but the best sound quality under $250, could argue higher. Under $180 If you don't care about prices.  1. Az100 easily!  Beast battery life, good comfort, nice ANC, good hear thru, one of very best timbre, mid range, and bass quality out there. A very nice phone quality with the best ANC phone call noise block ever seen in the world. 3 device connection,. Amazing app and pen point touch control that can customized.. $299 one of the world's greatest dependable, zero problem devices in Bluetooth.  2. Noble Rex5... One of the best complete range audio experience you can get. Comfort a little on the chucky side but still nice for me, ANC is OK, hear thru is OK, but the phone call quality is one of the very best. ...can be a little tricky to get the perfect sound for some people due to the 3 level EQ system. You have to know what you are doing to get the best. But once you do... Its hard to beat it's sound $449  Honorable mention:  3. PI8'S.. They are Kryptonite and the sun at the same time. I would suggest this hands down as the best period in sound and comfort. But because they have horrible ANC and bad phone call quality I don't think this fits your list. But if just sound and comfort.. They are "inevitable"! Oh.. They have a battery drainage issue if you don't used them regularly they drain every day of none use. But omg, I can't stop picking them up to listen to my music. 

Don't go with Bose QE. Very comfortable but don't hold up - especially with sweating while working out.  

For Bose, Your *hair* can cause these issues. Their customer service well actually ask you if your hair was near your ears! I wish I was joking... And then the ANC will start toggling itself between,   *Quiet,Aware,Immersion* repeatedly, the stupid voice saying it over, and over again until you put then back into the case to reset them. If you're home that's fine, but if you're in the middle of a 2-hour workout and nowhere near the case you're done. So you have to take them off, stick them in your pocket until you can get back to the car.  They and their customer service are freaking useless.

Not Bose. Will have connectivity issues and you will be trouble shooting them more and more often with time.  Customer service non existent.  

Check this website, brother. I got my Bose QuietComfort from there. There are several reviews for each model to help you decide: [https://techboltreviews.blogspot.com/2024/10/no-wires-no-worries-best-wireless.html](https://techboltreviews.blogspot.com/2024/10/no-wires-no-worries-best-wireless.html) Great for gaming but also works when I'm jogging since it doesn't fallout like the cheaper ones I tried before.

Check this website, brother. I got my Bose QuietComfort from there. There are several reviews for each model to help you decide: [https://techboltreviews.blogspot.com/2024/10/no-wires-no-worries-best-wireless.html](https://techboltreviews.blogspot.com/2024/10/no-wires-no-worries-best-wireless.html)

Yeah they suck and I’ve used AirPods, Marley’s, Sony, these are the wort wireless earbuds I’ve ever used. Drop out every 10-15 minuets, drop out when bending of turning my head even though my phone is beside me or on my person, which when you have sweat, or cleaning products, or general cooking mess on your hands is very tedious. Would highly NOT recommend spending money on these.

This persons experience may be different. I’ve had them for a month or two. Mine regularly drop out, once during a workout disconnected for no reasons and would reconnect until I got home and put them in case (still had charge, put them straight from case back into me ears had well above 50%) When I wear them to clean/cook/workout, phone no more than a metre from me or in pocket, they drop connection every 5-10minutes for no reason. Press them how you’d stop music/pick up end call etc and it reconnects, occasionally have to touch phone to have them reconnect. This of course is very tedious when hands are covered in meat juice or similar, sweaty from working out, or covered in dust/cleaning products. Wish I just went with the AirPods again, these ear buds are trash when paired with iPhone. Sure maybe iPhones/Apples fault, I’m no loyalist, I’ve also paired Marley’s, and Sony ear buds with this phone no issue, it’s only the Bose Quiet Comfort that do this.

i will say i’ve had 0 issues with bose’s new qc (the $180 pair) connectivity wise, at least with the Qc 2’s i had they had sooo many issues, so newer bose has those issues mostly ironed out, that being said i would expect little issues with the method 360 connection wise!

For comfort and noise cancellation, Bose QuietComfort Earbuds 2 are hard to beat

I cycle daily outdoors for cardio and hit the gym 3x per week. I use Bose Quietcomfor2 earbuds (same exact design as the Bose QuietComfort Ultra earbuds). They've been used and abused daily for two years without issues - I've even biked through rainstorms without killing them!

Lol yeah for years I wore the Bose Quietcomfort earbuds for my gym and cardio needs (hour on a bicycle daily outdoors for cardio and hour in the gym every other day) because they lock into the ear quite comfortably and have amazing ANC. But then I discovered open ear earclip style earbuds and they've changed how I use earbuds (wearing them literally all day long now lol). But yeah aside from comfort, they have never once fallen out of my ears regardless of how rigorous or sweaty I get haha.

>get a cheaper set (of ideally open-ear style buds) for the gym and another set for everything else. Sweat-congealed earwax is the biggest killer for TWS Funny, I cycle daily and lift in the gym every other day - so my earbuds get at least 10 hours weekly of use/abuse while sweating like crazy and my Bose QC earbuds have been going strong for years. Wax has never been an issue for me. From what I've seen this varies greatly from person to person - not all eardrums are shaped the same way and trap wax the same way. For some people they have massive ear wax issues for TWS earbuds regardless what they do (exercising or not) and others like myself have minimal issues (in fact the worst issue I have is oils from my skin building up on the rubber earbud tips and wingtips - it's as simple as dropping in my ultrasonic jewelry cleaner every few months to keep them clean so they stay put in my ears better)

>premium earbuds >sub 300 dollar pair of earbuds Lol, oh. I think you're going to get a ton of different answers. My definition of Premium earbuds these days for top sound quality and noise cancelling would go to earbuds above the $300 mark. But I also consume 7-8 hours of music daily so I spend a lot more money on speakers/headphones/earbuds than I do on televisions haha (I still have an old samsung 1080p TV - haven't even upgraded to a 4k yet!) I was going to suggest something like the Bang & Olufsen Beoplay Ex earbuds which you can currently buy for about HALF the original MSRP. They have some top-rated sound quality, but the biggest issue about them was always the noise cancelling. If someone is paying $500 for earbuds, they expect good ANC in addition to good sound quality, and they were mediocre. B&O's new Eleven earbuds fix that complaint, but those are crazy expensive. So the Beoplay EX at $250 is a great deal if you only prioritize sound quality. But given that you want both, I still think my personal suggestion would be to get the Bose QuietComfort Ultra (or save money and buy the Bose Quietcomfort 2 earbuds new in box on ebay - they're basically the same thing minus AptX-Adaptive and immersion modes)

I'd be looking at the Bose Quietcomfort earbuds or Bose Ultra Open-Ear earbuds. Both have unique designs for fitting into the ears. I use the quietcomfort2 earbuds for cycling and working out - the rubber wingtips can be customized to fit your ears so they lock in to place. They even sell extra small / extra large wingtips/earbud tips if your ears are too far out of normal spec. The Ultra open earbuds have a unique clip that hooks onto the earlobe

I have spoken to someone who has a LOT of earbuds including the QC2 and QC-Ultra and said they prefer the QC2 - to the point where they were planning to sell their QC-Ultra. As far as ANC goes, you can't get any better. The hardest part is experimenting with different wingtips to find the right size for your ears. After two years I actually just swapped out my medium size wingtips for large and found they fit better than expected (sealing off more of the outside noise to make an even better noise cancelling effect). Since I wear my earbuds for cardio and exercise, I won't buy any earbuds that don't have wingtips to help lock into the ears

Lol, well I don't know of any earbuds that waterproof. But I have certainly biked through some nasty rainstorms where my Bose QC-Ultra earbuds and myself got drenched without any issues, but I would be concerned about dropping them in a toilet (for many reasons) My vote would still be the bose QC2 for $148 on eBay - the wingtips help lock the earbuds into the eardrums Also, keep in mind that you can often find aftermarket earbud tips with the 'wingtips' attachment that helps lock into the ears (similar to the original bose StayHear earbud tips from their old original Bose quietcomfort earbuds from four years ago) Otherwise I have yet to find a comfortable earbud that looks as good as the Quietcomfort earbuds and has wingtips to lock into my ears which also comes from a reputable company. Depending on sound quality, have you ever considered the Bose Quietcomfort Ultra Open earbuds? These clip onto your ears in a very unique way, they have ANC and good enough sound quality, but you would still hear the world around you as you're working. That might be a better option - they aren't as popular as the standard bose quietcomfort earbuds so they are often sold at discount online.

Bang & Olufsen Eleven would be high on my list >and Bose's have connectivity issues (more WTF) Bose's antenna is not the strongest. As such it tends to get more signal interference. In my rural area I notice a signal hopping issue rarely when a bus drives past full of people or when I ride past an apartment. But otherwise I use mine daily and encounter a connectivity issue where the music lags or pauses for a second maybe once or twice a year. I've been using Bose Quietcomfort earbuds and never had a major issue with connectivity on android phones - I suspect most complaints come from people in congested areas like cities where are countless bluetooth signals and other radio interference nearby. And of course, you'll get complaints from people who are running the AptX-adaptive codec, not understanding that the only way to get highest fidelity is very close line of sight transmission (IE 3 feet away on a desk nearby with direct line of sight to your earbuds)

So it depends on your needs - for many years I wanted nothing but pure ANC and good sound quality. For flying and when I want to 'turn off' the world, my Bose Quietcomfort earbuds have been solid. But Bose has a signature sound that some people don't like - however Bose is more focused on ANC over sound quality (and call quality in my opinion lol). For overall performers, I'd say you can scoop up a set of Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4 for a fair price these days if ANC and Sound quality are important on a budget. But lately I find myself reaching for open-ear earclip style earbuds for my everyday consumption needs. I can turn the music down to moderate levels and go about my work day while still hearing and interacting with the world. Transparency mode on ANC earbuds is nice, but not something I liked using for everyday wear. With my ANC earbuds, they get hot and sweaty after 4-5 hours of wearing. But with open-ear clip style earbuds, I can go 7+ hours every day without any discomfort (the only annoyance is when the battery runs out after 6-7 hours lol)

I have a set of Bose Quietcomforts I bought direct from Bose in 2020. They were the first TWS earbuds on the market from Bose, and they still hold a solid charge lasting several hours (just tested them extensively before selling them on ebay recently to confirm they were fully functional). The reality is that cheaper earbuds use cheaper components. Those lower grade batteries are the issue, not the form factor. Plus it also depends on how you use the earbuds. Someone who uses them a few times a week is going to have a different experience from someone who leaves them in a drawer for months at a time because the earbuds are in standby mode waiting to turn back on - this slowly drains the batteries, eventually deep-cycling them (which does major damage to the battery).

Currently using (and loving) Pixel Buds Pro 2. Been through all the Pixel buds and these are the best (no surprise). Around the house I'm usually using in Transparent mode (wife likes me to be able to hear her for some reason). I also have a pair of Bose Quiet Comfort 2 buds that work a little better for me on buses and airplanes. Shape of the ear, I guess, that these give me a better seal. But I prefer the lighter touch (and couple extra features with my P9PF) with the Pixel Buds.

I have the QC Buds 2 and to be honest they're amazing but I have had issues with connectivity. Sometime they'll decide to just not connect at all. I have unpair and repair them. Also the QC Buds 2 dont have wireless charging. Only the Ultra's do. And lastly the rubber wing moves out of place sometimes.

Bose Quiet comfort Earbuds or even better NC choose the QC2s. I have them and you can get them (1st vers) from $99-$129) Chk ebay and QVC for pay in 4-6 MO plans!

I have tried the latest AirPods Pro 2, the Bose QuietComfort 2, and the Sony WF-1000XM4, and now I have just bought the Bose QuietComfort Ultra. I have an Android phone and move a lot when listening, like cycling and working physically. The Sony headphones did not fit properly, and I lost one pair, so I bought a new one. They have good sound, but the noise cancelling is not overwhelming. However, what bothered me the most were the buds, which disintegrated, were difficult to clean, and did not fit very well in my ear. Maybe the ..5 are better? The Airpods fit very well in my ear. I like the desing and the way they glide into the case which is nice and smal. The noise canceling is as good as the from the Bose quietcomfort 2. Sound is good but still I like the sound of the Bose better. I liked my Bose 2 but the microfone stopped to work after 2 years of almost daily use in all weather. The only draw back was the quality during calls with noise around. Finally the Bose ultra. Which I think are amazing right now. They fit very well in my ears. I read a lot of reviews on them and I was not sure if they would fill my needs sound wise. On the other hand most of them were are year old. I updated the Bose earbuds at once. The sound is like always Bose, which I like best. The noise canceling is very, very good for being earbuds. Of course not yet as good as the Bose headphones but quite close. There was a lot of critic around the immersive sound. I listen a lot to audiobooks and it makes a big difference. I love the way they become more kind of a tale told in a room. Also for music it gives a feeling of space. I have tested the voice quality during calls, which is good, including moderate noise that worked very well. However, I have not tested it with heavy machine noise yet. So for me the Bose quietcomfort ultra were a good choice without major drawbacks beside the price.

PRO 3s are good. I also have the Bose Quite Comfort 2 and they both hold up. There is a really good deal on the Pro 3 on the samsung site I got mine for $100 with a trade in on my old buds live

I just replaced the batteries on my WF-1000XM4 and can't say enough good things about them. Comfortable, reliable, quiet and last year I used them a ton on my flight to and vacation in New Zealand. Thought about upgrading to the XM5's but figured I could do that if I failed to replace the batteries LOL. Thankfully battery replacement went great. I have an older set of the BOSE QuietComfort 2 ear buds as well that I need to replace batteries on. While they're not quite as good as the Sony buds I find them to be better gym earbuds because of sweat. The sound quality isn't even close though. Can't speak to the newest ones but they are good earbuds.

I use my Bose quiet comfort 2 earbuds. Put them on transparent mode and you can hear your surroundings just as well as bone condition but with great audio quality. Battery life isn’t long enough for ultras though, maybe get 4 hours out of them

I think Bose quiet comfort ultra are not great. I have those, Bose quiet comfort 1 Bose quiet comfort 2 Bose quiet comfort ultra AirPod pro 2 Sony wf1000xm5 Sennheiser momentum 4 buds If it’s the original Bose quiet comfort 1 I think they are great. Gen 1 had wireless charging, great noise cancelling, definitely the best iteration, I have had to replace all the parts on the ultra and gen 2. I use my AirPod pro 2 often cause they connect quick and work with the apple interface so well. My current favorite are the sennheiser right now

Everyones ears are shaped differently so I don't think there is an objective answer to this question, but I can give recommendations on what works for me. A lot of people like apple airpods but they hurt my ears within 10 minutes of wearing them, personally. I liked Bose earbuds for a long time but they have gotten more expensive, for a worse product in recent years. If you can find a second generation of their Quiet Comfort earbuds, they're pretty great, but still gonna be pretty pricey. The third generation cost about $300 and the quality is worse than the second gen. More recently I've found that I really love Altec Lansing Nanobuds. They're the same shape and level of comfort as the Bose earbuds, but they stay in my ear even better and they're waaaay cheaper. They're not quite as user friendly as the Bose are, as far as touch controls on the headphones themselves, but thats a small inconvenience for me. They also have a better battery life and cost about $60 as opposed to $150-$250 for the second gen Bose. Hope this helps. Good luck on your search for the perfect earbuds OP.

I had these before my Bose qc 2s. The Bose are better in sound and noise cancellation, but bulkier and have more pieces that can fail. After losing one of the rubber guards it took about two weeks for the plastic casing to separate. I missed having my galaxy buds, their fit was great for me but I lost them and replaced them with far less comfortable galaxy pro 2s My biggest issue with the Bose was size as I fall asleep with earbuds in frequently. Pixel buds pro 2 while having slightly less noise cancellation are great for that with their extremely small size.

I didn’t like the galaxy buds pro, they were uncomfortable. I’m happy with the pixels and keeping my Bose as a backup.

Yeah same. Total hit or miss with connectivity after app updates but it's flawless normally as long as they don't fuck with the app

I had poor connectivity and they did pop when I ran. I took back to Best Buy and tried ultras again, same issue. Not worth it for 300 bucks. I heard if u cancel the app the connectivity issue is resolved.   I then purchased the quiet comfort ones non ultra)  and they are perfect. Stay in ear nicely when running and connectivity is good. Sound quality is still great.

I have the Bose QuietComfort, sound quality is good (what is to be expected from Bose) though, while they do stay in my ears well, they are a bit uncomfortable. Connectivity is also a little shotty (they'll go in and out every once in a while). UPDATE: I purchased these on August 7th and as of today (the 18th) the right earbud is not connecting to the charging case. I'm going to see if I can swap them out for the QC IIs instead.

I’m having similar issues with the QC I buds. I have issues with connectivity as well (both with Bluetooth and with the charging case).

I have Pixel buds pro 2 and they have a bit of white noise in transparency but very little in ANC on and none when you turn off both modes (like non ANC buds). The white noise in transparency is quite high. It's a consequence of using microphones but Bose is not good with mic quality so I suspect it's because of the low quality mics. It was so high it was bothersome to me. I returned them. You can also hear it when ANC is on. With the QC buds, it's either transparency or ANC on there is no off mode. There is no setting to turn off the idle off time. I didn't have that do it, but some wanted to use for sleep and claimed it was an hour or 2 and they turned off.

The jbl definitely hits hard ( tp2). Haven't tried the 3, but early reviews seems like they're great sounding. Jabra doesn't hit hard, but they're still have good sound that people would enjoy.  Xm5 has the extra bass boost. I'd also say the bose qce have hard hitting bass. These aren't exactly feature packed though, as they don't have auracast, nor Bluetooth transmitters. (Or even wireless charging for the bose lol) All of these have excellent wear sensors.  I think we both have different definition of'best', which is fine. I think gemini ii is great, but the sennies, meh. I reckon the buds fe is the best valued. Excellent anc, transparency, mic, fit. You can also use a3rd party equaliser and make them sound better out of the box (not saying they beat other tws in this regard, but considering sound is subjective, you can tweak them to what you'd like). And for what was on sale at 99aud, that's value. 

I have buds 2 pro, airpod pro, and bose quiet comfort buds. Galaxy buds are good, not great. Anc is acceptable, transparency is a little tinny/echoey. My biggest complaint is that you can't use transparency with only one buds in which is my most common use since I wear them at work. Air pod pros were great. I used to have an iPhone so that's why I automatically went with them a couple years ago. Anc is great, transparency is very clear and can be used with just one bud. My complaint here was that they just didn't play well with my flip 6. I had weird times where the volume would spike or drop and I could never remember the stem controls for changing the modes. Bose quiet comfort buds (not the ultras) are my winner. No stem, though they do stick out a bit from the ear. Excellent anc and transparency that work with just one bud in. They stay in my ears better and have a really good app. The bass is just incredible compared to the others. It really blew me away at first. I also can't remember the last time I charged them. For them all being about the same price I'd go Bose 100%

Bose quietcomfort earbuds when the kids are around (nice ANC) and my ARTTI T10 when alone.

messed up trying to edit… continuing.. friend’s b&wpi6 and bose quiet comfort buds. given the soundcore custom eq ability, the lib 3 pros were equally as good as the technics, momentums and sony. the b&w might have been slightly better but i was not able to test them as rigorously. I have not had a chance to get the soundcore liberty 4 pros, but from reviews and my experience thus far, i would strongly consider them. the fit will be better than lib 3pros and the anc is stated to be better.

I have had a pair of these for about 4 months and they are having issues staying connected to Bluetooth... i was just thinking yesterday about sending them back

Is this why I hate the Bose QCs😭😂 I just don’t like how they sound. Feels muddy to me in every way possible, and the things I want to hear I can’t. Even the Sony cm4s but they are at least better than the bose. My search for better wired earbuds led me here 😂

If your priority is noise cancelling, get the Bose quitecomfort buds

> Great noise cancellation that's good cuz the max volume is a joke on those

I've used both and I can't say either are great. \-The ANC of the Bose are way above the Sony. I can work in a woodshop with the bose as hearing protection, but need additional over ear muffs with the Sony. \-The connectivity of the Sony is better, it pairs to two devices and is more consistent. The older the Bose gets, the worse the connectivity. It manifests itself as taking longer to pair or having to reset the bluetooth connection. It gets really annoying. \-I'm no audiophile but enjoy good sound and enjoy listening to both \-Bose stays in my ears MUCH better than sony. I even tried Spinfits and the Comply tips.

ANC is good, but QC buds break too easily. Switched to Sony XM5 much better.

I cannot stress this enough, do not get the Bose QC earbuds. They are notorious for not connecting, not syncing, and stopping working altogether. Do a simple search for troubleshooting on this reddit and you’ll see hundreds of people with the same issues regarding buds not syncing, not connecting, stopping working after only a few weeks. Trust me on this.

In terms of sound and ANC they are fantastic. But for running I prefer the QCE

I think they use the same fin structure. I have the opposite issue, the L is not big enough, so I bought the alternate sizing kit for the Ultra, which comes with XS and XL (XS might help you) and they fit not only the ultra but also the new 2024 (and cheaper) QCE

Bose quiet comfort Ultra or non Ultra either is good on long haul flights

Bose quiet comfort!  I hate headphones because they all hurt my ears, but these are so comfy and have great noise canceling. I also have the quiet comfort bose earbuds, and they're amazing too, just with the occasional connectivity issue. I can't wear the over the head ones at the office, and its uncomfortable to lay on my side while wearing them at home, and so that's where my earbuds come in

Noise canceling and sound quality are your priorities? Bose no question.

Bose QC are not for those who sweat a lot by the way. They’ll fall out of your ear and the modes will switch and songs get skipped.

Hey so just so you know if you sweat a lot these aren’t the earbuds to buy. Sweat will change the settings and skip songs and switch modes, and they will fall out of your ears.

Enjoy your Bose quiet comforts. I'm about q month into mine and don't use my Sennheiser 2s at all anymore

I've had my bose QC for...6 years now. Still perfect

ANC is amazing on the Bose. I have them

Hi I’m considering buying someone new headphones. After the issue i am having with my current Bose quiet comforts. That I’ve had less than a year. I got them back in October. My issue is that whenever im outside the audio cuts out or glitches. Most of the time this is on the aware mode. But i realized the other day that it happens on noise cancellation aswell. Less often but still happens. It’ll cut out with the slightest noise ( like the wind is barely blowing or a car drive by) I’m not even in that noisy of an environment. For example a single car will go by like every 10 minutes or so. They seem to work mostly fine indoors though. Just getting fed up with the audio cutting out for a second or 2. I’ve had some Sony link buds s before that did pretty much the same thing. So please what are some of your recommendations? They would need to at least be able to play a podcast or music for 4hours without a break.

I've been using Bose QuietComfort earbuds for a few years now. No complaints. Punchy base, solid sound cancellation, comfortable enough for extended use (I use these on intercontinental flights), audio quality is good enough for gaming. Mic is apparently a bit tinny according to my friendsbut honestly, that's the only issue I've seen so far.

Unfortunately nothing in the $100 range is going to be in the "best ANC" category. The best ANC is made by Bose, but their flagship earbuds (QuietComfort Ultra) are around $300. Their predecessor, the Bose QuietComfort II, have ANC that's just as good or at least very close. You might be able to find a used or refurbished pair on eBay or Amazon for $120-150. Similarly, Bose's new model (just called QuietComfort without the ultra or a number or anything) has very good Bose ANC and sells new for $179, so you might find a used/refurbished pair in the $120-150 range. Probably not as low as $100 though. If your priority is the best ANC possible, all of these will be *significantly* better for ANC than anything in the $100 range, so you might find it worthwhile to stretch your budget if you're able. You can probably get closer to the $100 range with a used/refurbished pair of Sony LinkBuds S or Samsung Galaxy Buds2 Pro. They won't be Bose level ANC but they're probably the best ANC you can get around $100. If you don't want to go the used/refurbished route, the Soundcore and Earfun options that others have mentioned have pretty good ANC, especially for the price. They won't be nearly as good as the Bose ANC. I think the ANC will be a bit less effective than the used Linkbuds S and Galaxy buds I mentioned, but I don't own those anymore so I can't compare them directly.

I returned them because the ANC/transparency can not be turned off. Battery life is lacking and no wireless charging I opted for the cheaper quiet comfort earbuds and they do everything I can ask for including just using them as headphones without any other processing of outside noise for over 100$ cheaper.

I literally just returned a pair of Bose QCEs and am keeping a pair of Tozo NC9s. The Bose has really good noise cancelling but a sensor that put them to sleep if you stop moving….. so if you fell asleep in them, they wake you up. The Tozos have good ANC but not Bose good. They’re half the size though. They last a full night on low volume and aren’t dead but are getting low. The Bose lasted PROBABLY 12 hours, so a bit more but not worth getting woken up when I passed out. As for sound quality, I can tell big jumps between garbage and great but I have loud noise hearing damage and was never an audiophile. The Tozos are good for me and they have an eq in the app. They have a PILE of Amazon reviews and a good app, they have to be doing something sketchy to be so good AND cheap.

When I want to be left truly alone but can change the settings to hear around me - Bose quiet comfort ear buds. But otherwise, shokz for long runs and races. It's really incredible how common Shokz have become and the sound quality on the new ones is insane. KEEP IN MIND there are TWO head sizes. If you have a smaller head like me - get the mini. There's an option on the page for which one and it shows the length so you can see the difference

Bose, all the way. Nothing is aesthetically good, but some report (including myself and one of my nephew) complaining about build quality, the glue on the buds just giving up and it opens

I love mine, I've got a set of Bose quite comfort...

Bose quietcomfort ear buds & I rate them hard!!!

I gave the QC Bose a try recently, and they've held up well during my gym sessions. The sound quality and secure fit really made a difference compared to my previous pair that started crackling.

I am also in the current predicament as well. When I had an iPhone 13, I had the air pod pro (gen 2) and honestly, I miss them after everything I've dealt with. Before I switched to Android I got the Bose Comfort Quite ear buds and loved them, but not even into a full year of owning them did they start to mess up. I sent them in and got replacements thinking I wouldn't have the same issue again, but here I am THREE MONTHS later and the issue is starting a new. I got the Galaxy Buds Pro 3 to test them out and honestly I'm not the biggest fan, to me they seem like a cheaper version of the air pods and I'd rather have the air pods. The fit is terrible and as a music lover, the sound quality is subpar, especially compared to my bose. So, I will be retuning them and I'm looking into getting a pair of the Jabra Elite 10, hopefully I get the gen 2 but there isn't much to diverse which posting is for which on Amazon. Most of what was listed off on this post has some sort of return warning on Amazon, the only ones that didn't were the Jabra Elite 10 (gen 2) and the Linkbuds S.

Ive always used bose sport or the quiet comforts because of how they fit. My old pair of sports are going on about 6-7 years but barely hold a charge. They are my backups, while one of my 3 year old quiet comforts just stopped working completely. I bought the Jlab ANC sport earbuds and they have been excellent. 1/3rd the price of Bose and honestly sound better IMO. the jlab app is nice and the be aware mode is great for running or activities when you're around others.

Bose quiet comfort. Whether it’s the over the ear or the ear buds, they are worth the price. Superior in both sound quality and noise cancellation. Though I would say no headphone will be BIFL, but Bose makes a high quality product. One more thing, the lower/middle tier ANC ear buds are great, no need to get the most expensive ones.

Not long ago, my Bose QuietComfort earbuds finally gave out, and it was a real disappointment. They had been my go-to for everything—commutes, work, and even just relaxing walks. With medical and other expenses piling up, replacing them with something high-end just isn’t in the cards right now. So, I started looking for something more affordable to get me through, and I found two solid options. EarFun Air Pro 4 turned out to be a real relief. As soon as I put them in, I could feel that little bit of peace come back. The sound is clear, the noise canceling is surprisingly good, and they’re really comfortable. They’re not Bose, but they come pretty close. Then there are the TOZO NC2—simple, reliable, and straightforward. They don’t have the same high-end feel, but they get the job done. The noise canceling isn’t perfect, but it’s enough to help block out the distractions. Neither one is a permanent replacement for my old earbuds, but for now, they’re definitely helping me get by.

I use EarFun Free Pro 3 (UK £57) for various workouts, including running, indoor cycling, and bench workouts. They have the essential ear hooks, if you're not used to them it will take a couple of weeks to get accustomed to them but once you have done so you will see they stay in the ears. I cannot use TWS without ear hooks for workouts, they will just eventually slip out. If you do anything that involves moving your head through an angle, such as sit-ups and pres-ups, the in-ear canal will change shape as you move through the motions which will loosen the earphones so ear hooks are essential. Sweating certainly doesn't help, you will need ear hooks, if I haven't made that clear :) EarFun Free Pro 3 has great dynamic sound, and importantly good thumping bass which you will need for motivation during your exercise routines. Noise cancelling is excellent and so is hear-through. Microphone is fine for use. I also use them for podcasts and audiobooks, they are very clear sounding. For reference I also own these (for reasons that do not involve exercising), Bose QuietComfort Earbuds, Sennheiser MOMENTUM True Wireless, Technics EAH-AZ80, none of these will work for me for exercising. I also own several TRN BT20 Pro which I absolutely love for laid back music listening. IEMs are TRUTHEAR x Crinacle Zero Blue, OG Dusk, Chopin, Blessing 3, Dusk 2 Hope this helps.

Yes exactly, you really do need something like that, you have to remember that the earphones are fighting against gravity, sweat, inertial motion, ear canal shape changes, the odds are against us but find something that will lodge firmly into the ear but also provide nice lush sound to keep us going when our body is screaming for us to stop, then you've got it, that for me is the EarFun Free Pro 3. I know some people find the "stick" shaped earphones with ear hooks that may work for them but for me, you need most of the mass to be inside the ear or the weight outside will force it to slip out with motion. My Bose QuietComfort Earbuds have them and they are secure for general use but not for the types of workouts that involve moving the head out of alignment.

Bose QuietComfort Great noise cancellation, and super comfortable for long sessions

Bose quietcomforts are gas, not thr most stable but I could run wit them no problem

I wear Bose QuietComfort earbuds and while they’re not completely silent (there’s like a very low grade noise like pink noise, but I like pink noise), when I put them on in my work environment I immediately relax because it takes out the frequency of everything else around me at the highest noise-cancelling setting. The feeling of hearing all the noise of the room be sucked out is ✨sublime✨. That said sometimes that “pink noise” creates a pressure in my head so I can’t wear them long, I dunno why.

I upgraded to the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds after my experience with the Beats Studio Buds left me disappointed. During my workouts, they’ve stayed secure and delivered clear sound with excellent noise cancellation, which helps me focus at the gym. The battery life has held up well too, making them a solid option for someone who values quality.

I use Bose quiet comfort, they have aware and quiet modes which help with hearing surroundings. They were also a gift so I can’t complain about them lol.

I also started using the quiet comfort after years of AirPods. QC are much much better.

I use them in the gym 2.5 hours a day-5 days a week. I charge the buds/case every 10-12 days. The Bose app has as estimated time left feature.

Go with Bose for sure.

I’ve quiet comfort ear buds for gym and headphone for daily use

Usually the latest Bose quiet comfort pods.

Bose quiet comfort. Ditched my AirPods Pro bc they weren’t really noise canceling and these ones also sound phenomenal

Bose qc for sure. I have the nothings and while they are good, the ANC is just average.

This.

Pretty much any premium choice, like sony, Bose, Samsung, etc. if you want something lightweight, the new Sony link buds are great. Bose has great sound in their quietcomfort earbuds, but call volume is a bit lower than the competition. Galaxy buds are great all around. I have owned a few pairs.

Personally I enjoy the overall quality of the quiet comfort buds, but the earfun free pro 3s have been amazing for the price and have been using them more

Bose Quiet Comfort (not the 300.00 ultra). Absolutely outstanding earbuds for 150-175 pretty regularly through Best Buy.

+1 for Bose QuietComfort. Have had a pair for a few years that have been used in a variety of rough environments. Still work flawlessly and sound great. Noise cancelling modes also work amazingly well.

Yeah, I've had this issue since day one unfortunately! Both with the ultras and the regular ones that I used to have before. It happens when I hit bumps on my road bike too. No clue as to how to get it to go away.

I personally hated the pixel bud pro 2. I got them from work for free as part of a contest. Used them for 6 months then not the white comforts because I’d bought them for my wife a year ago and she loved them. Night and day difference. The Bose ones are superior in every. Single. Way. If they fall out of your ears, just change the ear piece. You don’t stick them in your ear, you twist them in. Took me a while to figure that out.

Bose QuietComfort buds the best you can buy

If you have the Bose app on your phone, delete it. For some reason the app has a history of negatively impacting the Bluetooth connection between the earbuds and your phone but most people (myself included) have better luck after ditching the app and connecting directly without the weird in between

I have both the Bose QC and Apple AirPods and I find Bose to be better with noise cancelling. Literally blocks out the noise whereas with Apple, I can still hear street noise even with noise reduction at the highest level

I just got some. The old ones were better. Their sw that controls when they stop start is messed up

I've owned a ton of headphones and the ones I have kept the longest and am still using after 9 years are the Bose QuietComfort wired earbuds. They don't make them anymore, but if you can find any, even used, they are awesome. And work amazingly on airplanes too. But I have the over-ear Bose QuietComfort (actually gave the to my husband because I can't tolerate the bar on top of my head--it's a me problem). I also own the Bose QuietComfort I earbuds. I have also owned noise cancelling headphones from JLab, House of Marley, and others. The Bose ones by far have the best noise cancelling. But they are also by far the most comfortable. I can wear them for hours. The only complaint I have with the old wired ones is that the microphone is not sound isolating, and other people tell me all the time they can hear every scrap of background noise. So they aren't good for talking, but they are absolutely epic for noise cancellation and hours of wear. So are all the newer ones, but I love the old ones the best. I feel like all sound goes away when I turn them on. I am always surprised by how noisy it is when I turn them off.

Bose! I use them between apple and my android devices. Mac as well and works well.

The Bose QuietComfort Buds. They can pair simultaneously with my Mac and my phones so I can switch between them. I use my QuietComfort Ultra Headset the most though since I’m always on a plane for the superior ANC.

My Bose QCs have great sound but the mic is terrible. I will be returning them

What’s crazy is I’ve been using Bose soundsports for 4 years straight at the gym and have no issues lol. My QCs, both in and over ear, same, no issues. The only reason I’m moving away from them is their lack of aptx lossless. Otherwise I haven’t experienced those issues. I used to work for the company and when they shut our store down, we knew the quality was dropping. It’s not the same Bose as it was 20 years ago

Person who actually listens to music here, and cares about headphones. Technics AZ100s are absolutely stellar - get them. Oppo Enco X3s (when you are able to buy them in the UK) are cheaper, but absolutely superb. The X2s are some of my favourite ever earbuds. Sennheiser momentums are also very good. Bose quiet comforts are decent but quality wise don't keep up with the above three. Airpods are overpriced and are whitegirl apple product bait. The Sony earbuds noise cancelling is weak and the case battery fails after 12 months for a lot of people.

Not sure if you decided on a solution, but I strongly second the recommendation of the AirPods 4 with ANC for what you seek. The Adaptive mode is magic. I have Bose QC earbuds as well, they're great for the airplane, not for what you're looking for here. See my comment above. ETA: I also find the AirPods Pro 2 (with silicone eartips) less comfortable than the AirPods 4. But the AirPods Pro 2 have a killer feature - they can be used as hearing aids, and in fact gained FDA approval for this. If that might help your mom, definitely look into it.

I love my Bose over-ear headphones but I thought the earbuds were awful. Theyre comfortable but the sound was not good at all. Probably not the popular opinion but I'd rather have my Nothings than the Bose by far.

Between my wife and I, we have Airpods Pro, Perl Pros, Status Audio, Bose QuietComfort, and Sony XM4 earbuds. All of them are good at SOMETHING it just depends on what priorities are. My favorite ones for travel are the Sony (Bose for my wife) -- their ANC seems to work the best. Airpod Pro are great for general usage, features, usability, but ANC isn't as good IMO. My daily drivers are the Denon Perl Pro which I got for half price as a trade show special. Incredible sound quality, decent ANC (But worse passthrough than others).

Well good lord, I tried most Android earbuds--hit or miss. Bose Quiet Comfort---died one month out of warranty--never will buy anything Bose again. Anker still working but phone quality was lame. Sennheiser had some microphone problem. I would have gotten Sony but I did go Apple which work as directed in almost all situations---with android, with the TV, laptop (non apple--Microsoft)........but yes I have an Iphone Pro Max 15--I do digital video--so it was a necessity. I must say, with all my resistance with apple, they have been my best earbuds.

Bose quietcomfort is life tho

Dayum thats nice ive had mine for only 2 months! Love them tho, wear them for 8h+ everyday no sweat.

The charging case on mine died in 2 years. My friend ordered them with me and they don't stay in his ears. I'm going to look for a longer lasting brand.

I just bought the Bose Quiet Comfort after using AirPod Pros for many years. The sound quality is fantastic

I had them for a week and returned them cause they were really uncomfortable. I switched to the Bose QCEs and it made me realize how flat sounding AirPods really are. The customizable EQ on other Earbuds helps so much. Only good thing about AirPods is that they are very easy to use on iPhone whereas with other earbuds you’ll need an app to function certain things. But that’s a trade off I’m happy to make for better sound quality.

Bose sadly has trash reliability with there wireless earbud, they get red white Lite of death anywhere within the first 4 years. I had 2 pairs of new qc ultra buds, the old qc earbuds 2, the QC earbuds 1 and the first true wireless earbuds before any of them had NC Sound sport free. All of them except the Soundsport free and my current pair of ultras got the same issue where at first I could just Reset then but at some point it just doesn't fix it anymore and Bose support offers you little money off on your overpriced ear buds. I use Sony xm5 headphones and after the 3th pair having these issues now I'll be sticking with song as their anc is Equal if not better and they also sound amazing.

Bose for the ANC. Might want to try the B&O EX, they sound amazing!

Bose ANC is top notch. A must go to if you care about Noise canceling the most.

Bose Amazing ANC. They will probably break in 1 or 2 years. But those 1-2 years you'll have the best ANC, hands down. Better than with over-ear headphones.

Bose QC earbuds are really good, blocks out all the noise from the outside. I power wash/ use an impact/ saw/ vacumn and I hear zero noise.

JBL Tour, Bose QC, Sony XM4 and XM5, Liberty NC4... They all sound better but like I said, AirPods Pro 2 truly shine with their seamless integration into the Apple Ecosystem, transparent mode, ANC and call quality. You can basically put them on and forget they're there

I’d go with the [Bose quietcomfort earbuds](https://productbible.com/product/bose-quietcomfort-bluetooth-earbuds). theyre durable, good battery life, and can take a bit of a beating. I’ve dropped mine plenty of times and they’re still doing fine. Plus, the noise canceling is great. Way better than Raycons.

Bose QC is a good option since it has amazing sound quality and noise cancellation but I wouldn’t recommend it to someone who wants to wear them to the gym because they are a bit on the larger side as compared to other sports focused earbuds. Since you are looking for earbuds specifically for the gym, you should not compromise on these features: - Secure fit: Earbuds with adjustable ear tips so that they stay in place when you’re working out - Water resistance: Sweat and moisture resistance is very important. Look for smth w IPX4 rating or higher - Battery Life: Should be at least 6-8 hours for long gym sessions - Light weight: You don't want them to make you uncomfortable during intense physical activity. Many brands are now making earbuds specifically for gym purposes....just google a bit you’ll find really cool options like [these by blackview](https://dbestlists.com/dp-B0CL2DQWSW).

I feel like the ultra quietcomfort earbuds are barely an improvement over the $150 quietcomforts except in terms of their aesthetics. Maybe they fit better. Galaxy buds 3 pro are around 180 and I think they are as good if not better than the ultra earbuds.

I’ve purchased almost everything at this point. I’ve compared them all back to back and side by side. The best ANC TWS you can get while actually having a working app is the new Bose Quietcomfort that just came out. Second is going to be Jabra Elite 8 second edition tied with AirPod Pro 2 with excellent fitting tips. After that, when you get into budget buds it’s a tough go. The Soundcore Space is OK, the Tozo NC9 is OK but definitely less than the above listed buds. If you’re using them for sleep at all, the Jabra and Bose fit me a lot better than AirPod Pro 2 but if you can use the stick style there are a lot more options out there for you.

I recently posted a thread ranking all the earbuds I purchased with ANC being my only priority. The new Bose QC is King. If you want to see my post from earlier today, check the comments. I ranked all that I purchased based only on ANC, only on comfort, and only on Sound. I’m sure you’ll find something on my list that works for you. Also important to measure the Hz in your environment. All ANC is not equal. Some work best only at the low end and only a handful come close to doing anything in the higher frequencies such as high pitched fan blades. I’m happy to give you info on anything I’ve purchased.

Agreed. I use mine for working. There was a building site next door to me, plus noisy neighbours on the other side, and these are the only thing that have ensured peace and quiet and sanity. I've tried a few ear buds models and nothing compares with the Bose for noise cancelling

For sleep, I use the Ozlo Sleepbuds. They are expensive but worth it. They are small so you can roll on your side and it’s fine. Otherwise I like the Bose noise cancelling earbuds. Also expensive, but are chunky - so if i roll over on my side while I sleep they wake me up and/or fall out.

You want best noise cancelling? Bose QC. You want the best Value noise cancelling? Liberty 4NC. You want A.S.S.? Audiofile Secret Stash (Crinicle thought of that, I didn't lol) AKG N5 Hybrid on Harmon Kardon website for $80 when you check out.

Bose QC/Ultra. Best ANC in the biz

QC earbuds meant to have a software update to improve call quality. Bose sent an email yesterday. Unclear how to update though as app saying no updates available.

Best noise canceling is BOSE. Their sound quality (to me) isn't the best compared to others, and I also hate their minimalistic app. But BOSE is king when it comes to pure ANC. If all you truly care about is blocking out soudn go with BOSE.

I don't know what your budget is, but the more expensive ones tend to be the better noise blockers. I have Bose Quiet Comfort earbuds that I use for gaming/listening to music while working to help block out when there's construction/tons of trains going by outside, and I recently bought Airpods Pro 2 that I use specifically for the gym, since the gym tends to play overhead music SUPER loudly to where my Bose ones were having a hard time cancelling it out. The airpods do a fantastic job of cancelling out 90% of the gym background noise, and once I turn on music, I pretty much hear no background noise. Both earbuds are excellent. But they are pricey, but it's seriously worth it.

You must be mad to not include Bose QC there...

A&K makes some great wireless iems, not as good sound as my ikko oh10, but very good .also the bose qc are very nice and most comfortable for sure

I'm a side sleeper who is desperate for quiet. My QC earbuds generally work well but are touchy and the slightest movement on the pillow changes the setting from quiet to aware. How does one sleep with bulky head phones on?

I was shocked when I got these and I needed the QCE app.  I thought with the Ultra lineup, they were finally standardizing their line to all using the same app and same chipset.  Then they make these and blow that up all the way.  It made no sense. Luckily my QC Buds stopped working and I just returned them to Costco.

The buds themselves aren't bad, they are just cut down from the Ultras.  It also doesn't make sense that they made a new app for them when everything else Bose is under one app. I also found out that Skillcandy Method 360 ANC are buds they worked with Bose on that can be found for under $100.  They look just like the Ultras and the reviews are pretty good.  This must have been the other end of Skullcandy making the app for the QC Buds.

Bose has the best NC. But have other issues. Sony XM5 is probably #2, especially since the foam tips help. But they wear out also. AZ100 isn’t far below Sony. Their ANC deals very well with lows, but poorly with highs. So it depends what kind of sounds you want to eliminate. You might want to look at headphones if it’s office environments you’re dealing with.

I have them (Sony WF-1000XM5) - and would not recommend. Whilst the audio quality is great, the noise cancelling is abysmal. I previously had the Bose QC Earbuds which had amazing noise cancelling, but buggy software.

There are several very good to excellent buds that work well with the iPhone. Ive been using iPhones since the beginning and Ive currently have like 9 pairs of tws paired to it. I also use android based daps. The Liberty 4 Pros are very similar to the AirPods Pro 2, except the Ankers battery lasts a little longer and the case provides more info. Sound wise there are many other better alternatives, all depends on your budget. Sub $100, the Aviot Q3 or Space Travel, sub $200 Technics AZ80 or Bose QC, sub $300 AZ100 or Pi8, sub $500 Gemini 2 or Rex5. I have all of these, but tested several others to get here.

If you sweat, the Bose earpads probably won’t hold up very long. If you like the Bose sound profile, I’d recommend trying the QC earbuds. They have great ANC and really good sound performance and are currently on sale for $149…assuming you’re in the US.

Do not buy the bose. I bought mine a month ago and I'm stuck with them. Yes they are great sound, yes they have superior ANC but they are completely ruined by the over sensitive touch that will stop and start your music when you don't want it to and you cannot turn off.

The best for my daily activity has been Airpods Pro 2. Bose QC comes in 2nd because they have mic issues and limited touch gesture support. Check out youtube for comparision.

I have the Bose QC from a few years ago, worked well until they didnt, bought the Sony XM5's and have been using them for awhile now, happy for the most part, until my gym started playing music on the overhead system at a silly high volume... not sure why as most people in the gym have some sort of earbud/headphone on but whatever. I bought the AZ100's after reviews here but returned them after a week, NC was ok, about on par as the XM5's but since they were not better, returned. I then took a chance on the Bose QC ultra's.... fully knowing that they could be craptastic or great, after one week of use, absolutely no issues and the NC blocks out all the crap at the gym, our dogs barking and demanding their food as well as our cats mewling for no friggin reason. May not be a popular choice and i may regret it in a month or so but Bose QC ultra are top notch

The regular qc. The ultras have a bunch of issues

The Bose QC earbuds sound better than the QC Ultra to me. Especially when it comes to bass, the earbuds are the clear winner. For ANC though, it’s not even close. The QC II earbuds have the best ANC among earbuds, but not comparable to the headphone. The headphones are on another level.

I have both and late to this. Got Bose as a Christmas present from parents. I’ve had AirPods forever. The Bose actually sound a lot better on a call. People have trouble hearing me on work calls using AirPods. I also have a Dell laptop. Hoping these help. Likely use Bose for the gym, work calls and traveling. Walking around likely AirPods. The sound quality with music is far superior imo. I plan to keep them because it was a gift and I’m a 42 year old man who can buy what he wants. If I was younger and had to pick as an iPhone owner, get the AirPods.

Thanks for posting these tests. I got the QC Earbuds (not ultra) a few weeks ago and wanted to know whether I should have waited for the new QC Ultra Earbuds. After hearing this test, I'm sticking with the QCs for their longer battery life and will likely move back to Apple once they announce the AirPods Pro 3. The call quality is far from sufficient to make the QC Ultra earbuds useful for professional use in noisy environments. The QC Bluetooth connection issues I've been experiencing since the first day, combined with the fact that Apple continues to release valuable firmware updates for AirPod Pro after many years, make it difficult for me to stick with Bose in the long run.

I tried a few and Bose has been my favorite. I use the over the ear ones (700 mode) for at home or when I fly, and when I’m out and about I use the Bose QC earbuds. I also started using Loop earplugs for some situations as they are cheaper and much easier to carry.

Going on year 5+ of Bose noise cancelling, they work very well. I've replaced the pads twice and they look and perform like new.

They need media playing. Find a 10 hour silent video on YouTube and play that. The regular QC earbuds have hardware from Bose but firmware and software from Skullcandy. Their app is 100% a rebrand of Skullcandy’s IQ app. I’m not sure why Bose went this route. Probably because they have issues developing their own app and firmware. Skullcandy releasing the Method 360 ANC was probably part of the agreement, those are essentially re-skinned QC earbuds II with a 30% reduction in ANC.

That’s idiotic, especially since they don’t have head tracking Spatial Audio. Return them and get a different pair from potentially a different brand. The QC earbuds aren’t the best anyway, even for their lower price.

Hi, I review tech stuff for work and I recently tested both the QC Ultra Earbuds and the QC Earbuds. The non-Ultra version is way better. IMHO, there are literally no reason to buy the Ultra version. I tested the Ultra only a few months ago (way later then most of the reviewers online) and I was frankly shocked how bad connection and microphones are in the Ultra. I had TONS of connectivity issues and static noises on the left earbud. On the other hand, the QC Earbuds are way more stable and reliable. I experienced some little connettivity quirks, but overall they are so much better than the QC Ultra. Moreover, they are cheaper and supports wireless charging. And the differences in audio quality and ANC are neglectable. Compared to AirPods Pro 2 and Sony WF-100XM5: I would say ANC a little bit better than AirPods (also because of the rubberish eaband), about the same level to WF-1000XM5. About the sound, I prefer the Sony equalization (the most neutral one) and the Apple one, but if you're a fan of punching basses you'll love the Bose sound.

The Bose sound amazing. But I have found no way with their QCE app to disable their auto shutoff. So listening to soothing meditative music or binaural tones keeps cutting off with no movement of the head. The soundcore A40 have decent ANC ,sound good for cheap earbuds and last 7 hours. Not Bose but ….no shutoff timer.

If anc is a big priority then definitely Bose, the anc is way better. There are videos on YouTube and articles that compare anc, sound quality, and test things like bass and treble. I recommend looking into those if you can’t choose

Nothing $50 or under will be good tbh. Do yourself a favour and invest in good earbuds. The Sony 1000XM5 are amazing. Bose QC are good too.

Best in ANC would have to be Bose, not even a debate really as thats the feature Bose built its rep on. Calls ie.mics would have to arguably be Huawei Freebuds 4 pro. You're on your own for SQ as thats totally subjective

Ngl I love my buds 3 pros. For reference I've used bose qc and qc pro earbuds. The expensive sony buds. Nothing ear buds (most recent). Bose nc700 and sony xm4 over ears. Buds 3 pro take the cake wirh comfort, fit, accessibility, settings, and sound profile. Dual drivers with more codecs were big upgrades.

You won't get a big different with tws, the bigger difference is in wired products. The boseqc and m4 are similar products, so that's why you don't hear a difference. I'm sure there are $600 tws that would blow the competition away from like noble or campfire.

I had qc earbuds that I returned after 3 exchanges bc they stopped working, great sound, terrible engineering. Got buds 3 pros, noise canceling is better, except for high pitched sounds which leak through a little.

i think the bose qc earbuds are the best

I have Bose ear buds that are noise cancelling and the case acts as a charger. Love them to death and would highly recommend them!

I owned the Bose QC, had connectivity issues and after 2 years the left earbud just completely stopped connecting so I tossed them. This time around I decided on the AirPod Pro 2s, the sound is slightly better than the Bose imo and the anc about 90% as good as the Bose. If they end up being more reliable I would say they’re better than the Bose QC overall.

Noise cancelling is superior, but sound is just okaish for me.

It does, the ANC is as good as my AirPod pros were. The ANC in the Bose QCs is even better than both if you’re ONLY concerned with sound and ANC, but the call quality is so shitty I couldn’t even use them for phone calls, which is probably 50% of the reason I have earbuds

There should be one thread for this and pinned at the top since this is seemingly asked every other day 😂 Anyway the answer is always Bose QC.

Bose Quietcomfort earphones since 2021. I've used them consistently from Monday to Friday on zoom meetings and for listening to music outside. Still rocking and will change them when they no longer work

I've been a Bose QC Earbud fan since I got my first gen Bose QC Earbuds. Their ANC may be the best. But their product quality is either real bad or I'm an idiot. I've had 3 break in a year's time. 3. Though to be fair the first time was my fault 😅. And what broke was in order, Audio, ANC and Audio. Audio was because I made an attempt to clean the speaker with a q-tip as suggested but apparently was too rough with it or something. The second time I stupidly tried to clean the microphone, again in the way they recommend. Which broke the ANC completely. The third time the left earbud randomly started playing Audio at extremely low volume. I had not touched anything important. Didn't even switch the rubber set or plug. This was in the same month I got them. Now to be fair the Bose customer support was great. If you use their chat function. Because it auto translates. If you call them they apparently don't have many actual English speaking workers 😅. Anyway, first time I got a replacement without any hassle. Within 2 weeks they claimned to not have found a problem so they sent a replacement. The second time, same thing. The third time was a bit problematic but that was because someone over there wrote my address down wrong and then UPS did UPS things,so I had to wait months before it got here. But it got here eventually hehe. After that I was no longer allowed a replacement under warranty. Understandable. But still, it's been a few months since then and the ANC is starting to fail again and I have no idea why. Now you may agree that all the times they broke are my own doing and to no fault of Bose. You may be somewhat correct. I still am frustrated though at how easy they break. If they didn't have this "Immersive Audio" Software that I deeply love I would've dropped them some time ago. Sorry for this random rant on what's supposed to be a positive post.