Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II review: The best ANC in-ears with adaptive transparency

The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II are currently the best ANC in-ears and filter out ambient noise better than any other model. The adaptive transparency mode is also impressive. When it comes to sound, however, the bass exaggerates too much.

Table of contents

Technical data and functions of the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II
1. Bluetooth 5.3, AAC and no multipoint
2. Sound is optimized with each use
3. Four microphones for ANC and telephony
4. Adaptive transparency mode like AirPods Pro
5. Smaller earbuds and separate ear wings
6. More than 6 hours of battery life
Touch control with automatic pause
Configuration via the Bose Music app
1. Single use only with the right
Very comfortable fit
The sound of the QuietComfort Earbuds II
Analysis of the frequency response
ANC of the QuietComfort Earbuds II
1. Soft hissing not relevant to music
2. No problems with wind
3. ANC or transparency
Very good transparency mode with ActiveSense
1. ActiveSense reduces loud noises
Telephony with ambient noise
Latency of the QuietComfort Earbuds II
Conclusion

Bose's QuietComfort Earbuds II are said to offer nothing less than the “best active noise cancellation” on the market. To achieve this, the second generation relies on a new design and adapts the ANC to the shape of the wearer's ear. The sound is also constantly being optimized.

Those interested have to pay 300 euros (RRP) for the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II, and the headphones are still not cheaper in stores about a month after the launch. In addition to the in-ears, Bose also includes a charging case, a USB-C to USB-A charging cable and three silicone attachments and ear wings.

Technical data and functions of the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II

Bluetooth 5.3, AAC and no multipoint

The QuietComfort Earbuds II are compatible with both Apple and Android smartphones and tablets. Bluetooth 5.3 is used for the wireless connection. Only SBC and AAC are available as audio codecs. Bose completely dispenses with an HD codec, which no longer seems up-to-date. The manufacturer has not yet mentioned LE Audio either, although it would be an option with Bluetooth 5.3. At IFA 2022, Qualcomm had announced that Bose would continue to rely on Qualcomm for the SoC in the future – but the QuietComfort Earbuds II still do not support aptX.

Buyers of the QuietComfort Earbuds II also have to do without multipoint. It is therefore not possible to connect the earphones to two end devices at the same time in order to be able to switch seamlessly between them – for example to answer a call on the smartphone while watching a video on the tablet.

Sound is re-optimized for each use

The QuietComfort Earbuds II offer a new CustomTune sound calibration technology from Bose, which is said to allow them to intelligently adjust the audio and noise-cancelling performance to the shape of the ear. To do this, each time they are placed in the ear, a special tone is played and captured by the inward-facing microphone to measure the acoustic response of the ear canal. With this information, both audio and noise canceling performance are then tuned to the user through a sound frequency profile. The process should take less than half a second. Instead of personalizing the sound once via an app, Bose carries out the measurement each time the earphones are inserted.

According to Bose, active noise suppression should also benefit significantly from this technology by reducing frequencies that were previously hardly taken into account. The manufacturer explicitly names the talking colleague in the office and the crying baby on the bus. The test will show whether the QC Earbuds II actually offer superior ANC performance. CustomTune also continuously adapts to the changing ambient noise, so that the noise cancellation also reacts to changing ambient noise.

Four microphones for ANC and telephony

In the QC Earbuds II, Bose uses four microphones in each Earphones – one on the inside and three on the outside – to detect and measure sound. The system is said to be able to adjust noise cancellation to noise in less than a millisecond and respond with an appropriate opposite signal.

Adaptive transparency mode like AirPods Pro< /h3>

As with the new AirPods Pro, Bose is also introducing a transparency mode with the QuietComfort Earbuds II, which adapts to the environment and is said to be able to specifically suppress loud noises. CustomTune should also ensure that the environment in transparency mode “sounds as natural and lifelike as possible”. You will also listen more closely here later.

Smaller earphones and separate ear wings

Each earbud is about a third smaller than its predecessor and weighs approximately 6.3g. This means that the QC Earbuds II are still not among the lightest in-ears on the market, but they are lighter than their predecessor, which weighs around 8.5 g. In addition to a new shape for the earphones, Bose has also changed the ear wings for a secure hold on the successor to the QuietComfort Earbuds (test). They no longer form a unit with the silicone attachments and are now attached to the housing of the QuietComfort Earbuds II, which additionally stabilizes it. With the predecessor, attachments and ear wings are not separate, so you cannot adjust their size individually. The successor, on the other hand, allows this.

To ensure an ideal fit, a fit test can be performed in the Bose Music app using the same tone as the CustomTune sound calibration to check whether the earphone fits snugly in the ear.

Over 6 hours of battery life

According to Bose, the battery life is up to 6 hours. In the test, 6:52 hours were achieved at medium volume and a colorful music mix, whereby AAC was used. The battery level is announced via a voice when you insert the earphones. Since you cannot use the QC Earbuds II without ANC, you cannot get any battery life out of it by disabling active noise cancellation. For the latter, it doesn't matter which mode you use, because it's always the same.

The charging case fully charges the earphones three times for a total runtime of over 27 hours. A charging process takes one hour. A quick charge function provides enough energy for another 2 hours of music playback after 20 minutes. The charging case is charged via USB-C, charging the 680 mAh battery takes almost 3 hours. The QC Earbuds II do not support wireless charging. The charging case measures 66.3 × 59.4 × 26.7 mm and weighs around 60 g – the successor is also lighter in this case.

The earphones have IPX4 protection against splash water and sweat protected, so can be worn in the rain and during sports without any problems. The charging case has no separate protection.

Bose QuietComfort EarBuds II Bose QuietComfort Earbuds Apple AirPods Pro Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro Bluetooth standard: 5.3 5.1 5.0 5.3 Audio codecs: SBC, AAC SBC, AAC, SSC Operation: Touch Earbud battery life: 6.0/6.0 ( ANC) h 5.0/4.5 (ANC) h 8.0/5.0 (ANC) h Battery life with charging case: 24.0 h 18.0 h 24.0 h 29.0 h Wireless charging: – Yes ANC: Yes Single use: Yes IP certification: IPX4 IPX7 Weight per earbud/charging case only: 6.3/60.0g 8.5/76.0g 5.5/46.0g 5.5/43.4 g USB charging port: USB-C Lightning USB-C Dimensions charging case: 66.3 × 59.4 × 26.7 mm 32.0 × 89.0 × 51.0 mm 45.2 × 60.6 × 21.7 mm 50.1 × 50.2 × 27.7 mm Price: from 288 € from 188 € from 220 € from 156 € /h2>

Playback is controlled via touch surfaces on both earphones. One tap pauses or resumes playback. Wear detection, which can be toggled on or off, pauses playback when an earbud is removed from the ear and resumes when it is reinserted. You can jump back and forth a track by tapping twice or three times. A swipe gesture up and down, on the other hand, adjusts the volume. Compared to the predecessor, the operation has been significantly revised and a volume control has been added.

The user can adjust what happens when the touch surface is pressed and held to a limited extent. This function can be used to call up the smartphone's voice assistant or to switch through the levels of the ANC mode. Bose refers to this as a left and right shortcut, but it is not possible to freely adjust the controls and in particular the other assignments in the app.

As with the predecessor, the wearing detection can also be set so that it automatically switches to transparency mode as soon as an earphone is removed from the ear. You can also specify that calls are automatically accepted when an earphone is inserted into the ear.

In the test, both the controls and the wearing detection worked reliably. Due to the size of the earphones, incorrect entries via the touch surface do not immediately occur when adjusting the fit – but they cannot be ruled out.

Configuration via the Bose Music App

The Music- Bose app ready. It also guides you through the initial setup. The QuietComfort Earbuds II do not offer Google Fast Pair, so that a pairing request is automatically displayed on the smartphone when the charging case is opened. The button on the back of the charging case is used to manually activate the pairing.

As already mentioned, the fit test should first be carried out in the app, in which a tone is used to check whether the earphones fit snugly in the ear. As with the predecessors, the user cannot simply switch off the ANC completely, but can switch between noise suppression or transparency mode using a controller, whereby this is always done via the set profiles, not via the ten levels themselves. Level 10 stands for maximum ANC, level 0 on the other hand, for the loudest transparency mode. Four modes can be selected in the app, which can and must then be switched via the earphones. The user can choose from presets that already specify certain situations or locations. If necessary, it is possible to adjust their setting (i.e. the ten levels of the ANC) and the name itself. “Quiet” for maximum ANC and “Perceptible” with ActiveSense, which adapts the perception of the environment to its volume, are preset. The user can also set whether the QC Earbuds II should always start with the last used mode when they are switched on again.

A simple controller independent of the mode currently set, with which the ANC and the transparency mode can be set, is not available in the app. However, it would be desirable.

The new equalizer is very rudimentary. In addition to four presets, the user can only adjust the sound profile via three bands, but cannot save the settings in a separate preset.

For calls, the app can be used to set whether and how much you want to hear your own voice during a call. The default setting is “Medium” and the user can choose between “High”, “Low” and “Off”.

In addition, it is possible to see the battery status in the app, adjust the volume, change the Bluetooth source manually, update the firmware – the test uses 1.1.14+ge8c6141 – and scroll through a series of tips and explanations .

On a positive note, Bose has eliminated the requirement for a user account to use the app. The in-ear headphones can also be connected and configured without them. The criticism from the test of the QuietComfort Earbuds has led to changes in both the control and the functions of the app. There is still potential, however, as fully customizable controls and an equalizer with more bands and the option to save presets would still be desirable. Also, the app occasionally loses connection with the earbuds even though they show as connected. Then you can neither switch modes nor change the volume or equalizer settings. However, the app doesn't notice the missing connection, the earphones just don't show any reaction to the commands.

single use only with right

In the test, only the right earphone could be used individually because it is used to connect the smartphone and in-ears. As soon as it is placed in the charging case, the Bluetooth connection is broken and is not restored to the left earphone either. If only the left in-ear is removed from the charging case, it is not possible to manually force pairing. If the wearer detection is deactivated, the change between mono and stereo is otherwise uninterrupted in both directions.

Very comfortable seat

Like the AirPods Pro, the QuietComfort Earbuds II are not pressed deep into the ear canal, but seal it with oval pieces of silicone. The ear wings ensure a secure hold without exerting pressure. The QC Earbuds II are very comfortable to wear and still seal well. Their size and heavier weight literally doesn't matter. In fact, the AirPods Pro from Apple in particular are just as comfortable to wear. Another plus point: the diving bell effect under the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II is hardly pronounced, so you don't feel isolated.

The sound of the QuietComfort Earbuds II

The QuietComfort Earbuds II claim not only to have an outstanding ANC, but also to be among the best the market has to offer in terms of sound. And in fact, subjectively, the headphones don't have to hide at all in terms of sound. The bass is resolved cleanly, the highs are prominent and instruments can be easily located individually.

When the volume is turned all the way up, the highs clip in titles like One Way Or Another from Blondie however something. The QuietComfort Earbuds II don't need full volume anyway.

Compared to the direct predecessor, Bose was able to improve the sound, which is particularly noticeable in the highs and the perceptible details. Overall, the bass, midrange and treble are well coordinated, although the bass is a bit too much of a focus depending on the title. The playback does not appear neutral, both bass and treble sound amplified.

The deep bass in St Jude by Florence + The Machine is powerful even at low volume and seems a bit too massive instead of filigree. The in-ears also have no problems with the bass in Angel from Massive Attack, but here too it is a bit too loud, although the other, finer tones are retained.

Models such as the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 2 (test), but also the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro (test) and the Sony WF-1000XM4 (test) are slightly ahead of the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II in a direct comparison.

Analysis of the frequency response

ComputerBase also carries out frequency response measurements for the wireless in-ear headphones. For this, the miniDSP Headphone & Earphone Audio Response System (H.E.A.R.S.) in connection with the software REW. This is not an IEEE standardized measuring station. However, it provides good comparative values, which in particular enable the headphones under consideration to be compared with one another. The microphones in the right and left ear of the miniDSP H.E.A.R.S. are calibrated. Since the miniDSP H.E.A.R.S. no inner ear modeled, but has a straight auditory canal, the measurements alone are not a sufficient criterion for a final assessment of the sound, but can only be seen as supplements to the descriptions. Clarity and dynamics cannot be rated either.

The sound pressure of all headphones is calibrated at around 84 dB at 300 Hz – not all in-ears can be set to exactly 84 dB here, so that a deviation of 1 dB up and down has to be accepted. All measurements are carried out according to the manufacturer's specifications from 20 Hz to 20 kHz several times and with different earphone positions in order to take these influences into account and to detect a bad fit. In the case of in-ears, this quickly becomes apparent in strong outliers, an unclean frequency response or a complete lack of bass with poor sealing. The results are averaged and smoothed from five measurements per side with the best established fit. A straight line at 84 dB would correspond to a neutral presentation of the frequencies, which is never achieved in reality.

The frequency analysis of the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II shows a strong amplification of the bass and treble. So there is a reason why the deep bass in St Jude by Florence + The Machine can still thump so much even at low volume. The amplification can only be reduced a little via the equalizer, but not completely.

ANC of the QuietComfort Earbuds II

The expectations for active noise cancellation are high not only because of Bose's announcement that it also wants to take on full-size headphones, but also because the predecessor already offered the best ANC in its class.

The QuietComfort Earbuds II start here seamlessly and not only surpass the AirPods Pro like their predecessor, but also their predecessor. In a direct comparison with the recently tested Galaxy Buds Pro 2, it is particularly noticeable that even everyday ambient noises such as birdsong and keystrokes, but also the conversations of colleagues in the office are filtered much more strongly. The difference with and without ANC in noisy environments is immense, although the QuietComfort Earbuds II cannot completely switch off all noise, but are superior to any in-ear headphones tested so far.

Full over-ear headphones benefit from their higher passive isolation for sudden sound events and bright frequencies, which means that the ambient noise is more attenuated even without ANC at all.

Soft noise not relevant for music

However, as with the predecessor, the very high damping produces a soft background noise. Without music and in silence, it is immediately noticeable. As soon as music is played, however, it is no longer noticeable.

No problems with wind

Wind is usually a problem for in-ear headphones, especially when ANC is activated, as it whistles around the microphones that are used to capture ambient noise. Even models like the Sony WF-1000XM4 (test) still have slight problems despite the special mode and especially the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds (test), i.e. the predecessor of the test model, have to struggle with it.

But Bose has addressed the issue with the QuietComfort Earbuds II. With the current model, wind no longer causes annoying whistling noises in the ears. Depending on the wind speed, change of direction and angle of incidence, wind noise can be heard briefly, but in everyday life it is no longer a nuisance.

ANC or transparency

As previously mentioned, ANC or Transparency is always active on the QuietComfort Earbuds II and completely disabling either mode is not possible. Decreasing ANC automatically increases transparency mode intensity. Each intermediate step is a mixture of both modes.

Very good transparency mode with ActiveSense

The transparency mode is also very convincing, but it cannot keep up with the ANC mode when it comes to wind reduction, because the whistling known from the predecessor still occurs here. In terms of sound, however, the environment is excellently transmitted to the ear when the transparency mode is activated and sounds very natural. With no music playing, there is virtually no difference in the environment when wearing or removing the QuietComfort Earbuds II with transparency mode enabled.

ActiveSense reduces loud noise

With ActiveSense, Bose has given the QuietComfort Earbuds II an adaptive transparency mode that adapts to the environment and is intended to direct loud noises more quietly to the ears in order to dampen annoying noises such as sirens or construction site noise. And the QuietComfort Earbuds II actually manage to differentiate here and reduce the volume of such loud noises without having to dampen the transparency mode as a whole. A function that not only noise-sensitive people will appreciate! ActiveSense can also be disabled in Perceptible mode if desired.

Telephony with environmental noise

As with the predecessor, the QuietComfort Earbuds II do not completely hide the surroundings when telephoning. Depending on the noise and volume, they can be heard by the person you are talking to and impair speech intelligibility. Wind is also transmitted audibly and ensures that the wearer can hardly be understood. If you are looking for in-ear headphones that you can use to make phone calls while cycling, then the QuietComfort Earbuds II are the wrong choice.

Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II – Microphone quality

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Latency of the QuietComfort Earbuds II

With AAC and SBC, the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II do not offer a codec that promises a low delay between picture and sound. A proprietary low-latency mode is also not offered. Because of this, there is a brief offset between the picture and sound during video playback if the playback software doesn't compensate for it itself.

However, who the in-ear headphones with If you are looking for the best ANC, you cannot currently avoid the QuietComfort Earbuds II.

Bose QuietComfort EarBuds II Product group in-ear headphones, 11/03/2022

Sound+
Processing++
Wearing comfort++
Operation+

Excellent ANC
Very good sound
Very good transparency mode with ActiveSense
Very comfortable to wear
Auto play and auto pause
Fast loading
Good battery life
Very good workmanship
App for (small) adjustments and updates

ANC or transparency mode always active
Bass too strongly emphasized
App with potential and dropouts
Not control freely adaptable
Telephony with ambient noise

ComputerBase has the QuietComfort Earbuds II Received on loan from Bose for testing. The manufacturer did not influence the test report and there was no obligation to publish it. There was no NDA.

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