Bose release Quietcomfort Earbuds II
By Shawn Chung - Singapore
Bose has been at the very center of Active Noise Canceling audio technology for over 30 years, releasing the very first pair of Active Noise Canceling headphones in 1989, for commercial aviation. The legendary QuietComfort ANC headphones for consumers was first unleashed in the year 2000, so it's no surprise that in the era of the mass adoption of ANC technology in true wireless earbuds, the brand intends to, again, transform the industry the next generation Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II.
The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II incorporates Bose CustomTune sound calibration technology, which enable its users to intelligently personalize audio and noise cancellation performance to the unique shape of their ear — resulting in an unprecedented listening experience and the world’s best noise cancellation from any headphone — banded or in-ear.
The QC II earbuds sport an all-new design, with each bud is about one-third smaller than its predecessor, weighs less than a quarter of an ounce (0.22oz/6.2g), and they come in a pocketable charging case. To better fit a users ear, the QC II earbuds come with an eartip Fit Kit featuring a new two-piece system with interchangeable stability bands and eartips — delivering the all-day comfort and wearability the QuietComfort name is known for.
The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II will be available in Triple Black starting on September 15th for $299, and pre-orders in the U.S. begin today on Bose.com. A Soapstone color variant will also be available later this year.
CustomTune for Improved Audio, Noise Cancellation, and Aware Mode with ActiveSense
CustomTune sound calibration technology makes its debut in the QuietComfort Earbuds II. This pioneering innovation is triggered every time the buds are removed from their case and placed in your ears. A proprietary tone is played, and a microphone inside the earbud measures your ear canal’s acoustic response. That information is then used to precisely tailor both audio and noise cancellation performance especially for you — all within less than half a second.
For audio, CustomTune fully optimizes the sound frequency profile to the unique properties of every ear, so the sound that reaches the eardrum is just as the artist intended — lifelike, balanced audio with nuance, clarity, and depth. For more powerful noise cancellation, CustomTune also calibrates the noise reduction signal to your ears, enabling a significant performance improvement. It targets frequencies that were previously difficult to reduce — like voices of nearby coworkers, screaming babies on the bus, or family distractions in your home office — so now they fade away without you ever knowing they were there. And CustomTune continuously adapts to changing noise in your environment, ensuring the best level of noise cancellation is maintained.
The intelligent personalization provided by CustomTune also enhances Aware Mode with ActiveSense. In Aware Mode, it delivers improved transparency allowing your surroundings to pass through the earbuds sounding as natural and lifelike as possible. And when loud disruptions happen nearby, ActiveSense responds with just the right level of noise cancellation — tuned specifically to your ear — to reduce noise as it happens, and only for as long as it lasts.
The QC Earbuds II use four microphones in each bud — one on the inside and three on the outside — to sense, measure, and send unwanted noise to a proprietary electronic chip loaded with an exclusive algorithm. Together with tiny transducers, the system responds with a precise, equal, and opposite signal in less than a fraction of a millisecond. The result is dramatic and exclusive to Bose.
New Eartip Fit Kit for Comfort and Stability
The revolutionary advancement in noise cancellation technology provided by the QuietComfort Earbuds II starts with ensuring an optimal fit to your ears. The QC Earbuds II separate the traditional single-piece eartip into a two-piece system: a stability band which hugs the contour of your ear, and an umbrella-shaped silicone eartip to create a firm seal at your ear’s opening.
A Bose Fit Kit included with the QC Earbuds II supplies three sizes of eartips and three sizes of stability bands — allowing for up to nine customization options for each bud. And, because no two ears are the same — even on the same person — all of the pieces are designed to be interchangeable, so you find a fit that feels comfortable and stays in place all day. Advanced materials and manufacturing techniques keep the stability bands and eartips soft and compliant, yet durable and easy to change.
As a final step to ensure an ideal fit, a Fit Test available in the Bose Music app checks for an accurate seal by using the same tone employed by the CustomTune sound calibration to check for leaking sound, so the QC Earbuds II can deliver the best personalized audio and noise cancellation performance.
Compatibility, Connectivity, Battery Life, and More
The new Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II are compatible with both Apple and Android devices. They feature improved voice pickup enabled by an updated noise removal algorithm and include Bluetooth 5.3 capability, have an IPX4 rating for sweat and water resistance, and work with a mobile device’s built-in voice assistant. The buds offer up to six hours of battery life with three additional charges provided by the case. The case can fully charge the buds in one hour, while a quick 20-minute charge provides up to two hours of playback. The case itself fully recharges in three hours via USB-C.
They feature intuitive capacitive touch controls on both the left and right earbuds that provide access to common commands such as play and pause content, volume control, skip track, and answer and end calls. Additionally, the Bose Music app provides more functionality like shortcut settings, noise cancellation Modes, and adjustable EQ, and updates will be released over time to add new features and benefits.