Bose announced the release of two new wireless earbuds in 2020: the
Bose's QuietComfort Earbuds promise noise-canceling prowess that's almost as good as Bose's over-ear noise-canceling headphones.
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Bose Sport vs QuietComfort Earbuds Comparison Chart
| Model | ||
 | | |
| Price | Check Price at Walmart.com | Check Price at Walmart.com |
| Active Noise Cancellation | No | Yes |
| ANC Levels | N/A | 11 |
| Battery Life | Up to 5 hours plus an extra 10 hours more with the charging case | Up to 6 hours plus an extra 12 hours more with the charging case |
| Quick Charging | 15 mins for up to two hours of extra battery life | 15 mins for up to two hours of extra battery life |
| Wireless Charging | No | Yes |
| Bluetooth | Version 5.0 | Version 5.1 |
| Touch Controls | Yes | Yes |
| Voice Controls | Yes | Yes |
| Sweat and Water Resistant | Yes, IPX4 | Yes, IPX4 |
| Color Options | Baltic Blue, Tripe Black, Glacier White | Triple Black, Soapstone |
| Earbud Dimensions (LWD) | 0.74″ x 1.05″ x 0.83″ | 1.54″ x 1.02″ x 1.06″ |
| Charging Case Dimensions (LWD) | 3.5″ x 2″ x 1.25″ | 3.5″ x 2″ x 1.25″ |
Design
The Bose Sport Earbuds and QuietComfort Earbuds have similar aesthetics
The newest earbuds from Bose are hard to tell apart from each other. Bose’s older true wireless earbuds, the SoundSport Free, look bulky and the buds stick out of your ears in a rather odd-looking way. Their charging case is bigger than most charging cases, too. The Bose Sport Earbuds and the QuietComfort noise-canceling earbuds addressed these issues with their slimmer, sleeker, and less conspicuous design.
The Bose Sport Earbuds offer significant upgrades from the SoundSport Free. They feature a sleeker profile, built-in smart voice assistants, and on-ear touch-capacitive controls.
Bose moved away from remote controls within the earbuds and equipped the Bose Sport Earbuds and QuietComfort Earbuds with a touch-capacitive interface. Their umbrella-shaped StayHear+ eartips and extended wings are also designed so the earbuds will fit snugly and won’t fall off even during workouts. Unlike the older
The Bose Sport Earbuds come in three colors: Glacier White, Baltic Blue, and Triple Black. The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds are only available in Soapstone and Triple Black.
Read more Bose headphones reviews and comparison charts here
Noise Cancellation
The
When Bose first announced its noise-canceling earbuds, they were called the
They are also equipped with four microphones, so you can make and take phone calls in a congested place and the caller will still hear you clearly, and vice versa. For instances where you need to talk to someone and completely hear your surroundings, their transparency mode comes in handy.
Sound Quality and Connectivity
The Bose Sport and QuietComfort Earbuds feature Active EQ
Bose has been a household name for premium sound quality for a reason. Their years of research and engineering deliver audio that’s clear, crisp, and immersive, and you can expect the same in the Bose Sport and QuietComfort Earbuds. They boast Bose’s proprietary Active EQ which automatically adjusts the frequencies so you will consistently get a clean, balanced sound.
Bose addressed the most common complaint on the
Set up and Controls
Both the Bose Sport Earbuds and QuietComfort Earbuds have touch-capacitive controls
The Bose Sport Earbuds and QuietComfort Earbuds both have touch controls, a function that the older
The set-up and pairing of the new earbuds are a breeze, especially with their updated Bluetooth versions. Users have encountered issues when switching devices using the older wireless headphones, but hopefully, Bose’s software updates will clear the Bose Sport Earbuds and QuietComfort Earbuds with these issues.
Bose's QuietComfort Earbuds promise noise-canceling prowess that's almost as good as Bose's over-ear noise-canceling headphones.
Additional Features
Both the Bose Sport Earbuds and QuietComfort Earbuds have an IPX4-rating and decent battery life
IPX4-rated, the Bose Sport Earbuds and QuietComfort Earbuds are resistant to water splashes from any direction, sweatproof, and safe to use when doing non-water sports and exercises. Many fitness enthusiasts will be happy to have noise-canceling wireless earbuds like the QuietComfort that are safe to use for workouts and training.
The battery life of the two is decent, but nothing impressive. The Bose Sport Earbuds have a runtime of up to 5 hours and their charging case adds an extra 10 hours of juice. Meanwhile, the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds have a slightly longer 6-hour battery life and their charging case can give an additional 12 hours of listening time.
Verdict
The
The Bose Noise Canceling Headphones 700 delivered superb noise cancellation and sound quality, but they were not as versatile and portable as other top-rated wireless earbuds in the market. Their earbuds counterpart, the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds (formerly known as the Bose NC Earbuds 700), address this though. As for the price, the Bose Sport Earbuds (formerly announced as the Bose 500) are more affordable than the QuietComfort Noise Canceling Earbuds, just as the
FAQs
No, the Bose Sport Earbuds don’t have active noise cancellation or ANC, only the QuietComfort Earbuds do.
Yes. Bose has announced that you can access voice assistants such as Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa on the Bose Sport Earbuds and QuietComfort Earbuds.
Yes, they feature a responsive touch interface on each earbud.
Yes, Bose released the Bose Sport Earbuds and QuietComfort Earbuds in the fall of 2020.