QuietComfort Earbuds II (2020)

Headphones and earbuds are (for me) easily the best for their value. I have QC II earbuds and QC Ultra headphones and I'm a huge fan of both. Fattest bass, exceptionally full mids and decent highs too. The *no highs no lows must be Bose* meme is quite the opposite of reality when talking about their new headphones and earbuds. I understand the sound isn't for everyone but my first impression with both was "wow" when I heard them.

Just go with the Sony WF‑1000XM5 or the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II, they’ll literally make the world disappera like you asked. If you have a budget, you can peek at [this list](https://linktr.ee/thebestearbuds) of other ANC options too, but I wouldn’t be shocked if you still end up with one of those two, lol

Bose have the best ANC hands down. No one is better for ANC. Now sound is good comfort is great call quality sucks.

I had Seinheiser Momentum 3 and was very buggy with connection problems, so I afraid to buy them again, maybe they fixed these problems in 4 gen, but need to ask users who are using these, Right now I have QuietComfort Earbuds II and these working amazing, never had any issues with these. I also had previous series in the past and they all were perfect to me. Bose design is very good for doing sports and ANC is in highest class in the market. Would be interesting to test Technics AZ100 in terms of sound quality, but I think these not gonna stay well fit in ear during sport activities. So my suggestion go for Bose or Technics AZ100.

So I went ahead and bought the QC Earbuds II. To add to what I said: 1. Yes, the earbuds ANC it is REALLY effective. I overall like headphones, just easier to wear and feels a bit better, marginally better sound, much better battery life, but they are not as practical when out, when wearing glasses, in summer, or when trying to sleep, as the vibration (when leaning on the train/plane wall) will resonate against the whole headset. Also, they're big to carry in a bag. 2. The sound quality is really impressive on the earbuds too. There's the same issue as the headset, where I like to use the "bass reducer" EQ, but that's probably just the Bose signature, as both sound similar at similar EQ settings. Mics are also quite the upgrade, when on a call. 3. If sleeping with them is a criteria, you probably want to take something else. I managed to sleep with them (in the train, in a plane), but when sleeping the whole night with them in a bed, I felt that the battery would probably just not be enough, and if you're a side sleeper, there's a good chance that it'll make your ear sore. Still it's a lot better than the headphones obviously, just not good for daily use while sleeping. This is the good one to pick if you want the absolute best ANC, and at this I'm happy because I wanted an upgrade which was well worth it. 4. The transparency mode (without ActiveSense) works well, it really feels like you don't wear them. However, then things are really loud. I wished there was a way to attenuate the noise while keeping the speech clear, for instance in the plane or at the bar. Any level of ANC will make speech slightly less clear to me, and I already struggle to understand people in noisy contexts. I think Sony had an option for that (but the transparency mode on the WF-1000XM4 wasn't worth much). Overall, yes, it holds its promises. If you, like me, like the Bose QC Ultra headphones, and feel that you'd like something on the go, then these QC Earbuds II are really a crazy deal, and for half the price. The earbuds are really up there with the dedicated headphones, which was just a dream to me only a few years ago. Loving that silence 🥰

Re: I did some more tests and I would say the QC Earbuds II are indeed in the same ballpark as the QC Ultra Headphones when it comes to noise cancelation, if not (ever so) slightly better. However the "transparency mode" (aware) just isn't very useful on the earbuds, OK for walking outside but it's not really possible to have a conversation, unless I use smaller tips, but then isolation is a bit worse than the headphones. So transparency mode, mic quality and noise cancelation in really loud environments, and also very slightly better sound quality, better controls (very hard to adjust the fit of the earbuds without triggering a play/pause touch), battery life for very long sessions, less hiss in more silent environments, are reasons to stick with the headphones. Practicality, noise cancelation of some frequencies, especially in quieter environments like home, shops or the train, are reasons for the earbuds. If I could get only one, I'd probably go with the earbuds for my usage.

I’ve only ever owned their earbuds and PC speakers so don’t have much experience with anything else. I liked the PC speakers, but didn’t love them. They had a great sound and imaged well, but I felt that the crossover between the sub and the satellites was a bit too high of a frequency — which made music sound odd in certain rooms. Especially rooms with carpet. Agree with the earbuds assessment. I purchased the QC II earbuds almost exactly a year ago. The ANC is fantastic! When they work they do sound fantastic! However, I’ve had sync issues. They don’t seem to connect consistently. I’ve had to re-pair them once every couple of months. Final straw was on a trip last week where they would only stay connected for about 10-15 seconds. So no music for a long flight. Even re-pairing wouldn’t fix the issue. When I got to my destination, I did some research and found that I had to remove them from the app, un-pair them and perform a reset. That fixed the issue but was a reasonable inconvenience. I just can’t count on them being reliable. Bought something else.

Based on my purchase experience: I loved the sound on my sony WF-1000. I think they have the best ANC and I love the bass on them. But.... after almost a year, my left earphone didn't hold any charge. I googled and found out this is a common issue with these earphones. My warranty had run its course and when I tried to reach tech support, I realized that Sony's customer service is crap! After this experience, as much as I wanted a 2nd pair (same ones), , I decided to try out the bose quiet comfort II. I wouldn't recommend Sony although I loved their sound. So I purchased QC II. NC is ok, sound is ok, nothing over the top to blow your mind. They are OK. But.... now for whatever reason, the touch sensor is automatically changing on its own (left side only). *context: I use them daily (office use), I don't use them to exercise, I don't sweat with them on. I've had to turn off the sensor, so I can keep on using them. I will not be buying any more Bose earphones. I gifted my son a pair of AirPods second generation, which he used through high school, he takes them to the gym, he lost them at the gym and found them in the lost and found items and they're still going strong ( no issues). I am actually thinking of buying the technics and try my luck. I figure that'll be my next purchase. Good luck on your purchase and hope you get a nice pair you enjoy without any manufacturer defects.