Carrying any pair of Bose wi-fi earbuds comes with expectations in terms of sound high quality and noise cancelation. Competitors is tight on all sides on this class, however in terms of the perfect accessible choices, this can be a model that always comes up.
The QuietComfort Earbuds II set sights for the very high by means of their energetic noise cancelation (ANC) efficiency, serving discover to the likes of Sony and everybody else that these are the earbuds to beat. Whereas their consolation stage is debatable, the combination of options and capabilities right here, plus a extra aggressive value, imply you get lots for what your cash.
Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II: Value and availability
Bose launched the QuietComfort Earbuds II in September 2022 and are straightforward to seek out in retail and on-line shops. They initially began at $300, although it’s possible you’ll discover them for much less throughout periodic reductions or gross sales. They arrive in both triple black or soapstone white variants.
Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II: What’s good
Given the dimensions of the earlier QC Earbuds, there was loads of room to shave off for this pair, and it reveals as soon as you place these on. They’re 30% smaller than their predecessors, which makes a giant distinction in match and luxury. Now, reasonably than a thicker bud protruding of the ear, the thicker portion sits within the concha, redistributing the load inwards reasonably than outwards.
It is a design shift that pays dividends in how a lot lighter and simpler they’re to handle when twisting them in your ear to get a good seal. Bose consists of three units every of ear ideas and stability band fins to enhance match. The Bose Music app permits you to do a check to find out which measurement fits you finest.
Regardless of the decreased measurement, they nonetheless aren’t the smallest earbuds round, and I can see these with smaller ears taking an extended time to determine the perfect mixture of ideas and fins to assist them match proper. I’ve common ears and located the earbuds very snug with an amazing seal.
Discovering the perfect seal for passive isolation helps the onboard ANC do its job, however be ready as a result of it is all the time energetic anyway. The Eartip Match Check within the app is an effective method to gauge whether or not audio leaks out or not.
Bose made the fascinating determination to go away ANC because the default mode for the QC Earbuds II, plus a couple of others to select from. Conscious mode permits ambient sound to listen to your environment. Bose’s ActiveSense know-how does a superb job of elevating the ANC stage when the environment get too loud. Commute is on the default listing as effectively, the place you possibly can set the quantity of noise cancelation you need in that mode. You may then create a fourth mode beneath one of many names in an inventory Bose gives. Whether or not you like “Exercise” or “Focus” is as much as you, however the gist is you determine how a lot cancelation or ambient sound you need to hear.
That is as shut as you may get to turning ANC off utterly if that is your desire. In any other case, every thing facilities on decreasing background sound to a point. Not like different earbuds, there isn’t any actual “off” change, with the one recourse being deciding on a mode that does not cancel out something.
Both approach, the ANC within the QC Earbuds II is excellent. Whereas I’ve lengthy felt the Sony WF-1000XM4 was the benchmark for earbuds, Bose’s newest pair do a greater job canceling a wider vary of frequencies. Not less than to my ears, the main focus appears squarely on the mid and excessive frequencies, and the outcomes are really spectacular. I spotted it whereas on a flight, and when strolling down a busy avenue, hopping on a subway practice afterward. The earbuds virtually utterly erased the varied sounds happening round me. Voices and high-pitched sounds, like sirens, can nonetheless break via, however they’re efficiently muffled in order to not be a nuisance.
I might argue the identical is true on the ambient facet as effectively. The sounds coming in round me felt pure, much more like my very own ears than microphones mechanically piping it in. If I eliminated an earbud, audio playback would mechanically pause, one thing I used to be compelled to do if I needed to discuss to somebody. My solely different possibility was to faucet and maintain on both bud to cycle via the 4 listening modes till I acquired to Conscious.
Bose claims it additionally improved sound high quality, although I might counsel the variations there are much less profound. Not that the inspiration was unhealthy to start with. The QC Earbuds II has a wonderful, balanced sound signature, with punchy bass and heat highs and mids complementing one another effectively.
The app gives restricted EQ choices, however you do get some presets and the power to create your individual as effectively. No matter sonic route you need to take, odds are actually good you can see a mixture that works on your ears and the music you want listening to.
All of this helps the trigger with cellphone calls, the place the 4 microphones on both facet do a greater job than their predecessors in choosing up your voice.
The ANC within the QC Earbuds II is excellent.
Bose does not allow you to customise the earbuds’ contact controls, save for a few exceptions. By default, you contact and maintain to cycle via the completely different modes on both facet. You possibly can additionally choose one facet to entry your cellphone’s voice assistant as a substitute. In any other case, controls are normal — a single faucet to play/pause/reply calls, double faucet to skip a observe or reject a name, triple faucet to repeat a observe. Swipe up alongside the outer earbud to lift the amount, or all the way down to decrease it. They’re all fairly responsive and constant, fortunately.
Battery life is not spectacular at as much as six hours per cost, however what I appreciated is that they get nearer to that quantity than others do as a result of the ANC is so efficient. By decreasing background noise additional, you do not have to lift the amount as excessive to drown issues out. The case offers you three additional prices.
Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II: What’s not good
It is unlucky Bose did not embody all of the options it may have when launching the QC Earbuds II. Some key ones are lacking, although the corporate claims they’ll are available in future updates. The earbuds assist the AAC and SBC Bluetooth codecs, however not aptX Adaptive, which might befit a pair of this caliber. Bose says a firmware replace in spring 2023 will add that assist, so time will inform.
The identical is true of multipoint Bluetooth connections. The app really alludes to that beneath connections settings, however as of now, you possibly can solely pair with one gadget at a time. Meaning for those who’re listening to music out of your pc and need to take a name in your cellphone, you would need to manually join the 2. Bose hasn’t confirmed it but, however the earbuds have the technical functionality to do multipoint, so it might additionally are available in a future replace.
It is also shocking the case does not have wi-fi charging, a typical function, particularly at this value. You will must plug in through the USB-C port to replenish once more.
It may not be honest to level this out as a con, however the IPX4 ranking does not make the QC Earbuds II all that rugged. They’ll deal with some minor splashes, although repeated sweaty exercises might be an issue for those who do not wipe them clear every time.
Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II: Competitors
I already talked about the Sony WF-1000XM4 with good cause. They have been the pair to beat since they first got here to market, and whereas they’ve a few years on them, they proceed to be formidable. Between the top-class ANC and excellent audio high quality, there’s rather a lot to understand about them, particularly now that they typically come at a reduction.
The most effective noise-canceling wi-fi earbuds embody nice alternate options, like the wonderful Jabra Elite 7 Professional. A surprisingly sensible choice that is not on that listing is the Huawei FreeBuds Professional 2, which proves very adept in how effectively they will drown out the background.
Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II: Must you purchase it?
You can purchase this if…
- You need high class ANC assist.
- You need nice sound high quality.
- You need good app assist.
- They slot in your funds.
You should not purchase this if…
- You do not need to await aptX Adaptive.
- You do not need to await multipoint.
- You like to have wi-fi charging.
Bose made a press release with the QuietComfort Earbuds II, positioning them as the perfect accessible for noise cancelation. That they match a lot better than their predecessors and convey improved sound add to the worth you get, though they’re costly compared to others.
They stand to solely get higher as soon as Bose updates them to incorporate lacking options, assuming you could have the persistence to attend. Within the meantime, you can sit up for muffling the sounds round you in methods others cannot.
Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II
The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II set a brand new benchmark for energetic noise cancelation (ANC), and with an improved design for a extra snug match, in addition they produce higher sound than their predecessors.
