The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds are well-known for their best-in-class noise-cancelling technology, but how does it compare to the ubiquitous Apple AirPods Pro known for its comfort and compatibility with Apple devices? Here's what you need to know about these highly popular wireless earbuds.
Bose QuietComfort Earbuds
Bose is a well-known brand in the audio electronics industry and the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds live up to its reputation. Other than its high-fidelity audio, the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds also offer active noise cancellation (ANC) technology. The Quiet Mode mutes sound around you, while the Aware Mode with Active Sense technology allows you to hear traffic while you're on the go while listening to music at the same time. You can also set your favorite ANC settings to the left earbud to cycle through.
The earbuds are built with super durable high-end composite plastic and have amazing build quality.
Apple AirPods Pro
If you use an iPhone or iPad, the AirPods Pro is probably one of your top choices. These true wireless earbuds are lightweight and water-resistant, which means they are not affected by sweat. They are also noise-cancelling buds that offer a semi-customizable fit and they integrate seamlessly into the Apple ecosystem.
The AirPods Pro features a powerful audio driver for audio quality, three microphones, and silicone ear tips. The newest version allows you to switch between devices easily and comes equipped with spatial audio technology. Spatial audio gives you a surround-sound feel and an immersive audio experience.
Comparison: Bose QuietComfort Earbuds vs AirPods Pro
In this Apple AirPods Pro vs Bose QuietComfort earbuds comparison, we compare several functions and features so you can find the best true wireless earbuds for yourself.
Noise Cancelling Function
While both the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds and the AirPods Pro feature active noise cancellation (ANC) for eliminating background noise, the AirPods Pro does not outperform the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds.
Bose has always had a strong reputation for noise-cancelling headphones and their technology is far more advanced than the AirPods Pro. The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds can blend ANC with transparent listening modes, giving the user more convenience and an improved listening experience.
Sound Quality
Both earbuds come with high-quality sound production. Nevertheless, Bose takes a slightly different approach to bass production. While the AirPods Pro earbuds mildly emphasize bass frequencies, the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds emphasize more bass frequencies. As a result, the QuietComfort deliver a more impressive and engaging fine-tuned sound experience.
Price
The AirPods Pro are top-rated true wireless earbuds. As a result, they don't come cheap. The current official retail price is about $379 although you may find more deals, giving the AirPods a slight edge in terms of price.
The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds cost about $399 from OneFutureWorld.
Battery Life
One of the major considerations when purchasing any wireless earphone is the battery life. Poor battery life has always been the downside of many wireless earphones, and they need to be recharged frequently.
Both the Bose QuietComfort buds and the AirPods Pro come with a battery carry-case. The AirPods Pro offers a continuous use of 5 hours when fully charged. The battery carry-case provides another 19 hours of use via multiple charges, allowing a total of 24 hours of run time.
The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds, on the other hand, offer a longer continuous battery life of 6 hours when fully charged. However, the QuietComfort Earbuds case provides only 12 hours of use via multiple charges. This makes a total of 18 hours of run time.
Here, the AirPods prove themselves to be a longer-lasting pair considering its longer hours of run time altogether. However, the Bose earbuds have longer hours of use per charge.
Both battery cases feature fast-charging technology. For the AirPods Pro, you’ll get an hour of music from a 5-minute charge while you can get 2 hours of music when you charge the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds for 15 minutes.
Design
Both the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds and the AirPods Pro come with comfortable designs. The Apple AirPods Pro have stems with silicone eartips while the Bose QuietComfort buds have a different design that also features silicone ear tips.
These silicone tips are meant to fit perfectly into the ear. Ear fins secure them tightly in the ears for stability during movement and to block off ambient sound or unwanted noise. Both earbuds are available in 3 different sizes. Both also have an IPX4 water resistance rating, so they will withstand sweat during workouts or drizzling.
Both feature useful touch controls, which allow you to play or pause music, skip songs, activate Transparency Mode, and more. While the Apple AirPods Pro weigh 5.4g, the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds weigh 8.5g.
While Apple’s battery carry-case features a magnetic fastener, the Bose case features a mechanical catch, which is more secure.
Wireless Connection
Considering Airpods Pro vs. Bose QuietComfort Earbuds in terms of wireless connection, the Bose QuietComfort buds feature Bluetooth 5.1 while the AirPods Pro feature Bluetooth 5.0 technology. However, the AirPods Pro feature Apple’s H1 wireless chip which utilizes Class 1 Bluetooth audio. The Class 1 Bluetooth audio generates a stronger signal than the Class 2 Bluetooth audio used by Bose.
As a result, the AirPods Pro have a longer range of 100 feet while the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds have the standard 30 feet range. The H1 chip also enables AirPods Pro to show up immediately on your other Apple devices or auto-sync with them.
Other Features
Both the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds and the Apple AirPods Pro come with unique features.
For AirPods Pro, most of these features are only available to Apple users, though some also work on Android devices. The AirPods Pro auto-pair when you open the case near your iPhone. You can have the battery status displayed on your iPhone and iPad via the Apple Watch Control Center.
You can also toggle between the noise cancellation and transparency mode from the Apple Watch Control Center. Other features include battery optimization, Audio Share, fast charging, an Adaptive EQ, and automatic device switching.
For the QuietComfort Earbuds, you’ll enjoy features like automatic ear detection, fast charging, the ability to customize 3 ANC settings to shut out the outside world, self-voice calling mode for hearing your own voice in Bose's earbuds, and Active EQ for adjusting the sound with respect to your surroundings.
You can pick up your phone call automatically by simply inserting the right earbud in your ears. There is also the Bose Music app that can be used to equalize the sound or switch between source devices.
Conclusion
The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds and the Apple AirPods Pro are two amazing true wireless headphones. Nevertheless, each has its unique strengths and features and you may prefer one over the other based on your preferences or usage.
The Apple AirPods Pro have an impressive ANC feature and wireless connectivity (for iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch users). However, the QuietComfort Earbuds have greater ANC performance in comparison, are better balanced with greater sound quality, have a better companion app, and their integrated microphones record better.
If you want an earphone with the best combination of sound and active noise cancelling, the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds is your best option. Looking for where to buy your Bose QuietComfort Earbuds? Get yours at a pocket-friendly price from One Futureworld, Singapore’s premium authorized reseller of Bose, or Bose stores in Singapore.