Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II Review: Not sorry I can't hear you

Active noise cancelling (ANC) is one of the most sought-after features when looking for a new pair of earbuds -  it's right up there with comfort. Fortunately, the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II at $429.95RRP fulfil the promise in their name by delivering on both fronts. 

A quiet place wherever you go

The Bose QuietComfort IIs are by far the best earbuds for noise cancelling in the market; they're just that excellent. If you've ever wanted a counter to your next-door neighbour's loud music, the other people on public transport or your kids, these are the earbuds for you. The ANC filters everything out so well from people chatting in an office to the sound of cars on a busy main road. It even handles the wind very well, reducing it so it has almost no impact. With your music playing and the volume up, there's very little that can disrupt the aural peace these earbuds bring. 

In terms of sound quality, these buds come set quite bass-heavy. In some songs, this can end result in overpowering the vocals though not by too much. These default settings serve the genres of drum and bass and EDM extremely well. Luckily, those who like everything dialled up or down to their liking can customise this easily via the EQ settings in the Bose app - you can even boost the bass further if it's not high enough for your liking. All in all, things do sound great. 

When it comes to the microphone things don't fare as well. The QuietComfort IIs come out better than most but they don't hold up against Apple's AirPods Pro 2 which remains the gold standard for call quality.

The on-bud controls are surprisingly smooth with what Bose calls "Simple Touch". The entire long flat surface allows control via tapping, holding or sliding actions. Sliding up or down to adjust the volume can take a little time to master, it's really more of a scratching motion because a single slide doesn't move the needle as much as needed. Overall the controls work well once you've had a little while to get used to them. With a long press, you can switch between ANC and ambient mode. It's seamless and unlike a lot of transparency modes, these Bose buds don't let in muddy, staticky mess. 

Bluetooth pairing was a delight with these earbuds, but there's a glaring lack of multipoint. It could have been far more frustrating to move between my computer and phone if pairing didn't hold up so well. 

Bigger isn't always better

The QuietComfort Earbuds II can run for up to six hours per charge - enough to get most people through a large part of their day. With the charging case, you get a total of 24 hours of charge time. That's slightly disappointing given the size of the charging case which is fairly large. The case is slightly bigger than the pill-shaped case for the Soundcore Space A40 earbuds and those deliver a whopping 50 hours of listening time. There's another fairly glaring omission when it comes to the battery - no wireless charging. This is a pretty standard inclusion for earbuds in this price category and is available on cheaper pairs of buds as well.

While not overly cumbersome the case does take up a fair amount of space. Some people may find it frustrating to juggle in their hands or carry around in their pockets all day. As for the design of the earbuds themselves, they sit in the middle between the standard and something more unique. They are however very comfortable. Each pair comes with a "Bose Fit Kit" which includes three pairs of ear tips and three pairs of stability bands all made from silicone to ensure a secure fit within your ears. 

Where there's room for improvement

The first time you put the QuietComfort II earbuds in they play several tones. There's a start-up sound and two announcements. The first is for the battery levels and the other describes which device you're connected to. Then each time you put them in again the rest of the day they repeat it all over again.

This is the default setting for the earbuds out of the box. It might not be too annoying if it was just one or the other but all three is a lot. It's a nuisance when you don't already have them in, go to pick up a call and have to wait an additional few seconds. You can turn "Voice Prompts" off via the Bose app to disable it, but this means that when you are already connected you no longer hear incoming caller IDs. It'd be helpful if the settings were more customisable.

Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II - Final thoughts

The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II are a really solid pair of earbuds short of a few features and a more stylish housing. The titular quiet comfort they bring as you can settle into auditory bliss is nothing short of a miracle. 

If noise-cancelling is your jam and you're willing to spend over $400 on a new pair of earbuds then you'd be kicking yourself if you didn't give these a shot. 

Dylan Crismale

Digital Content Editor

Dylan Crismale is a Digital Content Editor at WhistleOut, has been writing for almost a decade across a variety of Australian publications. He previously worked as a writer at Finder covering energy, internet and mobile plans. Dylan is passionate about finding the best deals to save people money and educating people about tech. When he's not sat at his desk Dylan loves working out, bingeing TV and hanging out with friends.​

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