Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II Review: 42 dB in the Mids, No Multipoint

Earbuds that out-cancel headphones

Noisy World's test is the interesting one. They ran pulsed noise at rising frequencies into a real ear and measured what got through, then compared the result against a Sony WH-1000XM4 and a Bose QC45, both full-size over-ear headphones.

Between 800 and 2,000 Hz, the earbuds won.

That is the band where office chatter, keyboard clatter and the general hum of a building sit, and it is the band that most active cancellation struggles with because it is too high for the electronics to handle cleanly and too low for a seal to block.

TechGearLab arrived at the same place from a different direction, measuring almost 42 decibels of reduction in the midrange and scoring the category 9.5 out of 10.

Below 100 Hz the over-ears still have the edge, and above 4 kHz Noisy World still recorded over 30 dB here. Across the range that matters most in a room full of people, these are exceptional.

And then the feature list stops

No multipoint. All three sources list it. Moving between a laptop and a phone means disconnecting and reconnecting each time.

No way to switch the cancelling fully off. SoundGuys and Noisy World both note it. There are levels and an aware mode, but no genuine off.

No wireless charging on the case.

SBC and AAC only, so an Android source cannot use a higher bitrate codec.

TechGearLab scored user experience 4.5 out of 10, and that list is why.

The battery is honest but short

SoundGuys, at a steady 75 dB: 7 hours 15 minutes. TechGearLab: about 6 hours 40. Noisy World, cancelling at maximum: 6 hours 20.

Bose claims six. Every measurement beats it, which is the right direction.

It is still low for the category, which TechGearLab reflects with a 5.4 score, and the case only holds three further charges.

The sound needs the app

SoundGuys measured a response with under-emphasised mids and over-emphasised sub-bass, and reports that vocals and guitars come across noticeably softer than they should.

Their practical finding is worth acting on: of the shipped presets, the one labelled Bass reducer produces the most accurate response, and the Bass boost preset applies something like a 20 dB lift to the sub-bass.

TechGearLab still scored sound 8.0. The drivers are capable; the default tuning is a choice.

CustomTune, which plays a short tone into your ear canal and recalibrates each time you put the buds in, is a genuinely clever idea. SoundGuys is unconvinced it does much.

Two practical warnings

Noisy World advises against running in them, because footfall transmits as impact noise through the buds.

And SoundGuys raises a mechanical fault worth knowing about before you buy: the concha stability fins can rotate out of position, which stops the earbud seating correctly in the case and prevents it charging. Check the fins are square before you close the lid.