Bose QuietComfort II earbuds review – stunning audio quality and noise cancellation

90%

• VERDICT

The Bose QuietComfort II earphones provide stunning audio quality and excellent noise cancellation that can be personalised to the way you hear sound. They are a lot smaller than the previous earphones but still larger them its competitors.

The new Bose QuietComfort II earbuds offer excellent audio but the sound can also be personalised to suit the unique way we hear sound so it will be even better for you.

One thing about Bose earbuds is they were always on the larger side.

But the Bose QuietComfort II earbuds have had a makeover and each bud a third smaller than the previous version.

They are still slightly larger than other earphones and will not fit all users.

For our review we had to battle to get the earphones securely in our ears.

The bud has not only a silicon tip to go into your ear canal but also a wing designed to catch and lock when twisted inside your ear.

The actual buds – the part that rests inside your ear – are still a decent size and there’s a short stalk that rests outside your ear.

While we’re pleased about the reduced size of the Bose earbuds – they are still larger than your average earphones which manage to fit comfortably inside your ear.

But that aside, the Bose QuietComfort II Earbuds deliver amazing results whether you’re listening to your favourite music, audiobook or podcast.

The custom tune sound calibration uses a proprietary tone played through a microphone inside the ear bud so it can measure your ear canal’s acoustic response.

We all hear sound differently and Bose can take this information and use it to tweak the audio and noise cancellation.

It all happens in the Bose Music app and takes less than a second.

The result is a sound profile that fits the unique properties of your ear, so your eardrum receives the sound exactly as the artist intended.

This also improves the Active Noise Cancellation – not that it needed much help – it’s already one of the best ANC we’ve heard on earphones and can truly isolate you away from the noises of the outside world when you’re on public transport or on a flight.

And when you do need to hear what’s happening around you, that’s when Aware mode comes into play.

A new feature in Aware mode is ActiveSense makes that transparency even better so it can bring in a level of noise cancellation so that you’re not being exposed to unusually loud noises.

And it does all this thanks to the four microphones in each earbud that can measure outside noise and respond with an exclusive algorithm to offer the precise opposite signal in a fraction of a millisecond.

Sound quality is second to none so you can hear generous detail in your music and a balanced level of bass that all combines to provide a stunning audio experience.

Call quality is also excellent – this is an important feature for customers who are streaming their music from their phone and often need to answer calls without the hassle of having to remove the ear buds.

Thankfully, the features that provide excellent audio and brilliant active noise cancellation combine to give you a crystal-clear call every time.

The Bose earbuds have capacitive touch controls on each earbud which allow you to do the basics like play and pause your music as well as controlling volume and answering and ending calls.

The controls are quite sensitive, and we found ourselves pausing our music while we were making an adjustment.

When we were more familiar with the best way to handle the buds, we were able to pause the song only when we intended to.

The earphones are running Bluetooth 5.3 which means you’re getting an excellent wireless audio connection.

And there’s no worry where you can use the Bose QuietComfort II earbuds thanks to the IPX4 rating for sweat and water resistance which means they can be your companion in the gym or on a walk or run in a light shower.

Battery life is at 6 hours for the Bose earbuds with another three further charges from the charging case.

And we love it how the earphones tell us the battery level every time we put them on.

The case, like the earphones themselves, has also shrunk down to a size that could now easily fit in your pocket.

The Bose QuietComfort II earbuds are available now and are priced at $429

VERDICT

The Bose QuietComfort II earbuds provide stunning audio quality and excellent noise cancellation that can be personalised to the way you hear sound. They are a lot smaller than the previous earphones but still larger them its competitors.