Bose QuietComfort Earbuds are widely regarded as among the best noise cancelling in-ear headphones you can buy.
They have been consistently rated up with the likes of Sony’s WF1000x M3 and M4, Apple’s AirPods Pro and the last two iterations of Sennheiser’s Momentum True Wireless.
All of these best-in-class true wireless ANC earphones are available at Currys, with the Bose model currently offering the best value at €239.
I’ve been testing the QuietComfort out for the past few weeks and find them fantastic, largely thanks to the brilliant noise-cancelling tech.
READ MORE: Sony WF1000xM4 review: the best wireless in-ear headphones you can buy
Design and build
The review pair were the Triple Black option, and they scream premium.
There are smooth but tactile outer surfaces, while the drivers are housed in a robust glossy plastic enclosure.
The smooth matte-finish winged ear tips ensure a secure fit and come in small, medium and large sizes so you can get the most precise fit for your ears.
It is easy to swap the tips around: just slide them on or off the earbuds.
As with any earphones, the sound quality is dependent on your ability to get the snuggest fit.
It is important for active noise cancelling performance and optimal bass reproduction.
The charging case is larger than most others, but it feels well crafted.
Four LEDs line the case and indicate its remaining battery levels. A button inside can be used to manually initiate pairing mode. This is always welcome as a backup for when automatic pairing doesn’t work as it should.
The buds themselves are lightweight and comfortable to wear for hours at a time although they look more prominent in your ears than some competitors’ models.
They are both sweat and weather-resistant, incidentally.
Controls and features
QuietComfort Earbuds come with a brilliant Bose Music app that offers incredible personalisation options on the touch controls and the level of noise cancellation which you can set to your exact preference.
By default, you touch and hold the touchpad of the right earbud to access voice assistants or decline a call.
You double-tap to play or pause and answer calls.
Touch and hold the left earbud to skip a track or check the battery level.
You can adjust the volume on the buds which is always welcome. You do this by swiping up or down along the surface of the right earbud.
ANC
You can set up the noise cancellation based on your own preferences.
In the Bose Music app is a noise-cancelling sliding scale which ranges from zero (no noise-cancelling) to 10 (maximum noise-cancelling).
Through the app you can also assign three different positions – for example, zero, five and 10 – as favourites and you cycle through these by double tapping the left earpiece.
Experiment with the different levels and you’ll hear the QuietComfort buds live up to their name.
They cut out swathes of background noise while on the maximum setting.
And if you want more of the outside world to seep in, the headphones adapt beautifully.
Take an earbud out to have a conversation and the Bose buds don’t just pause playback, they automatically cut the noise-cancelling in the earbud left in your ear so you can hear more clearly.
Audio quality
Audio quality is superb too, with a punchy soundstage that delivers plenty of detail.
The bottom end sounds full-bodied and has plenty of depth.
I tested these earphones with a variety of different genres of music along with podcasts, talk radio and YouTube videos.
And even though QuietComfort Earbuds only support two Bluetooth codecs, SBC and AAC, I was consistently pleased with the results.
Music always sounds better with ANC switched off, but, in this case, there is a noticeable warmth and richness even with the ANC turned on.
Call quality
The buds use four microphones to help with call quality. They keep your voice sounding clear and in tests I had no issues using them indoors or outdoors.
Battery life
Battery life is almost six hours from the buds and 18 hours including the case.
This is not class-leading, but it is perfectly acceptable.
And if you do get caught out, a 15-minute quick-charge will give you a couple of hours playtime.
Re-charging is with the supplied USB-C cable and there is support for wireless charging too.
Other features
QuietComfort Earbuds use Bluetooth 5.1, which has more accurate location features than Bluetooth 5.0.
This makes it easy for your smartphone or tablet to know the precise location of your earphones and direct the stream accordingly.
Verdict
Overall, these are a great product that match any of their rivals in terms of features and audio quality.
The ANC is as impactful as Sony’s W1000xM3 or Apple's AirPods Pro.
I’d probably still recommend AirPods Pro to anyone in the Apple ecosystem, but for everyone else QuietComfort Earbuds are an excellent choice.
Pricing and availability
Bose QuietComfort Earbuds cost €239 from Currys
