Bose - QuietComfort Earbuds II (Previous Gen)

The biggest difference (from a gym/cardio user) standpoint between the QC2 and the QC-Ultra is the wingtips - the QC2 is still an awesome earbud. But the QC-Ultra adds a tiny 1mm notch to the top of the wingtips rubber band so that it locks into place. A minor complaint about the QC2 is that sometimes the earbud wingtip will rotate and pivot off angle as you mess with them while they're in your ears. It takes a second to remove the earbud and twist the wingtip to the proper position. But the QC-Ultra fixes that minor complaint. Otherwise the sound quality of the QC2 and QC-Ultra is essentially identical, anc is identical. Only real reason to buy the QC-Ultra (aside from the notch on the wingtip) is the fact that it now has immersion mode (kinda like spatial audio), and it has AptX-Adaptive streaming protocol (which isn't available on Samsung or Apple phones anyway so it's useless for most users) But yeah, I cycle daily (really should switch to QC-Ultra Open earbuds for more safety/awareness of my surroundings) wearing my QC-Ultra earbuds for an hour and love em. I jam out to music while getting the heartrate going. Other earbuds to consider would be the Sennheiser Momentum Sport earbuds which have a heart rate and body temp sensor built in (ONLY works if you are using the Polar Flow app on your phone however). They have awesome sound, awesome ANC for fitness users, and the wingtips to lock into the ears. My only complaint was the fit - they seemed to really hurt my ears after 30 minutes of use (like pain a few hours later). My ears are average size but the Momentum Sport actually hurt! So I would suggest you consider them, but only if you can try them out and return them if they don't fit well for your needs.

They are not the best sound quality, but certainly good sound quality (better than most budget grade earbuds), and the ANC is best in class - Bose QC Ultra. But the ultra might be slightly out of your budget, in that case I'd be looking at the Bose QC Earbuds II (also called the QC2) - they are essentially identical to the Bose QC-Ultra. Now discontinued by Bose, you can still find them on eBay for around $150 new in box. Been using them for about four years working out in my gym, and cycling daily (45+ minutes on a bicycle outdoors). Only time I really worry about them falling out is if a dribble of sweat happens to work it's way into my ear - then the rubber gets slippery on the earbud. But it's simple to fix - dry everything off including earbud and ear, and it rarely happens (maybe once or twice a year I need to remove the earbud and dry it off)

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.

>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.

In reality if you want the best for flying, you probably want over the ear headphones as opposed to earbuds so you can fully isolate the ears from the noise - paired with good ANC and you're golden. Plus you'd get better sound quality in the process compared to small earbud drivers. I think that's the route I'd go if I traveled frequently (instead my earbuds are mainly for gym & cardio with the occasional travel needs) That said, crazy to hear you didn't like the QC2. I had them and the QC-Ultra and rarely ever have any connectivity issues (using two different Samsung Galaxy class phones). I know that Sony's ANC is pretty decent, but battery life lags behind Bose from what I understand. Still the XM5 might be what you're looking for

I have used the QC II and the QC-Ultra for about 18 months each (maybe a bit less for the QC-Ultra, I think I got them about a year ago and still using them daily). >The predecessor QC II also seems to have just as good ANC? The QC II is almost essentially the exact same earbud as the Bose QC-Ultra with a few minor changes: * AptX-Adaptive protocols - fun to have, but only if your phone is compatible. I discovered that Samsung will likely never support this protocol so that's useless to me * Immersion mode - the earbuds use motion-tracking to enhance to create something like spacial audio (but not exactly, I'm not a fan of immersion mode so I don't use it often lol) * Slightly improved styling - a plastic back has been replaced with a glossy metal piece that looks snazzier haha. * Tiny (0.5mm) notch added to the wingtip-band channel to keep the band from rotating as easily when trying to adjust earbuds in your ears (it's a very minor issue with the bose QC II - easily fixed by removing the earbud from your ear, and adjusting the wingtip band until you feel it "click" into place) So, essentially the Bose Quietcomfort Ultra earbuds are basically the Bose QC v2.5 >The Method 360 seem to be technically identical to the QC II? It will not match the Bose Quietcomfort's ANC system. Bose was one of the first companies to sell noise-cancelling headphones decades ago (simple static generator noise cancelling at the time, not active noise cancelling). They sell higher end headphones to aviation pilots for small craft airplanes and such. So they have been perfecting ANC longer than most other brands have been in business. >very other feature can pretty much be ignored, I just need the best ANC possible in an earbud. Real talk, I feel like higher end ANC headphones might be better for flying because they have the ability to better isolate the ears for passive noise cancelling before you even enable the ANC system. The Bose Quietcomfort Ultra (and QC2) earbuds have amazing ANC systems (best I have personally ever experienced) - but a key factor is the wingtip part of the earbud which helps block sound from entering the ears. It will take you weeks fiddling with the different sizes of rubber earbud tips and wingtips to find which sizes isolate ALL sound from the outside so the ANC system can work better. However, from a convenience standpoint, the Bose QC earbuds are amazing. They fit into your pocket when needed, and on a plane they're one of the best you can get in the industry. I have flown several times since I got these earbuds and they've been a godsend - flying is way more enjoyable now with ANC earbuds compared to my older non-ANC earbuds that I used to wear for flying. And true to their name, they are very comfortable. I have worn mine for over four hours straight without any ear discomfort Personally, if ANC was a concern and I wanted premium sound quality there are a few other options like the B&W Pi8 and B&O Eleven, but those earbuds are focused on higher fidelity sound - the ANC is more of an add-on feature and not the main focus of the show. I know I often recommend them, but I really think Bose is your answer here. The Quietcomfort Ultra are your best bet, and if you're on a budget hunt around for the Quietcomfort Earbuds II - but those are old stock by this point so they may have a shorter battery lifespan.

>Don’t get the Bose QC Ultra If sound quality is the biggest reason, sure I'll agree >and they have severe connectivity issues Having handled the Bose QC original, QC2, and new QC-ultra. The connectivity issues only happen in congested areas (lots of people) - in suburbs or rural settings there is essentially never any connectivity issues. I only encounter issues a fraction of the time when I'm traveling through downtown or in an airport (and even then, the signal hops to another channel and the music continues). >and bugs such as? Because I can't think of one that I'd complain about having handled the Bose QC2 / QC-ultra earbuds for three years now. Not trying to dispel your opinions on the other earbuds, just trying to add some clarification because it bugs me when people flat out make the claim that bose have connectivity issues when it heavily depends on where the person is using the earbuds. For me, I have essentially zero connectivity issues unless I'm in heavily congested areas with lots of bluetooth noise. Just my $0.02

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)

I have the Bose QC-Ultra, before this I had the Bose Quietcomfort Earbuds ii (QC2, the QC-Ultra is basically QC2.5). So I've been using them as my daily earbuds for about three years now. I'll give you my opinions based on your critera: >Great sound (deep bass but still clear) Bose products have a 'signature sound' - some people like it, others don't. There is good bass, but it's not over-powering. There are better earbuds for MAX BASS so to speak. I'd personally score the sound quality as a 8 out of 10. With 10 being premium stuff like Bang & Olufsen grade stuff. Having handled budget grade earbuds (like soundcore) and then comparing them next to the Bose, there is no comparison, Bose is a nice upgrade in sound quality. >Comfortable for long wear (I’ve got big ears) It'll take about two weeks messing with the earbuds to find the right fit of rubber ear-tips, and wing tips that match your ears. Don't be afraid to mess around with other sizes until you find that perfect fit. You said you have big ears. Bose actually sells an accessory pack which contains X-large and X-small earbuds and wingtips, so if things don't fit - know that you can always order the XL size if needed. To me, it doesn't get anymore comfortable. Bose has been making comfortable earbuds for over twenty years (originally with the stay-hear wingtip earbud design, and now these new quietcomfort earbuds). I can wear them for hours when traveling and have no complaints. I'd actually love to splurge on other premium sound quality earbuds (better than Bose), but I wear my earbuds for working out and cardio (cycling outdoors daily) so I need wingtips that lock into the ears for that added security >Solid battery life (5+ hours minimum) Honestly, I have never fully drained the batteries on any bose quietcomfort earbud - they have long enough battery life to the extent that before the batteries run down to zero, I've already tossed them back in the case while doing something else. They gain an extra hour or two within a 10 minute charge so that usually gets me through the days when I'm traveling and wearing them for hours at a time. >ANC that actually works well Bose has been building noise cancelling headphones for decades (first for aviation pilots, then for consumer products). It's a big part of their brand. Their ANC doesn't just work well, it also does a good job not distorting or altering the sound quality of the music playing (scores very highly on bench tests). My ONLY complaint with the ANC system is the fact that I can't boost the transparency mode (to act as a hearing aid) - sometimes I'd like to be able to hear more of the world around me when I got the music pumped up. Still I have no problem carrying on a conversation when the music is turned way down. Plus it has a nifty feature where if you take off one earbud, it pauses the music and activates full transparency mode regardless what ANC mode you were on. >Good mic quality for calls I rarely use earbuds for making calls (I need to get in the habit of it). I just did a test since since I've never done it and the sound quality sitting at my desk with my earbuds on was actually better than expected (sounded better than my samsung galaxy on speakerphone). I'd say they aren't bad - certainly not the worst in the industry Overall the Bose QC2 and now the QC-Ultra (since the black friday sale) have been a solid investment - I wear them reliably every day. Of course as an audiophile with style, I long for some other premium earbuds that don't look like ugly lug-nuts on the side of the ear haha. I'm seriously interested in the Bang & Olufsen Eleven (which is basically the Beoplay EX with better ANC), but they lack wingtips and I really need comfortable secure earbuds to ensure they don't fall out when I'm doing 30kph on my bike

For my gym and cycling needs, I found the Bose Quietcomfort Ultra fit great and were very comfortable. Some people complain about connectivity issues - and it seems like that happens if you're in a crowded area (downtown areas for example) or using an iPhone. I don't have those issues with connectivity and have used them (and the older QC2 earbuds) for the past few years without any issues.

> I'm surprised by how buggy they are though. I thought a Bose product would more user friendly. The connectivity issues are due to the antenna design used by Bose - their bluetooth antenna sensitivity gain is lower than lots of other earbuds - so they tend to get more buggy in congested areas. In my experience out in a rural countryside, my Bose QC2 and QC Ultra earbuds have been rock solid with no connectivity issues. Only time I really see any problems is when I'm going through a busy airport. Then I notice connectivity issues sometimes. Sucks too because both the QC2 and QC Ultra suffer from the same issue. It doesn't affect me but I see a ton of complaints about it

Started with the QC2 about three years ago. The QC-Ultra is basically QC2.5 (minor changes over the QC2). Upgraded to QC-Ultra on Black Friday. I use mine daily in the gym and outdoors when cycling (so I wear mine for a total of 1-2 hours per day). Plus when flying. I find them to be extremely comfortable and can wear them for hours at a time without any issues or discomfort. Sound quality is good enough - not best in the industry, but good enough at this price point (better than many budget grade earbuds). ANC is pretty impressive for the form factor involved. Biggest issue you'll have is finding the perfect fit of earbuds and wingtips to block out all sound (passive noise cancelling) so the ANC system can work best People do complain about connectivity issues - I suspect this is due to a smaller antenna or a reduced antenna sensitivity. In a 'crowded' noisy environment with lots of radio and bluetooth signals (such as downtown in a large city) you might find issues with connectivity and the signal hopping occasionally to find a good signal. For me out in the 'burbs, my signal rarely hops (maybe once or twice a year when cycling past a bus full of people on the road I'll hear a hiccup as the earbuds from the signal interference) So for me it's not an issue, but I can understand why some people complain about connectivity depending on where they live. >I'm hearing the earbuds squelch (I don't know how to discribe it sometimes when I turn my head. Sometimes the earbuds can squeal when pinching some microphones (causing a signal interference with the ANC system), but you shouldn't be hearing that simply by turning your head. That sounds like they could be defective and need to be replaced.

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).

For my gym needs for many years I've been using Bose Quietcomfort earbuds - first the original Quietcomforts with the StayHear earbud tips back in 2020, then I upgraded to the newer designed Bose Quietcomfort2, now I rock the Bose Quietcomfort Ultra earbuds (the first gen, the new second gen was released this year). You can likely find the Bose quietcomfort Ultra earbuds new-old-stock in your budget (just double-check the return policy as there are lots of knockoffs floating around, the only way to confirm yours are legit is to check if they connect to the Bose smartphone app, knockoffs won't). I like them because they have the extra wingtips that lock into your ears (takes a week or two to find the right pairing of inner eartips to outer wingtips), but the outer wingtips really help seal off the ear from external noise which really helps the sound quality (and noise cancelling capabilities). Only two complaints about the Bose QC Ultra earbuds - call quality is lackluster (functional, but not top tier for the MSRP price in my opinion), and some people complain about connectivity. The antenna seems a bit weaker than other brands - so if you're in a downtown area with lots of bluetooth signals, you may find the earbuds hopping signals often. I'm nowhere near a big city so that's not an issue for me - and I really only notice it 'hopping' to another frequency a few times when traveling through a busy airport, so it's not a big issue for me.

I only carry one set with me most of the time. But when flying, two to three pairs - an open ear (or two) for the airport, and my bose noise cancelling for the flight itself to block out ALL noise.

Sent the Bose QC2 back after couple of days, no app connectivity and constant dropouts. Shame, sound was good and fit perfect. Very happy now with Technics AZ100 🙏

Seriously, QC Earbuds 2 ANC is *insane* for the price when on sale — felt like night and day compared to my old buds.

My AirPods Pro 2 are going on three years of glorious service now, and while I haven’t yet managed to send them through the washing machine I don’t exactly give them love and care either. Never had a single issue, and battery life is still more than good enough. Fit wise I much prefer them to the normal AirPods which to this day have never stayed in my ear with even the slightest head tilt, the little rubber bits on the end really do make all the difference. Also worth a comparison to my Bose QC Earbuds 2 which were the better buy on paper, but had to be returned three times for the same issue of losing volume in one ear, and after getting the AirPods to compare with had noticeably worse sound quality and particularly worse quality noise cancellation/active transparency than AirPods.

Literally dumping Bose for these. My QC2 buds have been a nonstop PIA.

Bye bye Bose. The never ending connectivity issues killed any advantage my Bose had.

Just got the Bose QC 2 on sale for 170 and holy crap they are amazing.i would gladly pay full price for these after trying them.

I’ve lifted with both (and still do from time to time). It depends on the headphones and earbuds. Headphones I’ve had success with using Bose over ear headphones because they are lighter and don’t slide around. My AirPod max are terrible because they are so heavy and slide when my head is horizontal to the ground. Earbud wise: Regular AirPods fall out of my ears, AirPod pros are my bread and butter, Bose QC2 earbuds will stay in place but protrude a bit more than AirPods, and Beats Pros were my favorite (best fit and comfort) but they crapped out just after my apple care on them expired so I refused to buy another pair.

I have Sony XM5, Sennheiser Momentum 4, Bose QC2, Jabra 10 (I gave them away, worst for me), Tour Pro 3 and some other earbuds. At the end of the day, I find myself wearing only Tour Pro 3. I really like the spatial sound of these. I use Sony only when I am in a really noisy place. Sennheiser is a good alternative (mines are about to die). Bose's fit is a real issue for me.

The anc, its the thing that makes them worth buying but you can't turn it off, so when you're in a quiet room w no or low audio playing you're getting white noise that drives you fucking insane. I've been without earbuds for like 5 months now after losing one of my qc2 buds and was about to get another pair before I remembered how frustrating it was.

Totally agree with you. I have an iPhone. My QC2 keeps disconnecting from time to time. I had to forget the device on my iPhone then hard reset my QC2 and then pair them again. My iPhone and QC2 are on latest update. I also have QC45 that often disconnected from my TV, where it is solely paired. They are both on latest update as well. So annoying with the connection issue. I am considering APP3 though.