QuietComfort Earbuds II

Real-Life Noise Canceling That Actually Works

If you're tired of hearing the world around you, these earbuds deliver. Reviewers tested them in crowded pubs, on loud commutes, and near HVAC units, and the noise canceling consistently impressed. It's the kind of ANC that makes you realize how much ambient noise you've been putting up with.

The sound quality is genuinely beautiful. Reviewers praise the balanced, detailed audio that works equally well with music, podcasts, and audiobooks. The CustomTune sound calibration system adapts to your ears, which is a nice touch that actually makes a difference.

Comfort for All-Day Wear

These are noticeably smaller and lighter than the original QuietComfort Earbuds, about 30% smaller overall. That matters when you're wearing them for hours. The new Fit Kit ear tips and stability bands provide a secure fit, though you'll want to spend a few minutes getting them positioned right. Once they're in, they stay put, even during movement.

Where They Fall Short

The lack of wireless charging is honestly disappointing at this price. You get USB-C charging, and the case will fully charge the buds in an hour, but wireless charging has become pretty standard in the premium earbud world.

Call quality is clear in normal conditions, but reviewers noted it struggles in windy environments. If you're taking lots of calls outdoors or in noisy settings, this might be frustrating. Also missing: Bluetooth multipoint pairing, which means you can't seamlessly switch between your phone and laptop.

Battery life is solid at six hours with ANC on, plus 18 more from the case, but it's not exceptional. Some competitors push seven or eight hours per charge.

The Price Question

At $299, these are genuinely expensive. You're paying for premium noise canceling and excellent sound quality, but you need to decide if that's worth it to you. If you commute daily, travel frequently, or just really value peace and quiet, they're probably worth the investment. If you're mostly using them around the house or at the gym, you might find a cheaper option that works just fine.

The bottom line: these are excellent earbuds that deliver on their promise of best-in-class noise canceling and beautiful sound. Just make sure the price works for your budget.

The Noise Cancellation Trap

Bose has built its reputation on one thing: making the world quiet. The QuietComfort Earbuds II continue that tradition with genuinely exceptional ANC that outperforms Sony's WF-1000XM4 and matches or beats Apple's AirPods Pro 2. In controlled testing, the earbuds effectively neutralized HVAC noise and New York City street traffic. That's impressive engineering.

But here's the business problem: noise cancellation alone doesn't justify a $299 price tag in 2024.

What Bose Got Right

The redesign is legitimate. At 6.2 grams per bud and 30% smaller than the original, these earbuds finally feel discreet. The new ear tip system with stability bands delivers a secure fit that reviewers consistently praised. Sound quality is refined, with balanced tuning across genres and excellent detail retrieval. The CustomTune calibration system actually works. This is competent product execution.

The IPX4 rating and premium materials are appropriate for the price. The Bose Music app is functional, though not revolutionary. Firmware updates added single-bud use, which should have shipped with the product.

The Problems That Matter

Battery life at six hours with ANC enabled is the first red flag. Sony's WF-1000XM5 delivers 8 hours. That's a 33% difference. The 24-hour total with the case is respectable but doesn't change the daily reality: you're charging these more often than competitors. For $299, that's inexcusable.

Call quality is worse. Reviewers noted that voice comes through relatively clear in normal conditions but struggles in windy environments. That's a fundamental failure for a product that costs as much as a decent pair of over-ear headphones. If you're paying this much, calls should work flawlessly.

No wireless charging is a cost-cutting measure disguised as a feature limitation. Apple includes it at $249. Sony includes it. Bose didn't, claiming space constraints on a product that's already been shrunk. That's a business decision, not a technical limitation.

Multipoint Bluetooth connectivity is absent. This means you can't seamlessly switch between your phone and laptop. Sony, Apple, and even Samsung offer this at the same price. Bose's omission forces you into manual reconnection workflows that feel antiquated in 2024.

The Value Calculation

You're paying a $299 premium for world-class ANC. Everything else is competitive but not exceptional. The sound is good, not better than what you'd get from AirPods Pro 2. The comfort is solid, not superior to Sony's XM5. The features are adequate, not comprehensive. The battery life is acceptable, not impressive.

At $199, these would be a steal. At $249, they'd be a solid recommendation. At $299, they're asking you to subsidize Bose's engineering investment in ANC technology. That's a fair ask if you're a frequent flyer or work in loud environments. For everyone else, the AirPods Pro 2 deliver 90% of the experience for less money and better integration if you're in Apple's ecosystem.

Bose made a genuinely good product and priced it like it's revolutionary. It's not.