The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II Truly Wireless are the next generation of the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds Truly Wireless. You'll want to check these buds out if you value noise isolation. Like their predecessor, they have an active noise cancelling (ANC) system that's worthy of their premium price. Bose has changed the buds' design, making them less bulky and more customizable, improving their overall comfort and fit. They're also the first to feature Bose's CustomTune technology, which calibrates their sound profile and ANC based on your ear shape.
The Bose QuietComfort 2 are satisfactory for neutral sound. They have a bass-heavy sound out of the box with a little extra brightness thrown in. Their sound is a good choice for fans of bass-heavy genres like techno or anyone who likes vocals to sound bright and crisp. But if you prefer a different sound, their companion app offers a graphic EQ and presets to help you adjust them. They're in-ear headphones, and their passive soundstage isn't very immersive due to their design.
The Bose QuietComfort II are great for commute and travel. These well-built buds have a powerful ANC system, which can block out the low rumble of bus and plane engines as well as passenger chit-chat. They also have a comfortable fit and are very portable, thanks to their small and lightweight design. They have over six and a half hours of continuous battery life, and their carrying case supplies an additional three charges if you need it.
The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II are great for sports and fitness. These buds have a well-built, comfortable, and stable design that won't fall out of your ear during tough workouts. They're also certified IPX4 for resistance against water splashes. Their wireless design also ensures that nothing snags the buds and pulls them out of your ears.
The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II are decent for office use. They have a comfortable fit for long days at the office, and their ANC tackles office chatter so that you can focus on your work. While their 6.7-hour continuous battery life may not last the whole day, their carrying case supplies an additional three charges, which is handy in a pinch.
The Bose QuietComfort 2 are Bluetooth headphones and aren't designed for wireless gaming. Their latency is also too high for gaming, as your audio and visuals won't be in sync.
The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II are Bluetooth-only headphones; you can't use them wired.
The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds 2 are passable for phone calls. These buds have an integrated mic, and it does an okay job of capturing your voice as speech sounds a bit boxy, like you're talking from farther away than you are. The mic also has difficulty separating speech from ambient noise, and background noise can easily drown out your voice. However, if you want to tune out the outside world, the ANC does a great job of reducing sound around you.
Several Sound tests have been updated following Test Bench 1.8. There have also been text changes made throughout the review, including to the usages and product comparisons to match these results.
The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II come in three color variations: 'Triple Black' , 'Eclipse Grey' and 'Soapstone', as well as a 'Midnight Blue' color variation that has since been discontinued. We tested the 'Triple Black' variant; you can see our model's label here. If you come across another variant of these headphones, please let us know in the forums, and we'll update our review.
The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II are the next generation of the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds Truly Wireless. Their ANC blocks just as much ambient noise as their competitors, like the Apple AirPods Pro (2nd generation) Truly Wireless, which are among the best noise cancelling earbuds we've tested, and it's on par with their successor, the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds Truly Wireless. They're much more comfortable than their predecessor, thanks to the new design, which is less bulky and has ear tips and stability fins as separate attachments, allowing you to customize their fit.
If you're looking for more recommendations, check out our picks for the best noise cancelling headphones and the best wireless Bluetooth earbuds.
The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds are the next generation of the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II Truly Wireless. That said, the differences between them are fairly minimal. Both buds share a similar sound profile that you can further tweak via the Bose Music app, and they're both equipped with Bose's excellent ANC technology. The QuietComfort Ultra are equipped with Bose's new Immersive Audio feature, though, which can help offset the poor passive soundstage performance that's commonplace with in-ear designs.
The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II Truly Wireless and the Sony WF-1000XM5 Truly Wireless are both great pairs of in-ear headphones. The Bose are more comfortable, and their ANC can block out more background noise in the bass range, where you'll find the rumble of bus engines. In comparison, the Sony headphones have more robust sound customization features. They have longer battery life and support multi-device pairing and LDAC, which is Sony's proprietary codec for hi-res audio streaming via Bluetooth. They can also block out significantly more ambient sound in the mid to treble ranges, where you'll find noise like ambient chatter and the hum of an AC unit, respectively.
The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II Truly Wireless and the Apple AirPods Pro (2nd generation) Truly Wireless are both great in-ears with different strengths. Both earbuds have similarly great levels of noise isolation thanks to their ANC systems, but the Bose are more comfortable in-ears. Their companion app also offers graphic EQ and presets to help you customize their sound. However, the Apple headphones are well-designed for Apple users. They have a more premium feel, have an H2 chip for seamless pairing with other iOS devices, and support Spatial Audio.
The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II Truly Wireless are the next generation of the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds Truly Wireless. While both buds have great noise isolation, the successor's design has changed, and now the buds have separate fins and ear tips to help you get the best fit, making them a lot more comfortable. Their carrying case also holds an additional charge than their predecessor. However, the original gen have better build quality and feel less plasticky.
The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II Truly Wireless are better in-ears than the Beats Fit Pro True Wireless. The Bose are more comfortable, have a slightly better noise isolation performance, and their continuous battery life is better. They also have sound customization features to help you adjust their sound to suit your tastes. That said, you may still prefer the Beats if you're an iOS user. They have an H1 chip for seamless pairing with your Apple devices and support Apple's Spatial Audio for a more immersive sound.
The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II Truly Wireless are better in-ears than the Sony WF-1000XM4 Truly Wireless. The Bose are more comfortable, and their ANC blocks significantly more ambient noise. However, the Sony headphones have better build quality and a longer continuous battery life.
The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II Truly Wireless are better in-ears than the Google Pixel Buds Pro. While both buds are well-built with similarly competitive ANC, the Bose feel significantly more comfortable and have a better battery performance. The Bose also work with iOS/Android devices with the same app support. However, the Google buds support multi-device pairing with up to two devices at a time.
The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II Truly Wireless are better in-ears than Sennheiser MOMENTUM True Wireless 3. The Bose are more comfortable, and their ANC system can block out significantly more ambient sound. The Bose also have a brighter sound profile. However, the Sennheiser are better-built and have better overall battery life.
The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II Truly Wireless are better in-ears than the Jabra Elite 7 Pro True Wireless. While both in-ears are well-built, the Bose are more comfortable and have a significantly better noise isolation performance, which is great for noisy offices or commutes. However, the Jabra have a flatter overall sound profile, which some users may prefer, and their battery performance is better, too. They also support multi-device pairing, meaning you can connect them with up to two devices simultaneously.
The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II Truly Wireless are slightly better earbuds than the Bowers & Wilkins Pi7 S2 True Wireless. The Bose are more comfortable, and are more customizable, thanks to their companion app's graphic EQ and presets. They're also able to block out a bit more background noise and their battery performance is significantly better too. However, the Bowers & Wilkins are better-built, support aptX Adaptive codec for streaming high-quality audio and lowering latency, and their carrying case can be used as a wireless transmitter.
The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II Truly Wireless and the Denon PerL Pro True Wireless have different strengths. The Bose are much better for commuting, traveling, or if noise isolation is your priority, thanks to their significantly better ANC performance. You can also set their ANC system to different modes to suit the situation. However, the Denon headphones are better if you're looking for the best sound quality from your earbuds. They can stream higher-resolution audio via the aptX Lossless codec and support Spatial Audio, a virtual surround sound feature. You can also use their app to create a personalized EQ based on a hearing test.
The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II Truly Wireless are better earbuds than the Status Between Pro True Wireless. Although more expensive, the Bose have a powerful active noise cancellation (ANC) as well as a companion app with graphic EQ and presets, neither of which are offered with the Status buds. However, the Status have a longer continuous battery life.
The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II have a sleeker and more refined look than their predecessor, the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds Truly Wireless. They're a lot smaller and have a stem design. The manufacturer's label is on the outward-facing side. Unlike other Bose earbuds, the stability fins and ear tips are separate pieces instead of one unit, which makes it easy to swap out if you prefer a different fit. They come in three color variants: 'Triple Black', 'Eclipse Grey' and 'Soapstone', as well as the now-discontinued 'Midnight Blue'.
These buds are very comfortable. Compared to their predecessor, they're less bulky and don't go as deeply into your ears. The stability fins also feel softer on the skin, and since they're now independent from the ear tip, it's easier to ensure a comfortable fit. The buds don't put much pressure on the ear and feel lightweight. They don't pop out of your ear over time like the Apple AirPods Pro (2nd generation) Truly Wireless either.
These headphones have good controls. There's a touch-sensitive surface on each bud, which is easy to use and has good sensitivity. You can use either bud for controls, but there's no audio feedback to let you know when you've registered a command. You can also accidentally switch between ANC modes if you adjust the buds using the stem.
On either bud:
Like most in-ears, the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II are very portable and can easily fit into most pockets or bags without an issue. However, the case is much bulkier (and heavier) than other truly wireless headphones like the Apple AirPods Pro (2nd generation) Truly Wireless.
The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II come with a good carrying case. It's mostly made of plastic, but it feels better quality than the first generation. The lid feels flimsy compared to the rest of the case, and there's no locking mechanism, so it's easy to open the lid by accident. A single LED light indicator lets you know when the buds are charging. The back of the case also has a Bluetooth pairing button that's slightly indented. Unfortunately, the case doesn't support wireless charging, which is a step down from their predecessor.
These buds have a good build quality but don't feel as premium as the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds Truly Wireless. They're mostly made of glossy plastic, except for the touch-sensitive surface on the stems, but it feels cheap. The case is also made of plastic and is a little flimsy. The fins and tips are also thinner and seem prone to tearing due to the thin area where they lock onto your ears. They're certified IPX4 for resistance against water splashes, though.
The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II have a bass-heavy sound profile with a bit of extra treble thrown in for good measure. If you're a fan of EDM or hip-hop, you'll appreciate the extra low-end thump and rumble, while pop music fans might enjoy the clarity the boosted low-treble range provides. Regardless of your genre preferences, the well-balanced mid-range suits everything from delicate whispered vocals to distorted guitars. That said, a dip in the mid-treble can make cymbals sound a bit dull.
If you prefer a different sound, their companion app offers a graphic EQ and presets to help you further customize their sound. Here is a graph showing the effect of some presets on their sound. It's also worth noting that these buds use the manufacturer's CustomTune technology to adapt the sound profile over time to the shape of your ear canals.
The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds 2 have outstanding frequency response consistency. Assuming you get the best fit using the included stability fins and ear tips, you'll experience consistent bass and treble delivery.
These buds have great compliance with our target curve in the bass range. The whole region is a little boosted compared to our target, with plenty of extra low-bass thump in particular. But the mid- and high-bass regions are more controlled, so all this extra bass doesn't muddy up mid-range sounds like vocals too much. Regardless, if you're a fan of bass-heavy genres like EDM, these buds are a solid pick.
The mid-range target compliance is remarkable. The whole range is virtually razer flat. The slight boost in the low-mids adds body to voices without making them sound muddy, and the rest of the range is superbly balanced, so instruments are rendered accurately and with plenty of detail. In songs like I'm Good (Blue) by David Guetta and Bebe Rexha, the female vocals and piano sound well-balanced, without any unnatural honk or boom.
The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds 2 have very good treble compliance. The treble response is more uneven than the bass and mid-range, but it's not uncontrolled. The low treble is boosted relative to our target, so vocals have extra presence, which can help them cut through dense mixes. However, a dip in the mid-treble can dull cymbals and sibilants. In songs like Miss You by Oliver Tree and Robin Schulz, the chorus's high-pitched vocals sound crisp without piercing.
The peaks and dips performance is decent. They follow their own sound profile well through the bass and mid-range, but the treble is slightly uncontrolled. A couple of peaks in the low and mid-treble make the upper harmonics of vocals and instruments sound a touch too present, while a dip in the mid-treble means certain sibilants like S and T sounds can feel a bit dull.
The imaging performance is excellent. Bose has good quality control with their products, and their headphones usually have well-matched drivers. Our unit's L/R drivers are also well-matched in group delay, phase, amplitude, and frequency response. Although there's a bump in our unit's phase response, it's a very small area and can be hard to hear with real-life content. Audio becomes louder in the left driver in the mid-mids and louder in the right driver afterward. However, imaging varies depending on the manufacturer's quality control and ergonomics.
The passive soundstage performance is bad, which is normal for in-ears. To create an immersive soundstage, your outer ear has to be activated by sound. However, in-ears bypass your outer ear. This results in a soundstage that feels small, unnatural, and as if sound is coming from inside your head rather than from speakers placed in the room around you.
The weighted harmonic distortion performance is very good. There's a spike in the mid-treble, but it's hard to hear with real-life content. The rest of the frequencies fall within good levels, resulting in mostly clean and pure audio reproduction.
These are the settings used to test these headphones; our results are only valid in this configuration.
The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds 2's noise isolation performance is great. They can block out a significant amount of ambient noise for earbuds. Subjectively, the ANC performance is close to the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds Truly Wireless, likely because they both feature CustomTune technology, which adapts the ANC depending on your ear shape and the environment around you. Overall, they're well-suited to reducing a wide variety of external noises, from low engine rumbles to ambient chatter and the high-pitched hum of AC units.
They do a similarly excellent job when it comes to everyday situations. The ANC system can cut down engine noise while you're on an airplane, as well as sounds from a busy street. Office noise is well-reduced, too, so these buds are a solid choice for work if you're bothered by what's happening around you.
Wind noise isn't easy for headphones to tackle. The amount of wind noise can also vary depending on the angle because of the buds' small size and shape. When wind directly interacts with the ANC's mics, it causes the ANC system to produce anti-noise to counter it, even though wind sound itself doesn't reach your ears. This results in loud, unwanted noise when the ANC is on. These buds don't have a wind reduction feature to help reduce this sound.
The leakage performance is great. Most leakage is concentrated in the treble range and sounds fairly thin. If you like to crank up the volume to your favorite tunes, others around you won't hear it.
The integrated mic's recording quality is okay. Your voice sounds boxy and as if the mic is a little far from your mouth. That said, your voice is still understandable.
The mic's noise handling performance is poor. The mic sits far away from your mouth, so it has difficulty capturing your voice clearly, especially in noisy environments like a busy office. That said, if you're talking in a quieter environment, like at home, you won't have problems being heard clearly.
The Bose QuietComfort II's battery performance is decent. Like the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds Truly Wireless, the manufacturer advertises them to last six hours continuously, and we measured over that. However, battery life can vary depending on use. Luckily, the carrying case holds three additional charges, which is handy in a pinch. Firmware update 1.3.26+g1226f68 also added single bud listening, so you can use either bud while the other one charges in the carrying case. If you're looking for in-ears with a longer continuous battery life, check out the Status Between Pro True Wireless or the Sony WF-1000XM5 Truly Wireless.
The Bose Music app is great. It's pretty simple to use and offers a lot of features. You can see a video of the app in use here. You can check the battery level, adjust volume, and remap controls. You can also select different modes, which you can then set to a custom amount of ANC, which is handy if you prefer more or less noise isolation depending on your activity or location. To ensure you get a good fit, there's an ear tip fit test, and there's a graphic EQ as well as presets to help you adjust their sound.
The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds 2 offer good Bluetooth connectivity. For high-end buds, they don't support multi-device pairing or have quick pairing features. They also don't currently support any high-resolution audio codecs, like LDAC. They support AAC and SBC codecs, but SBC has high latency, so your audio and visuals won't be in sync if you're streaming video. Latency can vary depending on the app and device you're using, though.
These earbuds can connect to Bluetooth-enabled PCs with full audio and mic compatibility. However, this is the only way to connect these headphones to your PC.
These headphones come with a carrying case with a USB-C port for charging their case. Unlike their predecessor, the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds Truly Wireless, you can't charge the case wirelessly, but it can hold a whole extra charge.
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Don’t know where you get the mostly plastic build on this headphone. The headband is made out of aluminum end to end. The material covering it is all leather on the internal and the external headband. The only thing that is plastic is the dual layered ear cups, which most headphones earcups are made of.
Don’t know where you get the mostly plastic build on this headphone. The headband is made out of aluminum end to end. The material covering it is all leather on the internal and the external headband. The only thing that is plastic is the dual layered ear cups, which most headphones earcups are made of.
Hi Artemis1965,
Thank you for pointing this out. We will clarify this in our review.
Cheers, Dagobiet
Update: The Comfort and Build Quality sections have been updated to add more details about the headphones’ materials.