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Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II Review

Powerful Sound | Excellent ANC | Great Comfort

Bose-QuietComfort-Earbuds-II-Review

Are you searching for a set of truly wireless earbuds with exceptional sound quality and noise-cancelation capabilities while maintaining a compact and cozy form factor? Look no further than the all-mighty Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II. 

Known for its expertise in audio technology, Bose’s earbuds don’t disappoint. In combination with active noise-canceling technology and a transparency mode, the custom-designed drivers in the QuietComfort Earbuds II have been intentionally crafted to deliver an unforgettable and immersive listening experience.

In this blog, we’ll delve into the unique features and performance of the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II and give you a detailed review. So, let’s get started!

  • Lightweight and comfortable build with intuitive touch controls
  • Best-in-class noise cancelation with a dedicated transparency mode
  • Snug and perfect fit with the stability bands
  • IPX4 rating for sweat and water resistance
  • Bluetooth 5.3 for seamless connectivity
  • Up to 24 hours of total battery life
  • No wireless charging support present
  • Pricey compared to other truly wireless earbuds

Bottom Line

The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II offer excellent noise cancelation, sound quality, and a comfortable fit. They are best suited for noisy environments, but their sweat-resistant design makes them a good choice for workouts. However, their high price may not be suitable for some users, especially those who are on a tight budget.

Unboxing the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II

The Bose QuietComfort came with nice and modern packaging. After opening the box, we found the following items:

  1. A pair of earbuds
  2. Earbuds’ charging case
  3. User guide
  4. Fit kit with 2 pairs of ear tips and 2 pairs of stability bands
  5. USB-C charging cable
  6. Safety booklet
Inside the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II Box
Inside the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II Box; Credit: Bose.com

Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II Design and Style

Design and Style of the Bose Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II
Design and Style of the Bose Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II; Credit: Bose.com

The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II boast an exquisite and chic design that feels sturdy, super comfortable and functional. These earbuds are available in not one but two captivating colors: Triple Black and Soapstone. We are reviewing the Triple Black variant today. 

The earbuds feature a modern and minimalist look with no buttons or controls visible to the naked eye. We loved the intuitiveness and functionality of the touch controls on these earbuds instead of the usual button controls. You can use them for controlling the playback, volume, and noise-canceling settings.

We were delighted to see how conveniently we could change the tracks and volume by merely tapping the earbuds’ surface.

Intricately woven into the fabric of the QuietComfort Earbuds II is their key design element: their compact size. These earbuds feel extremely lightweight and weigh in at 0.25 ounces each. The earbuds are as cozy as a glove, and they don’t protrude too far out of your ears. Additionally, their charging case is compact and highly durable. It comes with a soft-touch finish. 

One more thing we discovered was that these earbuds are IPX4-rated, which means the earbuds are somewhat water- and sweat-resistant. This characteristic adds to their versatility, allowing you to use them for various purposes, such as gymming, while running, or venturing out on a drizzly day. 

Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II Comfort and Fit

Comfort and Fit Offered by the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II
Comfort and Fit Offered by the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II

These earbuds have specialized and tapered nozzle-like ear tips that find their perfect fit inside your ear canal, providing an incomparable and secure fit that’s unrivaled by other brands.

We received three pairs of ear tips (different sizes; S, M and L) with these earbuds and tried them all with different team members. Different ear tips fit different individuals; however, no matter which size each person was using, the ear tips fit perfectly and did not fall out even during strenuous activities. 

The soft silicone material of the ear tips conforms to the shape of your ear, providing an embrace-like fit that feels snug and cozy. Additionally, Bose also gives you 3 pairs(S, M, L) of stability bands that attach to the ear tips to give you an even snugger in-ear fit. 

The earbuds’ clever engineering helps to create a seal in the ear canal, improving the earbuds’ noise cancelation ensuring you lose yourself in your music. 

To top it all off, the Bose Music App also has a fit test to find the perfect fit for your ears. While we didn’t use it because the earbuds fit us perfectly in one go, we recommend you to use the app to find your custom fit.

Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II Suitable Uses 

The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II, with their cutting-edge active Bose Acoustic Noise-Canceling technology, are best for working out and travel. 

They are also suitable for office use. We wore them the whole time while writing this review and it was a phenomenal experience. Their advanced noise-canceling capabilities helped completely block the background noise and all distractions around us, giving us the flexibility to concentrate on our review.

Moreover, the advanced transparency mode works like a charm and allows you to stay tuned to your surroundings when necessary, giving you the best of both worlds.

They can also be an excellent choice for fitness enthusiasts or outdoor adventurers who require top-notch sound quality and a snug fit while on the go. We say this because we ourselves tested them thoroughly while indulging in rigorous physical activities. And we never felt that the earbuds were going to fall off.

Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II Waterproof and Sweatproof Rating

Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II Waterproof and Sweatproof Rating
Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II Waterproof and Sweatproof Rating

As already highlighted above, the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II come with an IPX4 rating. This means that they are both water and sweat resistant. In layman’s terms, this rating essentially communicates that these earbuds can endure exposure to sweat and splashes of water, making them a good choice for physical activities or any other activity that involves moisture.

Now, during our testing, we also found that these earbuds are crafted with an exclusive water-resistant coating, which plays a pivotal role in protecting their internal components from moisture. 

Nonetheless, please note that these earbuds are not waterproof. Hence, we don’t suggest you submerge them in water under any circumstance.

With the IPX4 rating, the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II exhibit unparalleled durability against moisture-related hazards, providing users with the peace of mind they need when using the earbuds during exercises, runs, and other outdoor activities. 

Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II Battery Life and Charging Case

These earbuds exhibit an impressively robust battery life, lasting up to 6 hours on a single charge. And, we did use it for that long! We used the earbuds continuously for 5-6 hours and we were surprised that they gave us almost 6 hours of undisturbed playback even on the ANC mode.

This is certainly no small feat and is especially impressive given the active noise-cancelation feature that places a greater strain on the battery. 

Speaking of the charging case, it’s a true standout feature of the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II. The case is wonderfully sleek and compact, rendering it an excellent choice for anyone on the go. And let’s not forget the charging capabilities of the case are a plus. 

The charging case further amplifies the battery life of the earbuds, giving you an additional 18 hours of uninterrupted listening bliss. Yes, the total battery life of these earbuds amounts to a whopping 24 hours, meaning you can revel in your favorite tunes without having to stress about running out of juice. 

Moreover, the charging case also boasts a remarkable quick charge capability. We were blown away by how quickly they charged. In a mere 20 minutes of charging, we got an impressive 2 hours of battery life. This is an absolute godsend for those moments when you need to power up your earbuds rapidly before heading out for your next workout or other activity.

Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II Wireless Connectivity

The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II have support the latest Bluetooth 5.3, which works like a charm.

Bluetooth 5.3 allows you to operate the earbuds from a distance of 9 m which is impressive. It is new and very rare on the market and not many earbuds have it.

The wireless connectivity on the earbuds is flawless. While pairing and connecting the earbuds to our Bluetooth audio devices, we never had any issues and the earbuds connected with just a single press of a button. Throughout our testing, we didn’t face or notice any latency issues and the earbuds worked very well. They delivered a reliable connection throughout.

Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II Performance and Sound Quality

We tested the QuietComfort Earbuds II with various genres of music. To test the bass, we played Act Like You Know by Fat Larry’s Band and we were surprised by the impressive bass response of the earbuds. And trust us when we say this. The 9.3 mm drivers will seriously immerse bass-heavy music lovers who enjoy genres such as hip-hop, electronic, or rock! The bass was neither overpowering nor dull. 

In addition, the mids and highs of these earbuds were also splendidly well-balanced in The National Anthem by Radiohead. The sound from the guitars, and other instruments came out really well without damping the vocals. It was a wonderful experience listening to music on the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II!

We can safely conclude that the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II are a formidable option if you want a balanced and detailed sound profile. Also, thanks to their wide frequency range of 20 Hz to 20 kHz, they cover the entire audio spectrum with utmost precision. We heard many songs on the earbuds and we could hear each and every detail in the music. The earbuds played music with exceptionally high accuracy, without any missed details.

It is worth noting that these earbuds have an impedance of 16 ohms, which is relatively lower than many other earbuds available. This implies that they are effortless to drive, making it feasible for users to obtain top-notch sound quality even from low-powered devices such as smartphones and laptops. We personally had no problems with powering them.

These earbuds’ active noise-cancelation (ANC) feature performs exceptionally and is the best in class. The ANC proficiently blocks unwanted external noise, rendering users a seamless, undisturbed, music-listening experience. 

The ANC function is proficiently engineered to allow you to fully immerse yourself in music without being bothered by any outside noises in your surroundings. This makes it possible for music enthusiasts to relish their music selection even amidst the loud noise of their surroundings without worrying about potential distractions.

These earbuds boast an additional transparency mode, presenting an innovative solution for those who want to remain aware of their surroundings while indulging in their audio preferences.

We had the earphones on for a prolonged time. However, with the transparency mode on, we could hear each and every thing of the outside world. This feature is particularly useful if your occupation or daily routine demands an enhanced awareness of your surroundings.

Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II Buttons and Controls

The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II boast touch-sensitive panels on the exterior that facilitate effortless navigation and control, allowing you to manage a wide array of functions with a simple tap or swipe. The charging case also has a Bluetooth button for pairing. We used this Bluetooth button to pair the earbuds to our phones in a jiffy.

We could easily adjust the volume, skip tracks, play/pause music, and answer/end calls by merely tapping the earbuds’ surface. The controls are highly intuitive and a breeze to navigate, so you don’t need to access the user manual to understand the controls on these earbuds. A tap is all it takes to manage your tracks on these earbuds.

But that’s not all, the earbuds come equipped with a highly versatile and customizable Bose Music app. We had no problems in finding it or downloading it and we’re sure you also will be easily able to download it from the iOS and Android app stores.

The app offers many customization options that take the earbud experience to a new level. We loved the fact that you can assign different functions to the touch-sensitive panels, including Siri and Google Assistant activation, transparency mode toggling, and noise-cancelation level adjustment. 

The vast array of customization options allows you to tailor the controls to their preferences, making the earbuds a perfect personal audio accessory.

View on Amazon: Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II

Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II vs. Bose QuietComfort Earbuds

Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II vs. Bose QuietComfort Earbuds
Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II vs. Bose QuietComfort Earbuds

Here are some quick differences between the Bose QuietComfort and Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II:

  • The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II have a stem design, whereas the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds have an oval design
  • The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II fit better than the QuietComfort Earbuds because of the ergonomic design and the redesigned ear tips that fit better than the original QuietComfort earbuds. Moreover, the ear tips on the QuietComfort II provide a better seal in the ear.
  • Both earbuds come equipped with this nifty feature, but the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II outperform their predecessors confidently. With six microphones working in tandem to cancel out noise, the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II elevate the active noise-cancelation game. On the other hand, the original Bose QuietComfort Earbuds make do with four microphones.
  • The QuietComfort Earbuds II have 24 hours of combined battery life. In contrast, the original QuietComfort Earbuds have only 18 hours of combined battery life.
  • The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II are pricier than the original Bose QuietComfort Earbuds. The original Bose QuietComfort Earbuds retail for almost half of the price of the QuietComfort Earbuds II. But considering all the upgrades and improvements that the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II brings, we think that extra cost is a small price for superior performance and overall quality.

Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II vs. Bose Sport Earbuds

The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II and the Bose Sport Earbuds don’t differ much. However, here are some key differences between them:

  • The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II have a new two-piece Fit Kit system with separate ear tips and stability bands, whereas the Bose Sport Earbuds come with StayHear Max ear tips.
  • The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II have active noise cancelation, whereas the Bose Sport Earbuds don’t have active noise cancelation.
  • The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II have up to 6 hours of battery life on a single charge, whereas the Bose Sport Earbuds give only 5 hours on a single charge.
  • The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II are lighter than the Bose Sport Earbuds. The QuietComfort Earbuds II weigh 0.25 ounces each, whereas the Bose Sport Earbuds weigh 0.5 ounces each.

Final Words

The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II are a top-of-the-line product with many features that set them apart from other earbuds on the market. From their noise-cancelation and sound quality to their comfortable fit and long battery life, these earbuds are an excellent choice for those looking for a high-quality audio experience. 

However, their high price tag can be a drawback for some users. Overall, the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II are a great investment for anyone who values audio quality and versatility in their listening experience.