For years, the noise cancellation prowess of the QuietComfort range of headphones from Bose has been at the top of the game. Now the audio gear maker has managed to miniaturize the tech and squeeze it inside a new pair of true wireless earphones.
Despite stiff competition from the likes of Sony and Sennheiser, Bose is still viewed by many as the industry leader in noise cancellation headphone technology, and it's promising similar top notch isolation from the new QC Earbuds.
"We spent a lot of time making sure our new QuietComfort Earbuds were the most effective noise canceling in-ear headphones ever," said the company's wearable audio category director, Mehul Trivedi. "But they also sound incredible and are a pleasure to wear and use. That’s an unbeatable combination that puts them ahead of the industry and makes them every bit a QuietComfort."
After some new tips create a tight seal at the ear canal, the earbuds employ multiple microphones to detect external noise before calling on a brand new algorithm to fire opposing signals through small transducers in a fraction of a millisecond. Bose then promises that "the buzz of nearby coffee grinders fade to a whisper, and the roar from engines and construction all but vanish."
Sealing you off from the outside world completely can be dangerous in some instances, so Bose gives users 11 levels of control for allowing the outside world to leak through.
As for audio performance, there's no artificial frequency boosting in play here, with the company instead opting for faithful reproduction, promising rich and strong bass at all volume levels and a complete lack of electronic hiss. When taking calls, clarity is also key and the setup will isolate the user's voice from everything that's going on around while also dampening gusts of wind as necessary.
The QC Earbuds connect wirelessly with a music source such as a smartphone over Bluetooth 5.1, with support for SBC and AAC codecs but no mention of aptX HD or LDAC, and listeners can expect up to six hours of playback time per charge, with the charging case offering another 12. The true wireless earphones are IPX4-resistant to sweat or water, there's touch playback/call control, and each of the buds tips the scales at 0.3 oz (8.5 g).
They will be available from September 29 for US$279.95, which makes them more expensive than Apple's AirPods Pro, Sony's WF-1000XM3 and Samsung's Galaxy Buds Live.
Product page: QC Earbuds
