Believe it or not, Bose hasn’t been in the noise-canceling earbuds game very long. The company’s first ANC model arrived in late 2020, with two more to follow in 2022 and 2023. It successfully brought its powerful active noise cancellation (ANC) tech to the true wireless form factor from the jump, but has further improved with each new version. And perhaps the company’s greatest earbud triumph thus far was the debut of Immersive Audio last year: spatial audio that doesn’t need specially created content to be enjoyed.

While other companies have been keen to offer multiple models at varying prices, Bose stuck to flagship-quality wares at premium prices. All three of its noise-canceling earbud models are priced around $300. So, while its competitors have created wireless earbuds that nail the basics for less money, but pack fewer premium features overall, Bose has stayed the course.

Now, though, Bose is taking a shot at the mid-range market. The company revealed the QuietComfort Earbuds ($179) earlier this month, finally giving consumers a second option in its lineup. Bose’s ANC is onboard, with longer battery life than 2022’s QuietComfort Earbuds II and a new app with features that are unique to this new model. Has the company successfully managed to scale down its flagship formula or will these earbuds leave you pining for more?

Design

The first thing that struck me about the new QuietComfort Earbuds is their smaller size. It wasn’t clear from the marketing materials that this model was more compact than the QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds, which have a similar design to the QC Earbuds II. Bose has never been shy about bigger buds, and the size hasn’t been a problem. But, with the industry continuously trending smaller, it’s nice to see the company take an opportunity to shave off some excess.

The overall shape is more akin to Bose’s early (non-ANC) true wireless models than its recent ones. The oval-shaped stem isn’t here, as the circular exterior of the IPX4-rated QC Earbuds accept your taps and presses instead. The company is still using its so-called stability bands to help secure the fit, and there are three sizes of those to accompany the three ear tip options. During my tests, I never had an issue with the earbuds staying in place. Plus, the smaller size makes them more comfortable to wear for longer periods of time.

Bose went with a more common shape for the charging case this time. It’s larger than the one that came with the QuietComfort Ultra Open Earbuds, but about the same size as that of the QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds – even though the shapes are quite different. For this new model, the case is lighter with a relatively thin lid, although I never felt like the buds weren’t adequately protected.

Features

For a while now, all of the features and settings for Bose’s earbuds and headphones were accessible in the Bose app. For the QuietComfort Earbuds though, the company specifically designed the Bose QCE App, and said that it will be the only Bose product that uses it. Bose explained that this model uses different hardware and firmware to its previous earbuds (and other products), so it needed a new app to bring the QuietComfort Earbuds to market as soon as possible.

While the overall look is similar to the other Bose app, the layout and interactivity is different. And that’s not a bad thing. For example, you get access to a lot more features on the main screen rather than having to dig into a more detailed settings menu. Pretty much anything you would need is right there, including advanced options like Voice Control, Low Latency Audio, Smart Calls and Battery Prediction. When you tap on a feature, a card pops up with the appropriate settings. I think it’s a cleaner implementation that helps you get to what you need a lot faster.

Voice Control allows you to handle media playback, volume, ANC mode, calls and more with a “Hey Headphones…” command. It’s not something I felt like using all the time, but it was nice to have when my hands were full. Plus, this is the only model in the Bose lineup to offer it at this time.

The QC Earbuds support multipoint Bluetooth, which isn’t always a standard feature on Bose devices. There’s also a new Remote Selfie tool that lets you trigger your camera app with either of those Voice Controls or a tap on the earbuds. Low Latency Audio mode is here for gaming and there’s the option of assigning an onboard tap for a Fast Mute during calls. Of course, this main screen also shows standard settings: Battery percentages for each earbud, ANC modes, EQ and the ability to remap the touch controls.

Sound quality

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To me, Bose’s stock tuning has always been good, but not great. I typically notice a prevalence of treble and bass, with some lost fidelity in the mid range. For that reason, the company has lagged behind the likes of Sony and Sennhesier in terms of overall sound quality. But that changed on the QC Ultra Earbuds when Bose finally flexed its muscle with more robust, enveloping audio tuning.

On the QuietComfort Earbuds, there’s still an emphasis on punchy highs and snappy bass. It creates a pleasant foundation, and there’s plenty of crisp, clean detail in the tone. However, I’d like a little more mids, which thankfully I can get with the Custom EQ settings that provides a 5-band sliding to tweak as you desire. With that active, I can hear more detail in the guitars on Balance and Composure’s “With You In Spirit,” an alt-rock track with some crunchy riffs and layered interaction between those instruments.

You get a great feel for the low-end thump the QC Earbuds can muster on Justice’s Hyperdrama. Songs like “One Night/All Night” that have a driving, dance-y bass line thick with textured synths allow these buds to flex their bass chops. Something less intense, like Wyatt Flores’ “Don’t Wanna Say Goodnight” showcases the nuances in the sound from the acoustic guitar, fiddle and even the drums.

You’ll notice that I didn’t mention Immersive Audio, Bose’s take on spatial audio that debuted on the QC Ultra Earbuds and Headphones. Instead of relying on specially tracked content, the company uses software to do the heavy lifting. Immersive Audio isn’t available on the QuietComfort Earbuds right now, but the company’s website lists it as “coming soon.” For now, I’m only evaluating these earbuds on what they currently offer, but the addition of Immersive Audio could be significant in terms of overall sonic performance.

ANC performance

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Bose likes to throw around words like “legendary” and “renowned” when describing its ANC’s effectiveness. And rightfully so. The company has been among the best when it comes to blocking environmental noise for years. The QuietComfort Earbuds line has offered some of the best options for silencing distractions since its inception in 2020, culminating with the QC Ultra Earbuds that debuted last year. So, with its most affordable option yet, it would be understandable if Bose backed off a bit on the ANC performance. Thankfully, that’s not the case.

I was pleasantly surprised at what Bose offers in a $179 set of earbuds. You’ll have no problem combating low-to-mid-range noise sources, like fans and white noise machines, and the QC Earbuds even do a decent job with human voices. They won’t completely silence a chatty neighbor, but they will reduce the distraction even with no audio playing. And sure, you’ll find more-robust ANC on the pricier Ultra model, but for most, this set will block what you need it to, and cost less doing it.

Transparency mode, or Aware, sounds pleasantly natural, although you won’t hear your own voice as clearly unless you have Side Tones enabled. This provides adjustable voice amplification for calls and in-game chats, but isn’t applied universally when Aware mode is active. And even then, it’s not as good as Apple’s AirPods Pro, which are the best when it comes to ambient sound.

Battery life

Bose promises up to 8.5 hours of use with ANC on with two and a half charges in the case. A quick-charge feature gives you three hours of playback in 20 minutes. Unlike other recent models, Bose built wireless charging into the QuietComfort Earbuds case, which means you won’t have to buy an additional cover for that.

During my tests with ANC enabled and the volume at a comfortable 60-70 percent, I still had 12 percent battery left after the stated 8.5 hours. There were a few times I used transparency mode for calls and chats, but otherwise it was all ANC, all the time. According to the app’s Battery Prediction feature, 12 percent would’ve been good enough for another 45 minutes.

I should note that Battery Prediction shouldn’t be solely relied on for an indication of how much time you have left. The number is calculated based on the current use conditions when you ask for the figure. For example, if you tap it as soon as you put the QC Earbuds in and haven’t activated ANC, it will tell you there’s over 12 hours remaining. That’s not really achievable under normal use, not to mention if you’ve got active noise cancellation turned on.

Call quality

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For wireless earbuds, call quality can be really hit or miss. Companies either nail it with something that blocks a ton of background noise and keeps you sounding decent, or you end up with speakerphone-quality, fuzzy voice performance. Most of the time, earbuds land somewhere in the middle. Call quality wasn’t the absolute best on the QC Ultra Earbuds during my review, but it was solid enough to get the job done and handled background noise well.

On the QuietComfort Earbuds, that wasn’t the case. My voice sounded slightly muffled during calls – somewhat clear, but far from pristine. The earbuds also managed to diminish the sound of a loud fan when I wasn’t speaking, but it got slightly louder when I began to talk. If you’re making a ton of calls with your earbuds, these might not be the best option for you. However, if you’re only planning to use them occasionally, and not for important meetings, you’ll probably be fine.

The competition

My pick for best wireless earbuds, Sony’s WF-1000XM5, is significantly more expensive than the QC Earbuds at nearly $300. Typically, when they go on sale, you’re looking at $248, although my deal-seeking colleagues have seen them as low as $228. So, even in the best-case scenario, you’re looking at an extra $50 over the QuietComfort Earbuds. For this reason, Sony’s LinkBuds S and Sennheiser’s Accentum True Wireless are more apt comparisons.

The LinkBuds S carry a lot of the same features from the 1000XM5 earbuds, including the overall design. You’ll still get Speak-to-Chat conversation awareness and Adaptive Sound Control that automatically adjusts settings based on activity or location – among other tools. Battery life is shorter at six hours, but the LinkBuds S are still rated IPX4 so they should be fine for workouts.

Sennheiser’s Accentum True Wireless serve the same purpose in the company’s lineup as the new QuietComfort Earbuds do for Bose. The Accentum model offers some of the attractive features of the pricier Momentum True Wireless 4 at a lower price. The key advantage here is better sound quality, which I’ve found Sennehsier to be reliably churning out with each new set. You’ll also get decent ANC, but not as good as the QC Earbuds, and 8-hour battery life.

Wrap-up

Bose has cracked the code for a compelling set of earbuds with its best features at a lower price. Effective ANC, great sound quality, extended battery life and loads of other handy tools are all here, including some you won’t find on the company’s other models. Sure, the noise cancellation, call quality and audio performance are better on the pricier QuietComfort Ultra, but there’s a lot to like here for $179. If Bose can quickly deliver Immersive Audio, the new QuietComfort Earbuds might become an even more compelling option.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/headphones/bose-quietcomfort-earbuds-2024-review-a-more-affordable-anc-ace-150018195.html?src=rss