NEW Bose QC Earbuds vs QC Ultra, Sony, Samsung AirPods Pro 2 🤔 (Review)
Bose QC Earbuds vs The Rest!
The new QC Earbuds are a total refresh of the Quietcomfort line. It looks different, it uses a totally different app with a new interface, and finally some improvements like wireless charging, and the ability to switch off noise cancelling entirely, which wasn’t possible on the QC Ultra.
I’m going to get into more detail about what else is new, how they compare to the QC Ultra, and some of the most popular earbuds in the market in terms of performance, and what are some things that can be better.
Voice Control demo
What new features does it have? First, voice control. There are various preset commands but the wake word is always ‘Hey headphones’. I’ve tried it and it’s a bit iffy.
Sometimes it works smoothly, sometimes I have to repeat the wake word many times before it actually responds. Even if it does, it only does what I tell it half of the time. Maybe it’s my weird accent, but it just needs to be better in that area to actually be useful.
Remote Selfie demo
On the bright side, if everything works well, you can even take a photo with your phone using voice command, which brings me to remote selfie. I like the idea of it, definitely would have been useful for large group photos. It works well on both iOS and Android, but only when multipoint pairing is turned off.
What’s definitely useful is the new 5 band graphic equaliser. This feature has been widely requested, and finally gives you more granular control over the Bose sound signature compared to just 3 bands on the Ultra.
Microphone Comparison
Later on, I’ll be talking about what the QC Ultra has that this doesn’t, but for now, let’s compare their microphone pickup to the Sonys, AirPods, Samsungs and the QC Ultra.
Take note that this is based on a direct voice recording without any special features or settings, so it represents more accurately the mic pickup regardless of device or software. In that vein, the mic pickup of the new QC is quite serviceable. It sounded more robotic than the Ultra, but less sibilant. However, it’s not as crisp as the AirPods which have the clearest voice pickup in quiet conditions. In noisy conditions, the new QC’s noise gating is awesome, but it cuts a bit too aggressively into my voice, making it sounds muffled, although it’s still intelligible.
Overall, I think the Samsungs did the best in this group because there’s either too little noise gating like the Ultra, or too much noise gating like the AirPods which severely cut into my voice.
👉 Have a listen to the mic pickup samples.
(Tested in both quiet and noisy conditions using really loud cafe noise and wind noise from a fan.)
Samsung Galaxy Buds3 Pro
Active Noise Cancelling Comparison
The new QC’s active noise cancelling is comparable to the QC Ultra, and slightly better at reducing the mid range spectrum compared to the other earbuds, except for the Sony WF-1000XM5 with its foam tips.
Even so, in terms of sheer quietness and cancelling the low frequency rumbling noises, it’s on par with the QC Ultra. This makes them one of the best noise cancellers in the market.
👉 Listen to the samples recorded under the same background noise as before.
Sony WF-1000XM5
Transparency Mode and Unboxing
In terms of Transparency, the new QCs are great with minimal occlusion and the feeling of space. My voice passed through very well, so it’s possible to have a conversation without taking them off. But it isn’t the most transparent in this group. Earbuds like the Galaxy Buds3 Pro, AirPods Pro 2 and the QC Ultra have even less occlusion, and they also have less hissing. The Sonys, on the other hand, sound more occluded than the QC, and my voice also sounds a little muffled, but that is because of its foam tips.
Sound Quality Comparison
In terms of sound quality, just listening to them on their own, I did enjoy its versatility and richness. They’re not exactly the most detailed, especially in the lower mids and highs, because I’m not getting that airiness, but these have clean track separation, and are quite fun and engaging to listen to.
Frequency sweeps show that the new QC earbuds measure quite V-shaped, with full and rich bass and crisp upper mids. However, the FR graph only tells part of the story. When comparing their sound A-B on their default EQ settings, they actually sound a bit darker in the mids and highs compared to the Samsung, Sonys and the QC Ultra. The QC Ultra can also sustain LFE better, which is great for bass drops. The AirPods do sound darker than the new QCs, but it’s also richer and cleaner in the lower mids.
One area where the new QCs really shine is their loud volume. They are noticeably louder than the QC Ultra, and out of this group, only the Sonys are comparable.
👉 Listen to the samples and tell me what you think in the comments.
Buy QC Earbuds or QC Ultra?
So which do I like better, the new QC earbuds or the QC Ultra?
The QC Ultra remains the most advanced earbuds from Bose. And in many ways, I do prefer it over the new QC. For example, you’ve got swipe gestures for volume along with all the tap controls, meaning you can still access all the controls even just using one earbud. It also has head tracking, Immersive spatial audio, and the ability to finetune how much noise cancelling or awareness you want.
Additionally, the Ultras are also Snapdragon Sound certified, so on most Android devices running on Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 and newer, you can stream over the high bitrate aptX Adaptive or Lossless codec as opposed to just regular AAC. I also find its fit is more ergonomic and form fitting to my ears, whereas the new QCs are rounder, so they don’t sit quite the same way. And the QC Ultra’s case is also flatter, more portable.
But, the new QC earbuds do address some pain points about the Ultra, such as not having wireless charging, the inability to turn off noise cancelling to save battery, and not being able to switch them into pairing mode without the case. You can do that now on the new QC with just a tap and hold on both earbuds, which makes more sense for something that supports multipoint pairing.
For me, this is a bigger deal than the new voice command and remote selfie features. Also, the new QCs have better mics. So if those were your main complaints about the Ultra, then you’ll want to take a look at the new QC earbuds.
Buy QC Earbuds or AirPods Pro 2?
When comparing it to the AirPods Pro 2, the Bose is definitely the more flexible option, as you can use it just as well on an iPhone and on Android. WithAirPods on Android, you are limited. There’s no AirPods app that gives you the same features as on iOS, and you can’t get firmware updates either. You’re pretty much restricted to the basic music and ANC controls and features like any regular wireless earbuds. Not the Bose. You’re going to get full access to the custom settings and features and all that, regardless of platform.
What I do love most about the AirPods though, is their extremely tiny case. It’s just a fraction of the Bose, and way more easy to carry around.
Plus, they are awesome on Apple devices, with that frictionless, seamless experience moving across different devices, improved mic pickup with Voice Isolation mode, and even sharing my audio with another AirPods user if I want to.
But if you’re on an Android device and you don’t mind the size of the case, you’ll probably be happier with the Bose. Somehow the AirPods can’t stay plugged that well in my ears, so the noise cancelling isn’t as consistent. Whereas the Bose cancels noise like a beast throughout, it sounds good, and it’s much more customisable too whether on iOS or Android.
Buy QC Earbuds or Samsung Galaxy Buds3 Pro?
Compared to the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro, again, the QC has much more flexibility there because the Samsungs are better on Android, and best on Samsung devices. It’s quite similar to Apple’s preference for iOS. So if you’re using an iPhone, definitely go for the Bose if you want to get the full bang for your buck.
On Android, it’s a much harder fight for the Bose, because the Buds3 Pro is so good all around. The mic pickup, transparency, portability and controls being just as good as AirPods, and it’s very customisable too. The only advantage for the Bose that I can see here is the noise cancelling. It’s a little quieter than the Samsung, and it’s going to be more constant because the Bose fits tighter, which makes it more stable, especially during activities like workouts.
Buy QC Earbuds or Sony WF-1000XM5?
Compared to the Sony WF-1000XM5, big win for the Sony if you want something more portable. It has tiny case, head tracking features, and it sounds great, with a nice suite of audiophile-friendly features like being able to stream over the Hi-Res LDAC codec, and a bit more flexibility with the sound, having more EQ presets and a 6 band EQ instead of 5 bands.
Personally, I do prefer the Sony’s fuller, more detailed, more dynamic sound than the Bose. However, it’s the portability that’s most compelling. Having a case as tiny as the AirPods makes it more convenient to daily drive on the move.
In terms of fit, the Sonys feel more snug because I’m one of those users who can get a good tight fit from them, this means the Sonys are always operating at max noise cancelling power. However, there are many people who can’t seem to get a good fit, or a good seal with the Sonys. For them, the Bose will be more compelling. While it may not be as portable, but it has a larger, rounder fitment. And a good strong fit is the foundation of powerful noise cancelling. Besides that, the Bose has better transparency. If that’s what you care about, choose the Bose instead.
Conclusion
So that’s how the new Bose QC earbuds compares to the rest. Which one among them will you choose? Let me know in the comments. Link as below if you want to check their latest prices. By the way, click here to learn about my thoughts on the Bose QC Ultra.
Check latest prices:
Bose QuietComfort Earbuds (Gen 2) - https://amzn.to/3zuKirs
Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds - https://amzn.to/49TSg9KSamsung
Galaxy Buds3 Pro - https://amzn.to/4fvUNLnSony
WF-1000XM5 - https://amzn.to/3JGI1uNAirPods
Pro 2 USB-C - https://amzn.to/3UoeJG8
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