Bose Unveils New QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds: A Formidable Challenger to Apple's AirPods

The king of noise-cancelling earbuds is back: Meet Bose's all-new AirPods 4 rivals with an 8.5-hour runtime

Just ahead of Apple's AirPods 4 hitting shelves on Friday, September 20, 2024, Bose is unveiling a new pair of earbuds priced identically at $179 / £ 179. Unlike AirPods 4 with noise cancelling, the new Bose QuietComfort Earbuds have ear-tips that seal off your ears and pair that feature with a promised long runtime and strong active noise cancellation. First, a quick history lesson, though. While these do have the name Bose QuietComfort Earbuds, they are not a new generation of the QuietComfort Earbuds Ultra or an update on our pick for Best ANC, the QCE2, which is sadly no longer officially sold by the brand. These new QuietComfort Earbuds have a more mid-range price and are likely the spiritual successor to the Sport Earbuds from years past. Furthermore, these are the entry points to the Bose earbud lineup under the $299 Ultra Open Earbuds or $299 QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds. These will be most similar to the latter with a slightly oversized look and a design that incorporates ear-tips. Now, if Bose's mid-range QuietComfort Earbuds have already sold you, they are up for order now, but ahead, we're breaking down what is new. While the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds are priced in line with Apple's AirPods 4, these earbuds take a different approach entirely. Starting with the design, Bose sticks with a slightly oversized look that will protrude from the ear and let you proudly display your color choice. You can pick between Black, White Smoke, or Chilled Lilac. With silicone ear-tips and a stability band, the QuietComfort Earbuds are decidedly not open-ear and aim for a full seal with your ear canal. This should aid in active noise cancellation, reducing environmental sounds to a silence, and avoiding audio leakage. You'll be able to pick from a few sizes of both tips and bands in the box. If you enjoy listening to music while working out or walking in the rain, you know that these do meet the IPX4 water and sweat resistance rating. Powering the audio experience is a custom setup from Bose and it's described as delivering a high-quality experience that can be customized within the companion Bose QC Earbuds app for Android and iOS. There you can choose between 5 EQ presets or create your own. Each earbud features three microphones for voice pickup and active noise cancellation. With the latter, the onboard processor and a Bose algorithm cancel out the noise around you and leave you silent. We have high hopes for how well this will perform, especially given how previous Bose earbuds have been tested. You can also make some environmental sounds in "Aware" mode, similar to Apple's Transparency mode on AirPods. Bose QuietComfort Earbuds support multipoint pairing out of the box, which the QuietComfort Ultra still lacks. These boast Bluetooth 5.3, which should ensure strong connectivity. There is also a new feature that will let the earbuds act as a remote shutter for taking selfies, and Bose has its own voice assistant that can be accessed by saying, "Hey headphones." Battery life is looking pretty sharp. Bose promises 8.5 hours of playback on a full charge, and the case provides 2.5 full recharges for 29.75 hours of total listening. That's close to the Apple AirPods 4, which claim a 30-hour total playtime, but you only get five hours from Apple's earbuds before they'll need charging (which, let's face it, isn't that long in today's money). Bose's carrying case can be recharged via USB-C or a wireless charging mat. Overall, the features stack up on paper to what could be an excellent pair of earbuds at a great price. It's also clear that while Bose offers an open-ear pair of earbuds, the brand is returning to basics with a more affordable pair of earbuds designed to deliver strong noise cancellation in a design with proper ear tips. Bose is already taking orders for the new QuietComfort Earbuds, and according to the company's online store, they should be delivered in all three colors as soon as September 23. So, if you're sold, you can lock in an order now, and we'll be back with our thoughts as soon as we can go hands-on. That's not all that Bose had to unveil, though. Alongside the QuietComfort Earbuds, Bose unveiled the new Smart Soundbar which keeps the look and feature-set of the Smart Soundbar 600, but tosses in an A.I. Dialogue Mode to adjust tone and EQ in real-time. It's up for order now at $499.99.

Bose's new $179 earbuds are the AirPods 4 rivals we didn't know we needed

The new QuietComfort Earbuds bring significant battery upgrades and voice assistant capabilities to a redesigned form factor. Apple released its lineup of midrange earbuds last week in the form of the AirPods 4, but its competitors have already entered the chat. Today, Bose announced the latest generation of QuietComfort Earbuds for $179, which promise best-in-class noise cancellation, extended battery life, and enhanced software capabilities. The QuietComfort Earbuds are a midrange, everyday option for people who don't want the premium Bose QuietComfort Ultra but prefer a more immersive listening experience than the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds offer. Also: The best noise-canceling headphones of 2024: Expert tested and reviewed Bose first released the QuietComfort Earbuds II in September 2022, so they're due for a biennial update. The new QuietComfort Earbuds have Bose's esteemed noise-canceling technology, three microphones in each earbud, and an in-ear design for enhanced stability and optimal noise-canceling performance. They still have an IPX4 rating, so their water resistance has not increased since Bose first introduced the QuietComfort Earbuds in 2020. However, Bose says the new earbuds deliver up to eight and a half hours of continuous playtime, an increase of over two hours from their predecessors. There's also no increase in Bluetooth connectivity between the 2022 QuietComfort Earbuds and the 2024 version. The new QuietComfort Earbuds are compatible with Bluetooth 5.3, so you're still getting more stable Bluetooth connections and efficient power consumption. More significantly, Bose redesigned the QuietComfort Earbuds' form factor, providing a clamshell charging case design and rounded buds, compared to the egg-shaped case and elongated buds found in previous models. Another significant change between the new QuietComfort Earbuds and their predecessors is that the latest earbuds have a separate Bose app. Instead of using the all-encompassing Bose Connect app, users can download the QC Earbuds app, which provides enhanced personalization and earbud functionality. Also: The best noise-canceling earbuds I've ever tried aren't made by Apple or Sony Users can customize touch controls on each earbud, toggle between audio modes, and access a five-band equalizer. As AI is at the forefront of consumer electronics, Bose implemented enhanced voice assistant controls in the QuietComfort Earbuds. These allow users to answer calls, play media, and control volume by saying, "Hey, headphones." Previous models required users to long-press the earbuds to summon their voice assistant or use short-presses and swipes to answer calls or toggle between audio modes. Upgraded voice assistant capabilities should make these earbuds more intuitive by allowing users to complete more hands-free commands. The new QuietComfort Earbuds debut with a feature called Remote Selfie, which allows users to control their camera with the earbuds. Additionally, low latency mode promises to shorten the delay between the audio in your buds and the video on your device's screen.

Bose's new earbuds take direct aim at Apple with new features and massive upgrades

Bose's new QuietComfort Earbuds offer upgraded battery life, voice assistant capabilities, and a redesigned form factor. Apple released midrange earbuds last week, but its competitors are entering the chat. Today, Bose announced the latest generation of QuietComfort Earbuds, which promise best-in-class noise cancellation, extended battery life, and enhanced software capabilities. The QuietComfort Earbuds are a midrange, everyday option for people who don't want the premium Bose QuietComfort Ultra but prefer a more immersive listening experience than the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds offer. Also: The best noise-canceling headphones of 2024: Expert tested and reviewed Bose released the QuietComfort Earbuds II in September 2022, so they're due for a biennial update. The new QuietComfort Earbuds have Bose's esteemed noise-canceling technology, three microphones in each earbud, and an in-ear design for enhanced stability and optimal noise-canceling performance. These earbuds have an IPX4 rating, so their water resistance has not increased since Bose first introduced the QuietComfort Earbuds in 2020. However, Bose says the new earbuds deliver up to eight and a half hours of continuous playtime, a two-and-a-half-hour increase from their predecessors. However, there's no increase in Bluetooth connectivity between the 2022 QuietComfort Earbuds and the 2024 version. The new QuietComfort Earbuds are compatible with Bluetooth 5.3, so you're still getting more stable Bluetooth connections and efficient power consumption. More significantly, Bose redesigned the QuietComfort Earbuds' form factor, providing a clamshell charging case design and rounded buds, compared to the egg-shaped case and elongated buds found in previous models. Another significant change between the new QuietComfort Earbuds and their predecessors is that the latest earbuds have a separate Bose app. Instead of using the all-encompassing Bose Connect app, users can download the QC Earbuds app, which provides enhanced personalization and earbud functionality. Also: The best noise-canceling earbuds I've ever tried aren't made by Apple or Sony Users can customize touch controls on each earbud, toggle between audio modes, and access a five-band equalizer. As AI is at the forefront of consumer electronics, Bose implemented enhanced voice assistant controls in the QuietComfort Earbuds. These allow users to answer calls, play media, and control volume by saying, "Hey, headphones." Previous models required users to long-press the earbuds to summon their voice assistant or use short-presses and swipes to answer calls or toggle between audio modes. Upgraded voice assistant capabilities should make these earbuds more intuitive by allowing users to complete more hands-free commands. The new QuietComfort Earbuds debut with a feature called Remote Selfie, which allows users to control their camera with the earbuds. Additionally, low latency mode promises to shorten the delay between the audio in your buds and the video on your device's screen.

Bose QuietComfort Earbuds are more mainstream in-ears from the ANC king | Stuff

Bose has long set the standard when it comes to active noise cancelling, but its best wireless earbuds have usually also brought a hefty price premium over big-name rivals. The firm hasn't forgotten more value-minded music fans, though: the new Bose QuietComfort Earbuds dilute down everything great about its flagship model, and significantly lowers the price. They're designed for daily use, rather than focusing on commuter and flight-friendly noise cancelling like the QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds - but should still manage best-in-class ANC, according to Bose. Three mics in each bud handle background silencing and voice calls. A snug-fitting shape and selection of stability bands included in the box should make these in-ears particularly comfortable, and stay secure if used while working out. IPX4 water resistance will shrug off sweat, too. It's packing Bluetooth 5.3 with Multipoint connectivity, a low latency mode for better audio sync, and will play nicely with your phone's voice assistant. The Bose QC Earbuds app lets you switch ANC settings, customise the touch controls, and tweak the five-band EQ for personalised sound. About the only major omission is Immersive Audio, Bose's spin on spatial audio. Battery life is pegged at eight and a half hours, though Bose doesn't say if that's with ANC enabled or not. The charging case (which supports Qi wireless top-ups) can hold another two and a half full charges, with a 20 minute quick refuel being good enough for another three hours of listening. The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds are launching today, in Black, White Smoke and Chilled Lilac colours. Expect to pay £179 directly from the Bose website. Bose has also pulled the covers off the Bose Smart Soundbar, a mid-life update for the existing Bose Smart Soundbar 600 that brings the AI Dialogue mode last seen in last year's Smart Ultra Soundbar. This tone-tweaking algorithm makes speech easier to hear automatically, which can be handy for films with non-stop action, or badly-mixed TV shows with mumbling actors. Anyone with a set of Bose Ultra Open Earbuds can also pair them to the Soundbar to use as a set of personal rear surround sound speakers, while leaving your ear canals clear to hear the soundbar's audio output. It's available to pre-order from today, directly from the Bose website, for £500. Units should start shipping from the 10th of October.