Bose QuietComfort Earbuds vs Bose QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen)

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QuietComfort Earbuds compared with QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen)

	BoseQuietComfort Earbuds	BoseQuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen)
Overview
Released
Released	September 2024	August 2026
Sound
Type
Type	In-ear	Over-ear
Noise cancelling
Noise cancelling	Yes	Yes
Transparency mode
Transparency mode	Yes	Yes
Spatial audio with head tracking
Spatial audio with head tracking	–	Yes
Bluetooth codecs
Bluetooth codecs	SBC and AAC	SBC and AAC
Lossless over USB-C
Lossless over USB-C	–	Yes
Noise cancelling detail
Noise cancelling detail	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	QuietControl noise cancellation with a six-microphone system; adaptive feedforward control compensates for gaps in the ear cup seal (glasses, hair, hats); Quiet, Aware, Immersion and Cinema modes plus custom modes; Aware mode with ActiveSense softens sudden noise spikes; noise cancelling adjustable or fully off in the Bose app; wind block in custom modes
Audio features
Audio features	Five-band adjustable EQ in the Bose QCE app; Low Latency Audio mode for games and video	Bose TrueSpatial Technology with Immersive Audio (Still keeps the virtual speakers in place as you turn your head; Motion lets them follow) and Cinema Mode; SoundDesign signal processing; three-band EQ in the Bose app; two-way USB-C audio with lossless input up to 24-bit/48 kHz and voice output up to 24-bit/16 kHz
Battery
Listening time (maker's claim)
Listening time (maker's claim)	Up to 8.5 hours	Up to 24 hours
With the case
With the case	Up to 30 hours	–
Wireless charging
Wireless charging	Yes	–
Battery life detail
Battery life detail	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)	Up to 24 hours with noise cancelling on, 18 hours with Immersive Audio on; tested by Bose at 75 dB SPL; can be used over Bluetooth or USB audio while charging; the USB-C to 3.5 mm cable works only with the headphones powered on, so with a flat battery Bose says to listen over USB-C while charging
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	20 minutes of charging gives up to 3 hours of playback	15 minutes gives up to 2.5 hours of playback; full charge in up to 3 hours (slower while in use)
Design
Weight (each earbud)
Weight (each earbud)	10.9 g (better)	230 g
Water and sweat resistance
Water and sweat resistance	IPX4	–
Bluetooth
Bluetooth	5.3	5.4
Two devices at once
Two devices at once	Yes	Yes
Headphone cable
Headphone cable	–	Yes
Controls
Controls	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	Physical buttons; on the right ear cup, a Bluetooth/power slider, a multi-function button (play, pause, skip, calls) and volume buttons; on the left ear cup, an Action button for modes and a shortcut to the voice assistant, Spotify or Immersive Audio settings
Microphones
Microphones	Three microphones per earbud; adaptive microphone system for calls with adjustable self-voice (sidetone)	Six microphones, used for noise cancelling and calls, with updated background noise filtering for calls
Fit and ear tips
Fit and ear tips	Eartips and stability bands in small, medium and large; eartips interchangeable with the QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds; either earbud can be used on its own	Around-ear (circumaural) with a redesigned adjustable headband with smooth sliders; oval ear cups with removable protein leather cushions; plastic headband and yokes; folds for the carry case
Case weight
Case weight	0.104 lb (about 47 g) on Bose UK's spec table	–
Water resistance detail
Water resistance detail	IPX4 for the earbuds; Bose says resistance might decrease with normal wear	No water resistance rating published
Works with
Works with	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	Bose app for iOS and Android; multipoint connection to two devices; Google Fast Pair; USB-C audio for calls and video conferencing on computers
Colours
Colours	Black, White Smoke and Chilled Lilac at launch; Bose UK now also sells Dewdrop Mint	Black, White Smoke; limited-edition Eucalyptus Green, Dewdrop Mint and Rosewood Mauve; Bose UK also lists Sky Pink
In the box
In the box	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	Headphones, carry case, USB-C to USB-C cable (1 m), USB-C to 3.5 mm cable, safety sheet