Bose is now taking pre-orders for its new QuietComfort Earbuds, which are set to rival Apple's AirPods Pro in the premium true wireless ANC earphones market.
As the QuietComfort brand name suggests, Bose's latest earbuds feature active noise canceling combined with passive isolation, offering "all the noise cancelling performance of our best over-ear headphones — from a compact, truly wireless earbud."
Bose says its new StayHear Max silicone tips are designed to conform completely to the contours of the ear to create a gentle seal, while an array of internal and external microphones detect ambient noise and produce an opposite signal to cancel it out in a fraction of a millisecond.
Another thing Bose's earbuds have in common with AirPods Pro is a transparency feature, which allows the user to simultaneously listen to music while still hearing the environment around them – whether that's to hear traffic during a run or an important train announcement during the morning commute.
Bose QuietComfort Earbuds offer 11 levels of transparency, allowing users to dial down the noise canceling to suit the situation. That contrasts with AirPods Pro's transparency mode, which is a binary on/off feature that can't be customized.
Bose's Earbuds respond to touch-based gestures to control content, while a microphone in the right earbud picks up the sound of the user's voice and rejects other noise during calls or when using a virtual assistant. Bose also promises a premium listening experience, thanks to the inclusion of "innovative" audio equalization technology:
The acoustic package inside these earbuds is capable of producing deep low notes and exciting, lifelike sound no matter how loud (or soft) you like to listen.
And that's no small feat. Because as you lower the volume on most earphones, the bass tends to disappear, leaving your music sounding tinny and small. We solved the problem with our Volume-optimized Active EQ technology. This innovation automatically boosts the lows and highs so the music, videos, and voices you're listening to remain consistently balanced — even as you change the volume.
The QC earbuds are IPX4-rated, making them sweat, rain and weather resistant, and offer up to six hours of battery life on a single charge, while two additional full charges are provided by the wireless charging case. There's also a quick charge mode that can provide two hours of listening time on a 15-minute charge.
Bose's QuietComfort Earbuds cost $279.99 and are available in Triple Black and Soapstone (black and white). Pre-orders are being taken on the Bose website with shipping scheduled to begin on September 29.
