This isn’t Bose’s first rodeo in the wireless market, having numerous products catering to different needs. Including this pair, they have three offerings of true wireless earbuds which have different areas of focus. For example, the Bose Sport Earbuds were made for fitness enthusiasts while this one, the Bose QuietComfort were made for those who want premium noise cancellation – which is pretty much everyone at this point.

That being said, we’re going to probe deeper into the QuietComfort and lay out the factors that we think can either influence or sway you away from taking the plunge with this pair. Starting off with the good things that we saw in this model, here are the Pros of the Bose QuietComfort.

Pros

Premium Active Noise Cancellation. With noise cancelling being at the forefront of this pair, it’s no surprise that these have beat out the Airpods Pro with their active noise cancellation technology. Aside from offering noise cancellation and transparency, they took it a step further and made it possible for you to customize your experience with ambient noise from full active noise cancellation to full transparency to everything in between.

Great Mic Quality. This pair has great mic quality, making it a viable daily option especially for those who need to take a lot of calls while being on the go. Mic signal is strong and the only distortion you may hear is from Bluetooth – which is normal and very minimal. You’ll definitely get your money’s worth off the QuiteComfort if you’re someone who plans to utilize this pair for this reason.

Excellent Sound Quality. As one would expect, Bose is able to deliver tremendously with the sound quality of this pair. Bass translates well and sound comes through well-sculpted which is perfect for those who love listening to different genres. There’s also no distortion at louder volumes which some pairs struggle with but with this one, you certainly won’t have that problem. Overall, it will definitely give justice to your favorite tracks and playlists as expected from a well-established brand like Bose.

Now with those good points about the Bose QuietComfort, we’re going to be looking at some factors that you should consider before pushing through with this pair. We want to be as transparent as possible so we’re going to show you the flip side – the Cons that you may encounter should you go ahead and get this.

Cons

Bulky. This model is definitely on the bulkier side compared to other pairs – such as the Airpods Pro which is one of their major competitors – so it’s definitely a Con for those who plan on using this to work out. While you can still use these for the gym, it might be quite bothersome especially if you’re doing more rigorous workouts. We imagine that going on runs would also be quite awkward with the form factor of this one.

High Price Point. While the price on this is justifiable, it is priced a bit above the market for a top brand. Although the features that it has are commendable – such as the ones that we mentioned above, bringing the price down a bit would make it have better value for money. It is a premium brand but it’s on the verge of having too high of a price point which might be a dealbreaker for others.

After all that we’ve seen and said, we can definitely conclude that the Bose QuietComfort is a great pair of earbuds with premium active noise cancelling abilities, great mic quality, and top-notch sound quality. It’s a great daily option that can cater to many different kinds of people from those who want to use this pair as a travel or commute companion to those who want to utilize this as a solid earbuds option for calls. It can definitely deliver all of that – and more – with the features that you do ultimately get.

In saying that, the only thing that you should consider before taking the plunge with this is its bulky form factor which can be a pain for those with more active lifestyles. It’s way bulkier than other pairs in the market and if that’s a dealbreaker for you, we would recommend you to consider getting another option instead. Because this pair retails for roughly $280, you have to make sure that it will work out with your lifestyle or else you won’t be getting your value for money.

With that being said, this concludes our review of the Bose QuietComfort. We hope to have helped you out today with your decision and with your earbud hunting journey. Let us know what you think!

► ALSO READ: Mifo O5 Plus Gen 2 Sports Earbuds Review

With Airpods being a household name in the wireless earbuds market, it is no surprise that many of their competitors are trying to be on par with them (or even surpass them) as a great daily option. The Bose QuiteComfort Earbuds is one of those competitors. That is why today, we will be comparing the two wireless earbuds – the Airpods Pro and the Bose QuietComfort to see which pair can be hailed as the best true wireless earbuds.

For our comparison today, we will be looking at both the hardware and software of these pairs. While sound quality and the features they come with should be the star of the show, their portability and overall look is also very important. In saying that, we will start by comparing these two strong contenders in terms of Design.

Design

The biggest difference that the Airpods Pro and the Bose QuietComfort has is their size. The Bose QuietComfort is significantly larger than the Airpods Pro – both in terms of case and the earbuds themselves. Looking at them side by side, the Bose Quietcomfort’s case is around three times larger which is a big factor in its portability. As for the earbuds themselves, while the Airpods Pro has their signature look (with the stem and in-ear tips), the Bose QuietComfort has a more traditional appearance with a pretty large form factor, ear wings, and an oval tip to go in your ears.

Going more in depth regarding the earbuds case, both have a flip-open top but unlike the Airpods Pro – the Bose QuietComfort has a physical button you would need to push before the case opens. This would ensure that even if you drop your Bose pair, your earbuds will be secure. Unfortunately for the Airpods Pro’s case – if you drop it, there’s a big chance that your buds will go flying out.

Fit and Controls

Both have great fit, but in different ways because of their design. Starting off with the Airpods Pro, they fit perfectly but due to their stem and overall design, they have the tendency to come off more easily. Meanwhile, the QuietComfort is more secure with their wide size and ear wings that make sure you get a secure fit. Also because of their wider form factor, weight is distributed equally with the QuietComfort making it feel more comfortable – resulting in no ear fatigue – and bearable to wear for hours on end.

As for controls, the Airpods Pro uses Force Stems which is a physical click function. On the other hand, Bose uses tap function which is always a little confusing to do. Both are definitely tedious but we do prefer using the Force Stems of the Airpods Pro as they proved to be easier.

Battery Life

Overall, the Airpods Pro has better total time usage being capable of 24 hours of playtime (made possible by the extra 19 hours in the case). Meanwhile, the Bose QuietComfort only has a total time usage of 18 hours of playtime (made possible by the extra 12 hours in the case).

However, the QuietComfort has better time for a single-charge use or “real-time use” with six hours of playtime. The Airpods Pro only gets four and a half hours with active noise cancelling on or five hours with noise cancelling off. Thankfully, both have a quick charge feature with the Airpods Pro being able to deliver an hour of use after only five minutes of charging and the QuietComfort being able to provide two hours of additional playtime after fifteen minutes of charging.

Connectivity

The Bose QuietComfort uses Bluetooth 5.1 which is the second most-recent Bluetooth standard. As for the Airpods Pro, it still uses Bluetooth 5 but it has a big advantage since Apple is using its H1 wireless chip which brings with it many great features.

Aside from being able to create a great ecosystem for your Apple devices, the Airpods Pro’s H1 chip uses Bluetooth Class 1 audio which creates a stronger signal than the usual Class 2 used in the audio industry. Additionally, the H1 chip allows the Airpods Pro to have a massive 100-foot range compared to the industry-grade 30 feet that the QuietComfort is limited to.

Sound Quality

With regards to audio quality, Bose wins over Apple offering a punchier bass with a bolder and more solid sound. A factor of this could be because Apple has the Beats line which is where they lay on the heavy bass which resulted in a more neutral sound for the Airpods and the Airpods Pro. In saying that though, the Airpods Pro still has great sound quality with a crisp sound and clear mids.

Although overall, the QuietComfort dominates with a larger soundstage and stronger bass – which is very important for a lot of different people with different lifestyles.

Active Noise Cancelling (ANC)

Having 11 levels of active noise cancellation (ANC), Bose has the upper hand in this category. You can configure the levels to your liking and can even save your favorite settings for easier access. This means that Bose does a superb job in cancelling out ambient noise with the highest level sealing off your surroundings completely.

While the Airpods Pro also has great active noise cancelling, it does let in some background noise slip in which isn’t as ideal in settings like long-haul flights or if you’re someone who prefers/needs complete silence to work.

Distinct Features

Before deciding which pair of earbuds wins overall, let us present some unique features that each model has.

Airpods Pro

Since they’re made by Apple, using them within the Apple ecosystem of products is an amazing experience. It’s a breeze to connect them to your devices and so easy to customize your experience with them. Now with iOS 14, there are also new features offered such as auto-switching between devices without having to pair and unpair. They included spatial audio as well which recreates a Dolby Atmos-like 3D sound experience. It also innovated Audio Share which allows multiple pairs of Airpods Pro to connect to a single Apple device such as an iPhone, iPad, and even Apple TV.

Other than that, Apple also has a unique fit test to determine which seal fits you best. It also uses the inward-facing microphone to adjust Audio EQ for the best sound for your ears.

Bose QuietComfort Earbuds

Aside from the amazing 11 levels of ANC, Bose offers other unique features as well. It has a dedicated app where you can adjust many features and where you can see the status of your earbuds in terms of battery, volume, and even firmware to name a few.

It also has a pretty cool setting that allows you to automatically answer a phone call whenever an earbud is inserted. This means that if a call is coming through, you wouldn’t need to touch your phone as you can just simply insert your earbud in to answer it.

The Verdict

All things considered, we think that it’s only fair to say that the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds is the winner. With its excellent noise cancellation abilities, great sound quality, and functional design, they truly deserve to be hailed as the best true wireless earbuds over the Airpods Pro.

Because while the Airpods Pro are well-loved all over the earbud market scene and are a great pair as well, the Bose QuietComfort proved to deliver above and beyond both in terms of hardware and software.

Where to Buy

You can get the Bose Quiet Earbuds on Amazon for $279.00 and the Airpods Pro here at various prices starting at $199.99.