Bose has long set the standard when it comes to active noise cancelling, but its best wireless earbuds have usually also brought a hefty price premium over big-name rivals. The firm hasn’t forgotten more value-minded music fans, though: the new Bose QuietComfort Earbuds dilute down everything great about its flagship model, and significantly lowers the price.
They’re designed for daily use, rather than focusing on commuter and flight-friendly noise cancelling like the QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds – but should still manage best-in-class ANC, according to Bose. Three mics in each bud handle background silencing and voice calls.
A snug-fitting shape and selection of stability bands included in the box should make these in-ears particularly comfortable, and stay secure if used while working out. IPX4 water resistance will shrug off sweat, too. It’s packing Bluetooth 5.3 with Multipoint connectivity, a low latency mode for better audio sync, and will play nicely with your phone’s voice assistant.
The Bose QC Earbuds app lets you switch ANC settings, customise the touch controls, and tweak the five-band EQ for personalised sound. About the only major omission is Immersive Audio, Bose’s spin on spatial audio – but I’ve been told that will be coming later in a software update.
Battery life is pegged at eight and a half hours, though Bose doesn’t say if that’s with ANC enabled or not. The charging case (which supports Qi wireless top-ups) can hold another two and a half full charges, with a 20 minute quick refuel being good enough for another three hours of listening.
The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds are launching today, in Black, White Smoke and Chilled Lilac colours. Expect to pay £179 directly from the Bose website.
Bose has also pulled the covers off the Bose Smart Soundbar, a mid-life update for the existing Bose Smart Soundbar 600 that brings the AI Dialogue mode last seen in last year’s Smart Ultra Soundbar. This tone-tweaking algorithm makes speech easier to hear automatically, which can be handy for films with non-stop action, or badly-mixed TV shows with mumbling actors.
Anyone with a set of Bose Ultra Open Earbuds can also pair them to the Soundbar to use as a set of personal rear surround sound speakers, while leaving your ear canals clear to hear the soundbar’s audio output.
It’s available to pre-order from today, directly from the Bose website, for £500. Units should start shipping from the 10th of October.