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  1. Table of Contents
  2. Top
  3. Main Differences
  4. Design
    1. Style
    2. Comfort
    3. Controls
    4. Breathability
    5. Portability
    6. Case
    7. Build Quality
    8. Stability
    9. Headshots 1
    10. Headshots 2
    11. Top
    12. In The Box
  5. Sound
    1. Sound Profile
    2. Frequency Response Consistency
    3. Raw Frequency Response
    4. Bass Accuracy
    5. Mid Accuracy
    6. Treble Accuracy
    7. Peaks/Dips
    8. Imaging
    9. Passive Soundstage
    10. Virtual Soundstage
    11. Weighted Harmonic Distortion
    12. Test Settings
  6. Isolation
    1. Noise Isolation
    2. Leakage
  7. Microphone
    1. Microphone Style
    2. Recording Quality
    3. Noise Handling
  8. Active Features
    1. Battery
    2. App Support
  9. Connectivity
    1. Bluetooth
    2. Non-Bluetooth Wireless
    3. Wired
    4. PC / PS4 Compatibility
    5. Xbox One Compatibility
    6. Base/Dock
  10. Comments

Bose QuietControl 30/QC30 Wireless vs Bose Hearphones Wireless

Side-by-Side Comparison

Products

Bose QuietControl 30/QC30 Wireless
Bose Hearphones Wireless

Tested using Methodology v1.4

Updated Oct 20, 2021 08:14 PM

SEE PRICE
Amazon.com

Tested using Methodology v1.4

Updated Dec 15, 2021 06:57 PM

SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Bose QuietControl 30/QC30 Wireless Picture
Bose Hearphones Wireless Picture

Variants

  • QuietControl 30
  • Hearphones

Our Verdict

Bose QuietControl 30/QC30 Wireless

Bose Hearphones Wireless

The Bose QuietControl 30/QC30 Wireless are better Bluetooth headphones than the Bose Hearphones Wireless thanks to their more neutral sound profile, which some users may prefer, but if the enhanced-conversation mode is what you’re looking for, then consider the Hearphones. On the other hand, the QC 30 has slightly better noise isolation performance, but design-wise, the QC 30 and the Hearphones are practically identical.

0 

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Standard
QuietControl 30
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Standard
Hearphones
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Standard
Hearphones
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Standard
Hearphones
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Hearphones
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Hearphones
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Main Differences for
Mixed Usage

Threshold 

0.10

Mixed Usage 

7.3
7.0

Bass Accuracy 
 

9.1
5.8

Full Comparison

Design

Style  

Design Picture 2  

Bose QuietControl 30/QC30 Wireless Design Picture 2
Bose Hearphones Wireless Design Picture 2

Type  

Earbuds
Earbuds

Enclosure  

Closed-Back
Closed-Back

Wireless  

Yes
Yes

Transducer  

Dynamic
Dynamic
Show Text 

Comfort 
 

7.5
7.5

Comfort Picture  

Bose QuietControl 30/QC30 Wireless Comfort Picture
Bose Hearphones Wireless Comfort Picture

Weight  

0.14 lbs
0.14 lbs

Clamping Force 
 

0 lbs
0 lbs
Show Text 

Controls 
 

7.5
7.6

Controls Picture  

Bose QuietControl 30/QC30 Wireless Controls Picture
Bose Hearphones Wireless Controls Picture

OS Compatibility 
 

Not OS specific
Not OS specific

Ease Of Use  

Good
Good

Feedback  

Okay
Decent

Call/Music Control  

Yes
Yes

Volume Control  

Yes
Yes

Microphone Control  

No
No

Channel Mixing 
 

No
No

Noise Cancelling Control  

Adjustable
Adjustable

Talk-Through 
 

Adjustable
Adjustable

Additional Controls  

No
Voice Assistant
Show Text 

Breathability 
 

8.9
9.1

Breathability After Picture  

Bose QuietControl 30/QC30 Wireless Breathability After Picture
Bose Hearphones Wireless Breathability After Picture

Avg.Temp.Difference  

1.1 °C
0.9 °C
Show Text 

Portability 
 

7.2
7.3

Portability Picture  

Bose QuietControl 30/QC30 Wireless Portability Picture
Bose Hearphones Wireless Portability Picture

 

5.81"
6"

 

6.38"
6.1"

 

0.8"
0.7"

Volume  

29.65 in³
26 in³

Transmitter Required  

No
No
Show Text 

Case 
 

8.0
8.0

Case Picture  

Bose QuietControl 30/QC30 Wireless Case Picture
Bose Hearphones Wireless Case Picture

Type  

Hard case
Hard case

 

6.38"
6.5"

 

6.81"
6.6"

 

1.42"
1.4"

Volume  

61.7 in³
60 in³
Show Text 

Build Quality 
 

7.0
7.0

Build Quality Picture  

Bose QuietControl 30/QC30 Wireless Build Quality Picture
Bose Hearphones Wireless Build Quality Picture
Show Text 

Stability 
 

7.5
7.5

Stability Picture  

Bose QuietControl 30/QC30 Wireless Stability Picture
Bose Hearphones Wireless Stability Picture
Show Text 

Headshots 1  

Angled Picture  

Bose QuietControl 30/QC30 Wireless Angled Picture
Bose Hearphones Wireless Angled Picture

Side Picture  

Bose QuietControl 30/QC30 Wireless Side Picture
Bose Hearphones Wireless Side Picture

Headshots 2  

Front Picture  

Bose QuietControl 30/QC30 Wireless Front Picture
Bose Hearphones Wireless Front Picture

Rear Picture  

Bose QuietControl 30/QC30 Wireless Rear Picture
Bose Hearphones Wireless Rear Picture

Top  

Top Picture  

Bose QuietControl 30/QC30 Wireless Top Picture
Bose Hearphones Wireless Top Picture

In The Box  

In The Box Picture  

Bose QuietControl 30/QC30 Wireless In The Box Picture
Bose Hearphones Wireless In The Box Picture
Show Text 
Sound

Sound Profile 
 

Frequency Response  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Bass Amount 
 

0.94 dB
2.72 dB

Treble Amount 
 

-2.4 dB
-5.79 dB

Frequency Response Consistency 
 

8.8
9.7

Consistency L  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Consistency R  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Avg. Std. Deviation 
 

0.25 dB
0.06 dB
Show Text 

Raw Frequency Response 
 

Raw FR L  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Raw FR R  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Bass Accuracy 
 

9.1
5.8

Bass  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Std. Err. 
 

1.21 dB
5.9 dB

Low-Frequency Extension 
 

10 Hz
10.75 Hz

Low-Bass 
 

0.75 dB
7.19 dB

Mid-Bass 
 

0.71 dB
5.71 dB

High-Bass 
 

1.94 dB
6.88 dB
Show Text 

Mid Accuracy 
 

8.8
7.9

Mid  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Std. Err. 
 

1.58 dB
2.8 dB

Low-Mid 
 

0.12 dB
3.78 dB

Mid-Mid 
 

-2.3 dB
0.13 dB

High-Mid 
 

0.08 dB
1.59 dB
Show Text 

Treble Accuracy 
 

7.2
7.8

Treble  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Std. Err. 
 

3.77 dB
2.94 dB

Low-Treble 
 

-0.16 dB
2.83 dB

Mid-Treble 
 

-4.3 dB
-0.58 dB

High-Treble 
 

-8.96 dB
-25.96 dB
Show Text 

Peaks/Dips 
 

8.0
6.3

Peaks/Dips Graph  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Peaks 
 

1.21 dB
2.87 dB

Dips 
 

1.33 dB
1.03 dB

Imaging 
 

9.2
4.2

Group Delay  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Phase Response  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Weighted Group Delay 
 

0.09
1.33

Weighted Amplitude Mismatch 
 

0.41
2.67

Weighted Frequency Mismatch 
 

1.23
1.44

Weighted Phase Mismatch 
 

1.66
194.65
Show Text 

Passive Soundstage 
 

0.7
0.7

PRTF  

Bose QuietControl 30/QC30 Wireless PRTF
Bose Hearphones Wireless PRTF

PRTF Accuracy (Std. Dev.) 
 

N/A
N/A

PRTF Size (Avg.) 
 

N/A
N/A

PRTF Distance 
 

N/A
N/A

Openness 
 

1.9
2.3

Acoustic Space Excitation 
 

0.9
0.9
Show Text 

Virtual Soundstage 
 

0.0
0.0

Virtual Soundstage  

Bose QuietControl 30/QC30 Wireless Virtual Soundstage
Bose Hearphones Wireless Virtual Soundstage

Head Modeling 
 

No
No

Speaker Modeling 
 

No
No

Room Ambience 
 

No
No

Head Tracking 
 

No
No

Virtual Surround 
 

No
No

Weighted Harmonic Distortion 
 

8.3
7.2

Weighted Harmonic Distortion  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

WHD @ 90 
 

0.158
0.466

WHD @ 100 
 

0.090
0.177

Test Settings 
 

Firmware 
 

Unknown
Unknown

Power 
 

On
On

Connection 
 

Unknown
Bluetooth 4.0

Codec 
 

SBC, 16-bit, 48kHz
SBC, 16-bit, 48kHz

EQ 
 

No EQ
No EQ

ANC 
 

Maximum
Maximum

Tip/Pad 
 

Silicone (small)
Silicone (small)

Microphone 
 

In-line
Integrated
Isolation

Noise Isolation 
 

8.1
7.7

Noise Isolation  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Isolation Audio 
 

Overall Attenuation 
 

-21.24 dB
-19.27 dB

Noise Cancelling  

Yes
Yes

Bass 
 

-18.26 dB
-16.8 dB

Mid 
 

-17.58 dB
-17.02 dB

Treble 
 

-27.64 dB
-23.91 dB
Show Text 

Leakage 
 

9.2
9.2

Leakage  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Leakage Audio 
 

Overall Leakage @ 1ft 
 

26.11 dB
25.85 dB
Show Text 
Microphone

Microphone Style 
 

Integrated 
 

Yes
Yes

In-Line 
 

No
No

Boom 
 

No
No

Detachable Boom 
 

No
No

Mic  

Yes
Yes

Recording Quality 
 

5.6
7.0

Microphone Frequency Response  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Recorded Speech 
 

LFE 
 

276.97 Hz
226.27 Hz

FR Std. Dev. 
 

3.94 dB
2.26 dB

HFE 
 

2,121.83 Hz
3,417.19 Hz

Weighted THD 
 

11.554
1.799

Gain 
 

37.24 dB
40.32 dB
Show Text 

Noise Handling 
 

6.2
6.3

SpNR  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Speech + Pink Noise  

Speech + Subway Noise  

SpNR 
 

14.72 dB
15.73 dB
Show Text 
Active Features

Battery 
 

7.1
6.5

Battery Type 
 

Rechargable
Rechargable

Continuous Battery Life 
 

11.4 hrs
8.1 hrs

Additional Charges 
 

0.0
0.0

Total Battery Life 
 

11.4 hrs
8.1 hrs

Charge Time 
 

2.5 hrs
2.3 hrs

Power-Saving Feature 
 

Auto-Off Timer
Auto-Off Timer

Audio While Charging 
 

No
No

Passive Playback 
 

No
No

Charging Port  

micro-USB
micro-USB
Show Text 

App Support 
 

7.0
7.5

App Picture  

Bose QuietControl 30/QC30 Wireless App Picture
Bose Hearphones Wireless App Picture

App Name  

Bose Connect
Bose Hear

iOS  

Yes
Yes

Android  

Yes
Yes

macOS  

No
No

Windows  

No
No

Equalizer 
 

No
No

ANC Control 
 

Adjustable
Adjustable

Mic Control  

No
No

Room Effects 
 

No
No

Playback Control 
 

Yes
No

Button Mapping  

No
No

Surround Support 
 

No
No
Show Text 
Connectivity

Bluetooth 
 

8.6
8.6

Bluetooth Version 
 

4.2
4.2

Multi-Device Pairing 
 

2 Devices
2 Devices

NFC Pairing 
 

Yes
Yes

Line Of Sight Range 
 

120 ft
139 ft

PC Latency (SBC) 
 

191 ms
207 ms

PC Latency (aptX) 
 

N/A
N/A

PC Latency (aptX HD) 
 

N/A
N/A

PC Latency (aptX-LL) 
 

N/A
N/A

iOS Latency 
 

111 ms
148 ms

Android Latency 
 

175 ms
132 ms
Show Text 

Non-Bluetooth Wireless 
 

0.0
0.0

Non-BT Line Of Sight Range 
 

N/A
N/A

Non-BT Latency 
 

N/A
N/A

Wired 
 

0.0
0.0

Cable Picture  

Bose QuietControl 30/QC30 Wireless Cable Picture
Bose Hearphones Wireless Cable Picture

Analog Audio 
 

No
No

USB Audio 
 

No
No

Detachable  

No
No

Length  

N/A
N/A

Connection  

No Wired Option
No Wired Option

Analog/USB Audio Latency 
 

N/A
N/A
Show Text 

PC / PS4 Compatibility 
 

PC/PS4 Analog 
 

No
No

PC/PS4 Wired USB 
 

No
No

PC/PS4 Non-BT Wireless 
 

No
No

Xbox One Compatibility 
 

Xbox One Analog 
 

No
No

Xbox One Wired USB 
 

No
No

Xbox One Non-BT Wireless 
 

No
No

Base/Dock 
 

0.0
0.0

Type 
 

No Base/Dock
No Base/Dock

USB Input 
 

No
No

Line In 
 

No
No

Line Out 
 

No
No

Optical Input 
 

No
No

RCA Input 
 

No
No

Dock Charging 
 

No
No

Power Supply 
 

No Base/Dock
No Base/Dock
Show Text 

Check Price

Standard
QuietControl 30
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Standard
Hearphones
Searching
Finding store
 
Standard
Hearphones
Searching
Finding store
 
Standard
Hearphones
Searching
Finding store
 
Standard
Hearphones
Searching
Finding store
 
Standard
Hearphones
Searching
Finding store

Bose QuietControl 30/QC30 Wireless

Bose Hearphones Wireless

Comments

  1. Comparison

Bose QuietControl 30/QC30 Wireless vs Bose Hearphones Wireless: Main Discussion

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