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A hand holds the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II case, which is open and contains the earbuds.
Edgar Cervantes / SoundGuys

Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II review

Halo products often disappoint on value.
By
October 26, 2023
7.3
Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II
The bottom line
Bose may have long held the title of "king of ANC," but that title is complicated by the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II. It has great active noise canceling (ANC) and some fascinating features, but weird sound choices, and a sky-high price make for a poor value.

Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II

Bose may have long held the title of "king of ANC," but that title is complicated by the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II. It has great active noise canceling (ANC) and some fascinating features, but weird sound choices, and a sky-high price make for a poor value.
Release date

September 15, 2022

Price

Original: $299 USD

July 2023: $279 USD

Dimensions

17.2 x 30.5 x 22.4 mm

Weight

Earbud: 6.24g

Model Number

870730-0010

Waterproof

IPX4

What we like
Light weight
App-supported updates
Auto-EQ feature
What we don't like
Difficult fit
Questionable frequency response
Price
No way to disable ANC
7.3
SoundGuys Rating
7.4
User Rating
Rating Metric
Our Rating
User Rating
Sound Quality
8.1
7.7
8.0
Bass
5.2
7.4
7.0
Midrange
9.7
7.3
7.0
Highs
9.4
8.1
8.0
Isolation / Attenuation
3.3
5.8
6.0
Active Noise Cancelling
8.5
8.7
9.0
Durability / Build Quality
8.0
7.3
7.0
Value
4.5
6.7
7.0
Design
7.4
7.5
8.0
Connectivity
5.0
5.6
6.0
Portability
8.9
7.3
7.0
Battery Life
6.7
7.5
8.0
Feature
8.7
8.1
8.0
Comfort
8.2
7.9
8.0

Whenever anyone thinks about true wireless earphones, a handful of brands come to mind — and Bose is looking to make a bigger name for itself against the likes of Apple and Sony. Though the company has had mixed success with its workout-friendly options, how does its flagship earphone offering stand up to the rest of the market? We spent a week with Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II and found out everything you need to know.

Editor’s note: this review was updated on October 26, 2023, to ensure the timeliness of the information within.

The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II is for people who want the bleeding edge in wireless earphones but have an affinity for Bose. It’s expensive, though, so you better have deep pockets.

What’s it like to use Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II?

The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II represents the company’s latest offering in the true wireless space, replacing the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds in its lineup. Having undergone a complete redesign, very little is familiar with this new iteration. Instead of a built-in concha fin, Bose offers three different sizes of wraparound fins. Additionally, the buds themselves are no longer a bulky mass of plastic but a more thoughtfully laid-out lollipop-style unit with stems. This way, some of the size issues observed by users in the past are neatly avoided, and nowhere is that more evident than with the case.

An aerial view of the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II with the open case and earbuds, as if the buds are spilling out.
Edgar Cervantes / SoundGuys
The Bose QC Earbuds II looks completely different from the first-gen model.

No longer a smooth brick-shaped affair, the case of the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II is much smaller. On the back is a lone pairing/multifunction button right above the bottom-mounted USB-C port. Opening the case after you’ve paired with a device previously will automatically begin the connecting process. Once the buds are in your ears, the helpful voice prompts will alert you to any status changes, mode toggles, and other alerts you may need to be aware of. However, this is generally limited to battery level and noise canceling modes.

Wearing the earphones is interesting — few wireless earbuds have stabilizers on the earbud housings to manage fit issues, like the QC Earbuds II. Most products are just built, hoping the nozzle is enough to stay in your ear canal. This design is a big plus, as it will help ensure your fit remains consistent. They also come with additional ear tip sizes if the nozzle won’t go into your ear far enough to make an ideal seal.

These Bose buds have a few rough edges that are tough to ignore.

Our experience with the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II is one of frustration. A lot of issues from previous iterations of Bose products persist with these earphones. We often run into a “fun” problem where the concha fins sometimes rotate on the smooth plastic of the earbuds and then prevent the contacts from meeting the case when closed. Consequently, this means pairing to new devices, getting firmware updates, and recharging can randomly fail to work as expected. If you find yourself having this issue, be sure to rotate the fins until the protrusion is locked into the notch at the back of the earbuds and out of the earbud cavity in the case.

How do you control Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II?

An angled view of a hand as it holds the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II case with the lid flipped up to show the earphones.
Edgar Cervantes / SoundGuys
The wraparound fins help keep the buds in place during exercise.

Like many of the expensive earphones on the market, the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II features capacitive touch surfaces on each bud’s back. The controls are mostly similar to other products, but for your convenience, we’ve included the table below:

INPUTACTION (music)ACTION (phone)
INPUT
Single tap
ACTION (music)
Play / Pause
ACTION (phone)
Answer call / hold current call and answer new call
INPUT
Double tap
ACTION (music)
Track forward
ACTION (phone)
End call / Decline incoming call
INPUT
Triple tap
ACTION (music)
Track backward
ACTION (phone)
N/A
INPUT
Swipe up/down
ACTION (music)ACTION (phone)
Volume up / down
INPUT
Long press
ACTION (music)ACTION (phone)
Voice assistant

Of course, you can also do a little more tweaking if you install the Bose Music App. You can set the level of ANC, create custom profiles for your earphones, and even change the sound.

Should you use the Bose Music App for the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II?

The Bose Music App allows greater control options for the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II.
Edgar Cervantes / SoundGuys
The Bose Music App gives you a few more options to control the performance of the earbuds.

To receive firmware updates, make custom EQ adjustments, and get new features as they drop, you should install the Bose Music App (iOS/Android) for the QuietComfort Earbuds II. You can also create custom ANC settings for different environments through the app by interacting with an ANC intensity slider. Turning the slider all the way down doesn’t actually disable ANC; it just reduces the effect. Like the Bose QuietComfort 45, there is no way to disable ANC mode for a standard, non-ANC, and non-Aware sound mode.

If you don’t find yourself using the app often and aren’t a fan of data being collected about you, you can just uninstall it. We still recommend figuring out whether or not there’s a firmware update every month or so, but in general, true wireless earphones don’t last long enough for multiple big updates to change much.

However, the best results for the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II come from using the app, as it’s necessary for adjusting the sound and ANC modes of the earphones. For that reason, we suggest giving it a fair shake before making a final decision.

On February 16, 2023, Bose rolled out a new firmware update that enabled the use of a single bud for listening. Instead of the old primary bud/dependent bud schema the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II had before, each bud now connects to phones with compatible hardware. Before this firmware update, phones could only connect to the right bud and use that to connect to the left bud.

You can either use the Bose app to update your earbuds or use the Bose updater client from the Bose website. Just be sure to be patient with this install, as botched firmware updates are a pain to revert.

How does the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II connect?

A hand holds the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II.
Edgar Cervantes / SoundGuys
You can listen with either earbud in mono mode.

Like most true wireless earphones, these noise canceling buds connect to your source device via Bluetooth. Sporting the latest Bluetooth 5.3 version, they should be able to make the most of new phones as they come out. However, you’ll see no high-bitrate options here: the only codecs available are SBC and AAC. That’s really fine, though, as both have made great strides over the years. If this is a problem for you, we suggest looking elsewhere.

  1. Enable Bluetooth on your source device.
  2. Open the charging case of the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II and hold the pairing button.
  3. Find the “Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II” entry in the list, and tap to pair.

Currently, the app takes a second to apply changes you make with custom profiles, but this really isn’t something you’ll do often. Instead, you’ll likely set up your earphones once or twice and roll with those settings for the rest of your time with them. Additionally, the earphones may or may not need a firmware update on the first listen; if your firmware version isn’t the most recent one listed on the site, make sure to see if there’s an update available in the app.

Opening the case of the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II starts the pairing process.
Edgar Cervantes / SoundGuys
Opening the case of the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II starts the pairing process.

Just be aware that Bose products can sometimes fail to update their firmware but still report the new version in the app. If this happens to you, we had to run some troubleshooting with our loan unit and have confirmed the below process works to remedy the issue:

Bose is famous for firmware updates failing, which can cause issues when trying to use the product. However, it’s a problem easy enough to fix.

  • Put the buds in the charging case.
  • With a computer, navigate to the Bose Updater page online. You may have to install an updater program.
  • With the included USB-A to USB-C cable, connect the case to your computer.
  • Follow the update instructions and allow the site to update the firmware of your charging case.

Historically, botched firmware updates with a smartphone have accounted for poor ANC, weird sound, and broken features. If you find yourself wondering if this has happened to you, a reinstall of the firmware takes about 3 minutes.

How long does the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II battery last?

In our testing of constant real music playback peaking at 75dB(SPL), the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II lasted 7 hours and 15 minutes on a single charge (at a reasonable listening level) — better than Bose’s claimed 6 hours. For wireless earbuds, this is a solidly respectable result, but if you need more, you’ll probably going to want to upgrade to a set of over-ears instead. Truth be told, there’s only so much you can do to design around the space requirements for batteries in earphones, so don’t expect to be able to use your earphones for a full workday or anything. Additionally, true wireless earphones will not last long due to the tradeoffs inherent in small battery cells.

Yes, the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II supports a quick charge feature. According to Bose.com, placing the earphones in the charging case for 20 minutes will grant you roughly 2 hours of playback time.

How well does the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II cancel noise?

Just like the previous iteration of QuietComfort Earbuds, the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II offer excellent ANC performance — some of the best you can buy. Though the earphones themselves don’t really offer a ton of passive isolation (perhaps owing to their shape), the ANC feature makes low-end noise half to one-eighth as loud as it would be without the product in your ears.

The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II doesn't insert very far into the ear canal, so there are some tradeoffs when it comes to gross isolation and ANC performance.
The ANC of the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II is outstanding, offering significant noise reduction in the low end.

Of course, this is very fit-dependent, and the better fit you can get, the more noise you can prevent from reaching your ears. Still, among true wireless earphones, the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II is matched only by their predecessors, the Google Pixel Buds Pro and the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro, in the noise attenuation department.

How does Aware mode with ActiveSense work?

When you want to hear your surroundings, enable Aware Mode; this is Bose’s name for what other companies dub “transparency mode.” With Aware Mode on, the earbuds will pass background noise through the headset to keep you aware. ActiveSense uses ANC to reduce the loudness of certain unpredictable sounds as they happen. This way, when you walk past a construction zone and enable Aware Mode, you won’t go deaf at the sound of workers’ power tools.

How does the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II sound?

The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II calculate how to adjust its sound to tailor it to your ear.
Edgar Cervantes / SoundGuys
The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II calculates how to adjust its sound to tailor it to your ear.

One of the coolest things about the latest generation of audio products is the ability to tailor the performance to their wearer. While we often hit this point in our other reviews, a target curve is not a “one size fits all” thing but a general guideline. Many people have different anatomies and preferences, so it shouldn’t be surprising to hear it may take some adjustment to get your earphones to sound how you want. To this end, Bose adopted a concept to automatically adjust its performance to your ear canal (a bit like the AirPods Pro series).

Out of the box, the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II havea very consumer-friendly sound, though its bass emphasis is quite strong.
Out of the box, the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II has under-emphasized mids and over-emphasized sub-bass.

The earphones will “chirp” your ear canals with a short test signal and then use the returning signal to calculate how to adjust the sound for your ears. At least, what it thinks fits your ears anyway. Once you remove the earphones, they’ll clear the calibration and do the whole process over again the next time you use them, which is a good thing. Ensuring an identical fit every time with in-ear is difficult, and even slight changes can make the sound noticeably different.

Once you finish this process and link your earphones to the Bose Music app, you have a number of EQ modes to select from. Interestingly enough, the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II sounds very different from its predecessor, as well as the company’s other current products. Specifically, it has a much stronger bass than any previous Bose headset.

It seems Bose has noted consumer preferences in sound, but it’s a little too far off our target, especially with the “Bass boost” preset. The response shape means you’ll probably notice vocals and guitars come in quite a bit softer than you’re used to hearing, and attack sounds like guitar picks hitting the strings and snare drum strikes will have more prominence in your music.

The other EQ options have somewhat similar sounds, differentiated mainly by just how much they overemphasize bass and treble at the expense of the mids. We recommend toning this down if you elect to make your own custom profile. If you like this kind of sound, then don’t worry about it.

Can you use the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II for phone calls?

The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II lays on a wooden table with coffee in the corner.
Edgar Cervantes / SoundGuys
These compact earphones have a decent microphone system but nothing to write home about.

Any Bluetooth audio product meant for daily mobile use will have microphones in them, and not just for ANC. The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II has a microphone array that enables phone calls, voice memos, and the use of voice assistants. In our use, we found the microphone quality pretty standard — it isn’t amazing, but the earphones at least do a decent job rejecting faraway noise. Unfortunately, it’s not so great at handling wind noise. If you’d like to hear for yourself, please listen to the clips we captured in the lab below.

Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II microphone demo (Ideal conditions):

Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II microphone demo (Office conditions):

Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II microphone demo (Street conditions):

Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II microphone demo (Windy conditions):

How does the microphone sound to you?

3987 votes

Should you buy the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II?

The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II with the earbuds outside of the angled case.
Edgar Cervantes / SoundGuys
The QuietComfort Earbuds II doesn’t support wireless charging, which is a little disappointing, given high-end TWS earbuds often have it.

Recommendations on high-profile earphones are always risky, given that the companies that stand behind them often update their features and firmware to improve as time goes on. Still, I personally would not recommend paying $300 USD for wireless earphones unless you have a fair bit of cash to burn. No matter how you slice it, this is a lot of money to stake on an audio product, and true wireless earbuds just don’t have the staying power that over-ears do. Those who prefer earphones and have the coin to sling around will undoubtedly find the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II an excellent companion — maybe just not the best value.

Bose QuietComfort Earbuds IIBose QuietComfort Earbuds II
Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II
Self-adjusting sound • Bluetooth 5.3 • Bose's best ANC to date
MSRP: $299.00
Bose put its best ANC technology in these earbuds
The QuietComfort Earbuds 2 feature Bose's best audio know-how. They personalize the sound quality and isolation to fit your ears each time you wear them. They also come with Bluetooth 5.3, USB-C charging, and can last 6 hours on a charge (24 with the case).

It’s very clear these earphones are intended to counterbalance the release of the Apple AirPods Pro (2nd generation). However, it looks like Bose is still finding its footing after an ambitious redesign. You need to do some futzing with the app to get this product to sound the way you want — otherwise, I hope you like emphasized bass and treble!

We can see this product being good for gym-goers, commuters, and office workers, as the features fit those settings quite well. This is the “halo” set of earbuds in Bose’s lineup, so it attempts to do a lot and do it well.

How does Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II compare to Bose QuietComfort Earbuds?

A woman wears the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds noise canceling true wireless earbuds.
Lily Katz / SoundGuys
The Bose QC Earbuds are quite a bit larger than the competition.

Though the old axiom “newer is always better” doesn’t hold up to any sort of scrutiny, in this case, it could. Price aside, the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II is quite different from its predecessor in just about every way, save for the brand name and ANC performance. Of course, price is a rather huge factor for most — so please don’t stretch your budget too thin when making a decision here. The newer earphones offer automatic equalization, less mobile concha fins, and a bassier sound where the original does not. If any of those features are a must-have for you, then your decision is easy.

If you don’t have any strong feelings about those features, you may want to save some money by picking up the older model. While it definitely isn’t as future-proof as the newer one, saving a few bucks at the checkout counter is an easy win if you don’t need a skull-rattling bass response. That said, you may find that the relatively smaller buds of the newer model are more comfortable, owing to their lower mass (6.24 grams vs. 8.5 grams each). That’s really the main advantage of the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II, and while that seems minor, it isn’t. Fit is everything with in-ears, and even slight discomfort can magnify over time to make for a truly miserable experience.

While the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II gets a lot of things right — features, bud design, and ambition come to mind — it will also set you back a lot of money for a product type that isn’t exactly known for long-term durability. If you’re thinking about investing in your audio products, you may want to look for something with a bit more staying power.

Bose QuietComfort EarbudsBose QuietComfort Earbuds
Bose QuietComfort Earbuds
Customizable ANC • 5h battery life • Various tip size
MSRP: $279.00
Bose QuietComfort earbuds offer high-quality sound. You can choose the degree of noise canceling and enjoy premium features like automatic ear detection.

What should you get instead of the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II?

The Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro are sitting in and covered in water droplets on a tropical themed outdoor blanket with a water bottle in the background.
Jasper Lastoria / SoundGuys
The buds are IPX7 rated for waterproofing, which should cover most wet activities or environments you’d take the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro.

Anyone looking at the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II should also have the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro on their radar. While the Samsung offering definitely isn’t the same kind of form factor, the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro offers a number of differences that may appeal to you — or, at the very least, your wallet. Coming in at a full $80 USD less, the Buds 2 Pro offers comparable ANC, better sound, and IPX7 water resistance (buds only). You can get the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro for $179 at Amazon. If you’d like to save even more money, Samsung also offers a credible competitor in the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2. These are also a step up in the audio quality department and offer comparable features at the cost of advanced ear calculation. The Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 is available for $99 at Amazon.

Users with iPhones will almost assuredly be better off using the latest Apple AirPods Pro (2nd generation), as those come with fewer headaches and similar features and also come at $50 less than the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II. While there aren’t many options for adjusting your sound with the AirPods Pro, they sound much better out of the box and beg for little futzing to begin with. For a side-by-side between the two, check out our comparison article on it. You can pick up the Apple AirPods Pro (2nd generation) for $239 at Amazon.

Frequently asked questions

No, it does not.

No, the QuietComfort Earbuds II does not support wireless charging.

  1. Superior Noise Cancellation: These earbuds are second to none when it comes to eliminating ambient noise, making them your ideal companion for undisturbed listening or focused activities.
  2. Dynamic Sound with Auto-EQ: The Auto-EQ feature adapts to your listening environment, ensuring consistently balanced audio. This, coupled with their high-quality sound, offers an unbeatable auditory experience.
  3. Comfort & Fit: With patented StayHear Max tips, comfort and a secure fit comes standard, allowing for extended wear without fatigue.

The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II was released on September 15, 2022. They have been superseded by the new Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds which we are currently testing, so stay tuned for our full review soon.