Although these share the same name as the original Bose QuietComfort Earbuds, the 2nd generation brings some notable upgrades. First off, the case design stands out—it’s smaller but slightly thicker than my QuietComfort 2 case due to the removal of the earbud stems. The new matte finish on the case is sleek, and a much-appreciated upgrade is the wireless charging feature, which wasn’t available on the previous model. A key change is the introduction of a dedicated app, Bose QC Earbuds, with a unique "B" and "BCE" logo. This app gives you full control over your earbud experience, offering features like: Noise Control: You can switch between Quiet, Aware, or Off modes either in the app or by voice commands. In general, noise cancellation is excellent, though I did notice that in Quiet mode, wind noise during outdoor walks seemed more pronounced. This may be because the Quiet mode reduces other sounds, making wind noise stand out more—I'll need to test it further. EQ Settings: The default EQ is set to Flat, but there are presets like Bass Boost, Treble Boost, and Custom, allowing you to fine-tune Low, Mid, and High frequencies to your liking. Touch Controls: You can customize Single, Double, and Triple Press, as well as Hold functions for each earbud, giving you complete control over your listening experience. Voice Control: Available in multiple languages (English, Chinese, German, French, and Spanish), you activate commands by saying "Hey Headphones." I had a few issues getting this to work reliably, but it might just be a learning curve. One of the standout features is Multipoint connectivity, which lets you seamlessly connect to two devices at once. Switching between my phone and computer was a breeze, which is incredibly convenient. Other useful features include Fast Mute with touch control, a remote selfie option to control your phone’s camera, and Smart Calls, allowing you to accept or reject calls, use low-latency mode for gaming or movies, and even check battery predictions for how much playtime or talk time you have left. The noise cancellation is top-notch, as expected from Bose. It’s also IPX4 water-resistant, meaning it can handle splashes and light rain—great for daily walks. The earbuds come with three sizes of silicone ear tips and stability bands to ensure a perfect fit. Battery life is solid—8.5 hours on the earbuds alone, or up to 31 hours with the charging case. Fast charging gives you 2 hours of playback with just a 20-minute charge. Overall, these 2nd-gen QuietComfort Earbuds deliver an impressive upgrade with features that rival or surpass other top brands, all while maintaining Bose’s legendary sound quality and noise cancellation. At an affordable price, these everyday earbuds are ideal for anyone, including retirees like me, who enjoy listening to music during daily walks without breaking the bank. Bose nailed it with these—Powerful, not precious, just as they promised.

[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] These earbuds are great. They have great sound, quality, and design. Most open earbuds typically are bulky, larger, or are just unattractive. These not only look great but are slimmer/smaller than most. Only small issue is price point. These have been out for a while and the earphone/headphone market is vast, making it difficult to justify $300.

[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] These earbuds are so comfortable, almost as comfortable as my Bose headphones. I use them with my phone music apps, and the sound is terrific. I wasn’t going to buy another pair of earbuds, as I have several, but I’m glad I got these.

I have been using these for the past few weeks most days and love them so far, oy earbuds i have ever said that about. So far I would say they have great comfort and stay in place! I have often found myself forgetting im wearing them if not actively listening to something and havent had them fall off at all when exercising. It does take some time to get used to wearing them as recommended but mainly to find the right position for the best sound, i do wish the band was slightly larger or adjustable so that it would be just ever so slightly louder and clearer at times. They definitely have good range I'm able to walk around my house with my phone sittingon the charger with no issues. The sound is amazing in quiet places, but loud environmentscan be tricky. The immersion modes are fun, still was great for watching show though I used motion a lot while walking around with them in stores or at home. It's a subtle sound adjustment but very enjoyable. As i said before ut does have trouble with louder noises ie vacuuming was not as enjoyable as music was drowned out though still able to hear it. I tried out the auto volume adjust but it didn’t seem to do much in this situation and was subtle overall. The app seemed to work well with them, it made it easy to add new devices, you can also do it via shortcuts but I never tried it that way. There is an option in shortcuts to change devices which was nice a bit slow but faster than going to app. Though the shortcuts did reset on me a couple of times which I noticed when trying to change devices. Battery life seemed good, no issues with it running low aside from the time I left them out overnight on purpose. Otherwise they stayed charged just from dropping them in the case, though definitely wish the case was set up for wireless charging on it. Overall I think these are excellent earbuds and definitely see myself using them more than any in-ear earbuds I have used in the past.

I bought these a couple of weeks ago for my daughter. She has a lot of difficulty wearing in ear buds. She doesn’t like head phones either. As a runner, she needed something that allowed her to hear traffic, but was not in her ear. So I sent her these to try. When I asked how she liked them, she said, “They’re awesome”. Stayed on while running and gave her great sound. When I went to visit, she wore them constantly while working and cooking. Best purchase ever.

[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] Best purchase ever! My ears don’t hurt and I can enjoy the comfort of these amazing earbuds! The sound is amazing and the easy options for phone use is amazing. I will be purchasing another pair to keep and work and for the gym!

These earbuds are GREAT! They are so comfortable, I forget I’m wearing them when I don’t have music on. They stay on securely too! Great sound. Wonderful when you need to hear what’s going on around you. No one else can hear what you’re listening to. Easy controls too.

They are not the right earphones for me and my ear. I could press down on the back of the earphones and see exactly where they are supposed to sit but for some reason the physics of my ear doesn't allow that. I'm hoping I'll be able to exchange them for the in ear earbuds.

[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] I’ve had my “ sonic earrings” as my nephew calls them for about a month. I immediately was blown away by the sound quality! I kept looking around to see if it was really just myself that could hear what was honestly like a concert experience. I do get frustrated when they do not auto connect to my phone and I have to remove them and the-add them, but not enough to deduct a star. One thing- the fit could be better. Maybe I have a wider ear than expected? I also have a piercing on the cartilage in one of my ears, and although it’s a flat-back piece of jewelry, and very small, it seems to affect the fit. I do find I am regularly repositioning that side for better sound. The silicone case isn’t worth the extra $$. It slips around making it hard to secure closure, and attracts every piece of dust, dirt, animal hair. I have been shopping for a better off-brand cover simply for the ability to attach a small handle. The color is GORGEOUS!

Love love love! The sound is perfect. I never would have believed the sound could be this awesome without having them stuck in my ear. I have small ears and could NEVER keep earbuds in, even the quiet comfort II’s would fall out if I was active (they were the best before these. There is ONLY one imperfection. They will randomly crackle and seem to cut out. If I pause what I’m listening to and hit play again they pick up. The don’t always cut out when they crackle, and the crackle is random and VERY infrequent, think listening 8 hours (at work) and crackle/pop (softly) 4-5 times for a second or two. Even with that, these are HANDS-DOWN the best earbuds around. *I never leave reviews*