Bose QuietComfort 45 vs Bose QuietComfort Earbuds

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QuietComfort 45 compared with QuietComfort Earbuds

	BoseQuietComfort 45	BoseQuietComfort Earbuds
Overview
Released
Released	September 2021	September 2024
Sound
Type
Type	Over-ear	In-ear
Noise cancelling
Noise cancelling	Yes	Yes
Transparency mode
Transparency mode	Yes	Yes
Bluetooth codecs
Bluetooth codecs	SBC and AAC	SBC and AAC
Noise cancelling detail
Noise cancelling detail	Two modes, Quiet (full noise cancelling) and Aware (full transparency); microphones inside and outside the ear cups with a proprietary digital chip, tuned for mid-range frequencies such as voices	Quiet mode (full noise cancelling) and Aware mode; noise cancelling adjustable or off in the Bose QCE app; six microphones in total (three per earbud) for noise cancelling and voice pickup
Audio features
Audio features	TriPort acoustic architecture; Active EQ; adjustable EQ (bass, mid-range and treble) in the Bose Music app	Five-band adjustable EQ in the Bose QCE app; Low Latency Audio mode for games and video
Battery
Listening time (maker's claim)
Listening time (maker's claim)	Up to 22 hours	Up to 8.5 hours
With the case
With the case	–	Up to 30 hours
Wireless charging
Wireless charging	–	Yes
Battery life detail
Battery life detail	Up to 22 hours on Bose's current product page, tested with noise cancelling on at 50% volume in continuous playback; Bose quoted up to 24 hours at launch (2021 press release); wired listening with the audio cable extends play time	Tested by Bose at 75 dB SPL in Quiet mode (full noise cancelling); the case holds 2.5 full charges, which the owner's guide gives as up to 30 hours in total (Bose UK's product page says 31.5 hours, and its footnote gives 9 hours per charge)
Charging case
Charging case	–	USB-C and Qi wireless charging; earbuds charge in up to 1.5 hours, the case in up to 2 hours
Fast charging
Fast charging	15 minutes gives up to 3 hours; full charge in up to 2.5 hours (Bose UK; the launch press release said two hours)	20 minutes of charging gives up to 3 hours of playback
Design
Weight
Weight	240 g	10.9 g (better)
Water and sweat resistance
Water and sweat resistance	–	IPX4
Bluetooth
Bluetooth	5.1	5.3
Two devices at once
Two devices at once	Yes	Yes
Headphone cable
Headphone cable	Yes	–
Controls
Controls	Physical buttons; on the right ear cup, power, volume up, volume down and a multi-function button (play, pause, calls, voice assistant); on the left ear cup, an Action button to switch modes and mute the microphone on calls	Touch surface on each earbud (tap to play or pause, double-tap to skip forward, triple-tap to skip back; volume and noise cancelling controls); single, double and triple taps and press-and-hold are customisable in the app; "Hey headphones" voice commands through the Bose QCE app, including answering calls and Remote Selfie; in-ear detection pauses audio when an earbud is removed and can answer calls
Microphones
Microphones	Four external microphones for voice pickup in a beamforming array with a noise-rejection algorithm; What Hi-Fi counts six microphones in total	Three microphones per earbud; adaptive microphone system for calls with adjustable self-voice (sidetone)
Fit and ear tips
Fit and ear tips	Around-ear with plush synthetic leather ear cushions and headband; impact-resistant nylon with cast-metal hinges; folds flat for the carry case	Eartips and stability bands in small, medium and large; eartips interchangeable with the QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds; either earbud can be used on its own
Case weight
Case weight	0.18 kg (carry case)	0.104 lb (about 47 g) on Bose UK's spec table
Water resistance detail
Water resistance detail	No water resistance rating published	IPX4 for the earbuds; Bose says resistance might decrease with normal wear
Works with
Works with	Bose Music app for iOS and Android; multipoint connection to two devices; remembers up to seven paired devices; SimpleSync with Bose smart soundbars and speakers; Spotify Tap	Bose QCE app for iOS and Android; multipoint connection to two devices; can connect to Bose soundbars and speakers with SimpleSync, though Bose says it isn't fully optimised; no Snapdragon Sound
Colours
Colours	Triple Black and White Smoke at launch	Black, White Smoke and Chilled Lilac at launch; Bose UK now also sells Dewdrop Mint
In the box
In the box	Headphones, carry case, 30.5 cm USB-C charging cable, 3.5 mm to 2.5 mm audio cable	Earbuds, charging case, USB-C cable (USB-A to USB-C, 30 cm), Fit Kit with small, medium and large eartips and stability bands, safety sheet