Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II Review

What the QuietComfort Earbuds II actually are

These are Bose's premium noise-cancelling earbuds, and noise cancellation is the whole pitch. The headline trick is what Bose calls CustomTune, a quick tone that fires into your ear when you put them in and measures how the buds sit in your specific ear canal. The system then tunes both the ANC and the audio to that fit. It sounds like marketing fluff. It isn't. The result is the quietest pair of earbuds most people will ever wear.

You get the buds, a charging case, and an unusually generous set of ear tips and stability bands. Pricing tends to run somewhere in the $180 to $280 range on Amazon depending on sales, which puts them right up against the AirPods Pro 2 and Sony's WF-1000XM5.

Noise cancellation that genuinely embarrasses the competition

This is where the QuietComfort Earbuds II earn the price. Owners consistently report that low droning sound, plane cabins, train rumble, HVAC hum, simply disappears in a way Sony and Apple can't quite match. On a flight, the difference between these and almost anything else is obvious within seconds.

Aware mode (Bose's transparency setting) is also good, with a natural pass-through that doesn't make your own voice sound like you're talking into a bucket. The flip side: there's no fully adjustable ANC slider, just a few preset modes you configure in the app. It's a small annoyance for tweakers, but the default cancellation is so strong you rarely feel the need to fiddle.

Sound, comfort, and the stuff that annoys people

Sound is warm and full, with bass that hits without smothering vocals. It's a likeable, slightly fun tuning rather than a clinical one. After a 2022 firmware update Bose finally added a proper EQ in the app, so you can adjust to taste. Audiophiles will still pick apart the codec support, since there's no aptX or LDAC, but for the vast majority these sound excellent.

Comfort is strong thanks to the fit-band system, and the buds stay put for walks and light gym work. Now the gripes. Battery life is roughly 6 hours per bud with about 24 total from the case, which trails the AirPods Pro 2 and is merely fine rather than great. There's no wireless charging on the standard case. Multipoint Bluetooth was missing at launch and is limited compared to rivals. And the case is chunkier than you'd like for a jeans pocket.

Who should buy them, and who should skip

Buy these if silence is your priority. Frequent flyers, commuters, anyone trapped near a noisy coworker or a humming fridge. Nothing in this class quiets the world better, and that alone justifies the buy for a lot of people.

Skip them if you live in the Apple ecosystem and want effortless device switching, where AirPods Pro 2 are the smarter call. Skip if you want the longest battery life, the smallest case, or hi-res codecs for critical listening. And if you mostly want earbuds for running, lighter sport-focused buds make more sense.

The verdict

The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II are the noise-cancelling champ, full stop. They're not the most feature-loaded earbuds and the battery and case won't win awards, but the core job is done better than anyone else's. If quiet is what you're paying for, this is the pair to get.

Frequently asked questions

Are the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II better than AirPods Pro 2?

For raw noise cancellation, yes. The Bose are noticeably quieter. AirPods Pro 2 win on Apple device integration, easy switching, and a smaller case, so the right pick depends on whether you prioritize silence or ecosystem convenience.

How long does the battery last?

Roughly 6 hours per charge from the buds, with about 24 hours total including the case. That's solid but not class-leading, and the standard case doesn't support wireless charging.

Do they support multipoint connection to two devices?

Multipoint support was added later via firmware but remains more limited than what Sony or Apple offer. If switching between a laptop and phone constantly matters to you, check current firmware status before buying.