Bose’s new QuietComfort Earbuds supply top-tier ANC for below $200

It’s been a very long time since we’ve seen a pair of under-$200 earbuds from Bose. Till now, the corporate has been blissful to stay with merchandise that hover round $300, together with the QuietComfort Extremely Earbuds (plus a number of predecessors) and the more moderen Extremely Open Earbuds.

However now, the $179 second-gen QuietComfort Earbuds have arrived, with a brand new design, Bose’s class-leading lively noise cancellation, and some different options — wi-fi charging, multipoint Bluetooth, and many others. — which are obtainable proper out of the field, which hasn’t at all times been the case with the corporate’s flagship fashions.

I’ve been testing the 2024 QuietComfort Earbuds for a couple of days, and whereas I would like a bit longer to land on a full verdict, there’s already quite a bit to love about them. Wi-fi charging doesn’t require some foolish add-on case. They’re fairly comfy. Over eight hours of battery life with ANC on? Fairly good. And I’ve discovered the noise cancellation right here to be in the identical ballpark because the pricier buds — if not fairly on par. The transparency mode can be good and crisp. As for music, you’ll be able to customise the sound profile with a five-band EQ, which is good for the reason that “less precious, more everyday play” audio generally is a lot and leans into heavy-handed bass.

Simply don’t count on each final bell and whistle. The charging case is a bit of huge by at present’s requirements, and options like immersive audio (“coming soon”), AptX Adaptive codec assist, CustomTune sound personalization, and the flexibility to sync with Bose’s soundbars are absent from the QC Earbuds. But they provide some new capabilities that no different Bose merchandise do, like serving as a distant shutter to your cellphone’s digital camera. That’s attention-grabbing, and the shutter trick truly works fairly properly as long as you retain the headphones app open within the background.

Talking of which, that app state of affairs is a bit of odd. The 2024 QuietComfort Earbuds have a standalone companion app that’s separate from the primary Bose app used for the QuietComfort Extremely line. And there’s a purpose for that: Bose didn’t absolutely develop this software program by itself.

Spokesperson Joanne Berthiaume instructed me that “the product uses different hardware and firmware than our other QC Ultra earbuds, so we needed to leverage a different app to bring it to market quickly. We did work with a third-party to develop the app.”

Bose collaborated with this unspecified companion on the app’s total look and expertise, in keeping with Berthiaume. However the QC Earbuds app nonetheless has fairly a special really feel than Bose’s different cellular software program. Faucet on any choice, and also you get a slide-up card interface.

It will get the job performed for customizing controls, enabling options like low-latency mode, or adjusting the EQ, however the UX lacks some polish across the edges. (The voice prompts on the earbuds themselves additionally sound completely horrible — not that this issues a lot, however nonetheless.) To its credit score, the app does put just about each characteristic proper on the primary display screen for very quick entry with out having to dive by means of a number of menus.

What is necessary is that the QuietComfort Earbuds have (to this point) labored reliably in my testing. And for an organization that’s had a historical past of irritating, unpredictable connectivity issues with some earlier merchandise, that’s important to get proper. I haven’t had any points with multipoint, and the low-latency mode made the QC Earbuds an excellent match for my Steam Deck OLED. No complaints there. I don’t envision myself utilizing the “hey headphones” voice instructions a lot, however the choice exists for individuals who need it. The faucet gesture controls have additionally labored advantageous with none false activations.

Bose readily admits the sound on these is something however “precious,” and the QC Earbuds certainly have a V-shaped sound curve that elevates the treble and bass. It’s the signature Bose sound that many individuals will discover pleasing. Once more, the app enables you to override this default profile and go along with your individual preferences, however the total audio constancy is a rung or two under the QC Ultras and different earbuds that value greater than these do. Keep tuned for extra thorough sound impressions within the full assessment. I’ve solely had a couple of voice calls on the QC Earbuds, however to this point, I’d price them as merely enough there.

I would like extra time with the QC Earbuds earlier than scoring them — partially to ensure they hold working as anticipated and don’t begin exhibiting the random bugs of some previous Bose buds. For now, I can say the ANC undoubtedly measures as much as Bose’s fame and outclasses just about all rivals. If that’s your main think about making a purchase order, these will certainly have numerous enchantment at their worth level and might be a much more sensible purchase than the Ultras.

Images by Chris Welch / The Verge