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In their words
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@jade_marten_45 · Owner-reported
Owned 1–2 years · Still using it: no, stopped · Posted
On my first pair, the noise cancelation has weaken over time and the left earbuds lost sound after about 10 months. The pair has been replaced since but I lost the noise cancelation on the right earbuds after 6 months. I experienced connectivity problems and slippery rubber bands
Noise cancelling in the real world · worse than expected
Fit and build · worse than expected
one_bud · gave out
Would not buy again
@sage_meteor_72 · Owner-reported
Owned 6–12 months · Still using it: yes, daily · Posted
Overall, they're great. The lid on the case doesn't have a clip. Charge life could be better than 5.5 hrs.:(
Comfort · better than expected
Noise cancelling in the real world · better than expected
Mic on calls · better than expected
Fit and build · better than expected
Would buy again
@warm_birch_85 · Owner-reported
Owned over 2 years · Still using it: yes, daily · Posted
First Gen Bose QC earbuds. Still using them daily after like 5 years of use. The case broke but still works. Battery not as great anymore and on one earbud I needed to glue the metal filter into the canal again. Otherwise still great. What's the best replacement for it?
Noise cancelling in the real world · better than expected
Battery · worse than expected
Mic on calls · worse than expected
Case · gave out
Would buy again
Own it? Your review joins these
Three answers, four quick reads, one sentence nobody tells you before buying · About 2 minutes · No account needed · Photo optional
Measured frequency response (dB relative) against the SoundGuys Headphone Preference Curve. When the measurement goes above the dashed line, that frequency is louder than our preference curve, and when it goes below: it's quieter. Use the curve for comparison purposes only, as your taste may vary.
Bose QuietComfort Earbuds: frequency response, as measured in the SoundGuys lab. Frequency in hertz.
Frequency (Hz)
Response (dB)
20
7.9
25
10.3
32
10.8
40
9.3
50
7.1
63
5.7
80
4.6
100
3.5
125
2.3
160
0.6
200
-1.0
250
-2.2
315
-2.7
400
-2.7
500
-2.4
630
-0.6
800
-0.4
1000
0.0
1250
1.3
1600
3.8
2000
7.7
2500
12.4
3150
12.5
4000
10.3
5000
7.4
6300
4.1
8000
8.5
10000
-0.6
12500
5.2
16000
-9.8
20000
-30.6
Bose QuietComfort Earbuds
Tap the chart to read values
Passive isolation (dB) with ANC off — how much ambient noise the fit blocks on its own. Higher on the chart means more attenuation.
Bose QuietComfort Earbuds: passive isolation, as measured in the SoundGuys lab. Frequency in hertz.
Frequency (Hz)
Attenuation (dB)
21
6.0
26
5.6
33
1.4
41
1.4
52
1.3
65
2.1
82
1.8
103
2.3
130
2.4
163
2.9
205
3.4
259
3.5
325
3.3
410
4.5
516
4.4
613
4.2
772
7.2
972
9.4
1220
11.4
1540
13.8
1940
16.4
2440
22.6
3070
25.1
3870
31.0
4870
37.1
6130
35.0
7720
24.3
9720
45.5
12200
19.4
15400
34.7
19400
23.6
Bose QuietComfort Earbuds
Tap the chart to read values
Total attenuation (dB) with ANC on — passive isolation plus active noise cancelling. Higher on the chart means more attenuation.
Bose QuietComfort Earbuds: noise cancelling, as measured in the SoundGuys lab. Frequency in hertz.
Frequency (Hz)
Total attenuation (dB)
21
1.2
26
7.0
33
5.0
41
11.4
52
16.9
65
23.8
82
28.3
103
30.5
130
30.2
163
33.2
205
33.9
259
30.9
325
23.9
410
18.1
516
15.1
613
13.9
772
16.8
972
23.0
1220
26.6
1540
25.6
1940
26.0
2440
32.3
3070
33.7
3870
31.4
4870
34.2
6130
37.1
7720
31.0
9720
34.4
12200
16.2
15400
26.4
19400
24.5
Bose QuietComfort Earbuds
5.0
Timbre
4.1
Distortion
4.8
Immersiveness
4.9
Overall
Multi-Dimensional Audio Quality Scores (1–5), modeled from the measured response. Higher is better across timbre, distortion, and immersiveness — add other models to see where this one lands.
SoundGuys review
SOUNDGUYS rating
7.9/ 10
Recommended
Reviewed byChase BernathBrand & Partnerships ManagerReviewed September 2024
Noise cancelling8.2
Isolation6.0
Comfort & fit8.0
Connectivity5.0
Design7.0
Portability8.0
The verdict
The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds deliver excellent sound quality and noise canceling at an affordable price. The only thing holding us back from a stronger recommendation are the connectivity issues we experienced while testing them.
What readers who own the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds report after living with it. Owner-reported, checked before publishing; ordered photo-verified first, then newest.
Owner reviews are not paid for, not solicited from specific owners, and not edited by us. The commission SoundGuys may earn on this page comes from retail links, never from owner reviews.
3 owner reviews
Every author writes under a generated pseudonym. A signed-in author’s email is never shown. Read more · The reader says they own it. We have not seen proof, and we say so — no label here is proof of a purchase. Read more · Owned 1–2 years · Still using it: no, stopped · Posted
Would not buy again
On my first pair, the noise cancelation has weaken over time and the left earbuds lost sound after about 10 months. The pair has been replaced since but I lost the noise cancelation on the right earbuds after 6 months. I experienced connectivity problems and slippery rubber bands
Fit and build · worse than expected
one_bud · gave out
Every author writes under a generated pseudonym. A signed-in author’s email is never shown. Read more · The reader says they own it. We have not seen proof, and we say so — no label here is proof of a purchase. Read more · Owned 6–12 months · Still using it: yes, daily · Posted
Would buy again
Overall, they're great. The lid on the case doesn't have a clip. Charge life could be better than 5.5 hrs.:(
Comfort · better than expected
Mic on calls · better than expected
Fit and build · better than expected
Every author writes under a generated pseudonym. A signed-in author’s email is never shown. Read more · The reader says they own it. We have not seen proof, and we say so — no label here is proof of a purchase. Read more · Owned over 2 years · Still using it: yes, daily · Posted
Would buy again
First Gen Bose QC earbuds. Still using them daily after like 5 years of use. The case broke but still works. Battery not as great anymore and on one earbud I needed to glue the metal filter into the canal again. Otherwise still great. What's the best replacement for it?
